Greetings from North Texas
As winter approaches, it's time to get ready for the 2008 golf season. Have you made plans for improving physically, mentally, or emotionally? Do you have goals for 2008? Have you accessed your 2007 season to discover what were your strengths and weaknesses?

Today's post will cover my golf goals and physical plans.

Here are my goals for the 2008 golf season.
1. Finish in the top 20 at the National Club Professional Championship. A top 20 finish puts me in the 2008 PGA Championship.
2. Win a NTPGA major individual championship. I've won team events and senior individual events, but never a major individual championship.
3. Qualify for the 2008 U.S. Senior Open.
4. Qualify for the 2008 U.S. Open.
5. Win the 2008 NTPGA Player of the Year award.

What are your goals for your golf in 2008?

Physical plans for 2008

Most of my physical work involve areas of the body not mentioned by most trainers. It all started with an episode of TPI. It was mentioned during the show how we lose the ability to go backward as we age. This got me thinking. What can I do to thwart this change?

Whenever I have had a physical evaluation, they always tell me how bad I do back extensions. Since I have had my two back operations, I have been fearful of bending backwards. It's a fear of having my spine break in two if I move incorrectly. Therefore I have tried to keep my spine rigid as I move.

I had to come up with a plan for increasing my backward bending in a controlled way. I started by laying on my back on the floor. This straightened and relaxed my spine. After a minute or so, I extended my arms to the side like I'm making a T. Again holding this position for a minute or so. Then I extended the arms upward making an I. After a minute, I extended both my arms and legs making my body into an X. There was no pain while doing this.

After this movement I rolled over onto my stomach. I either had my chin or my forehead on the floor. I then repeated making the letters T, I, and X.

The next step was to lay on my back in bed with my legs below the knee hanging off the end of the bed. After a minute or so, I reversed my body with my head and neck hanging off the bed. As I have become more relaxed, I now have my head, neck, shoulders and shoulder blades hanging off the bed.

As this laying in bed got easier, I added a pillow under the lumbar area of my back. I use the pillow while my feet are off the bed and when my head and shoulders are off the bed. I now use to two pillows.

These simple passive stretches have helped my posture and my movement. I feel much more flexible and don't have the same rigid feel when I move about.

After reading an article on the Biomechanics of the Golf Swing, I now focus on the back of my body when exercising. The lower back, the glutes, and quadriceps play a huge role in the golf swing. Each of these muscle groups will fire at or near 100% through impact.

To work these muscles, I lay face down on the floor. I raise each limb by itself, then pair a leg with an arm, then raise them all at the same time. I can only hold these positions for a few seconds. I do these movement while making the letters I, T, and X. I then rest my upper body on my elbows and bend my legs at the knees like I'm trying to kick myself. When I was younger, this was a favorite position to watch TV.

This focus on the back of my body and backward movement has enabled me to set up with better posture, have more rotation, and maintain my posture through impact. This has happened without any emphasis on rotational stretching .

Try these passive stretches and simple exercises. Let me know if or how it works for you.

Thanks