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GOLF FITNESS
by Charlotte Forde, Personal Trainer
Golf Fitness can sometimes be misunderstood, many people don’t see golf as
a strenuous sport, but as we have seen the game progress and become more
popular, especially in younger athletes, we can establish that exercise is key
to improving your golf game. speed in your swing, and increase your stamina. You are teaching your body to
turn off and on, which is similar to what occurs during a round of golf between
shots. Best of all, these shorter, more intense workouts won’t require as much of
your time in order to see real benefits in your health and golf game.
For professionals, golf conditioning can keep players playing for longer, allowing
them to continue their significant earning potential, it can also provide health
benefits that can give them an edge when it comes to tournaments. Even though
this isn’t a priority for an amateur golfer, it seems that buying a new set of clubs
and the latest tracking technology has outweighed improving golfers themselves,
but who wouldn’t want the ability to prevent injury and enhance their golf
performance by adding speed and power to their swing; strengthening their
core; gaining more control over their swing and reducing fatigue during a game? Every golfer wants to know how to hit the golf ball further. Most players would
assume that if you can increase your swing speed then you will add distance to
your shots. However, if you just try to swing harder or faster without doing any
kind of proper golf fitness programme, then it is likely you will either injure
yourself or reduce the quality of your swing. If you improve your overall strength
and flexibility then the speed would feel much easier, and you wouldn’t have to
push your body as hard. When your muscles are stronger they will also protect
your joints from all the pressure the golf swing exerts on them. The golf swing
is an extremely complex movement and requires control of your body to see
success. This is probably the most underrated benefit of taking on a golf fitness
routine as some players may already be strong, but don’t know how to adapt
their strength to the golf swing. Learning to do controlled strength exercises that
are focused on golf can help. This can mean not gripping too tightly, engaging
muscles throughout your body, and being efficient with the energy that you
expend.
The stresses placed on the body by swinging the golf club are more strenuous
than most people think. The physical demands place huge strains on the body,
the action requires a great amount of athleticism and due to the repetitiveness
of the swing it is likely that if you do not condition your body properly, you
may sustain an injury. In the second that it takes to complete a shot, you are
using over 400 muscles, from the hands all the way down to the feet; you are
constantly working in different planes of motion and the muscle groups you use
will alter during each stage of your shot ranging from the grip, the stance and
the execution.
Particular areas of concern for golfers are the shoulder and lower back, if you
lack strength and flexibility, especially in these areas, there is a greater chance
that you are going to experience pain or injury. Even during a non-competitive
round of golf, the muscles will still experience some fatigue and without the
correct training, continuous play can result in shortened and weakened muscles
causing an imbalance.
A specific golf fitness programme can not only reduce your chances of injury
but also enhance your performance. By following a programme, golfers will also
see improvements in their everyday life as well as on the course, like having
more energy; improved sleep and concentration, lower blood pressure and
reduced body fat. Even if a golfer only plays for fun, it is important for them to
understand the benefits of exercise and to perform a dynamic warm up prior to
the round, as many injuries can be avoided by simply getting your body prepared
beforehand.
The ideal golf fitness programme should include a progression of exercises that
are designed to develop muscular strength, power and endurance, flexibility of
the muscles and joints, and overall aerobic fitness. Flexibility training, stretches
our muscles, ligaments, and tendons in a controlled, gradual, and progressive
way. The result is that the golf swing no longer stresses our muscles and joints to
their extreme limits of motion. Improving trunk and spine flexibility will likely
result both in improved swing performance and decreased risk of injury and it
doesn’t take a huge amount of time to see results. If you work efficiently, you
can see noticeable improvements with as little as 20-30 minutes, 5 times a week.
Walking a golf course involves miles of hills and can burn over 1000 calories.
If playing golf is the only regular exercise you get, you are likely to feel fatigued
by the back nine. This will likely detract from both your performance and your
enjoyment of the game, therefore, cardiovascular workouts should be a part of
your golf fitness programme. High intensity interval training (HIIT) workouts
are more beneficial to your golf game because they can build strength, increase
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Not all exercises will replicate a specific movement in order to benefit your golf
game, however with good practice, functional training will enhance your golf
swing:
•
Performing a deadlift will establish how to hinge properly, this will help
promote good posture and correct movement of the pelvis throughout the
golf swing.
•
Having good control of various pushes and pulls (chest press, rows,
shoulder presses) will help with the control of the club during the swing.
•
Improving speed, agility, and adding some squat and lunge variations will
help ensure stability and efficiency while shifting weight in the golf swing,
creating a more athletic and consistent move.
•
Rotating properly will help improve consistency in the swing and will keep
your shoulders aligned.
In summary, the better a person is as an athlete, the easier it will be for them to
improve their game, and the greater their potential as a golfer. Some questions
to ask yourself are: Do I have full range of motion where I need it? Do I have
stability in all areas where I need it? Can I perform any required movements with
good technique and without discomfort? Can I also perform these movements
with increased resistance? If the answer to any of these is “no”, then you are
limiting your potential as a golfer. The golf swing is a fast, athletic movement,
and if you don’t have a full range of motion or aren’t stable, then you’re setting
yourself up for injury. If you have difficulty performing certain movements due
to coordination issues, or if you have any difficulty producing force during these
movements, then it will be challenging for you to make adjustments in your
swing and have them translate to the golf course.
You can start with light workouts 2-3 times a week, which will ease you into a
routine, you are however advised to consult with your doctor before starting
an exercise program. One of the hardest things about exercise is sticking to it
consistently. If you make a commitment to improving your health and your golf
game, you will see some great results that will make it worth it. It should be every
golfer’s aim to avoid injury rather than deal with rehabilitation. All golfers are
athletes so they should train like one!