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    Fitness Friday: Keegan Bradley's on-course stretch

    October 13, 2011

    *Editor's note: Every week my colleague Ron Kaspriske, Golf Digest Fitness Editor, presents Fitness Friday on the Instruction Blog. He gives you a health and fitness tip or an exercise or stretch to get your body warmed up for the weekend. This week he discusses how to stay limber during the round, especially when you're following slow players ahead. Look for Saturday Morning Tip tomorrow, and remember to follow me on Twitter: @RogerSchiffman

    Roger Schiffman

    Managing Editor

    Golf Digest*

    __Here's Ron:__Slow play not only can ruin the rhythm of your golf swing and the momentum of a playing a few good holes, it also can be a detriment to your body.

    The longer you remain in a resting state, patiently waiting for the group in front of you to clear, the colder and less responsive your muscles get. This is especially true on the back nine when you're already battling fatigue. We all know your mind can go to sleep when you have to wait a long time to hit a shot, but so can your body.

    So what can you do to counter long waits? Just as it's smart to eat small snacks two or three times during a round, and just as it's also smart to apply sunscreen two or three times a round, you should prime your muscles whenever there's a long lull in the action.

    That doesn't mean doing long-hold stretches while you're waiting. Instead, do several "active"

    stretches such as toe touches (hamstrings), mid-back rotations (thoracic spine), even deep squats (glutes) while holding a club overhead. If you keep your muscles primed, they will fire when you need them to and keep your golf swing smooth and controlled.

    PGA Champion Keegan Bradley says his big problem is tightness in his hips. Slow play on the PGA Tour is an epidemic, so Bradley says he's constantly stretching his hips to make sure he can make a long and fluid golf swing throughout the round. To see him demonstrate a great mid-round hip stretch, click on the video below.

    *Ron Kaspriske

    Fitness Editor

    Golf Digest*