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Fitness Friday: Jump and turn for power
"Box jumps are great, but the traditional jump only works in one plane—the sagittal plane (forward and back)—and it probably isn't going to help golfers who already struggle to maintain their posture when they swing down into the ball," says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear (@ben_shear). "Instead, they need to learn how to rotate at the same time they are pushing off the ground with their legs. In other words, moving in the sagittal and transverse (rotational) planes at nearly the same time."
The traditional box jump also can be problematic for most golfers because there is the intimidation factor of worrying whether you can leap onto a platform. Most people are hesitant to try box jumps out of fear of getting hurt. So instead of focusing on how high you can get off the ground, Shear says he's got a plyometric routine that is safer (no platform needed) and more effective in helping golfers use both their bodies and the ground to generate power.
Ron Kaspriske is the fitness editor of Golf Digest.
(Photo by Getty Images)