Golf specific fitness training?

[Maverickping]

Curious who is doing golf specific training and what you might be doing? I had my friend Sean design a fitness program for me and it has really helped overall. Mine is very specific for my concerns which really amount to overcoming past knee tune-ups and the last few years shoulder concerns. There is a lot of information there for free if you're interested or on his FB account. https://seancochran.com/

[mtgrizinmn]

I will actually be attending a class through Mayo Clinic in early March that will go through stretching and some golf specific weight training. I'm looking forward to it.

[JBones]

I will actually be attending a class through Mayo Clinic in early March that will go through stretching and some golf specific weight training. I'm looking forward to it.

Skip the heavy weights and do yoga, your body will thank you in 20 years.

 

I personally do enough weight to tone and lots of yoga to stay lean and limber. I also have a product called Golf Gym PowerSwing (http://golfgym.com/product/power-swing-trainer/) that works great, just make sure you swing it both right handed and left, for some added flexibility.

 

 

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[silver & black]

Definitely skip the heavy weights. I lifted for a good portion of my youth. I wish I hadn't. Things hurt and are "loose" for lack of a better term. Body building is a life time deal... you pay when you stop doing it.

[Dopds]

My program comes from www.revolutiongolf.com and the trainer is Don Saladino. I used his program for 50+ players and added 15-20 yards on my drives in 2016. More core strength, I'm not tired after a round and I just feel so much better. You can also see some of his videos on Youtube

 

 

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[AH1980MN]

I've been rehabbing I back injury since around new year's, mostly stretching and yoga, with some weights and resistance bands. While the back is still barking at me (going in on Monday to have another look), I feel like I'm gaining a lot of strength, flexibility, and balance. If I can swing a club again I should be gaining a fair amount of distance and control.

[PlaidJacket]

Roger Fredericks. Golf Specific.  It's a stretching program. Basically yoga type stuff.

[JudgeSmails]

I use the Orange Whip....technically a swing trainer, but works 'swing' muscles pretty good

[Stocks&Bogeys]

Roger Fredericks. Golf Specific. It's a stretching program. Basically yoga type stuff.

You nailed it man! Swimming is also great

 

 

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[MDGolfHacker]

You nailed it man! Swimming is also great

 

 

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Throw some sharks in the pool and really get a workout

 

MDGolfHacker

[Stocks&Bogeys]

Ha!!

 

 

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[Stocks&Bogeys]

I would keep the workouts simple: push,pull, and legs day. Weight should be light enough that it wont throw your form out of wack. Also a pre and post stretching regiment is very very important. Dense muscles and are not very flexible lol.

 

 

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[josmi15]

I've added jogging. With hopes that when walking the course I'll have more energy on the back nine.

 

 

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[dang3rtown]

Hi guys! So, a little bit about me; I have a masters degree in kinesiology, I worked as an assistant for UC Davis's strength & conditioning program before opening my own strength & conditioning facility. Additionally, my father was the chair of the Kinesiology department at a CSU and my brother is a doctor of physical therapy who specializes in working with athletes. Basically, I may not be the best golfer but this, is my speciality.

 

So, first, there are a few misconceptions I'm seeing here such as "lifting heavy weights is bad/will cause long term issues". Well, this couldn't be farther from the truth. The reality is, the stronger you are, the longer you will be an active human. There are clinical studies showing the two biggest factors in independent living into old age are grip strength and squat strength. Why? A strong grip allows a person to pull themselves up and a strong squat allows you to get off the toilet on your own! 

Anyway, to address the idea the lifting heavy weights causes the body to break down; this is simply not true unless you are an elite level power lifter who is pushing the limits of human performance. The beat up, creaky feeling you get in your joints is almost always caused by repetitive use injury (work or sports) or arthritis. What lifting weights will do, is stabilize and support your joints.

 

Now, to get a bit more specific to golf; in general, if you want to hit the ball farther, you need to be stronger. If you want to avoid injury, you need to be stronger. 

 

Stronger = longer hitting. This is kind of obvious. Really strong people tend to be capable of hitting things harder. Specifically, you want a strong mid-line and good overall strength. Do squats, deadlifts, shoulder press, bench press and rows  as a foundation, do accessory work that focuses on rotational strength, shoulder girdle stability and ankle flexion. Strength isn't the be all end of long hitting, mechanics plays just as big a part but strong + bad mechanics hits the ball further than weak + bad mechanics and strong + good mechanics hits the ball farther than weak + good mechanics.

 

Stronger = fewer injuries. That is correct. Strong people have stronger joints, they have more protection of their skeletal system. Their ligaments are under less strain because muscle is doing more of the work. Why do you think Tiger Woods got so into weightlifting? It wasn't because he wanted to hit the ball farther. It's because he was trying to recover from injury and prevent future injuries. It wasn't weightlifting that ruined him, it was his brutal swing mechanics. 

Let's take the back for example, do you think a person capable of deadlifting 500lbs is more likely to hurt their back bending down to tee up a drive than a person who has never done a deadlift in their life? I guarantee the lifter's back is bomb prof compared to the untrained person's back. They probably hit the ball a lot farther too. There is nothing inherent in lifting that causes joint injury or pain.

 

Where can lifting go wrong?

Data shows that weight training, under proper supervision has among the lowest recorded injury rates of any physical activity. This same data also shows that virtually all injuries in weightlifting occur due to unsupervised lifting. This means, if you work with a coach/trainer, you will be fine. If you do not know what you're doing, you have a much greater chance of hurting yourself (still, not a huge injury risk though). If you're serious about golf and want to golf as well and for as much of your life as possible, I would urge you to get the counsel of a professional strength coach and do at least some weight training.

Other areas it can go wrong: The golf swing is what we refer to as a "thrower" sport. In track you would be comparable to a hammer thrower or shot putter in baseball, the golf swing's mechanics are similar to both hitters and pitchers. In many ways, I feel the golf swing is most similar to that of a baseball pitcher. The pitcher's mechanics have a tempo back swing, slower overall movement and lag as the hips come around first and really pull the arms through (hitters do the same thing but in a different way). Also, good pitchers lead rotation with their front arm, it really is uncanny how similar the motions are. So, as a coach, we know for a fact that getting these types of athletes stronger increases their power and results in fewer injuries. We also know that with pitchers, there is a limit to how much hypertrophy is a good thing.What is hypertrophy? Hypertrophy is the term used to describe an increase in the size or quantity of muscle fibers. Basically, muscle size. When muscles get too big, they can alter mechanics (this may have also happened to Tiger). During the steroid era of baseball, there were always a couple of pitchers who did a bunch of gear in the off season, got huge and in spring training threw what are referred to as "beach balls" to home plate.

 

What should you do?

When you lift weights, you can A) make muscle stronger make muscles bigger or C) make muscles bigger and stronger. 

For most of us, the reality is you aren't going to get that huge in the gym because you aren't lifting for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. If that is an issue though, understanding what stimulus different rep ranges have on the body can help. Hypertrophy is primarily a result of lifts in the 8 to 12 rep range. Strength and is developed in the 4-6 rep range and power in the 1-3 rep range (muscular endurance is higher reps). Most golfers and throwing athletes do best lifting very heavy weights in 4 reps or less range. 

 

What about flexibility?

What about it? Be flexible! There is no reason you can't be strong and flexible. Lift weights, do yoga, work on sport specific mobility. Saying you decided to do stretching as your golf training instead of lifting weights is like saying you decided to go with flossing instead of brushing to maintain oral health. WTF?! Do both!

 

Keys:

1) Get professional help with your lifts, do it right

2) Keep primary lifts heavy and low rep (accessory lifts are a different story)

3) work on mobility

 

P.S. one thing I do see from a lot of golfers is imbalance. You always swing one way and not the other. Over time, this can lead to asymmetry in posterior chain musculature which can lead to back issues. A healthy gym routine is one of the best ways to combat this and keep your back healthy.

 

Good luck and stay fit!

 

PPS Sorry if this went on a long time or i got off track. I started writing last night and came back to it this morning so I may have gone a bit off track.

[Shankster]

Skip the heavy weights and do yoga, your body will thank you in 20 years.

 

I personally do enough weight to tone and lots of yoga to stay lean and limber. I also have a product called Golf Gym PowerSwing (http://golfgym.com/product/power-swing-trainer/) that works great, just make sure you swing it both right handed and left, for some added flexibility.

 

 

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I will attest to the yoga. Vast improvements in my flexibility, and swing length. I used to be the worlds most unflexible person, 4 months of yoga and I feel 200% better. This will be the first golf season whilst doing yoga, hoping to see the results I think I'll get. Do a warrior pose for 10 minutes and your glutes and Hammy's will be ready to launch those 300 some dimples in to outer space.

 

 

- Da Yooper

@og_shankster (instagram)

[scooducks]

May sound odd, but Lexi Thompson posts some great videos of her golf specific exercises on her Instagram account every so often. A good insight into what a pro does in the gym!

 

 

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[tony@CIC]

There was a golf fitness site I accessed last year (sponsored by titleist maybe?) I'll have to look at my bookmarks to see if I can find it. Maybe someone on this forum knows

 

 

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[Shankster]

There was a golf fitness site I accessed last year (sponsored by titleist maybe?) I'll have to look at my bookmarks to see if I can find it. Maybe someone on this forum knows

 

 

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TPI Titleist Performance Institute

 

Also, meandmygolf had some good fitness tips.

 

Try some "yoga for golfers too". It helps!!!

 

 

- Al

[SwingJunkie]

PPS Sorry if this went on a long time or i got off track..

 

Hi guys! So, a little bit about me; I have a masters degree in kinesiology, I worked as an assistant for UC Davis's strength & conditioning program before opening my own strength & conditioning facility. Additionally, my father was the chair of the Kinesiology department at a CSU and my brother is a doctor of physical therapy who specializes in working with athletes. Basically, I may not be the best golfer but this, is my speciality.

 

So, first, there are a few misconceptions I'm seeing here such as "lifting heavy weights is bad/will cause long term issues". Well, this couldn't be farther from the truth. The reality is, the stronger you are, the longer you will be an active human. There are clinical studies showing the two biggest factors in independent living into old age are grip strength and squat strength. Why? A strong grip allows a person to pull themselves up and a strong squat allows you to get off the toilet on your own! 

Anyway, to address the idea the lifting heavy weights causes the body to break down; this is simply not true unless you are an elite level power lifter who is pushing the limits of human performance. The beat up, creaky feeling you get in your joints is almost always caused by repetitive use injury (work or sports) or arthritis. What lifting weights will do, is stabilize and support your joints.

 

Now, to get a bit more specific to golf; in general, if you want to hit the ball farther, you need to be stronger. If you want to avoid injury, you need to be stronger. 

 

Stronger = longer hitting. This is kind of obvious. Really strong people tend to be capable of hitting things harder. Specifically, you want a strong mid-line and good overall strength. Do squats, deadlifts, shoulder press, bench press and rows  as a foundation, do accessory work that focuses on rotational strength, shoulder girdle stability and ankle flexion. Strength isn't the be all end of long hitting, mechanics plays just as big a part but strong + bad mechanics hits the ball further than weak + bad mechanics and strong + good mechanics hits the ball farther than weak + good mechanics.

 

Stronger = fewer injuries. That is correct. Strong people have stronger joints, they have more protection of their skeletal system. Their ligaments are under less strain because muscle is doing more of the work. Why do you think Tiger Woods got so into weightlifting? It wasn't because he wanted to hit the ball farther. It's because he was trying to recover from injury and prevent future injuries. It wasn't weightlifting that ruined him, it was his brutal swing mechanics. 

Let's take the back for example, do you think a person capable of deadlifting 500lbs is more likely to hurt their back bending down to tee up a drive than a person who has never done a deadlift in their life? I guarantee the lifter's back is bomb prof compared to the untrained person's back. They probably hit the ball a lot farther too. There is nothing inherent in lifting that causes joint injury or pain.

 

Where can lifting go wrong?

Data shows that weight training, under proper supervision has among the lowest recorded injury rates of any physical activity. This same data also shows that virtually all injuries in weightlifting occur due to unsupervised lifting. This means, if you work with a coach/trainer, you will be fine. If you do not know what you're doing, you have a much greater chance of hurting yourself (still, not a huge injury risk though). If you're serious about golf and want to golf as well and for as much of your life as possible, I would urge you to get the counsel of a professional strength coach and do at least some weight training.

Other areas it can go wrong: The golf swing is what we refer to as a "thrower" sport. In track you would be comparable to a hammer thrower or shot putter in baseball, the golf swing's mechanics are similar to both hitters and pitchers. In many ways, I feel the golf swing is most similar to that of a baseball pitcher. The pitcher's mechanics have a tempo back swing, slower overall movement and lag as the hips come around first and really pull the arms through (hitters do the same thing but in a different way). Also, good pitchers lead rotation with their front arm, it really is uncanny how similar the motions are. So, as a coach, we know for a fact that getting these types of athletes stronger increases their power and results in fewer injuries. We also know that with pitchers, there is a limit to how much hypertrophy is a good thing.What is hypertrophy? Hypertrophy is the term used to describe an increase in the size or quantity of muscle fibers. Basically, muscle size. When muscles get too big, they can alter mechanics (this may have also happened to Tiger). During the steroid era of baseball, there were always a couple of pitchers who did a bunch of gear in the off season, got huge and in spring training threw what are referred to as "beach balls" to home plate.

 

What should you do?

When you lift weights, you can A) make muscle stronger make muscles bigger or C) make muscles bigger and stronger. 

For most of us, the reality is you aren't going to get that huge in the gym because you aren't lifting for 3 hours a day, 5 days a week. If that is an issue though, understanding what stimulus different rep ranges have on the body can help. Hypertrophy is primarily a result of lifts in the 8 to 12 rep range. Strength and is developed in the 4-6 rep range and power in the 1-3 rep range (muscular endurance is higher reps). Most golfers and throwing athletes do best lifting very heavy weights in 4 reps or less range. 

 

What about flexibility?

What about it? Be flexible! There is no reason you can't be strong and flexible. Lift weights, do yoga, work on sport specific mobility. Saying you decided to do stretching as your golf training instead of lifting weights is like saying you decided to go with flossing instead of brushing to maintain oral health. WTF?! Do both!

 

Keys:

1) Get professional help with your lifts, do it right

2) Keep primary lifts heavy and low rep (accessory lifts are a different story)

3) work on mobility

 

P.S. one thing I do see from a lot of golfers is imbalance. You always swing one way and not the other. Over time, this can lead to asymmetry in posterior chain musculature which can lead to back issues. A healthy gym routine is one of the best ways to combat this and keep your back healthy.

 

Good luck and stay fit!

 

PPS Sorry if this went on a long time or i got off track. I started writing last night and came back to it this morning so I may have gone a bit off track.

Not too long at all...I enjoyed the read, and thanks for your input.

If I could add; when doing squats etc, focus on inner legs.

[mrsmith123]

I am at a point where I feel really good about my size. I'm 6' and stay right about 167 lbs. I utilize mostly body weight only exercises and some CrossFit activities. In a workout session I will combine supersets and I use T-25 workouts by Shaun T. I can't stress enough how important abdominal and lower back exercises have been for me.

 

Cheers

BURK

 

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