Fit for Play
SPRING
TRAINING
3 Weight Room Workouts
to Prep for the Season
by DAVE POND
WITH AFTERNOON TEMPS on the rise
and the sun setting later every day, now’s
the time to begin preparing for golf season.
“The offseason is the best time to make
corrections to your body that are affect-
ing your game,” said Crissy White, a TPI
Level 3 fitness professional and golf fitness
professional at Virginia Beach’s Princess
Anne Country Club and the Cavalier Yacht
& Country Club. “If you’re like many, you
had great intentions once winter came,
but have found yourself not quite where
you wanted to be physically as the nicer
weather approaches.”
Golfers are often guilty of not playing
for weeks or months at a time—yet they
expect to return to the next round better
and stronger than they were the last time
they played, White says. It’s a mindset that
can lead to injury, and one to be watchful
of during this time of the year.
“Many people try to attack their swing
on the driving range,” she said. “The golf
swing is a very powerful, full-body move-
ment. If you’ve lost the ability to rotate
your hips, for example, attempting this
high-velocity swing over and over again is
going to take a toll on your body.”
As a TPI golf and fitness profession-
al, White has been trained to evaluate
each golfer’s body to see how it could be
affecting their swing. This assessment
helps determine body imbalances and
hindrances before golfers begin a weight-
training program.
“I advise to follow a mobility and
st r et c h i n g p r o g r a m b e f o r e h i tt i n g
weights,” she said. “If you don’t move cor-
rectly, adding a load will only enhance your
poor form and can create injuries.”
A low-level beginner yoga class is one
of the best ways to start restoring motion,
and—if nothing else—getting out and walk-
ing will help, too.
36
STEP-BACK LUNGES
›› With this exercise, we’re focusing on the glutes—your body’s powerhouse
and the “king of the swing”—as well as balance. It’ll also help lengthen your
hip flexors. Best of all, you can do step-back lunges anytime and any-
where, with or without dumbbells.
Equipment: Dumbbells (optional)
1. While standing tall, step your right leg backward and allow both of your
knees to bend. Make sure to keep your chest and head up. (If you’re using
dumbbells, let them hang at your sides.)
2. Use the strength in your left leg and glute to return your right leg to its
starting position.
3. Repeat on the same side for 10-15 repetitions then switch sides.
That’ll help put you on track with those
golfers who kept up their workout routine
this winter. At this point, you’re ready to
get back out there—carefully. White says
don’t be overzealous and careless by failing
to warm up your joints before taking full-
speed swings.
“Take your time and focus on a full-
body warmup before hitting the driv-
ing range or the first tee,” White said.
V I R G I N I A G O L F E R | M A R C H / A P R I L 2 0 2 0
“Remember, hitting a bucket of balls is
considered golf, it’s not a warmup for golf.
Think ‘warm up to swing,’ not ‘swing to
warm up.’”
In today’s game, most professional golf-
ers are seen in the gym before they’re seen
on the range. They do this because it’s tried
and true, White said. So, we wanted to give
you a few exercises to help you jumpstart
your strength program.
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