According to some of golf’s greatest teachers such as Jim Flick and Hank Haney, speed and power are generated from action in the hands, wrists and forearms. My good friend and client, Sean (The Beast) Fister, International Long Drive champion, describes the importance of the power he generates from cocking and un-cocking his wrists, similar to the action created when skipping rocks over water. In addition to generating distance, strength in the hands, wrists and forearms give you the power required to blast the ball out of deep rough or heavy sand.

Considering your hands are the only connection to the club it is not surprising that injuries to the hands and wrists rank number three. The following exercises will stretch and strengthen the hands and wrists, reducing the risk of injury.

For this series of exercises you need the Golf Gym Squeasy ball available at www.GolfGym.com.

Let’s get started!

Flexibility in the wrists and fingers:

Begin on all fours with the hands placed directly under the shoulders. Spread the fingers as wide as possible, pressing your fore fingers into the floor. Hold for five deep breaths; flip the hands over with the back of the hands on the floor, palms facing you, fingers pointed towards your knees. Hold for five more breaths.

Hand and wrist strengthening sequence with the Squeasy ball:

Exercise #1:
Move the Squeasy to the palm of your hand. Squeeze the Squeasy with all the fingers as tightly as you can. As with all the exercises, hold for the count of 2 and release.



Exercise #2:
Holding the Squeasy in your extended fingers, squeeze only the finger tips into the Squeasy. Conditioning even these small muscles will make a big difference.



Exercise #3:
With the Squeasy in your palm, squeeze with the last three fingers on your hand (pinky, fourth and middle). Extend your index finger and thumb completely, isolating the three fingers. After a while, you won’t even have to think about how you should be gripping the club, you will just "feel" it.

Exercise #4:
Holding the Squeasy in your palm, slowly articulate the fingers, beginning with the pinky and moving to the forefinger. Repeat in the opposite direction.



Exercise #5:
This is a very effective isometric strengthening exercise for the chest, forearms, hands and wrists. Place the Squeasy between the hands, fingers spread wide and facing your chin. Lower your shoulders and elbows. Press the hands together. Maintain the pressure in the hands and roll the fingers away from you as you extend your arms. Hold for five breaths in each position.

Katherine Roberts is founder and president of Katherine Roberts Yoga for Golfers, a 10-year-old publishing and fitness consulting company based in Scottsdale, Arizona. As a fitness expert and a regular contributor for The Golf Channel, she has appeared on The Big Break, Makeover Challenge, Your Game Night, the PGA Merchandising Show Recap and How Low Can you Go? Katherine is the producer of nine DVDs and author of the ground-breaking book Yoga for Golfers (McGraw-Hill). Roberts’ unique approach to golf conditioning is a hybrid of western biomechanical research and eastern mind/body conditioning for performance. Yoga for Golfers is dedicated to helping people achieve balanced performance both on and off the course. www.yogaforgolfers.com