How You Can Hit The Ball Further & Lower Your Scores Regardless Of Age & Handicap
Fitness for golf… it’s only really for the top professional players right? After all…
They can afford to spend hours everyday in the gym, working with the best trainers just to get the smallest fraction of a competitive edge.
But if you’re an amateur golfer (whether that’s high handicapper or ambitious scratch player), is it really worth your time and effort to get fit specifically for golf?
Will it make that much difference to your game?
The resounding answer is YES!
And in fact, you probably don’t have to commit as much time to a golf fitness program as you might think.
Scientific research has shown, regardless of your age or handicap, that you can increase the distance of your drives (and your irons), increase the accuracy of your shots, reduce your risk and severity of golf-related injuries and lower your overall scores.
That’s what we’ll cover in this article…
We’ll look at why it’s well worth getting fit for golf and the benefits you can expect. We’ll then look at some sample golf workouts and routines – based on proven sports science that you can complete in the comfort of your own home.
Fitness For Golf – Proven To Work For All Types Of Golfer
Resistance or weight training improves our physical strength. Stretching improves our flexibility and cardiovascular exercise, like jogging, improves our endurance. That’s common knowledge and common sense.
But more importantly, does an increase in strength and flexibility lead to improved performance on the golf course?
Again, the answer is yes…
A number of recent studies have shown that a carefully designed golf exercise program increases club head speed, ball speed, carry distance and total distance.
While golf isn’t just about how far you hit the ball, all other things being equal, greater distance translates to lower scores. The closer you are to the green for your second and third shots, the easier those greens are to hit. And the more lofted a club you can take, the easier it becomes to make a good contact.
What’s reassuring is that during these studies, all of the participants increased their distance and power without any negative effect on their accuracy. So there was no trade off.
But better than that…
A certain type of stretching routine, performed just a few times a week can actually result in golfers being able make straighter swing paths and hit more shots out of the centre of the club.
Think about that for moment…
By stretching for 10 minutes or so 3-4 times a week, you can hit a golf ball cleaner, straighter and more accurately than you ever have before. Golfers can spend hundreds, thousands on lessons and custom-fitted equipment without achieving those results.
And don’t think that these benefits are only reserved for younger, more athletic types either…
Seniors respond equally as well as younger individuals to golf fitness programs, even those in the 70+ age bracket.
In fact, whenever any group of golfers is analysed, regardless of age or handicap, one thing holds true – fitter players are better players.
So to sum up, not only will the right fitness for golf program allow you to hit the ball further, it can also help you to improve your accuracy, ball striking and swing consistency (it can even help your putting distance control).
Any of these factors taken alone should result in better golf and lower scores. Combine them all, and you can see the potential impact it will have on your game.
Fitness For Golf – Can It Help With Injury?
In fact, recent research suggests that, as a club-level golfer, you have a 40% chance of suffering a golf-related ailment this season. Did you know that at any one time, up to 57% of amateur golfers are complaining of one or more injuries?
As you’d probably guess, the most common complaints are pain and discomfort in the lower back, elbows, shoulders and wrists.
What’s interesting is that about 80% of all golfing injuries are down to overuse. You’d expect that for touring professionals who spend hours everyday hitting hundreds of balls, but not for your average weekend golfer.
It’s a combination of 2 things that make amateur golfers very prone to overuse injuries:
- Poor technique and an inefficient swing. This places a lot of stress on joints, muscles and connective tissues.
- A poor level of functional fitness, including a lack of strength, flexibility and core stability.
Fortunately, most golf injuries aren’t serious and won’t necessarily stop you from playing. But at the very least they will affect your performance and your enjoyment on the course, not to mention during life in general.
Research into other sports and golf, shows that the best way to prevent overuse injuries is to follow a suitable exercise program, one that builds strength in the right muscle groups and increases flexibility in the right places.
Fitness For Golf – Improve Your Health
We’ve all heard that exercise is good for our health. But not a lot of people realise that when it comes to well being and life expectancy, regular exercise is as close to a magic bullet as there is…
A combination of regular cardiovascular, strength and flexibility exercise can:
- Reduce the risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.
- Protect against and reduce high blood pressure (many people have high blood pressure but don’t realise it).
- Improve your cholesterol levels by increasing the levels of good (HDL) cholesterol.
- Promote healthy blood sugar levels and can protect you against type 2 diabetes.
- Reduce the risk of certain cancers.
- Help to prevent osteoporosis (low bone density).
- Protect your joints by reducing excess weight and body fat which helps to keep you at a healthy weight long-term.
- Increase your functional capacity (makes everyday tasks feel easier.
- Improve blood flow and your circulation.
- Lower stress levels and helps you to sleep better.
- Improve your mental health and is an effective way to beat depression.
- Increase feelings of satisfaction, happiness and well-being.
- Improve your self-image and self-confidence.
Why not use these benefits, as well as improvements on the golf course, as motivation for following a fitness for golf program?
Golf Fitness Tips
