 Many of the top touring
professionals know that winning on the tour
today takes much more than a great game of
golf. The field is far too competitive to
leave any of the key contributing elements to
chance. Preparing their bodies for play is a
critical component to a golfer’s success under
the most competitive conditions.
How you structure your golf fitness program is
essential to your overall performance on and
off the course. Here are 7 ways you can ensure
you are getting the most out of training
program while utilizing the strength of your
core as a building block for success.
Specific to golf – Get rid of the
traditional gym machines which focus on
isolating specific muscle groups and require
no stabilization work by additional muscle
groups. Integrate some old and new fitness
tools which allow you to move your body in a
more functional setting. These include cable
machines, fitness balls, medicine balls,
balance disks, traditional dumbbells and don’t
forget about the power of using your own
bodyweight.
Increase Core Stability – More
efficient movement creates more efficient
power. Golfers maintain an athletic posture
over long periods of time and require both
trunk and core stabilization and endurance. By
increasing your strength and endurance in the
core region of your body, you provide both a
solid base of support for rotation in addition
to the proper transfer of power throughout the
body.
Build a Foundation - Learning how to
properly engage the core muscles provides a
platform of stability and level of protection
from injury. In order to keep your body from
breaking down and affecting your golf swing,
exercises aimed at restoring muscular balance
should be a natural part of program design. As
you continue to build foundational strength,
you also improve your resistance to fatigue.
Vary your Planes of Motion - A golf
fitness program will have varying planes of
motion as part of your weekly strength
routine. Planes of movement include front to
back motions, left to right and rotational
exercises. Some good examples include multi-
directional lunges and medicine ball wood
chops.
Integrate Multiple Elements into Each
Exercise – Each weekly workout should
address all of the important elements for golf
including flexibility, core development,
balance, strength and power. Integrated
training techniques will develop your skills
in each of these areas and produce a whole new
level of play. Examples of integration include
a 5 minute dynamic warm up, roughly 30 minute
strength routine, followed by 10 to 15 minutes
of stretches. Each workout can be broken down
into strength development for several weeks,
core stabilization for several weeks, and
power development as you move into peak
season.
Progress from Simple to Complex - Begin
your exercise program by mastering the
simplest forms of exercises first. Progress
your golf training design to increase in
complexity as your body grows and develops and
as you learn proper stabilization of your core
region. An example of progression for the legs
may be to perform two leg ball squats prior to
performing the one leg version.
Progressive Resistance - Strength
should be developed in a progressive manner.
In order to get stronger one needs to
progressively add resistance over time
relative to previous workouts. Strength gains
are made slowly, but consistently and you will
see the difference in your game in no time. In
the absence of progress with your program,
you’re limiting your potential. Progression
also involves varying your speeds of movement
as your body becomes more adapted to each
exercise.
Before any golfer, pro or otherwise, picks up
a club, they look at the capability of their
body versus the requirements of the swing.
Utilize these 7 tips to create a golf specific
program that brings out the best in you and
the best in your golf game. Make this golf
season your most productive yet!
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