By Scott Graison
So I just took RPCoaching’s Golf Strong Class, a weekly group golf fitness class for members of Pelican’s Nest Golf Course in Bonita Springs. It’s a cutting edge program for all fitness levels incorporating the most effective exercises for golfers. Today’s class was designed to improve range and motion throughout the golf swing. Did it ever deliver!
The class was evenly divided between men and women. I thought I’d be the only male on site but quickly discovered that flexibility and mobility are truly for our gender, as well.
Tools of the trade were mats, light weights, foam rollers, and tubes (or as I like to think of them as tension bands). Add in music and Rita’s exuberant, enthusiastic, positive, can-do attitude, and it all mixed together like a perfectly blended salad (which by the way, we should all eat more!).
Rita put the class through drills that worked body parts from head to toe, with a specific focus on the body’s core; crucial for better golf.
Having taught classes like this for over 30 years, Rita was adept at what would work for the new participants as well as the veterans of the class. This time around, she reached into her repertoire bag, and had us working hard on thoracic mobility. She talked about nutritious foods—not preachy, just suggestive. She told some good jokes to keep it light. She commended anyone and everyone when they were excelling at an exercise.
For me, the foam roller had my number. Balance is apparently not my strong suit. Attempting to harmonize my feet on the foam roller was an exercise in futility, though she never laid into me for it. Let’s just say, stumbling and falling off were commonplace for me. Had there been no foam roller and I was walking a line after a routine police stop for possible DUI, I’d be in jail right now, not writing this blog! But I digress with an attempt at humor.
Rita knew when our arms or legs were tired, so she alternated exercises to keep us fresh. We even partnered up with people in the class to work in cohesion on drills that rotated our cores, and strengthen our glute’s which will ultimately help with added distance to our golf swings.
In the end, she said, “Well done!” We all clapped in self-appreciation for our efforts, as well as how she approached us as students. It was a great experience, one which I look forward to engaging in again. The class I attended is exclusive to members of Pelican’s Nest and their guests and held every Friday at 9:30am through the end of April. I encourage you to check out RPCoaching’s calendar of events for more golf fitness programs that are sure to leave you with an outward smile and an inner feeling of wellness. Contact rita@ritapociask.com for information on bringing this program to your community.
