Fitness & Golf

[gentles]

How important is it?

Hi guys, I am wondering how important it is to be in shape for golf. This is coming from a slightly out of shape teenager. The underlying factor I have heard is more power, which I am not struggling with. I see players like Lumpy Herron it makes me wonder. Can anyone offer any facts , that will hopefully help with motivation? Thanks

[Young04]

Hi guys, I am wondering how important it is to be in shape for golf. This is coming from a slightly out of shape teenager. The underlying factor I have heard is more power, which I am not struggling with. I see players like Lumpy Herron it makes me wonder. Can anyone offer any facts , that will hopefully help with motivation? Thanks

 

you're a 1 index, so that goes to show you don't have to be in good shape to be a good golfer. as long as you have the endurance to walk a course, i'm not sure much else is "required".

 

but, the better shape you keep yourself in when you're younger, the better chance you'll have of playing better golf into your 40s and 50s+. everyone loses flexibility and power, but i'd rather have that happen at 60 or 70+...not in my late 30s.

[shoe295]

If you have any kind of physical limitation due to lack of exercise it can hurt your golf game. Even if only a stroke or two a round. Say you can't hold your balance because your legs aren't strong enough? Or you're worn out by the 15th hole and can't get through the ball as effectively as you did on the 4th hole? A lot of us here pay a lot of attention to our equipment and yet do not consider our body, which actually swings the club, as part of our equipment. Tim Herron is an exceptional talent but I would wager that his lack of physical conditioning hurts his game more frequently than not. Exercise is more than just strength, it improves you mentally and spiritually, which is never ever a bad thing.

[spiersy07]

Hi

 

I am a shareholder in a company in the UK called Golf Fit. We specilised in taking any golfer of all abilities and improving there overall game and fitness. This is done through a highly specific training program with monitored by a Titleist Performance Institute trained personnel fitnees instructor and a PGA Golf perfessional. Fitness has become a major element if a golfer wishes to push themselves forward to the highest level. look at all the very top professionals and see how many of them train on a regular basis (TIGER, VJ STENSON, PHIL and ERNIE.

 

Myself, I have spent the last 6mth working hard in the Gym and on the Course to improve my handicap from an 8 down to 2 this has only been achieved through the intervention of my personnal trainer who has developed both more power and stability allowing me to be able to improve my game with the help of my PGA professional. At 40 I feel fitter stronger and can't reiterate how important fitness is.

[rosskoss]

Fitness is huge.

 

Even if you're not struggling for power, good fitness may help prevent serious injuries that can stop your game overnight.

[ej002]

I know some of my friends in back in college put on at least one club length after the college golf conditioning program. So they were longer. But best of all they all began to swing smoother and easier, because they did not need more yards. Smoother + easier = straighter. So I would think fitness is a huge deal.

 

So if you are 17 (and in HS), you probably have lot of free time. So just jog, and work on your core for now. Sit ups, crunches, medicine ball, etc. You probably should not use weights yet (unless you have a trainer), because you dont want to LOSE flexibility. But if you are going into college to play golf, don't worry about fitness, because they will work you to death in the off season, and it is free access to professional trainers.

 

Good luck.

[larrybud]

Hi guys, I am wondering how important it is to be in shape for golf. This is coming from a slightly out of shape teenager. The underlying factor I have heard is more power, which I am not struggling with. I see players like Lumpy Herron it makes me wonder. Can anyone offer any facts , that will hopefully help with motivation? Thanks

 

Two words: Tiger Woods.

 

If he's not motivation enough, I don't know what is. When he came on tour, fitness isn't near what it is now. His level of being able to out drive everyone has made everyone else attempt to catch up to him. They finally did, about 3 years ago.

 

Sure, you have your occasional out of shape player, but more often than not, these guys ARE real atheletes.

[rfs55044]

I totally agree with you. I'm 42 and bought the book the ultimate guide to weight training for golf this year. did the off season, pre season and in season workouts and I went from an 8 to a 2.2 currently. I am at least a club longer on every club but don't have to go after every shot like before. smooth and easy. Also started taking Mona Vie Active with glucosamine and esterified fatty acids to help maintain healthy joint function and my normal day aches and pains are going away. Plus with 19 diff fruits it's great for me and gives me all my fruit in a 2oz shot every day. check it out at www.mymonavie.com/rfsenterprises

[beachgrovejunior]

If you have great natural athletic ability, then i guess not, but i think if you can then why not, ill take any advantage i can get, and when im in a stretch where ive been working out alot, the distance is better, and its also straighter because im more in control.

[mikpga]

Depends where you want to go with the game. Obviously there are always exceptions to the rule, however, take a look at how many Tim Herrons' are on tour!

 

If you are simply looking for motivation, not sure if I can help. That needs to come from you.

[ericld]

I am a Certified Personal Trainer as my career. I think the most important factor in golf and developing a fitness routine is to promote flexibility.

 

Get strong and cardiovascularly fit to ensure a long and healthy life, but the most important golf ingredient gained by developing a routine is your flexibility to prevent injury and promote effort free range of motion.