Golf and the Alexander Technique

ByLeland VallCertified Alexander Technique Instructor New York, NYwww.freeyourneck.com/This article presents five reasons why the Alexander Technique can make you a better golfer. There are also five accompanying tips. For over 100 years, the Alexander Technique has helped athletes to be more athletic by giving them the tools to take thegreatest advantage of their strength and power. By improving stability and movementmechanics, it can also help you avoid injury, especially back injury. Most importantly,the Alexander Technique offers a feeling of lightness and ease that is its hallmark. Of course you can’t learn the Alexander Technique just from reading an article, but I hopethis article will give you the information you need to decide to take a course of lessons.

1. Enhance Your Athleticism

Athleticism can be described as a spring-like quality within the body and the Alexander Technique helps you enhance that quality within yourself. Golf instruction often includesangles, movements and positions. These instructions are important, but there must be anunderlying athleticism in order for you to reach your potential. The Alexander Techniquehelps you experience your body as one integrated and coordinated system, rather than acollection of parts. If you feel like some kind of erector set on the golf course, theAlexander Technique can help you feel more like your whole body is a spring.

*Tip

Stand up and imagine your body as an archer’s bow, oriented as if you are facing the bowstring. Stand straight up, not in a curved position. The bow is a spring and it alwayswants to expand against the string. Now imagine that someone is pulling the string,causing you to bend. The result may be bending, but in your imagination you are resistingthe string and trying to go up. In reality, the string is gravity and we always go up againstit, no matter how much we bend. Athletes often seem springy because we are springs.©2009 Leland Vallwww.freeyourneck.com/

The human body, like thearcher’s bow,is a spring

2. Feel More Grounded, and Generate Greater Leg Power

A clear and stable connection to the ground is essential for a powerful swing. TheAlexander Technique helps you establish that connection, not only for golf, but for everystep you take. From the approach to the follow through, there should never be a questionthat your power comes from your connection to the ground – the Alexander Techniqueshows you how.

*Tip

Improving balance on one leg can help you feel more grounded on two legs. Thefollowing exercise may help you realize that your balance is better than you think. Standup and point one finger high in the air as if you are reaching. Continuing to point your finger, lift your opposite knee until your thigh is parallel to the ground (or as close to thatas you can), while also allowing your foot to hang directly under your raised knee. Try tomake the tip of your finger and the bottom of your standing foot be as far away from eachother as you can. Does the dynamic relationship between your finger pointing up andyour foot going down help you to maintain your balance?

3. Develop a Tension-Free Neck

Excess neck tension is ubiquitous. If you have ever had a stiff neck, you know how muchit inhibits movement in your whole body. A free and supple neck is key to easymovement in the rest of the body. The Alexander Technique teaches you how to avoidtension in your neck during all activities, especially athletic activities. Even my URL isfreeyourneck.

*Tip

Lie face up on a carpet with your head on a soft cover book. The book should be thick enough so that your face is parallel to the floor. Place your feet flat on the ground so thatyour knees point toward the ceiling. With your mind’s eye, picture the very top of your spine, a point about the level of your ears and higher than the roof of your mouth. This isthe joint where your head and spine meet. To experience more freedom in your neck,think of allowing this joint to soften so that the top of your spine almost seems to fallaway from your head.©2009 Leland Vallwww.freeyourneck.com/

Top of spine.