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Liesbeth Pauwels shares some of her tips for golf yoga and golf fitness
I’m falling apart.
On the range,
Before the first tee shot.
It’s what she shared with me. And I know she’s not alone. Because it’s a story many female golfers have told me over the past 10+ plus years.
In a setting still dominated by men, it’s not always as straight forward, easy or comfortable for female golfers. Many of us already feel conscious about our body in a day to day setting. For some, that feeling intensifies in a gym setting or a yoga class, for others (including myself), we’re perfectly fine with it. But for most, our self consciousness is at an all time high on the course!
Golf is challenging enough as is. Make it easy on yourself and above all, comfortable. Doing fitness or yoga moves on the driving range is stressful for many. In an amateur field, tons of female golfers find value in a sense of belonging, friendships, and a nurturing environment. And that nurturing environment begins internally -- with yourself.
It starts by ceasing to cause harm to ourselves. To stop doing exercises on the range that, if we’re being really honest with ourselves, don’t make us feel good (or in reality lowers our confidence). Instead, take them to the locker room.
One practical application, for example, would be to take your post round stretches to the locker room immediately after your round (or golf lesson). Of course this also applies to warm up routines and strategies for injury prevention and optimising golf performance. Doing exercises with the aim of relaxation, recovery, or focus makes absolutely no sense if you are in an environment where you do not feel safe or comfortable.
No teaching pro should ever make you do ‘golf enhancing yoga or fitness exercises’ on the range without your consent. And it's also true for male golfers:
Yoga stretches or fitness exercises performed on the range, don’t automatically increase their effectiveness because they are done on the range. In fact, they could actually result in the complete opposite, especially at recreational levels.
I come back to one of the principles that's rooted in my golf yoga-fitness method:
it (golf yoga-fitness) doesn't mean yoga or fitness should be done in a golf setting. Don't get me wrong, there's also so much potential once an experienced and registered coach guides a group of golfers through a dynamic golf warm up. This is something I have done so many times and it requires not just knowledge of golfing exercises, but a high level of "human" skills like communication, emotional intelligence, group dynamics, space holding and safety.
And yes, in some cases, it's super easy or the most logic to provide golf yoga-fitness clinics on or nearby the range. When that's the case, there is an opportunity for club leaders and teaching professionals to take responsibility and prioritise safety.
My message:
Please let go of the belief that in order to get the benefit out of golf-yoga or golf-fitness, or to be a “good golfer” you should be doing golf yoga-fitness exercises on the range! Oh and also remember that what you see on my social is always a suggestion. They are never the means to an end.
Feel free to share this with your friend(s) on social. Let’s spread the message. It’s an important one if we’re looking to evolve the world of golf.
You are very very welcome to move with me. Consistent practice will help boost your confidence, drastically enhance your results and add quality to your life like it has done for so many already. I have made it super simple how to get going with my golf-yoga method:
For more on my "on demand" golf training plans:
(all in English )
Liesbeth Pauwels
is passionate about modern sport psychology and ancient eastern philosophy, she continuously moves towards re-establishing balance in the body and mind, for herself and for her clients.
Her mission is :
"to develop a strong healthy golf community that plays golf forever"!
With a decade over professional experience as a golf movement coach, she also has worked with Jason Glass, the Dutch Golf Federation, the PGA of Holland, GOLF.NL and helped thousands of golfers all over Europe.
She graduated from the University of British Columbia in Vancouver, Canada with a degree in Kinesiology - the study of human performance. She is a Titleist Performance Institute Certified Fitness & Junior Level 3, SuperSpeed Golf Certified Level 3 & is also a registered certified Yoga Teacher.