fitness
For golf, fitness is fundamental
Richard Nizielski
www.golffitsolutions.com
I
caught a re-run of The Karate Kid (the
1984 original) movie on TV a few days
ago.
If you’ve seen it, then you know the line “Wax
on, wax off”. There are other lines which, back
when the movie first came out, everyone was
repeating. “Paint the fence”, and “Sand the floor”,
all relate to basic movement patterns, that
Mr Miyagi uses to teach Karate to Daniel-san.
I don’t think with those basic movements
anyone can learn a complete martial art,
but the message behind learning the basic
fundamentals hold true.
For the golfer it’s the same. Addressing the
fundamentals and building a movement
vocabulary will build a foundation that then
supports future skill development.
Movement development is just like learning
anything else:
1) t needs to be done at a level which is
I
achievable for the participant
2) t needs to be done consistently in order to
I
keep progressing
3) t must identify and complement areas where
I
movement is efficient, while developing
the areas which require extra focus
4) t must be applicable to the athlete’s
I
current level, not a level that was
previously achieved and is no longer there;
i.e: If you stop using it, you WILL lose it!
66
July 2014 | www.insidegolf.com.au
These basics apply universally, whatever the
athlete’s age or experience.
Like the “wax on, wax off” fundamentals of
Mr Miyagi, seemingly ‘meaningless’, menial
tasks can be an important part of the process
to achieving a desired outcome.
To quote one of my mentors, Kelvin Giles,
“Start with ‘general’, move to ‘related’ and
finally you have earned the right to do
‘specific’.”
To simplify that quote even further, “learn to
walk, before you run”.
To give yourself every opportunity to
improve in your golf fitness and ultimately
your golf, it may be necessary to start with
the most basic of movements, drills and
stretches and build from there.
The elements of balance, coordination,
strength, posture and flexibility are all
requirements of the golf swing, which we
take for granted will be at our beck and call.
However, when assessed, many players of
all ages and abilities struggle to meet basic
requirements. This can then lead to injuries,
poor technique and frustration.
Older golfers may suffer from a case of, “if
you stop using it, you will lose it”, while junior
golfer, may have never had exposure to the
range of movements that underpin technical
improvement.
To get an idea of what needs working on,
it’s best to have a physical screening and golf
specific fitness assessment done.
A golf fitness specialist or sports
physiotherapist can help with this and, will
be able to accurately assess what elements
need addressing.
Once established, a level of training can be
determined, applied and monitored.
Often improving golf can be as simple
as addressing the fundamentals of the
fitness elements, rather than increasing the
complexity of the training.
Happy Golfing •
Richard Nizielski is a Brisbane-based golf fitness expert and the Director of Golf Fit Solutions.
A three-time Olympian and medallist in the sport of short track speed skating, Richard is a
qualified sports and personal trainer designing individual fitness and nutrition programs for both
professional and amateur golfers here in Australia and overseas. www.golffitsolutions.com