You don't need to do pull-ups to reap the benefits of using a pull-up bar. Just hang
Mariia Vitkovska
If you've ever wondered about those inverted-traction tables, the ones where a person hangs virtually upside down (below), their purpose is to decompress the spine, to regain some of the space between vertebrae that we lose over time from a variety of reasons—too much sitting being among the biggest.
When the gel-like disc between the bones (called nucleus pulposus) becomes compressed or bulges, you can experience everything from severe pain to numbness to coordination or balance issues—none of which is great if you're planning on playing golf.
Lower-spine issues and golf go together like heartburn and chili, so doing whatever you can to maintain or improve the space between lumbar vertebrae is pretty important. That is especially true for golfers because of torsion and other forces we place on the spine when swinging a golf club over and over again.
One way to combat spinal compression is an exercise you might not even know was an exercise. They are called "dead hangs," and they have multiple benefits for golfers, says Matt Matta, one of Golf Digest's Certified Fitness Trainers. Matta trains golfers at Dulak Golf Performance outside of Pittsburgh.
"Dead hangs are an excellent way to increase grip strength, improve shoulder mobility—and especially to decompress the spine. Beginners should use shorter durations (5 to 20 seconds per hang, three times a week), while intermediate and advanced individuals can increase duration and frequency as tolerated, but still benefit from alternating rest days. They can easily be added to workouts and benefits outweigh the risks in most cases."
Matt says the positives for golf are:
1. Improved grip strength They allow the golfer to control the club, improving strength of strike, accuracy and speed generation. They also help avoid tendon injuries in the elbows, wrists and hands.
2. Increased shoulder mobility They allow the golfer to obtain a correct and repeatable swing while avoiding compensatory movement and injuries.
3. Elongated spine This provides better posture throughout the swing and allows movements to be freer. It can also decrease or eliminate back pain.
While most people shy away from pull-ups or chin-ups, you can use that bar or similar for a variety of dead hangs that Matta demonstrates (below). Simply hanging for a number of seconds is fine, but you can adjust the difficulty to your current fitness level by adding a bench or resistance bands for support or changing hand positions or doing them single arm.
Before you start hanging, however, Matta wants you to be aware that if you currently have shoulder or back issues, or tendinitis in any of your arm joints, you should get cleared by a doctor or physical therapist before adding them to your routine.
Click on this link if you're interested in becoming a Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer.
