I can’t count the ways I love the game of golf, but there are plenty of concrete reasons why golfers enjoy better health!
Lots of walking
What other sport can lay claim to four-hour walks? Moderately paced walks promote healing, better sleep, a lower resting heart rate and long-term health in general. Personally, I find immense satisfaction strolling beneath live oaks, loblollies and blue skies full of brown-tailed hawks, ospreys and the occasional bald eagle.
Improved mental clarity
Clearing your mind can lead to a state of flow; this happens when you have played enough to absorb all of the technical commands and you’re just feeling the swing. Also, the breathing techniques we use in golf — in through the nose and out slowly — help to increase concentration and eliminate muscle tension. This allows us to let go of all of life’s responsibilities for the moment, taking in the fresh air and exhaling the anxieties we feel.
Plenty of stretching
Golf works the entire body! The golf swing stretches all of our muscles like rubber bands, which creates speed for the golf swing. This also helps players retain a good range of motion, so important to living a full life. In the beginning, positions are awkward and uncomfortable. With practice, muscles lengthen, reach improves and muscle memory takes over to create a natural and fluid swing.
Have you been to the Robert Trent Jones Top Tracer Driving Range yet? This is the premier place on the Island to practice your swing and get back into the golfing groove. See you there!
By Doug Weaver, Director of Instruction, Palmetto Dunes Golf Academy
North Carolina and South Carolina PGA Teacher of the Year, Doug Weaver is the Director of Instruction at the Palmetto Dunes Golf Academy. He conducts “Where Does the Power Come From?”, a free interactive clinic and demonstration every Monday from 4-5 p.m. at the Robert Trent Jones Golf Course. Call (843) 338-9598 or (800) 827-3006 or go to www.palmettodunes.com for more information.
