Want to hit long drives and laser-like irons into the green?

Sure.

But do you also want to be stuck on the couch in a few months because of an injury?

The weather’s getting warmer, and many of you will be heading out to the links. Some of you have already begun hitting some at local practice ranges and playing some rounds with friends.

But when you get back into the swing of things, take 20 minutes to perform a few easy exercises that will not only give you more yards off the tee, it will keep you healthy and on the course this summer and many summers to come.

Ty Tims, CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist), a medical exercise specialist for Baptist Memorial Health Care System, deals specifically with those of you who want to not only get the game in shape, but your body as well so it can perform at its best.

“The biggest thing is that everybody through the winter is pretty sedentary, and their golf muscles are out of shape — it’s good to begin a general conditioning program that includes a little cardiovascular work as well as flexibility exercises,” Tims said.

The modern golf swing isn’t about strength — it’s about flexibility and balance. Do you think PGA young guns like Charles Howell III and David Gossett can bench press 300 pounds?

No. They’re very flexible and they have good balance.

“Functional flexibility and balance is more important than absolute strength,” Tims said. “Strength is important only if you can create that tension to explode through the ball. Michelle Wie is a good example of someone who uses leverage and a lot of flexibility with a solid base to rotate around that creates a lot of physiological tension.”

For Wie, that tension and flexibility equals 300 yards off the tee.

And while many believe spending hours at the range will improve their game, taking some time to perform some simple exercises will yield better long-term results.

“You need to get some good balance work and stabilization — two areas that golfers don’t know how to train properly. It’s easy to see the gains in bench press and other weight exercises like that, but balance and coordination drills are hard to measure,” Tims said.

Ask any golf pro about the swing.

One of the keys they will mention is balance throughout the entire swing. A bench press can’t benefit you there like coordination and balance drills.

Tims teaches individual and group performance classes for those who seek some different, fun exercises that they can take straight to the golf course.

“We try to emphasize getting away from traditional exercises,” he said. Many of the exercises focus on the core, or the trunk, of the body, to provide a stable base for better performance.

“I spend most of my time educating on the principles of functional, multi-dimensional training — the three planes of movement, forward to back (sagittal), side to side (frontal plane), and rotational (transverse),” he said. “Between those three planes, that's every movement in everyday life or sport.”

Tims said there were five key exercises adults and kids can do that deal specifically with the movements of the golf swing.

Some of these exercises ask for a medicine ball or dumbbells, but can also be performed without them, using simply your own body weight. As with any exercise program, you should consult a physician before beginning.

1. CHOP PROGRESSION, medicine ball chop — This involves three movements. Standing with your legs spread apart, hold the medicine ball or dumbbells straight over your head. Take the weight down between your legs with a squatting motion, then raise the weight back over your head. 10-15 reps.Some variations include: DIAGONAL CHOP — Take weight from high right to low left, then high left to low right. ROTATIONAL CHOP — Somewhat like swinging a baseball bat, swing the weight side to side, turning no further than 180 degrees. The rotational chop, unlike the former two, should be performed at a quicker pace.
2. CONE TOUCH — This exercise is performed on one leg. Place an object about waist-high one yard in front of you. Standing on one leg, reach and touch the object while maintaining your balance. Switch legs and repeat. More advanced people can use shorter objects. Variations include alternating hands while staying on the same leg. 25-30 reps.
3. MEDICINE BALL THROW — Using a partner or a solid wall, stand about five yards apart and stand as if addressing a golf ball. Work on slow takeaway, exploding and releasing the ball to your partner or the wall, and alternate each side. 20-25 reps.
4. DUMBELL MATRIX — Use five to eight-pound dumbbells. With the weight above your head, perform a traditional lunge and punch the weight toward the ground. When returning from the lunge, punch the weight back into the air. Alternate legs. The next movement is a side lunge, punching the weight toward the ground, then into the air on the return. Alternate legs. The final lunge is backward and diagonal, turning the foot away from your body and using the same punching motion toward the floor and into the air on the return. Switch legs. 3 sets of 5 reps.
5. ROBIN HOOD — This is an exercise that uses an exercise tube. Hook the tube to a wall or door handle. Similar to the final lunge in the dumbbell matrix, lunge backward and pull the tube to your shoulder. Repeat on the other side. 10-15 reps on each side.

Tims has been teaching an exercise program for golfers at Baptist for about five years.

“You don’t want to get too complicated, but you’ve got to be creative with your training,” he said. “You can do these exercises any time of the day, but make sure you have some time to focus on what you're doing. You should be able to get through the workout in about 20 minutes.”

Practicing for your game is important, but taking some time away from the range to get in a good exercise routine is better.

“It all comes down to putting in two to three sessions of this a week,” Tims said. “It’s better than trying to improve by overdoing the amount of balls your hitting. You’ll get more out of your practice on the range and then see the benefits on the course.”

For information on classes offered by Tims, call (901) 754-0384