The Ultimate Trifecta – Classical Pilates + Yamuna® Body Rolling = An Amazing Golf or Tennis Game!

Want to up your golf and tennis game? Try following the professionals and integrating Pilates and Yamuna Body Rolling into your regular practice to boost your performance and build your strength.

Improving your sporting performance on the golf course or the tennis court can be just as important to the everyday golfer or tennis playing enthusiast as it is to the professional sportsman or woman.

While the financial and reputational stakes may not technically be as high, we are all looking to improve our performance, build on our strengths and learn from those around us.

All of which takes patience and discipline.

As now retired tennis great, Roger Federer recently told the 2024 graduating class of Dartmouth College in the US in his commencement address: “effortless” is a myth.

Federer bridled initially at the description of his game as effortless. The truth, he said, is that he had to work very hard… to make it look easy.

And that meant training harder and smarter.

The notion that you’ll improve your game without effort and teamwork is also a myth he told them.

Federer, who retired at 41, credits the broader expertise and input of his team as being integral to both his success and longevity in a game where many retire in their 20s without even coming close to his achievements.

Looking outside of tennis to improve his game was also one of the keys to his success, he told them.

Over the years, Pilates has been a part of Federer’s training preparation. 

Federer says, “I have done a lot of core exercises throughout my career because it’s the base of the whole body – it starts there”.

Pilates helps you produce all of the building blocks and necessary movement skills to form a solid foundation for sporting success and is becoming increasingly popular among athletes of all disciplines, including some of the world’s top tennis players and golfers.

Many who have dominated the Masters leaderboard over the years, such as Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy, have been known to incorporate Pilates into their fitness routines.

Pilates is known as a form of exercise that focuses on improving core strength, flexibility, and balance and increases focus on breathing and alignment.

Avid golfer and Flex Studio Instructor Mirei Lim says Pilates can help golfers develop greater stability, flexibility and balance that will help them swing the club with greater precision and power.

She said many golfers, not just the professionals, are more prone to injuries such as back pain and shoulder injuries due to the repetitive nature of the golf swing.

“Pilates exercises can help strengthen the muscles that support the spine and shoulders, reducing the risk of injury and helping get golfers back out on the course,” she said.

This can also be the case for tennis players – from the professionals on the circuit to the weekend warriors at the clubs looking to up their game and progress.

Some of the world’s leading tennis players, such as US and grand slam champ Serena Williams and UK Champion Andy Murray, attribute regular Pilates practice as part of their preparation for major tournaments as an integral to their post-match recovery process and in aiding injury prevention.

Australian tennis legend Pat Cash is a known advocate of the integration of Pilates into young tennis players routines and regularly espouses its physical and mental benefits.

However, you don’t have to be a world-renowned tennis or golf champ to integrate Pilates into your game prep.

Even if you are only playing for the fun and camaraderie, Pilates can be a great way to enhance both your game and your enjoyment level.

Pilates is designed to increase all over body strength and flexibility and improve spinal mobility.

Integrating regular Pilates practice into your overall fitness regime can boost your overall fitness and strength and balance the body to promote injury reduction.

“For those recovering from injury,” says Heather Thomas – Flex Studios Founder. “It’s a great way to gradually build strength and endurance without placing too much strain on the body.

“It’s also a great complementary practice to integrate into your routine with your cardio and strength training – boosting your overall game.”

The power of tennis comes from repeated rotation and extension of the spine. This requires a mix of strength and flexibility – as does swinging a golf club with precision and strength.

Heather says Pilates can help helps loosen tight muscles in the chest, shoulders and upper back and strengthen those responsible for rotating the spine.

Pilates also promotes balance – one of the key drivers of success on the tennis court.

“Hitting a ball with a racquet or swinging a club off balance can result in injury,” she says.

Building the strength of muscles at the centre of your body helps to reduce the risk of injury and allows you to recover your balance faster, giving those who practice Pilates regularly as part of their routine both a tactical and practical advantage.

It can also help improve the flexibility in your lower back and hips promoting greater range in terms of successful shots achieved.

Adding Yamuna® Body Rolling (YBR) to the rotation will only further enhance an athlete – or amateur athlete’s on court or on course performance.

Known for its ability to restore movement, YBR promotes an increased range of motion, improving muscle tone and flexibility – key factors in building success and improving your performance on the sporting field.

It is also a known to help athletes find balance, improving posture and joint alignment essential to on field performance.

The founder of Yamuna Japan, Satoshi Suzuki, explains that in terms of sporting performance, Yamuna® Body Rolling is not an exercise to bulk up muscles or burn calories. 

“It creates foundational movement for safe and efficient activities. 

“YBR can correct bad alignment, therefore increasing sporting efficiency for better performance,” he says.

“It is a great recovery tool to relax muscles and taking the stress from bones following rigorous activities.

“If you practice Yamuna® Body Rolling before and after sports it will improve the quality of your training, practices, and games. 

“Yamuna® Body Rolling before Pilates will also enable you to feel smoother movement and elongation.

“Everyone has unique habits so I would say aligning your body before any trainings could be a game changer for athletes,” he explains.

As Federer told the graduating class of 2024, in tennis… like in life… discipline is also a talent. And so is patience.

Practicing and mastering Pilates and YBR also requires patience and discipline – the hallmarks of every successful athlete.

“Some people are born with them. Everybody has to work at them.”

Satoshi Suzuki will be joined by fellow Yamuna expert Mika Childs direct from Yamuna Japan for Singapore’s first Yamuna® Body Rolling Teacher Training in November. Click HERE to find out more.

For more information about Yamuna® Body Rolling Classes, please contact:

Flex Studio Hong Kong

One Island South

Island South : Shops 2205 & 2209 One Island South 2 Heung Yip Road, Wong Chuk Hang

T: 2813 2212  WA: +852 5740 9420

Central 

3F Man Cheung Building 15-17 Wyndham Street, Central

T: 2813 2399  WA +852 5740 5103

Flex Studio Singapore

Orchard

390 Orchard Road 05-02 Palais Renaissance S 238871

WA: +65 9111 6855

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