Article discussing importance
of golf workouts using resistance training in improving your rotational
strength and flexibility.
I’m sure by now you’ve heard
most of the professional players; both men and women actively participate
in golf workouts. It’s no secret. But why then do most amateur golfers
ignore this? Is it because it seems like work? Or, does the thought of
actually breaking a sweat get you tired already?
Either way the proof is in
the bag. The number one player in the world, Vijay Singh, does his golf
workouts all the way through Sunday of each tournament. Does it look like
it’s hurting his game? I don’t think so. Back in 1997, a young, very athletic
golfer came on the professional scene and blew everyone away. I think you
know who I’m talking about.
Tiger took golf to another
level. A real eye-opener for the veteran players who were hitting the 19th
hole after every round and the last thought on their mind was exercise.
What a wake-up call to be totally dominated by a player who was only 20
years old at the time.
How about the year Annika
Sorenstam shot a 59 and totally dominated the LPGA? Do you know what she
attributes it to? Golf workouts! She hired a trainer and got serious about
her fitness. And look what happened? She hasn’t looked back since. She
just recently came out with an instruction book and devoted a chapter to
golf workouts.
To my recollection, that’s
the first women’s instruction book to include golf workouts. Working out
to playing better golf isn’t just for the guys; Annika has proved that.
Now more LPGA players are working out to try and catch her, just like the
guys did with Tiger.
How about the senior tour?
Now players are realizing they can still make good money, even after they’ve
turned 50 and can’t really compete with the young guys any more. With the
money at stake, they too are all working out. This group of players both
amateur and pro is the biggest demographic that needs it the most.
With age comes a decline
in both flexibility and strength. When the body declines, the swing goes
right along with it. The result is a big loss in yardage, more miss-hits,
and ballooning scores. The end result frustration! I can’t tell you how
many times I’ve played with and received phone calls from older golfers
who are just about ready to quit the game.
They are so frustrated at
this rapid decline, that golf’s not fun anymore. But there is hope. The
answer? Get your body moving just a little better. How? By participating
in golf workouts that focus on golf-specific strength and flexibility.
It’s amazing to see golfers in this age bracket dramatically improve their
driving distance, accuracy and scores.
You don’t have to accept
that with age, your body declines. No way! You’ve got to fight it all the
way! I’m dead serious. The ones who do, are the ones who are enjoying the
game again and taking all the money in their foursome.
What is a golf workout anyway?
Is there such a thing? You bet there is. The golf swing is an awkward movement
that puts a tremendous amount of stress on the body. To prevent injury
and improve swing speed and distance requires your body to be both strong
and flexible specific to the swing.
I could spend dozens of pages
describing what this entails, but for the sake of this concise article,
let’s keep it simple.
The golf swing is a rotational
movement, with your body in golf posture. Slight flex of the knees and
a bending forward at the hips. Since the golf swing is primarily rotational,
wouldn’t it make sense to focus on rotational strength and flexibility?
That is improving your turning ability related to range of motion and speed.
So anything involving twisting
with resistance such as a medicine ball, a dumbbell, or even a weighted
club would work. You need to have a resistance to take your body beyond
where it normally goes.
For instance, if you took
a club and placed it behind your neck, got in your golf posture and rotated
back and forth; do you think that by itself would improve your range of
motion or power?
No, you need to add resistance
to accomplish this. Take a weighted club and make golf swings. Now you’ll
be making a bigger turn and improving your power. Same thing with a medicine
ball. Make turns back and through holding a 4 to 6 pound ball and you’ll
see a big improvement.
In fact, most of your abdominal
work should be rotational. Doing straight crunches won’t improve your driving
distance. Doing rotational movements with added weight will. This is where
I could go on and on, but I won’t overload you.
I hope I’ve convinced you
to take a real serious look at what all the other successful professional
players are doing to stay at the top of their game. Doing golf workouts
can and will dramatically change your game forever. Now get out there and
get it started. No procrastinating. Do it right now! ______________________________________________________
About The Author: Mike
Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness experts in the country. Mike
Pedersen's online
golf program is comprehensive and covers every facet of the game. He
has been a certified fitness professional for over 20 years and has worked
with golfers exclusively for the past 9 years.
He also has a golfing website
specifically created for women at:
Fit
Golf For Women.