Golf isn't all about what you do on the course; what you do off it counts, too. World No 1 Rory McIlroy, for example, credits much of his success to strength and conditioning in the gym with Steve McGregor, the fitness guru who also works with newly crowned English Premier League champions Manchester City and the New York Knicks.
For the next three weeks, Health Post has teamed up with Hong Kong touring professional James Stewart and his trainer, Ross Eathorne, to help lift your golf game through a series of exercises that work your flexibility, posture and strength.
This week, the focus is on stretching - something former Hong Kong No1 Stewart says has been paramount to his golfing success. 'I stretch every day to maintain my flexibility,' says Stewart, executive director of J&J Golf Academy at Discovery Bay Golf Club. 'If I don't stretch prior to playing, I really notice it as my golf swing tightens up, and my rhythm and timing are affected. It's especially important to stretch after long car rides or flights.'
About 90 per cent of pro golfers do some type of stretching for 10 to 30 minutes before they play, says Stewart. But most amateurs don't stretch at all, says Eathorne, a golf biomechanics coach with Optimum Performance Studio in Central.
'Like everyone, James has tight muscles that can lead to injury and swing faults especially under pressure,' he says. 'For men, flexibility will have the greatest impact on the game, as when men reach 40, their spines start to stiffen. Women are generally more flexible in their spines.'
Here, Stewart demonstrates a pre-swing stretching routine.