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My
Philosophy on Fitness Related to Golf
see also: Importance of Fitness and Fitness Exercises
Fitness Training Aids provided by : Golf Around the World and LEADERBOARD
Many people think golf is a non-athletic sport and the physical
requirements on the body are minimal. In fact, golf requires tremendous
motion, balance, and stamina.
Through being personal involved in various golf specific fitness
programs over the years, I have learned that in order to swing the
golf club correctly and efficiently, the body has to have proper
posture, balance, flexibility, strength, control, power, and endurance.
These qualities enable consistency and accuracy to develop in the
golf swing. Otherwise, we will compensate due to our physical limitations.
My responsibility as an instructor (related to physical aspects
of the swing) is to educate the golfer on how tightness in the body
will effect the range of motion and also show how weak muscles groups
will not permit a golfer to maintain proper posture, positions and
balance. strengthening specific muscle groups will improve a golfers
posture and balance.
During a golf lesson I will carefully evaluate the student's flexibility
and range of motion. A personalized instruction plan based on their
physical capabilities will be determined. Prescribed goals for both
your golf game and overall fitness can then be established. |
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Understanding Your Body's Role
If
you play golf frequently and don't do any other type of exercise,
you will eventually have problems. In other words, physical weaknesses
in the body will show up as swing flaws.
The golf swing does not provide a balanced exertion of your muscle
and joint structure. The swing basically stretches the muscles on
one side, while the other side is contracted. The stress can pull
your body out of balance and affect your long-term health and ability
to enjoy other activities.
Balance is critical because all muscles work in pairs. A good example
is your upper arm, where the bicep (the front muscle) interacts
with the triceps (the back muscle). If your triceps are not devolved
along with your biceps, there will be too much stress on the shoulder
and/or elbow joint. You will also limit your range of motion.
Another common imbalance in the golfer's body is the hips. When
either of your hips get out of position, it creates a lot of pressure
on your lower back. It then becomes very difficult to retain a constant
spine angle through and past impact. The golfer's body will want
to straighten up. This is what happens when we top a golf shot or
push it to the right. Then we usually blame ourselves for not staying
down.
Most of the time golfer's try to make swing changes that they are
incapable of making, because of their current physical condition.
Even if you practice a lot, the changes that you want to see are
not going to happen, unless you strengthen the right muscles and/or
increase their flexibility in related areas.
If you are willing to dedicate some time for yourself to improve
your strength and flexibility and work with competent professionals
on and off the course, you can put yourself on the right path to
permanently improving your swing and golf game.
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Importance of Fitness
Facts
- The
majority of women taking lessons need some degree of upper
body strength conditioning
(especially in the wrist, forearms and fingers).
- The
majority of the men need to improve the flexibility in their
upper torsos.
- Under
20% of people have minor physical limitations that influence
their swing.
- Golfers
are weakest in the abdominal area.
- Over
50% of all golfers get injured each year.
- Injuries
to the back, lead wrist, and lead elbow are the most frequent.
- Injuries
to the hip, shoulders, and hands are the next most common.
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Two
reason for working out:
- You
want to prevent injuries in practice and when you play.
- You
want more strength and endurance to hit longer and more accurate
shots.
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Importance
of a Proper Warm-up Routine
You
have often heard that no golfer should begin a round without hitting
some practice balls. Even though that's true, just hitting balls
can hurt you too.
Every golfer, especially seniors, should do a series of stretching
exercises, either at home or at the golf course, before hitting
even a wedge shot. You need to gradually loosen up your muscles
before subjecting them to the effort of a golf swing.
In addition to helping avoid injuries, pre-round stretching will
help your quality of play. Your body feels structurally a little
different every day. Some days you walk on to the practice tee
for a warm-up and your swing feels great. The next day, nothing
about your swing feels right. You try to figure out what's wrong.
Surprisingly, most of the time it is not your swing, it's your
body that's off. Instinctively, you will try to work your swing
around the way your body feels that day. These adjustments are
too difficult to make.
If you develop a consistent stretching routine before you start
hitting balls, you will adjust your body toward its normal active
state. As a result, you will find that you will not have to adjust
your swing so much on certain days. You will end up with a lot
more confidence in your golf swing and will ultimately achieve
better results.
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How
Flexibility Influences
Your Golf Swing |
How
Strength Influences
Your Golf Swing |
Signs that flexibility could be improved:
- A
golfer unable to turn their shoulders anywhere near 90 degrees
- A
golfer with tight hamstrings will often compensate by bending
forward too much, or simply will not be able to maintain a
consistent angle during their swing, or will not maintain
proper posture positions at address without fatigue.
- An
abbreviated golfer's arm will keep the club well short of
parallel at the top.
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Examples of Strength Deficiences
Within The Golf Swing:
- Golfer
becomes unable to properly support the club at the top.
- Breakdowns
occur (overbending of the lead arm, letting go of the grip
with the last 2 or 3 fingers of lead arm, or a severe collapse
or bowing of the lead wrist, which drops "down"
the arms).
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Some effects from lacking proper flexibility:
- Knowing
that a golfer's general tendency is an over-the-top or outside-in
downswing, the motion becomes pronounced.
- Pop-up
tee shots with the driver, shanks, tops, low slices and bad
pulls.
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Swing Results From Identified Breakdowns:
- The
hands and arms will instinctively start the downswing, and
usually followed by uncocking of the wrist too early (casting).
- Swing
path will result in an over-the-top motion (outside-in).
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End Results:
- You
lose ball hitting benefits of proper swing fundamentals.
- Tendency
to injure yourself, especially in the lower back.
- If
left untreated, flexibility decreases with age.
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Bottom Line:
- The lower body should be moving forward first, causing the
arms and club to move down as a response. A more on-plane
swing path will develop.
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Some
Work-out Recommendations
Your
muscle strength and your body's flexibility depend on each other.
(Do not emphasize one and neglect the other).
Keep
the muscle groups surrounding the shoulders, abdomen, spine and
hips strong.
This will allow you to create proper posture positions with a
stable base.
Condition
your entire body (not just the upper or not just the lower).
Proper leverage in the golf swing comes from the legs and hips,
just as much as it comes from the arms, shoulders and trunk. |
A
Balanced Work-out for Golf Should Consist of:
- Warm-up
- Stretching
- Strengthening
- Cardiovascular
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