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Golf Fitness Exercises to Warm Up Five Minutes Before Your Round of Golf

8th July 2009

Golf Fitness Exercises to Warm Up Five Minutes Before Your Round of Golf

Golf fitness exercises can be very beneficial as part of your warm up before a round of golf. Especially on those days when you are tight on time. If you rushing to get to the golf course for your weekly round of golf, or struggling to warm-up for your round of golf when you only have 5 minutes to spare. The implementation of some golf fitness stretches could be just what you need before heading to the first tee.

It is well known that in every professional sport athletes perform a series of flexibility exercises and drills to prepare them to play a game. The game of golf is no different. Unseen to the general public, many PGA Tour players perform a series of golf flexibility exercises to prepare them to play golf. It is done prior to hitting the driving range or putting green. It is a process of getting the muscles and joints of body ready to swing a golf club. Most every golfer on the planet understands the benefit of a warm-up program to get the body ready to play golf or any sport for that matter. Unfortunately for us the time required to perform a comprehensive golf warm-up program with golf flexibility exercises is not reasonable. Not reasonable because of time restrictions on our busy lives.

For example, we set our tee time for Friday at 1:30. Our plan when we leave the house in the morning is “I will get to course at 1:00, hit a few putts, chip for 10 minutes, head to the range, and be at the first tee with a few minutes to spare”. Unfortunately, our plans sometimes do not play out as we intended.

We get stuck with a client on the phone, a conference call runs long, we get stuck in traffic. Whatever the case may be we are caught rushing to the golf course, getting to the course with 10 minutes to spare, jump out of the car, tying our golf shoes, get to the first tee with 5 minutes to spare, haven’t hit a shot or putted….Do I need to go on? Probably not.

It is a situation that happens to us all, and I as am guilty of it as you. However as strong as I suggest performing a good warm-up, and putting yourself in the correct frame of mind for the round, life at times just does not allow us to do it.

What are we to do in such situations?

I first off would suggest not utilizing the “grip and rip it” motto if you get to the first tee without warming-up. I have seen this (myself included) lead to a myriad of problems from the get go.

I can remember a few years ago I took this approach and I think made a triple bogey on the first hole. My drive went left into the rough, second shot to the right, approach shot over the green into the bunker, bunker shot rolled 20 feet past the hole. Need I go on?

Let’s just say I learned my lesson. First and foremost if you are caught in this type of situation lets not panic. Let’s put a plan together to start the round out on the right foot and keep you in a positive frame of mind.

My first suggestion is not to rush and attempt to hit 3 putts, pull out driver take a few hacks, and then tee it up.

Lets take the 5 minutes we have and get the body warmed-up and ready to swing a golf club. How can we do this? Simply by putting together a series of golf stretches to “loosen” you up. Golf flexibility exercises will loosen the muscles and joints of your body. Preparing them to swing a golf club. They are simple to perform and can get your body and mind more ready to play than just a few practice swings with the driver. This will take a couple of minutes to perform, but it will help you get the body ready to swing the golf club.

Once we have got the body “loosened up” lets get the mind in the correct space. I have seen all too often the tempo of a swing is way out of whack when a golfer lacks the time to properly warm-up. Attempt to relax, take a few deep breaths, and get the body to slow down a little. This should definitely help create some better tempo in your swing from the start.

Also, take your time. Once it is your turn to hit, take a little extra time. Take a few extra practice swings, relax, find your tempo, and match your first swing to the tempo of your practice swing. This is a tip I learned from Dean Reinmuth (top 50 Golf Digest teaching pros).

If you are not comfortable over the ball, step away, take a series of practice swings until you find the “right” swing and then perform that same swing over the golf ball. It has done wonders for my game.

I would also suggest continuing to take extra time on every shot until you feel comfortable and have found your swing. This might not occur until the second or third hole, but it is okay. It allows you to relax, make a good swing, and make a good shot.

Finally, when you are rushed I think course management can really help. Think about it for a moment. Why not on the first tee pull out 3-wood instead of driver, even if it is a par five. Hit a nice shot into the fairway, lay-up, and play for par? Again, starting off with par or even bogey is a lot better than a double or triple, both for your scorecard and mental frame of mind.

So if you are rushing to the first tee to get your golf game going let’s review the protocol. First and foremost lets be smart and utilize the time we have at hand. Lets take the 5 minutes we have to warm-up the body for the golf swing. We will do this through the implementation of a series of golf flexibility exercises. These golf exercises will get your muscles and joints ready to swing a golf club. Once the body is ready the next step is taking your time. Take a few extra practice swings with the golf club. This will allow you to find the tempo of your golf swing. Finally lets be smart with our course management skills. Think about what is the best golf shot to make and play within ourselves until our body and mind is ready to go.

As stated previously, golf fitness exercises are an integral part of a warm up session for golf. Even if you are tight on time, a few minutes spent on a series of golf fitness stretches and golf exercises can greatly benefit your round of golf.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
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2nd July 2009

Golf Fitness Training in the Off-season

Golf fitness training in the off-season can greatly benefit golfers of any age in the improvement of their skills on the course. All to often the golfer will neglect the physical components relative to the execution of a biomechamically efficient golf swing. Rather than develop the physical requirements of the golf swing, the golfer will spend an insurmountable amount of time practicing and money on golf lessons with minimal improvement.

The common thread in such instances is physical limitations in the areas of mobility, flexibility, stability, strength, and power limiting the ability of the golfer to execute a biomechanically efficient golf swing. The golfer must remember it is the kinetic chain of the body executing every phase of the golf swing, and in order for the athletic movements of the golf swing to be performed efficiently, certain physical parameters must be evident within the kinetic chain.

If the golfer is lacking in the physical parameters required of the golf swing, compensations in the execution of the swing results. These compensations lead to swing faults such as a loss of club head speed, poor ball striking, inconsistencies, and poor play. To prevent such a situation from occurring and provide the golfer with a physical foundation to execute the golf swing, the introduction of golf fitness exercises can be of great assistance.

Golf fitness exercises as with any sports-specific training program have the goals of developing the physical components within the kinetic chain required of the athlete’s chosen sport. The end result of the implementation of such training modalities is a transfer of training effect into the execution of the golf swing. A transfer of training effect is the ability of a training program to have a direct benefit on the performance of the athlete during competition (Juan Carlos Santana, Institute of Performance, Boca Raton, FL).

Once the golfer understands the physical components connected to the execution of the golf swing as well as how a sports-specific training program can assist in the development of these physical components. The next step is the introduction of a sports-specific training program for golf. The ideal time for the introduction of such a program is during the off-season.

The off-season consists of the time of year in which competitive golf is not being played, and the amount of practice time associated with the sport is minimal. The traditional off-season for golf is the winter months where weather is not conducive to rounds of golf and the professional tour is on a hiatus. This provides an ideal off-season for any golfer from the recreational to professional level to implement a sports-specific conditioning program for golf. The ideal time frame for an off-season golf specific training program is 8-12 weeks. This is the minimal time frame required to introduce golf-specific training modalities into ones conditioning program to create adaptation in the kinetic chain. In addition, a time frame of 8-12 weeks allows for progressions to occur within the specific modalities of the clients off-season golf specific conditioning program.

Outside of the ideal time frames associated with an off-season golf specific conditioning programs are the goals of such a program. The general goal of the off-season program as stated previously is the development of the physical parameters within the kinetic chain required in the execution of the golf swing.

In order to achieve the goal of developing the physical components within the kinetic chain for the golf swing, a basic understanding of the biomechanics of the swing is needed. A brief review on golf swing biomechanics indicates the following: the golf swing is typically separated into phases which are; address, takeaway, backswing, transition, downswing, impact, and follow through. The goal during each of these phases is to keep what is termed the kinematic sequence in tact.

The kinematic sequence is a model determining the efficiency in the human body at which speed is generated and transferred to the golf ball during the swing. Researches behind the development of the kinematic sequence include Dr. Greg Rose of the Titleist Performance Institute, biomechanist Phil Cheetham of Advanced Motion Measurement, and Dr. Rob Neal of Golf BioDyanmics. The kinematic sequence allows a viewer to look at how efficiently and effectively a golfer generates speed, transfers speed through the body, and where in the golf swing a golfer may be lacking the physical or biomechanical requirements to execute the swing with the greatest amount of efficiency possible.

Understanding the kinematic sequence is imperative to the development of a biomechanically sound golf swing. The information provided by the kinematic sequence allows us to begin to dissect where the golfer physically is breaking down within the kinetic chain during the execution of the golf swing. This will be a cornerstone in the development of a golfer’s off-season conditioning program.

Once an understanding of the kinematic sequence is in place, attention can be turned to the physical side of this equation in the form what physical requirements are needed by the golfer to execute a biomechanically efficient golf swing where the kinematic sequence remains in tact.

The ideal model to reference for determining the physical requirements of the golf swing is the mobility/stability pattern of human movement. This principle was first noted by physical therapist Gray Cook and strength coach Mike Boyle, and popularized in the sport of golf by Dr. Greg Rose. This principle states efficient movement within the kinetic chain of the human body occurs in an alternating pattern of mobile joints and stable segments. If this pattern of mobile joints and stable segments is altered, dysfunction in movement patterns will occur, and compensations in these movement patterns will be the result. A joint-by-joint view of the mobility/stability pattern of human movements is as follows: foot – stable, ankle – mobile, knee – stable, hip – mobile, pelvis/sacral/lumbar spine – stable, thoracic spine – mobile, scapular-thoracic – stable, gleno-humeral/shoulder – mobile, elbow – stable, wrist- mobile, cervical spine – stable.

As you can see the human body operates “feet to fingertips” in an alternating pattern of a mobile joint followed by a stable joint throughout the kinetic chain. Relative to the golf swing the mobility/stability pattern of human movement allows for the creation and transfer of energy through the kinetic chain from “feet to fingertips” into the golf club. If the mobility/stability pattern is dysfunctional relative to the golf swing, the development of speed will be limited, transfers of this speed to the golf ball will be compromised, and compensations in the golf swing will occur.

At this point, we understand the goal of an off-season golf conditioning program as well as the guidelines dictating the development of such a program. The next step is the implementation of a golf-specific conditioning program during an 8-12 week off-season time frame. The first step in this process is a physical assessment. An assessment through a series of physical screens will determine any dysfunctions within the kinetic chain relative to the mobility/stability pattern of human movement. If any dysfunctions are found during these physical screens, a series of corrective exercises will be incorporated within the golfer’s off-season conditioning program for correction of these dysfunctions.

Once an assessment is complete, the next stage in the development of an off-season golf fitness program is a need analysis. A needs analysis is the process of determining what requirements the golf fitness program must fulfill. Such an analysis not only includes goals, but in addition, what pieces of equipment are available, time constraints on training, and the information from the physical screens. Once the needs analysis is complete, the development of the actual off-season program can commence.

An off-season strength and conditioning program is typically separated into the following training segments:

1. Mobility/flexibility training

2. Neuromuscular efficiency development

3. Strength/stability training

4. Power training

All or only a couple of the training segments listed above may be incorporated into a single training. Corrective and performance enhancement training modalities are incorporated within each of these categories. The actual exercises within each category are dependent upon a number of individual variables such as kinetic chain dysfunctions requiring attention within the golfer, goals of the golfer, and training experience.

The final steps in the development of the off-season golf specific training program is the introduction of the exercises into the program. Guidelines to adhere in this section are the introduction of exercises that are geared towards the individual needs of the golfer in a systematic and progressive approach. A useful methodology to utilize in the selection, introduction, and progression of exercises into an off-season golf fitness program is a periodization schedule.

A periodization schedule is the cycling of loads, volumes, intensity, and exercise within a given time frame. The time frame may be divided into days, weeks, months, or even years. The cycling allows for a systematic approach to achieving improvement in the mobility, flexibility, balance, strength, stability, and power as well as prevents overtraining.

Each time frame has a specific arrangement of load, volume, intensity, and exercises within the give time frame. The cycles of a peridiozation program are broken down into macrocycles and microcycles.

A macrocycle is the complete training time, which for golfers is usually one year. A mesocycle is a specific time frame within the macrocycle (for example, the off-season). The subdivisions of mesocycles for the golfer are as follows:

Phase 1: corrective, strength, stability, and endurance training

Phase 2: strength and stability training

Phase 3: Power training

Phase 4: Sports-specific training

Phase 5: competition/maintenance training

The off-season of a periodization schedule will typically find phases 1,2, and 3, phases 4, and 5 are found in the pre-season and competitive playing year.

Knowing the off-season consists of phases 1,2, and 3. The training for the golfer or golf fitness trainer can be focus upon the modalities incorporated within these segments, in addition to the development of these components within the kinetic chain.

To summarize, the off-season is the ideal time in which the golfer can take advantage of developing a physical foundation for the golf swing. In order for this to occur, the golfer must have a basic understanding of the connection between the physical body and execution of the golf swing. Once this basic component is understood, the development of an off-season golf fitness program can commence. The first step in this process is an understanding of golf swing biomechanics and the kinematic sequence. The second step is a basic understanding of mobility/stability pattern of human movement. After this final component is acknowledged, commencement of an individualized off-season program can begin.

The development of a golf fitness program in the off-season follows a specific order in terms of its development. A physical screen begins the development of the program to determine if any dysfunctions exist within the kinetic chain. Once complete with the physical screen a needs analysis is initiated to recruit the individual requirements and goals of the program. Finally, the development of the off-season golf fitness program commences with the utilization of a periodization schedule.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notable PGA and Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness exercises and training programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
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2nd July 2009

Golf Fitness Exercises for the Pre-season

Golf fitness exercises can be very beneficial in getting you ready for the upcoming golf season. Golf exercises with swing drills can prepare you for a successful year on the links right from the start.

The PGA Golf Tour is in full swing and for many parts of the country and world the golf season is upon us. Many of you are anxious to dust off the golf clubs and get out to the golf course for your first round of golf. A question that may be on your mind is how do I get ready? How do I knock off 6 months of rust on my golf swing, feel comfortable with my driver on the first tee, and post a good golf score at the end of the round?

All questions that are asked often in the world of professional golf and this article will provide you with the answers. Answers to these questions and many more fall under the category of how do I prepare myself for the golf season?

Interesting enough if the guidelines from this article are followed the golf score you post for your first round of the year may be lower than you ever expected, the distance of your drives may well be farther than you imagined, and the number of accurate golf shots you hit may be even more surprising!

The answer to all the questions on how to get ready for the upcoming golf season centers on preparation. Preparation is the key to a successful first round of golf and every round you play in the upcoming golf season.

We all probably understand the definition of preparation but lets take a quick look in order for us to all be on the same page. Preparation can be defined as the work or planning involved in making something or somebody ready or putting something together in advance (Encarta Dictionary, MSN.com).

A definition that sheds light on getting ready for the upcoming golf season. Using the above definition we can see the process of preparing for the upcoming golf season does not begin 10 minutes before your first tee time, but rather in advance of when you get ready to hit driver off the first tee. Bottom line the process of getting ready for the upcoming golf season begins weeks or even months before your’ first round of golf of the year.

To have a successful first round of golf and a good season of golf you must begin the process of preparation well in advance of your first time on the golf course. If you look at professional golfers they begin the process of preparing for the upcoming golf season months in advanced. I would suggest doing the same. Develop a plan that will get your golf swing ready once the snow thaws, the birds are chirping, and the greens are ready for putting.

What does such a plan contain? This type of “golf preparation plan” would contain drills, exercises, and programs to improve and prepare every aspect of your golf game. If we break down the game of golf into categories the “golf program” becomes much easier to understand. Obviously, we have the different shots made on the course. A brief breakdown would indicate the need to implement swing drills to work on the full swing, short game, and putting. We could obviously get a little more detailed than a breakdown of the golf game into three different categories, but lets’ keep it simple.

Now that we have this breakdown of the game of golf into full swing, short game, and putting the next step is to implement a series of drills to work on each of these aspects. Simply put I would suggest devising a series of drills to work on each part of the golf game/swing. This can easily be accomplished by purchasing a few books or videos from one of the top-teaching professionals in the world of golf.

Each one of these qualified golf instructors have numerous materials available to help you with your golf swing. And if you are one of those individuals that lives in a cold climate and is unable to get to a driving range or practice facility, no need to worry. Most all of the instructional videos/books available have drills that can be performed in the comfort of your own home.

At this point we have a couple of bases covered in the “preparation plan” for the upcoming golf season. We understand preparation is key to a successful year on the golf course, the “preparation plan” begins well in advance of the first tee time of the year, and a portion of the plan consists of swing drills. This brings us to final part of your “preparation plan” for the upcoming golf season.

This part of the plan centers on the implementation of golf fitness exercises to go along with your swing drills. We must understand the concept of your body and the golf swing. The golf swing is executed in its’ entirety by your body. In order for your body to execute the golf swing correctly. It requires you to have certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power within it. If you are lacking in any one of these physical areas compensations will occur in your golf swing.

It comes down to this: In order to be prepared for the upcoming golf season and to improve your golf swing. The implementation of golf fitness exercises geared towards developing your body around the golf swing is necessary. This type of program will prepare the body for the golf swing and the upcoming golf season.

To summarize, the process of preparing yourself for the upcoming golf season begins with a “preparation plan”. This plan begins weeks to months in advance of your first time out on the golf course. Additionally, this “preparation plan” for the upcoming golf season contains a series of golf training drills to prepare your golf swing. The golf training drills break down the golf game into three sections; full swing, short game, and putting. A series of swing drills are implemented to work on each one of these parts of your golf game. In addition golf fitness exercises are implemented into the golf-training program to develop your body around your golf swing. Put all these pieces together and your first time out on the golf course this year should be an enjoyable one.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
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1st July 2009

Golf Fitness Exercises for Women Golfers

Golf fitness exercises can be beneficial for the woman golfer in terms of improving the foundation of the swing, rotation in the backswing, speed development in the downswing, and a consistent finish position. Learn how golf fitness exercises can benefit the woman golfer. Lowering golf scores and making the game more enjoyable.

It is well known in professional golf how integral golf fitness exercises are for success at the highest level of golf. Men on the PGA Tour and women on the LPGA Tour understand the benefits of golf fitness exercises in achieving success. Outside the circles of professional golf many questions exist about golf fitness exercises. Questions such as; what are the best exercises to improve golf fitness levels, are flexibility exercises and stretches better than other forms of golf fitness exercises, and what are the benefits of golf fitness exercises for the woman golfer?

These and many questions surround the topic of golf fitness. This article is to provide some answers for you on the topic of golf fitness exercises for woman. It has been well documented in magazines and television how LPGA women such as Annika Sorenstam utilize golf fitness programs to benefit their play on the golf course. Is there a difference between the LPGA player and the amateur woman golfer in relation to golf fitness training? The answer is no. Yes, the women on the LPGA Tour are the best women golfers in the world, but the physiology of the LPGA player and amateur are the same. The skeletal, muscular, and neural systems are the same. The professional golfer has the same number of muscles in their bodies as the amateur. The woman’s professional golfer has the same skeletal structure as the female amateur, and nervous system as well. Granted the LPGA player has more refined and efficient swing mechanics, but the body is the same.

As a result of the body being the same, the principles and structure of a golf fitness program for any woman is similar. Before discussing the specifics of a golf fitness program for women it is necessary to understand a few important principles. The first principle to understand about a golf fitness program is sports specific. Sports specific is a term describing the type of training utilized in a golf fitness program. Sport specific training simply states the program utilized by the woman athlete is geared towards improving them in their chosen sport.

A second principle closely related to sports specific training is cross specificity training. Cross specificity training is the utilization of exercises to develop the woman golfer in the positions, movements, and actions incorporated in the golf swing. The goal of cross specificity training is a transfer of training effect to the field of competition. Simply stated, a transfer of training effect is the ability of exercises utilized to train the female golfer having a direct benefit on their performance during a round of golf.

For example, golf fitness flexibility exercises will attempt to improve the flexibility within the woman golfer. As the woman golfer improves her flexibility parameters in relation to the golf swing. She may be able to create a bigger shoulder turn, which may increase the distance of her drives. This benefit is an example of a transfer of training effect onto the golf course. In summary, the three principles that assist in the development of a golf fitness program for women are; sports specific, cross specificity training, and transfer of training effect. Many additional principles exist that are used as guidelines in the development of a golf fitness program, but these are three essential ones.

Outside of the guidelines governing the development of a golf fitness program for woman. Specific physical components within the body are needed within the body to execute the golf swing correctly. Remember, it is the body performing the biomechanics of the golf swing. In order for the golf swing to be executed correctly and efficiently certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required. These are the actual physical components within the woman golfer a golf specific fitness program looks to develop and enhance in relation to the golf swing.

The golf swing requires the body to move through a long range of motion for an efficient movement to occur. Much of this is contingent upon the ability of the core to coil and uncoil during the swing. In order for these two biomechanical actions to occur efficiently, the development of proper flexibility in the core is necessary.

We utilize flexibility exercises that are cross-specific to the movements in the golf swing to develop flexibility. The majority of these flexibility exercises are rotational and dynamic.

The golf swing is a dynamic movement, indicating that the body is in constant motion. It is crucial to develop a range of motion for the swing in a dynamic rather than a static (not moving) method. The goal of these exercises is to create a range of motion in the core for the golf swing. Flexibility is the first physical component requiring development within the woman golfer.

One needs to maintain, dynamically, a stable body throughout the entire swing. We have all hit balls at the range and know what happens when we do not stay balanced during the swing. Improving the balance and stabilization capabilities of the core translates into a better golf swing. Better Balance equals a Better Swing. Even subtle movements are consistency killers; thus we need to develop and maintain balance for a consistent swing.

Balance is connected to the efficiency of the nervous system and strength of the muscular system working together. The development of greater balance in the core and swing is the result of two types of specific exercise. The first challenges the nervous system creating greater efficiency. The second are exercises that create increased strength in the core. The combination of these two types of exercises permit for the body to maintain posture, promote efficient weight transfer, and create power in the swing. The result is a more consistent, accurate, and powerful swing. This is the second component included with a golf fitness program for women.

Remember that the golf swing is a repetitive movement. The mechanics of the swing repeat with each stroke. This process can be repeated hundreds of times in a round of golf. Ever go to the range and hit two buckets of balls? At some point the body starts to tire, and shots scatter.

Proper endurance training enables us to repeat a sound swing. We produce this through a series of exercises developing endurance in the entire body. This nets us a consistent swing through eighteen holes. Increasing endurance leads to lower scores. This is the third physical component of the golf fitness program for women.

Club head speed is a function of power. The more power generated by the body, the greater speed at which a club head impacts the ball. More power to the ball equals longer drives. Developing higher levels of power within the muscular system of the body is achieved through the implementation of power exercises. These types of exercise assist in creating higher power outputs of the muscles involved in the golf swing. Power training is the final component found in a golf fitness program for women.

In summary a golf fitness program for the LPGA or amateur woman golfer is relatively the same. Golf fitness exercises for the woman golfer are sports specific. The exercises contained within the golf fitness program are cross-specific to the movements, positions, and requirements of the golf swing. The exercises within a woman’s golf fitness program induce a transfer of training effect onto the golf course. The golf swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. A golf fitness program for women will look to enhance these physical components of the body. The end result is an improved golf swing equating to lower scores and more enjoyment on the golf course.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with professional golfers, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly working with PGA Professionals, most notably Masters and PGA Champion Phil Mickelson. To learn more about Sean Cochran, his golf fitness programs and golf exercises go to www.seancochran.com
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10th June 2009

How Important Are Golf Exercises PGA Players Do Them And It Works

Do you want to know the importance of golf exercises? PGA players do them consistently throughout the week of a tournament and are seeing great results. In fact look at the top players on the pga tour and you will see proof. Tiger, Vijay, Adam Scott and many others are reaping the benefits of an exercise program specific to golf.

Exercise Specific To Your Swing

The key to their success on tour is to work on exercises specific to their golf swing. Every player has different weaknesses in their body they need to address to improve their swing and overall performance. These pga players know how important it is to do a fitness program that will improve their golf swing faults and physical weaknesses.

This type of training to improve golf swing power and consistency involves strength, flexibility, balance, coordination, body awareness (proprioception). This cannot be accomplished with machines. Machines are controlled and usually isolate only one muscle group, where the golf swing involves the entire body in a sequential motion.

The PGA Is Too Competitive To Ignore An Exercise Program

The PGA Tour has gotten too competitive to think you can go on raw talent. In fact, raw talent won’t even get you on the tour anymore. There are hundreds if not thousands of excellent golfers who dream being on tour, but don’t make that total commitment to become a golfing athlete.

This commitment is above and beyond what the earlier pga players did, but that will not cut it anymore. Todays players are athletes. All athletes condition their body’s to perform. It is time amateur golfers took notice.

Core Exercises Are Very Popular On Tour

I was watching a very good segment on the television with Vijay Singh and his trainer. It was impressive! One of the focuses his trainer said was on core exercises using a weighted medicine ball. Vijay was throwing to his trainer dozens of times from different angles strengthening not only his golf muscles, but his core, helping him be one of the longer hitters on tour.

Golf Swing Flexibility Is An Important Element

Many of the pga players know how important it is to stay limber. They all partake in flexibility exercises specific to their swing. These stretches are either done with the trainers assistance, or can be done alone, even in their hotel rooms. But either way, they all incorporate flexibility exercises to keep their golf swings fluid and tension-free.

Golf Fitness Is Here To Stay

Anyway you look at it, golf fitness is going to be an integral part of the pga players program if he wants to succeed and make a consistent living on tour.

Embrace it in your golf performance approach and you will soon reap the benefits of lower scores and the enjoyment of blasting your drives long and straight!

About the Author
Mike Pedersen is an internationally known golf performance expert. He is Golf Magazines Golf Performance Expert; as well as GolfIllustrated.com’s. He is the founder of the top golf exercise training site on the net at Golf-Trainer.com.

Article source:
How Important Are Golf Exercises PGA Players Do Them And It Works

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