Fitness for your Golf Handicap
Generally speaking, golf is a slow-pace sport, very different from fast-movement activities such as soccer or tennis. The exception to this rule is the explosive action of the golf swing, which places significant stress on shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints, and produces high torque forces on the lower back and hip structures.
Consequently, if you are not strong and fit in these parts, you could experience game-limiting injuries in these and other areas of the body.
Although you could increase your hitting power and reduce your injury risk by practicing proper swing mechanics under the watchful eye of a professional golf instructor, you also could improve your swing and decrease your potential for injury by performing appropriate stretching and strengthening exercises that produce a flexible and strong musculoskeletal system.
As you achieve higher levels of fitness, you can generate more power with less effort, thereby producing a smoother swing with greater club head speed. You will develop more force without forcing the action, which is essential for long and consistent drives.
But why?
Your muscles have the ability to relax and lengthen. Well-designed stretching exercises enhance your muscles' lengthening capacity, thereby increasing your movement range and improving your joint flexibility.
Your muscles also have the ability to contract and shorten, producing varying levels of movement force in the process.
Progressive strength training enhances your muscles' contraction capacity, thereby increasing your movement force and improving your musculoskeletal function.
Such conditioning provides the dual benefit of more power production and greater resistance to potentially damaging forces.
By doing a basic programme of stretching and strengthening exercises, you can simultaneously produce driving power more easily and absorb swing forces more safely.
Because these are the keys to successful and enduring golf participation, you should carefully consider starting a sensible golf conditioning programme.
As a beginner golfer, and seasoned physiologist, I have realised that the golf swing is one of the most complex and unnatural actions in all athletic activities. In fact, you probably spend many hours at the driving range to develop more effective swing mechanics.
Some of your practice time may be better spent doing appropriate golf conditioning exercises, however, to develop the physical ability necessary to swing the way you should.
So how do you need to train?
With my new found passion and love for the game and my expertise in fitness, I conducted informal research with some of my clients who play golf, the golfers in these studies spent just 25 to 35 minutes a day, three times per week, with a golf conditioning coach and did 12 to 14 strength exercises, combined with flexibility and mobility training.
The table below presents the basic strength training exercises, the major muscle groups they addressed, their relevance to the golf swing, and home training alternatives using free weights.
If you are new to strength training, it might be best to begin with machine exercises because they may be easier to learn and perform properly.
Free-weight exercises offer greater versatility and require more movement control, however, which might be advantageous for some golfers. For most practical purposes, a combination of machine and free-weight exercises should provide a successful and satisfying strength training programme.
Exercise: Leg extension
Muscle addressed: Quadriceps
Effect of Golf Swing: Power production
Dumbbell Exercise (for home based training): Step-up
Exercise: Leg curl
Muscle addressed: Hamstrings
Effect of Golf Swing: Power production
Dumbbell Exercise (for home based training): Lunge
Exercise: Leg press
Muscle addressed: Quadriceps, hamstrings, and gluteal muscles
Effect of Golf Swing: Power production
Dumbbell Exercise: Squat
Exercise: Lower back
Muscle addressed: Erector spinae
Effect of Golf Swing: Force transfer — lower to upper body
Dumbbell Exercise: Back extension with bodyweight
Exercise: Abdominal curl
Muscle addressed: Rectus abdominis
Effect of Golf Swing: Force transfer — lower to upper body
Dumbbell Exercise: Trunk curl (body weight)
Exercise: Rotary Torso
Muscle addressed: Internal obliques, external obliques
Effect of Golf Swing: Force transfer — lower to upper body
Dumbbell Exercise: Bench press
Exercise: Chess crossover
Muscle addressed: Pectoralis major
Effect of Golf Swing: Swing action
Dumbbell Exercise: Bench Press
Exercise: Super Pull Over
Muscle addressed: Latissimus dorsi
Effect of Golf Swing: Swing action
Dumbbell Exercise: One arm bent row
Exercise: Lateral Raise
Muscle addressed: Deltoids
Effect of Golf Swing: Swing action
Dumbbell Exercise: Lateral raise
Exercise: Biceps curl
Muscle addressed: Biceps
Effect of Golf Swing: Club control
Dumbbell Exercise: Standing curl
Exercise: Triceps extension
Muscle addressed: Triceps
Effect of Golf Swing: Club control
Dumbbell Exercise: Overhead triceps extension
Exercise: Super forearm flexion
Muscle addressed: Forearm flexors
Effect of Golf Swing: Club control
Dumbbell Exercise: Wrist curl
Exercise: Super forearm extension
Muscle addressed: Forearm extensors
Effect of Golf Swing: Club control
Dumbbell Exercise: Wrist extension.
The results I observed were amazing, changes were experienced by golfers following eight weeks of training.
These results should be compelling for golfers who want to play better, look better, feel better, and avoid injuries.
It is encouraging to note that all the golfers who completed the strength training programme remained injury-free throughout the entire golf season.
Furthermore, most reported a higher overall level of play, with less fatigue and more energy than they had experienced in many years. Clearly, sensible strength training is beneficial for both the golfer and the game.
Ref: 15/PAPA/08/09/WS
Written and Endorsed by Ronald Abvajee – MYPERSONALTRAINER
The information contained on this page expresses the views of the author and may not necessarily represent the views of Pfizer
