A Holistic Approach
by ADAM SMITH, PGA instructor
AS AN INSTRUCTOR, fixing golf swings
on a daily basis is a full time job. Everyone
seems to be looking for advice on how to
improve. Taking a holistic approach to
golf game improvement and golf fitness is
a big part of it. Eating properly, sleeping
enough and working out are all part of a
wholesome golf wellness strategy. Train
your game, I always say. The world’s best
athletes are always training for their
sport. Golf should be no different for each
and every one of us!
When teaching golf, it is not only my
goal to fix what is wrong with the swing,
but also to expose physical inflexibility or
?
WHY YOU SHOULD
BE FIT FOR GOLF:
Flexibilty
FLEXIBILITY
perhaps a lack of muscle strength in the
student. I created a golf stretching book-
let called From the Ground Up to address
this challenge. When followed proper-
ly, golfers will experience a 30-minute
stretching routine designed to increase
flexibility within their golf swing.
When I teach golf instruction, I have
one thing in mind: to help the student hit
better golf shots. Typically, I make one
setup change and one swing change per
lesson. I keep it simple. When coaching
a student to train their golf wellness, I
focus on three areas: flexibility, strength
training and muscle endurance.
Playing golf is a physically challenging,
athletic skill requiring strength, flexibil-
ity, neuromuscular coordination and to a
certain degree, cardiovascular endurance.
PGA Tour players regularly exercise in
order to have a strong competitive advan-
tage. You should too!
Adam Smith is the PGA Head Golf
Instructor at The Country Club of Virginia,
James River Course. Adam has been
contributing to Virginia Golfer since 2005.
His golf fitness booklet is available to
students and interested athletes who wish to
email Adam at [email protected].
You need to be physically fit in order to play your game to its highest potential.
Being physically fit, and proud of it, will make you confident, and we all know that
golf is a game of confidence. Consider this as your golf wellness guide:
allows you to get into the
proper golf swing positions
necessary to hit good
golf shots.
CARDIO ENDURANCE
STRENGTH
helps you to hit the
ball farther and assists
you to swing with
good tempo.
CARDIOVASCULAR
ENDURANCE
helps you go a full round
without fatigue or losing
concentration.
I highly recommend you take golf lessons from your local PGA Golf Professional and also hire a fitness
trainer who is certified in golf fitness training and injury prevention.
vsga.org
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