THE physical demand of the golf swing is often under-appreciated.
The golf swing is a powerful movement that involves flexibility, stability, balance, strength and coordination in multiple parts of the body both sequentially and simultaneously. All of this has to occur in approximately two seconds. To have the capabilities to do this, you need to become ‘golf fit’.
Improving your golf fitness will result in multiple improvements in your game including greater distance, more consistent ball striking, having the ability to play multiple rounds in a week or playing consecutive days, faster injury recovery and long-term injury avoidance and ensured longevity in the game
Lets take a look at the best players in the world today: at 175 centimetres (5-foot-9) in height, Rory Mcllroy is one of the longest hitters in the game. This doesn’t just happen.
Jason Day hits around 70 per cent of greens in regulation. This level of consistency contributes to why he is the No.1 player in the world.
Both McIlroy and Day (along with hundreds of other touring professionals) achieve and maintain a top-notch golf game (as well as avoiding injury) whilst experiencing the full range of physical demands that are synonymous with being a touring professional. They dedicate a substantial amount of their practice routine to the gym to keep their bodies supple, strong and powerful to ensure that they continually perform highly on the world-class stage.
Golf Fitness Is A Key Component To Becoming A Better Golfer
It is a common belief that golf fitness is only beneficial to an elite player. This is one of the biggest misconceptions out there about golf fitness. I work with all levels of golfers and some of the best results so far have come from players within the amateur realm.
Another misconception amongst the golfing circles is that a golf fitness trainer is there to (and trying to) replace your golf coach. This is incorrect. Although the golf coach and fitness trainer work within the same scope to improve you as their player, their skill set and role for player development is extremely different to one another.
Your golf coach is essentially the boss. He or she is teaching you the skill: the golf swing. However, as mentioned at the beginning of this article, a good golf swing requires physical capabilities that must be met in order to achieve certain positions for an optimal swing. If you possess physical limitations, your swing will have less than optimal mechanics, resulting in a barrier for improvement (as well as an increased likelihood for injury).
Our role as fitness trainers is to unlock these limitations. We bridge the gap between your coach and you as a player so that your coach’s time is more effectively targeted to your improvement.
Check in with my monthly articles where I will cover the trending topics of golf fitness and provide you with practical tips to improve your body for better golf.
– Lauren Sanft is a Titleist-certified golf fitness instructor and director of Golf Fitness Co. For bookings, call (03) 9481 7874
YOUR QUESTIONS ANSWERED
Hi Lauren. I am a female golfer, 39 years old who plays off 19. I have always been a short hitter of the ball and struggle to hit greens in regulation because I just don’t hit it long enough! I do a lot of upper body weights but it doesn’t seem to help much. Can you suggest what I should do to hit the ball farther? – Deb
Hi Deb. Lacking distance is a common problem amongst female players. Upper body strength will help to a small degree, however you need to understand that power is generated from the ground up. So if you think of the power going through a big chain from the ground, through your feet, up your legs, into your hips, through your torso, into your shoulders, down your arms … to the clubhead. The body part that is linking the ground to the rest of your body is your legs. So to answer your question; work on your legs, legs, legs!
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