Everybody do the lawnmower!
For putting, we want to rock the shoulders.
The lawnmower – the kind where you pull a rope to start the engine is a great exercise to give you that feeling.
Stand in a lunge position – left foot in front of the right. Hinge forward at the hips. Bring your right elbow next to your ribcage. Imagine gently squeezing an oven mitt under your arm pit. Rotating the shoulders, reach down as if you are going to grab the rope to start the engine. Next pretend you are pulling the rope to start the engine. Rotate the shoulders to do this. The motion should be slow and smooth.
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Repeat on the other side. You can use free weights or exercise band to make the exercise more challenging.
If your upper arm comes away from the body, you may wind up with a flying elbow as shown below. When this happens, the arms take over and you have less control of putting, and the full swing.
Done properly, this exercise will help you isolate the shoulder rocking motion for putting, and help with the shoulder turn in the full swing. Of course, the putting motion is more subtle than starting a lawnmower engine, or at least it should be?. The exercise not only trains your body, it trains the brain to engage specific muscles and movement patterns. See the article Peggy Briggs, LPGA, on improving you putting mechanics.
For more Fitness Tips see Smashing Balls You tube channel. Smashing Golf
Debra Pentz, DC