Over the past number of years the importance of core strength and its impact on athletic
performance has become apparent to most people. Sports trainers and other individuals in the
fitness training industry have done a very good job conveying this message to elite athletes and
to the general public. As a result, many individuals are familiar with the terms core area and core
strength. For those who may not be familiar with these terms, the core area of the body, is for the
most part, made up of the lower part of the trunk. There are different opinions about which
muscles are included in this area of the body. For simplicity sake, we will assume that the major
muscles of the core are in the lower half of the trunk area.

There is no question that having a high level of core strength is important for golfers. There is
definitely a correlation between core strength and athletic performance. As in any field, there are
different opinions about what is the correct way to interpret information. In this article, I have
tried to provide information that will allow you to decide on the method of training that will
provide you with the best result.

When designing a sport-specific training program, I always give careful consideration to the
exercises that are to be included. I do this with the understanding that the program must be based
on science and take into account the amount of time the person has to train. In order to
accomplish this, I must have an understanding of how the body works and the resulting impact of
the exercises that are being incorporated into the program. When designing the program,
consideration must also be given to the dominant ability required to improve performance. Since
golf is a power sport, increasing power would be considered mandatory. If the goal is to increase
power, a high level of strength that allows for a high level of fast-twitch muscle recruitment,
would be required. This is supported by the formula Strength + Speed = Power. Now that we
have established that basis, we have to implement a program that will provide us with that result.
If the goal is to increase power, then I am sure you would agree that a large portion of the
training program should be dedicated to increasing strength and power. To accomplish this, we
have to spend less time on areas of training that are not beneficial and avoid duplication. One
area of duplication that is often overlooked is in the area of core training. When training, many
individuals are spending the majority of their time on core training and are neglecting other areas
that will help them improve performance.

Let’s look at the science.

We have established that we need to spend enough time on strength and power training in order
to maximize performance. We have also come to the conclusion that core strength is of utmost
importance. When strength training is performed, the core contracts at a high level. Often, the
rate of contraction is higher as compared to most individual core exercises. The scientific term
for this is referred to as activation overflow or irradiation. Activation overflow/irradiation are at
their peak when performing lower body exercises such as the squat and leg press. There is some
research that suggests that activation overflow does not irradiate to the rectus abdominis. Therefore, consideration should be given to the addition of the crunch exercise, to a person’s golf
fitness program.

One of the most commonly used pieces of exercise equipment being used for core training is the
Swiss Ball, also known as the stability or physio or ball. The ball was developed in 1963 by an
Italian plastics manufacturer. Soon after its invention, it was adopted by physiotherapists, athletic
therapists and other rehabilitation practitioners as a rehabilitation tool. Approximately 20 years
ago the use of the stability ball became prominent in the sports training world. The theory was,
and is, that if it works for rehabilitation, it must be good for training athletes. We have been told
that performing exercises with, and on the ball, will result in higher core activation and that
training in this manner helps to improve sports performance. There are varying results from
studies on this topic. A number of studies have shown that there is no significant difference in
core contraction when sitting in a chair as compared to sitting on the Swiss Ball. Individuals
appear to sit on a stability ball similar to the way they sit in an office chair. With the exception of
higher EMG activation in the left thoracic ES on the stability ball, no significant muscular
differences between sitting conditions were observed (Gregory, Dunk, Callaghan, 2006).

Other studies suggest there is an increase in activity in some muscles when performing certain
resistance exercises on the ball, but for the most part, these increases are not to the targeted
muscles. The increase comes in the form of irradiation to other muscles when performing some
exercises and as a result negatively impacts the ability to train the prime movers/targeted muscles
(the most important muscles for the given sport) at their highest level. A number of studies show
that muscle contractions when performed on the stability ball are for the most part the same or
significantly less during certain types of contractions.

Tudor Bompa and Michael Carrera write that performing a maximum strength phase on a
stability ball can be a detriment to athletic performance. The ball limits the amount of weight the
athlete can lift and thus reduces the activation of the fast-twitch muscle fibers. The only stability
ball exercise we would recommend would be those for training the abdominal muscles. Other
muscle groups can be trained more effectively with other means of training. Selected exercises
can be performed on the ball, but they should be limited to the anatomical adaptation phase or
transition phases of training. (Bompa, Carrera , 2005). A number of studies support the fact that
the level of contraction during the crunch exercise is significantly higher on the stability ball as
compared to performing this exercise on a stable surface. Anderson and Behm concluded that
unstable, isometric maximum force output was 59.6% less than under stable conditions.
However, there were no significant differences in overall EMG activity between the stable and
unstable protocols. The diminished force output suggests that the overload stresses required for
strength training necessitate the inclusion of resistance training on stable surfaces.”(Anderson ,
Behm, 2004).

I do not want to dismiss the importance of performing certain core exercises, especially for
individuals that are at the beginning of a golf fitness program and for junior athletes. It is the
time being spent on individual core exercises that should be considered after a good fundamental
base of core strength has been established. In my opinion, there is one core exercise that should
be considered mandatory for all golfers. The exercise is called the birddog. This exercise trains
the erector spinae muscles, the group of muscles that run along both sides of the spinal column. They are responsible for supporting the spine and assist with certain movements. It is even more
important for non-elite amateur golfers to perform this exercise than for elite golfers. The reason
is, as a general rule, the average golfer’s swing mechanics are imperfect. This imperfection, in
mechanics, tends to create more pressure on the spine during the golf swing, making this group
of players more susceptible to injury. The birddog exercise involves the player being on the floor
on all fours, in a flat back level posture with their head in a neutral position. The participant
should extend one arm in front of themselves while fully extending the opposite leg straight out.
They should hold this position for a few seconds and then switch to the other side, performing
five to 10 repetitions on each side per set, starting with one set per workout, increasing to two to
three sets per workout over a two week period. When extending the leg, the leg should go
straight back so that the hips remain flat. For individuals that are unable perform this exercise
with both limbs moving at the same time the exercise may be modified by extending one limb at
a time. There are other core exercises that can be added to the program. They include the front
and side plank, bridge and crunch exercises.

The purpose of this article is to look at the impact of stability ball training on sports performance.
The common belief is that training on the stability ball provides more core strength as compared
to stable surface training. The science does not seem to support this theory. Gregory, Dunk, and
Callaghan have proven in their extensive study, Stability Ball Versus Office Chair that sitting on
the stability ball and sitting on a chair provide virtually the same amount of core contraction.
Anderson and Behm’s study shows that certain muscle contractions during unstable surface
training are far less than when performing the same exercise in a stable environment and that
there was no significant difference in overall EMG activity between the stable and unstable
protocols. We have also established through Dr. Tudor Bompa’s and Michael Carrera’s work
that training on the ball limits the amount of weight that can be lifted, reducing the ability to
recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers and as a result, impacting the participant’s ability to increase
strength and power. If the goal is to improve performance, training in a stable surface
environment appears to provide the best way to achieve this result.

References: Periodization Training for Sports; Bompa TO, Carrera MC, 2005, Stability Ball
Versus Office Chair: Comparison of Muscle Activation and Lumbar Spine Posture During
Prolonged Sitting; Gregory DE, Dunk NM, Callaghan JP, 2006, Maintenance of EMG activity
and loss of force output with instability; Anderson KG, Behm DG, 2004, Wikipedia Exercise
Ball.