Improve Your Golf Swing with the Help of These 4 Massage Techniques, a guest post from Chris Foerster 60 million – this is the estimated number of golfers all over the planet, encompassing anyone from a casual player to a pro. Indeed, golf is one of the most popular sports out there! Whether you are a newbie or already a veteran, there is one thing that is deemed to help improve your golf swing, and that is by having regular massage. A lot of people believe that undergoing massage is for athletes who engage in sports that are very physically demanding such as boxing, football and basketball. Not everyone is aware that golfing can also be very physically demanding, and those who engage in golf can also benefit from massage, too! According to Fremont College, “Massage therapy can be a wonderfully relaxing and effective form of rehabilitation.” Massage can be particularly advantageous to those who are looking to improve their golf swing. Essentially, there are 4 different massage techniques that can considerably assist in perfecting a golfer’s swing. Golfing is Physically Demanding Most people think that golf is not as exhausting and arduous as most other sports around because to them it seems like it’s just all about hitting a tiny ball with a club and walking across the course throughout the game. However, little did they know that performing a golf swing can be very, very stressful to the body! Although it may look very simple on TV, swinging a golf club entails using many different muscles most especially those that are situated in the upper body. Muscles in the arms, shoulders, upper back and lower back all have to be used strategically in order to take a golf ball where it should be taken by the person playing golf. It’s not just various muscles of the upper body that are employed when swinging a golf club, but also several different bone joints. From the spine to the wrist joint, everything can take a beating. Just simply imagine how much of a beating all of those muscles and joints are getting with repeated golf swings. And with the kind of power that a golfer places on every swing made — sometimes strong enough to get a golf ball flying at a speed of anywhere between 150 mph to 170 mph — there’s no denying that golfing is a physically demanding sport! Muscles Can Easily End Up Sore and Painful Due to the repeated use of and strain on various upper body muscles when swinging the club, it can be very easy for a golfer to wind up feeling sore and achy all over. This is when the benefit of having massage steps into the scene — through massage therapy, a golfer can easily bounce back. One of the reasons why a massage can be very beneficial for a golfer is the fact that it facilitates the removal of toxins that can accumulate in the muscles due to their overuse during a game of golf. Keeping those toxins around can leave anyone feeling uncomfortable for days and days after golfing, and undergoing a massage can help make the soreness and achiness go away quickly and more effectively. With the help of a massage therapist, muscle spasms and adhesions can be addressed properly, too. Ultimately, it can also prevent injuries and also enhance the quality of the movement of the muscles. Improvement of Golf Swings Speaking of muscle movement, more and more golfers are discovering the benefits of having regular massage in getting their swings perfected. Yes, it’s not only after a game of golf that a massage can be very beneficial, but also in between games. Many can attest to the effectiveness of certain massages in boosting the quality of their golf swings! One of the reasons why a massage can help in improving your golf swing is it helps in increasing the flexibility of the muscles. Especially before a game of golf, those flexible muscles can come in very handy. With utmost flexibility, you can focus a lot of power into making that tiny golf ball fly into the air. In addition, it’s less likely for your muscles to get fatigued quickly, which translates to more quality time on the course. No matter if you are polishing your moves or partaking in a tournament, you can enjoy lasting power and performance. Having flexible muscles helps improve your range of motion. And definitely, it’s something that can considerably lower your risk of incurring an injury, which is a detriment to any sport-minded person! The 4 Massage Techniques to Go For Now comes the most important part of this article — the massage techniques that can really help in making your golf swing impress. Actually, there are 4 different ones that both massage therapists and golfers themselves agree can help in improving golf swings, and they are the following: Swedish massage: Everyone has heard of Swedish massage and it comes as no surprise because this is one of the most popular types of massages on the face of the planet. Even if you are not really into massages, having Swedish massage should not be a problem because it’s gentle enough, yet very good at improving circulation to the muscles and also making tired and tensed muscles relax. Deep tissue massage: Once you get accustomed to Swedish massage, it’s for certain that you won’t mind having deep tissue massage. Just like what the name suggests, this is a more intense form of massage — the massage therapists applies pressure to realign deep-seated muscles, helping to break up tension. As a result, muscle pain can be eliminated and proper muscle movement can be restored. Myofascial massage: This type of massage that’s beneficial for improving a golfer’s swing entails manipulation of the fascia, which is the thin layer of tissue that covers your muscles. You see, your fascia can also get tensed and achy, contributing to muscle pain and restriction of movement. With the help of myofascial massage, your range of motion can be improved considerably. Trigger point therapy: Last but not least, there is trigger point therapy that is very good at giving you the best golf swing that you can have. This type of massage involves the application of pressure to tender spots on the muscles, which are referred to as trigger points. A lot of golfers who receive trigger point therapy say that it offers instantaneous relief from muscle tension and pain.