Fitness for Golf

Advertisements bombard you these days for $800 drivers, $6 golf balls, and $100 hourly golf lessons. Yet the single most important piece of equipment you have as a golfer is your body. Your body is responsible for playing your game the equipment isn’t. And your performance suffers if the body cannot physically perform, if it is not fit. What is fitness for golf? It’s about improving your golf performance, your game. Golf requires power, strength, and finesse. The golfing athlete develops these qualities through the careful repetition of skills and painstaking attention to detail. Golf competition and techniques have advanced so greatly that just playing the game is not enough. The explosive nature of the golf swing places intense stresses on the shoulder, back, and hip joints. To prevent injury, therefore, it is important to perform stretching and strengthening exercises. The exercises in this book help condition the musculoskeletal system and reduce the risk of injuries due to the golf swing. Preseason preparation is a must for any golfer who has low levels of muscular strength and flexibility; however, it is important that a player remain year-roundy in a training regimen. Being fit for golf means your gaining longevity without developing chronic pain. Golfers have traditionally avoided all forms of strengthening exercise for fear these would decrease movement, speed, and flexibility. Research clearly shows, however, that properly executed strength-training exercises improve body composition, increase metabolism and bone density, and reduce lowerback and arthritic pain. Each muscle involved in the swing must be prepared and fit for performance. The rotator cuff must be strong, the abdominals must be powerful, and the legs must provide a stable base. For example, if the hip muscles lack strength, the arms and back have to compensate for them, which slows club-head speed, drains power, and can even strain the back. Cross-training can give golfers the edge to develop these attributes. Cardiovascular and strength training provide the endurance to maintain a consistent swing for 18 holes. Injuries to the low back, shoulder, elbow, and hips are significantly reduced through a proper regimen of flexibility, cardiovascular workouts, and strength training designed to prepare the muscles for the stress of the game. Without having regular exercise, on the other hand, a golfer finds his or her strength and agility, so vital to the game, gradually diminish. The result will be a shorter swing and loss in distance. A strong, flexible body has a greater chance to put to use whatever basic knowledge and understanding the golfer brings to the golf swing; it allows a golfer to reduce scores on the course. Being fit, in other words, is what separates the fumbling hacker from the fluid golfer.