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Working out before golf


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This is for those that work out but in this case I am talking mainly about weightlifting. Would you say that working out the day before playing golf affects your performance? Lately, it seems like if I workout and then play golf the next day, I have a harder time hitting it solid and I feel a little bit tighter but not a ton. I hear about pros working out the day they play but then again they probably do a lot more stretching and body weight exercises. Does anybody else experience this?

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I'm not a fitness expert, however I could venture a guess at a couple of your questions / comments.

 

~ Yes working out can effect your performance if the muscles have not recovered completely before activity. A golf example would be to line up 30 balls in a row hit all 20 without a break in the middle of each swing other then to move your feet placement. I would be willing to bet there would be a point in the sequence where you would lose a ton of distance and contact would become inconsistent. Your muscles start to weaken and lose control / power over time without recovery.

>> This I the reason I say to make only 20% to 40% power practice swing before the shot to ensure that muscles have time for recovery / full performance on the real swing.

 

~ I would be willing to guess that the tour players that do workout prior to a round are mostly doing stretching and light lifting to help loosen their muscles and avoid injury. I would have to assume that the goal is not to build muscle only to get them working in a controlled way. They eat a good healthy meal after the light workout and give themselves some time for recovery.

 

 

If you did very hard / heavy workout the day before it is possible that the muscles had not 100% recovered yet the day after (totally depends on the person's recovery rate I would guess).

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I hear about pros working out the day they play but then again they probably do a lot more stretching and body weight exercises.

I lift weights the day before playing, all the time. The key is what you mention above, the stretching. I have a routine the day of a tournament; I eat a pretty light breakfast (banana, piece of toast, an egg, and OJ), after that I'll just chill for 30 minutes or so and completely clear my mind, then I'll do P-90 Yoga (this completely relaxes and loosens me up), from there I head to a range that isn't on the course I'm playing, after that warm-up I'll head to the course about an hour before my tee time, do some putting, then play out the first three holes on the range.

 

The Yoga is the key; it's amazing how "at peace" I am and how limber I am after yoga.

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If you are fatigued or your muscles have not recovered from a workout, of course that can have an effect on your swing and your game.

 

But, golf is a funny game, "having an effect" isn't necessarily negative. At times I have kind of liked playing with the day after tightness (not soreness!) of an upper body workout, it seems to keep me in the slot a little better and shortens my backswing a bit without me having to think about it.

 

The pros (at least the smart ones!) are probably not doing anything that they think would inhibit their performance on the course. After all, their whole regimen is geared to maximizing their golf performance whereas most of us are probably motivated more by general health concerns. I would always consciously avoid overly strenuous workouts in the days leading up to important golf events, for casual play I didn't worry about it to much, I just played through the tightness. The golf swing itself is a nice stretch when you've got a little burn!

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I've always been surprised at how well I play after working out. Not necessarily lifting, but rowing or some kind of cardio. I used to be in the mindset of "saving my energy" but, at least for me, that doesn't necessarily have any positive correlations.

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Well, I don't have a pre tournament routine now- now it's more like grab my clubs outta the shop, throw em on the cart, tie my shoes while driving to the first tee, two or three practice swings and go. Haha

 

I'm planning on getting back to serious golf this season, so when I figure it out I'll be sure to post it.

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I find that I play MUCH better if I work out either day before or day of a round of golf. I suppose it is a mix of mental and physical for me. My personal cardinal sin when I play is the tendency to 'muscle up' and trying to kill the ball. I know it, I tell myself not to do it, and yet if I am too fresh, I'll do it as I get moving and the body starts producing adrenaline. If I've worked out, the adrenaline is already in my system and I've had time to adjust. I swing more relaxed, and find it far easier to do the one thing I have to do to play my best golf.

 

Don't Think!

 

My body is far better equipped to manage a golf swing than my brain is. I am far better served by simply removing the brain from the equation, and that is where the workout creates a relaxed state that let's me get into the proper approach (for me)

 

Don't Think! Just Swing!

 

Even to the point where a guy that I play with regularly has taken to reminding me. If I take a practice swing, or spend more than 10-15 seconds setting up for a shot, he tells me...

 

Don't Think! Just Swing!

 

The end result ( for me at least ) is that last saturday I played a round in terrible conditions ( temps in the low 40's and so wet that I play fairway shots in an inch of water ). Friday night I did an 8 mile run and 45 minutes of pilates yoga. Saturday morning, I played in those nasty conditions and shot an 86 ( I'm a 16 handicap on that course ).

 

I would also point out that, IMO, nutrition on the course is equally important. An 18 hole round of golf for a 200 lb male, is roughly 1000 calories, even in a cart. It is easy to simply run out of calories in the round, and while beer has calories, it isn't great in terms of conversion to energy. Because of the running and cycling, I always have energy gels around, so I usually have a couple in my bag. Perfect for a mid round injection of 1-200 calories a touch of caffiene and a little energy boost to keep the body going.

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