Core flexibility training is critical if you want to improve your golf swing power and driving distance. Your core is the engine to your swing. If your core is inflexible you will not be able to make a full backswing with minimal tension.

Picture your core being the middle of your body. That's as simple as you can get it. It is mainly your abdominals, but can also include glutes and lower back. This area of your body is the most susceptible to injury.

That's why the majority of amateur golfers have a low back injury at some point in their golfing career. They have never focused on core flexibility training, as well as core strength training for more power.

To produce more power and distance in your swing does not mean swinging harder with your arms. Haven't you tried that before? If so, did you hit it farther? I'll bet not.

Just like hitting a baseball, tennis ball are even throwing the discus in track and field, you use your core for most of your power. You rotate with your core to create torque, then you unleash that stored up energy into the hit, whether it be a baseball, tennis ball or golf ball.

The more efficient you become with using your core, arms, shoulders and hands in a sequenced motion, the added distance will come quite easy. You'll be shocked at how quickly your driving distance goes up.

Core flexibility training incorporates "rotation". Golf stretching in this manner warrants the best results in the shortest amount of time!

Every core flexibility stretch you do should involve some form of rotating. This is very

important since the golf swing is a rotate (turn) back and a rotate (turn) forward. The more range of motion you can achieve in your core area the more power you will produce.

Here's a little test you can do while your sitting there reading this article!

Put your arms across your chest, keep your eyes focused straight ahead. Now rotate as far as you can to the right and make a not of how far it is. Did you get to a 90 degree shoulder turn (that's where you need to be). Then rotate as far as you can to the left. How far did you get.

This will be a "wake-up" call for many of you. If you find you can't rotate at least 70 degrees of center, you'll have no chance at maximizing your power and driving distance.

We do this simple core flexibility test seated to remove cheating of the lower body. If you were standing, it would be very easy to rotate your hips and get a bigger shoulder rotation.

Being seated removes this compensation!

A seated rotation is "true" core flexibility and range of motion.

I hope I've educated you on the importance of core flexibility training to improve golf swing power and distance.

About The Author

Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf performance experts in the country; Golf Magazine's expert at GolfOnline.com, author and founder of several cutting-edge online golf performance sites. Take a look at his just released golf training manual and dvds at http://www.performbettergolf.com.