The phrase ‘you can’t run before you can walk’ is one that resonates in all parts of life. In the world of golf performance and rotational training it means you must earn the right to rotate! An efficient golf swing involves a combination of mobility and stability in the right areas to produce the most power possible. The phrase itself was coined by a leader in strength and conditioning and rotational training, Jason Glass, as he describes the necessity to be able demonstrate an exercise without rotating before the athlete attempts it with rotation of any particular segment. Resisting rotation forces the athlete to stabilize and show control of the movement, identify any compensations that may be taking place, and correct them before graduating to the next step. I always stress to our athletes how anti-rotation training will actually help them rotate more. Once an athlete has shown mastery of an exercise while resisting rotation we are able to introduce varying bases of support to the rotational “version” of each exercise. Here at GPC we believe you must create a stable base from which you can rotate, and this style of training helps us do that. Below are 3 exercises we use regularly that would fall under the category of anti-rotation!
- Tall Kneeling Single Arm Cable Press – Begin by setting up the cable column about chest height once you are in the tall kneeling position. Face away from the cable column with the cable held in one hand. Without dropping your hips back, rotating your torso, or shrugging, press the handle directly in front of you. Start light, it does not take much to test your ability to resist rotation in this exercise.
- ½ Kneeling FMT Chop – Begin in the half kneeling position with an FMT band anchored above you to your right. Place your right leg in front of you, so your hip, knee, and ankle are at 90 degrees. Grab the FMT with a handle in each hand. Pull the handles to your chest, and then press down and away from the anchor point. Pay attention to the width of your base, as well as whether or not you begin to shrug to pull the FMT down. Resist rotating!
- Tall Kneeling Band Resisted Pallof Press w/ Eccentric Rotation – Begin in the tall kneeling position with a band anchored to your right about hip height. Pull the band to your chest, rotate away from the anchor point keeping the band close to your stomach and your hips stable, one fully rotated away from the wall press the band in front of you and slowly resist the band from pulling you back toward the wall. Your focus should be on keeping your glutes and mid-section engaged, and shoulders back and down even when you are pressing the band out.
