Top players like Tiger Woods know that when mind and body are perfectly aligned fairway results improve dramatically.

Few sports are more wrought with mental hazards than golf. Golfers who don't learn the nuances of the mental game remain frustrated or give up before mastering the sport.

By incorporating elements of yoga practice golf players can go beyond their perceived limitations to find strengths, flexibility and the desired peace of mind.

Body & Soul Yoga Club together with Korea Zai Fan Golf training center have developed a golf yoga course for golfers in Shanghai.

News of the unlimited benefits of yoga training is spreading like wildfire and it's being used by golfers of all skill levels and ages everywhere to improve their games, and their lives.

What many golfers come to appreciate is that yoga can improve their golf game simply because the two have a lot in common. Both teach the participant to do a lot of independent yet related motions all at the same time without short-circuiting the brain.

All this builds muscle control and balance. It also focuses on stabilizing the lower body in most postures.

"Certain yoga postures are an excellent way to improve your golf swing," said leading yoga teacher Pradeep Gairola from India. "The course will concentrate on increasing flexibility as a huge proportion of golfers are not flexible enough to achieve a really effective swing."

The repetitive nature of the golf swing can lead to a body imbalance that yoga can easily correct. Also, some postures help golfers to keep the their back straight, reducing back ache during a long game.

Top golfers such as Tiger Woods and Jesper Parnevik certainly believe so, and they use yoga as part of their regular exercise regime.

"As well as improving your general physique, the frame of mind created by yoga, which is calm and concentrated, is perfect for a good game of golf," Gairola said.

One of the things a golf focused yoga course concentrates on is controlling breathing. Being able to release all negative thoughts and feelings using yoga techniques allows golfers to be focused on their game without any destructive tensions, according to him.

Both yoga and golf are process driven activities that require the participant to stay in the moment with the understanding that the long-term results will be greater flexibility, physical strength, mental focus, and better results on the golf course.

For golfers looking for improved performance and a balanced mind and body, the golf yoga class may be just the thing.

Address: No. 12, Lane 470 Shaanxi Road N., Shanghai
Tel: 321 80009

(Shanghai Daily March 4, 2008)