Since the coming of Tiger Woods, golfers everywhere have realized the effects of fitness on golf performance. Now, professional golfers on every tour are talking about how they are trying to trim their waste lines, strengthen their muscles, and build endurance. The amateur golfer has also followed suit, joining the local gym and running through the neighborhood. But, is there a difference between the Tour players who spend their working days at the range and on the course, and the weekend warriors who still have a day job sitting in an office all week?
Our body is an incredible machine that adapts to our lifestyle. You may have noticed that since getting married and starting your desk job, it’s been harder to keep your waistline inside of your beltline, especially if you aren’t motivated enough to find the time to work on it. Even if you do exercise regularly, your body may be changing and adapting to what you are doing the majority of your day. Those golfers that generally stay in good shape, running a 5K everyday and lifting weights on regular basis, for example, may not think they have anything to worry about. The fact is that if you are running or biking and following a general weightlifting routine, but sit at a desk for 8 hours each day, you still may be losing some mobility in your hips, back, and shoulders that would allow you to twist and turn effectively through the golf ball.
Most guys when they workout do the following: bench press, squats, bicep curls, lat pull-downs, military press, a tricep exercise, and some kind of abdominal exercise. They may add one or two others for variety, but in general, this is what I see most guys doing at the gym. That is because those are the money exercises, the ones that will make them look big and impress the girls. The problem with this is that all of these exercises keep the body linear, facing forward, with the exception of possibly doing a twisting abdominal exercise. Additionally, those guys who are focused on “getting big” may find that they are losing needed flexibility because they are building strong, tight muscle. We see those guys all the time on the tee at the golf course. We watch them closely, expecting to see them crush the ball, and are disappointed when we see that the ball travels farther to the right than it does forward. Although they are strong and can generate the clubhead speed, they aren’t flexible enough to get the golf club through the ball effectively.
Women, on the other hand, who are conscious about fitness, tend to do a little better than the guys in this area. They regularly go to aerobics classes that have them twisting, turning, hopping, and sliding. Their body gains flexibility as they get in shape. However, they may be neglecting to build the strength they need to control the club through the golf swing.
Golf fitness requires you to not just be in good shape, but to also understand and focus on how the body moves and needs to move during the golf swing. This means working on strength, balance, flexibility, and endurance. If you look at your swing faults and tendencies when you play golf, it may be a physical obstacle keeping you from hitting the ball better, even if you are generally fit. Don’t be fooled when you hear the Pros say in interviews that they are working on getting in better shape. They mean that they are getting in better golf shape. They are not doing an everyday weight loss and fitness program. They are looking specifically at their strength and flexibility in terms of how they move in the golf swing. You should look at your own fitness in the same light and realize that because your body is going to be different than a tour player’s, it may not be a good idea to just copy their workout routine. They are working on their body’s specific needs and so should you.
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