Following on from a previous article where we introduced two new Swiss ball exercises to your repertoire (the crunch and lumbar extension), we have another two popular Swiss ball exercises to add to your program.

Fig. 1

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  Fig. 2
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  Fig. 3
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  Fig. 4
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  Fig. 5
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  Fig. 6

Swiss Ball Jack-Knifes

• Start over the ball in the "plank" position as described two editions ago (figure 1)
• Without altering your position, draw your belly button in to set your deep abdominal muscles
• From this position, slowly pull your knees forward towards your chest while maintaining your set neutral spine position (figure 2)
• You only pull your knees forward as far as you can maintain your spine posture. If you notice that your bottom curls under your trunk (figure 3) you will have to spend some time stretching your glutes (bottom) and hamstrings
• Repeat this exercise for 2 sets of 15 - take 1-2 seconds to pull your knees forward, hold this position for 2 seconds, then take a further 1-2 seconds to return to the start position (rest 60 seconds between sets)
• As your flexibility improves, you will be able to pull your knees closer to your chest without losing postural control

Swiss Ball Leg Curl

• Start this exercise with your back on the ground and your calves on the ball, you then lift your hips into the bridge position that we taught you 2 editions ago (figure 4)
• Without altering your position, draw your belly button in to set your deep abdominal muscles. Also tighten your glutes to help you hold this start position
• From this start point, slowly pull your feet back towards your bottom - you will feel muscles of your hamstrings, gluteals, and calves working (figure 5)
• You only pull your feet back as far as you can maintain your spine posture. If you notice that your trunk starts to round (figure 6) you will have to spend some time stretching your glutes (bottom) and hamstrings
• Your goal is to complete 2 sets of 15 repetitions - take 1-2 seconds to pull your feet back, hold this position for 2 seconds, then take another 1-2 seconds to return to your start position (rest 60 seconds between sets)

These two exercises complement the other four exercises that have been shown over the past two issues. For an introductory trunk strengthening program to improve your golf, complete 1-2 sets of each exercise 3-4 times per week in the manner outlined. Trunk stability and posture control are two common aspects of the golfers physical "make-up" that need to be worked on to allow for continued technical improvements.

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