GolfPlusMore.com

The golf swing is arguably one of the most difficult athletic actions to perform. The golf swing requires you to draw the golf club through a long range of motion with proper technique and exact timing.

Any error in swing plane, timing, or sequence will cause your golf swing to suffer, and suffer it will. Unfortunately, the result of your golf swing suffering will be errant shots, poor golf scores, and frustration on the golf course.

Often the amateur is at a lost for why their golf swing results in errant shots. Countless hours are spent at the range in an effort to improve their golf swing. Hundreds or even thousands of dollars are spent on lessons each year, and not to mention the purchasing of new equipment.

It all adds up to a lot of time and money spent on improving the golf swing. Unfortunately, for many amateur golfers their handicaps and score never improve. Leading to the question “why is my golf game not improving?”

If this is you and this question lingers in your mind. The answer to your question could easily be staring right back at you in the mirror. The failure of improvement may have absolutely nothing to do with the driver you are swinging, the teaching pro helping you with your swing, or even your practice routine. It could all do with you! Yes you, the physical body swinging the golf club.

Keep in mind the golf club does not perform the mechanics of the golf swing. Nor do the mechanics of the golf swing execute themselves without you. It is you and your body executing the mechanics of the golf swing. The point to make is your body directly affects the mechanics of the golf swing.

Additionally, the golf swing requires your body to encompass certain physical qualities to execute the mechanics of the golf swing correctly. These physical qualities are certain levels of flexibility, muscular strength, balance, and power. If you are lacking the minimal amounts of flexibility, balance, strength, and power to execute the golf swing correctly. Compensations will occur even before you swing the golf club.

For example, let’s look at your flexibility. The golf swing requires you to draw the golf club through a large range of motion. The backswing requires a full shoulder turn to set the club in the correct slot for the downswing, and the finish position is almost a mirror image of the backswing.

In order to perform these parts of the golf swing correctly, the muscles of your body must be flexible. An inflexible body in which muscles are “tight” creates restrictions in movement. Restrictions in movement in relation to the golf swing will undoubtedly result in limitations pertaining to golf swing. The limitation will impede you from creating a full shoulder turn and balanced finish position. This causes compensations in the mechanics of the golf swing.

The entire body needs to be flexible for the golf swing. Certain muscles more than others are involved in the golf swing, and if these muscles are “tight” they will directly affect your golf swing. One such set of muscles is your hamstrings.

The hamstrings (back side of your upper leg) are often “tight” and cause problems to many people, not just golfers. However, they have a profound effect on the golf swing and it is not a good effect.

Hamstrings that are “tight” are in a shortened position. The shortened position of the hamstrings has a direct effect on the position of your hips. Your hips will be “tucked”, directly affecting your posture. This in itself can hamper the ability to place oneself in the correct position at address within the golf swing, not to mention maintaining a proper spine angle during the swing.

Additionally, “tight” hamstrings place an undo amount of stress on the lower back. Large amounts of stress on the lower back cause fatigue, soreness, and increase the possibility of injury. If you are a golfer that has ever experienced lower back pain you know the effect it has on your ability to swing the golf club correctly.

A combination of a postural change and undo amounts of stress on the lower back, just begin to scratch the surface of the effect inflexible muscles can have on the golf swing. “Tight” muscles change the kinematics of the body. As a result, the biomechanics of the golf swing must be altered. These alterations usually lead to compensations in the mechanics of the golf swing resulting in errant shot patterns on the golf course.

And no matter what you do in terms of practice or instruction these alterations will not go away until you address them. Just as you address swing faults, you must address flexibility faults. Flexibility faults can be addressed through golf stretches.

Golf stretches enhance the flexibility of your body in relation to the golf swing. Golf stretches often times return muscles that are “tight” such as the hamstrings to their proper length. This results in the ability of your body to perform the biomechanics of the golf swing correctly. If you are one of many golfers who are not finding their golf swing improving through practice and instruction. Take a moment and look at the body swinging the golf club. This very well may be the root of your golf swing problems. Fix your flexibility faults through golf stretches and find yourself on the road to lower golf scores and more enjoyment in the game of golf.

Sean Cochran

Professional golfers on the PGA Tour understand the connection between golf swing mechanics and the body. The most notable players in the world have regimented golf fitness programs they adhere religiously too. The benefits of such programs have been well documented in the media. Press clippings from Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and Phil Mickelson all refer to golf fitness exercises being a component of their regular practice schedule.

The amateur can learn a lot from the pros. They can learn the importance the body has in relation to the golf swing, how golf swing mechanics and the body are intertwined, and improvement in the golf game requires the implementation of a golf fitness program.

Where most amateurs get “off-track” with their golf fitness training is the components and exercises incorporated in such a program. Golf fitness programs are quite different then “general” fitness or “weight training” programs. A golf fitness program is designed to develop the golfer’s body around the golf swing. In order for this to occur certain parameters and exercises are required in such a program.

First and foremost the amateur golfer must understand the connection between the golf swing and body. The golf swing is a complex series of biomechanical movements execute by the golfer. In order for the golfer to execute the biomechanics of the golf swing correctly. It is necessary for the golfer to have certain physical parameters well developed.

These physical parameters are flexibility, balance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and muscular power. High levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required to execute the golf swing correctly. Often times the amateur golfer is not flexible enough, strong enough, or powerful enough to execute the golf swing correctly.

This results in the golfer developing compensation patterns in their golf swing. The result being poor shots and high scores on the golf course. Bottom line is a physical foundation of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power is required to develop an efficient golf swing. If the amateur golfer is lacking in anyone of these categories the foundation upon which the golf swing is being built will be insufficient.

Once the amateur golfer understands the connection between the golf swing and the body it is necessary to implement a golf fitness program, A golf fitness program is different than “traditional” training programs in such this type of program develops the body around the golf swing.
A golf fitness program trains the body to the positions, movements, and requirements of the golf swing. A golf fitness program is not concern about “beach muscles” or how one looks in the mirror. Rather a golf fitness program has the primary goal of improving the scores on the golf course and play of the golfer.

This type of improvement is a result of using exercise to develop the physical parameters of the body relative to the golf swing. A golf fitness program will include flexibility exercises, balance drills, muscular strength exercise, endurance training modalities, and power drills. Exercises from all of these categories are included in a comprehensive golf fitness program.

Understand the exercises and drills within each of these categories are not necessarily traditional type of exercises. For example, flexibility exercises for golf are less concerned about touching your toes, and more concerned about completing a full shoulder turn. Flexibility exercises for golf are geared towards developing the flexibility within your body to execute the components of the golf swing correctly.

The same can be said about every other category of exercise and drill incorporated in a golf fitness program. The balance drills in a golf fitness program are designed to improve the golfer’s balance capacities relative to the golf swing. Power exercises in a golf fitness program are designed to improve clubhead speed. Where as power drills in other programs may be geared towards improving how fast you run.

Once the amateur golfer understands the connection between the golf swing and body, the elements of the body needing development relative to the golf swing, and the components of a golf fitness program. The final component of understanding is golf fitness training order.

Often times the amateur golfer desires more power (i.e. clubhead speed) in their golf swing. As a result they perform only exercises to enhance the power components within their body. What the amateur golfer fails to realize is developing golf strength, endurance, or power is useless if they do not have the flexibility or balance capacities to execute the golf swing. Developing the body for the golf swing requires the amateur golfer to follow a specific order relative to their training programs.

It is necessary for the amateur golfer to first develop their flexibility for the golf swing. Secondly proceed to increasing their balance capacities in relation to the golf swing. Continue the process with developing strength and endurance for the golf swing. Completing the process with power drills to enhance clubhead speed. This guarantees the effort placed within a golf fitness program will enhance the golfer’s swing. It becomes a simple process once the golfer is educated on the relationship between the golf swing and the body. The benefits a golf fitness program has upon the golfer’s swing, and how to implement golf fitness exercises correctly.

Sean Cochran

Are you too confused about weight training for golf?
There are many opinions in the golf world on whether weight training is beneficial or counter-productive to the golf swing.
On the PGA Tour it is a well-known fact that the majority of professional golfers are implementing golf fitness exercises into their training regimen. The goal of such golf fitness exercises is to improve their play on the golf course.
First and foremost, as a professional strength and conditioning coach on the PGA Tour, I see the benefits of a golf specific exercise program are well documented.
The confusion for most amateur golfers probably centers around what specific training modalities and exercises should they include in their golf fitness programs and what are the professional golfers doing.
I get a lot of questions on how are the professional golfers programs set-up, what specific exercises do they incorporate in their programs, and are the exercises in such programs similar to those found in local health clubs. A lot of people ask me if they should include actual dumbbell and barbell exercises into their golf exercise program.
The goal of this article is to provide you information on what the components, modalities, and exercises that compromise a good golf fitness program.
I will also provide you with a breakdown and sequence of a good golf fitness program.
First and foremost, I need to define a few terms to help you create an understanding of the basic goals of a golf fitness program. The main goal of a golf fitness program should be to improve your golf game through the development of your physical body. In order for you to meet this goal, the golf exercises within your program must develop the body relative to the golf swing.
At this point, I must explain a few things about the biomechanics of the golf swing. The golf swing is a total body athletic activity. Meaning the entire body is utilized to swing the golf club. Just as in baseball, you do not throw with only you’re your, but rather your entire body. The same is true of the golf swing; you swing the golf club with your entire body. This in the world of strength and conditioning is defined as an “integrated total body athletic action”.
The golf swing is easily defined as an athletic action incorporating the entire body to execute. Knowing this point, a golf fitness program must incorporate exercises for the entire body. A term we like to call “integration”. Integration is the utilization of exercises that incorporate the entire body. For example, the golf swing incorporates a rotational movement of the core (abdominals, lower back, hips, and obliques). An integrated golf specific exercise incorporating all these muscles would be a physio-ball Russian Twist in which all these muscles are working in a rotational pattern.
This is very different than isolating each muscle of the core and training them separately with isolation exercises such as abdominal crunches. The point to be made is; integrate the muscles of the body rather than isolating each muscle in a golf fitness program.
Secondly, the exercises within a golf fitness program must be “cross-specific” to the anatomical positions, movement patterns, and energy requirements of the golf swing. Simply stated this means train your body with exercises that place your body in the position your perform the golf swing, utilize exercises that move your body through the ranges of motion of the golf swing, and develop the needed energy requirements of golf.
For example, a golf swing is performed in a standing “athletic position”. Knowing this fact, it would probably be of greater benefit to perform a physio-ball squat rather than a seated leg extension for the golf swing, why? Because the physio-ball squat places your body in a position similar to a position in which the golf swing is executed. A leg extension isolates the quadriceps in a seated position, which does not train the body in an integrated movement pattern, nor in a position similar to the golf swing.
Cross-specific training results in a “transfer of training effect” onto to golf swing. This simply means the exercises you are performing directly affect your golf swing in a positive manner. One goal of a golf fitness program is to get the greatest amount of benefit from each of your exercises.
If you keep these two principles integration and cross-specific in mind when developing your golf fitness program. The choices made in the selection of exercises will undoubtedly be better for your golf swing.
Once these basic principles are understood you may begin the process of developing a golf fitness program. A golf fitness program consists of a series of modules. The modules are essentially different pieces of the program geared towards developing a specific improvement within the body. As a whole, the separate modules together comprise a golf fitness program. For example, flexibility training is one module that is contained within a golf fitness program. The goal of the flexibility module is to develop the flexibility parameters within the body required of the golf swing. Listed below in sequential order with a brief definition are the modules that comprise a comprehensive golf fitness program.
1. Flexibility Training: exercises to develop flexibility within the body required of the golf swing.
2. Balance Training: modalities geared toward improving your balance capacities in relation to the golf swing.
3. Joint Integrity Training: Exercises to develop strength and endurance in the joints of the body. Injury prevention based exercises for the shoulders, hips, and knees.
4. Core Training: Exercises to develop the required stabilization, strength, and endurance in the core region of the body for the golf swing. Utilizes a variety of modalities and equipment such as physio-balls, medicine balls, tubing, and dumbbells.
5. Total Body Training: Integrated total body strength, endurance, and power training exercises. Geared towards developing the needed strength, endurance, and power within the body in a cross-specific manner relative to the golf swing.
The most important principle to remember relative to the modules comprising a golf fitness program are the goals of each module and the order.
Training order is of the greatest importance with a golf fitness program.
Often times the golfer will attempt to develop power within their muscles before achieving the proper levels of flexibility that the demanding golf swing requires.
If you train this way, you will most likely develop power in the body, but you will likely not be able to use it effectively.
For example, if you develop greater amounts of power in the core region of the body, but don’t have the flexibility to execute a full shoulder turn. The ability of your body to utilize your increased power will be less than optimal. I can’t emphasize to you enough, keep the training order consistent as I outlined above.
Finally, the number of exercise choices you have in terms of flexibility, balance, joint integrity, core training, and total body exercises for the golf swing are too many to count.
There is also many types of equipment you can use for each component of your golf exercise program.
You can use stretch cords, tubing, medicine balls, dumbbells, and all other types of equipment within a golf fitness program. The points to keep in mind when choosing the actual exercises for your program are: 1) Do the exercises train the body in the anatomical positions of the golf swing? 2) Do the exercises take the body through the ranges of motion entailed within the golf swing? And 3) Do the exercises develop the required energy requirements of the golf swing?
If you use these questions in the decision making process of exercise selection, the final program you develop will most certainly be beneficial to your golf swing.
Sean Cochran
** The contents of this article are not to be considered as medical advice. Always consult a physician before beginning or changing any fitness program.**
This article is protected by copyright, 2006, BioForce, Ltd. All rights reserved.

The dynamics behind the flight of the golf ball offers a fascinating insight into the physical interworkings of air pressure, turbulence, and aerodynamics.

When golf was first played in Scotland, most players played using clumsy golf apparatus, with the first golf clubs and golf balls made of wood.

In 1618 the “Featherie” was introduced. It was a golf ball made of feather. This feather golf ball was handcrafted from goose feathers tightly pressed into a horse or cowhide sphere while still wet. After drying, the leather shrank and the feathers expanded, creating a hardened golf ball.

As this type of golf ball was specially handcrafted, it was usually more expensive than golf clubs, so that only a few privileged people could afford to play golf back then.

After the Featherie golf ball came the Guttie golf ball. This type of golf ball was made from the rubber-like sap of the Gutta tree found in the tropics, and was shaped into a sphere when hot and eventually into a golf ball. As it was made of rubber, the Guttie golf ball could be cheaply produced and easily repaired by reheating and reshaping.

Comparing the two types of golf balls, the Featherie golf ball was said to travel farther than the Guttie golf ball because the Guttie golf ball’s smooth surface prevented it from covering more distance.

With this discovery, the developers of golf balls came up with the “dimpled” golf balls that are so predominant in modern golf nowadays.

The dimples on the golf balls help reduce the aerodynamic drag. Aerodynamic drag normally affects smooth golf balls and slows them down, because when they sail through the air, they leave a pocket of low-pressure air in its stir thus creating a drag.

By applying dimples to the golf ball surface, the pressure differential goes down and the drag force is reduced. These dimples create turbulence in the air surrounding the golf ball, which, in turn, forces the air to clasp the golf ball more closely. By doing so, the air trails the warp created by the golf ball towards the back instead of flowing past it. This results in a smaller wake and lesser drag.

Dimples were first added onto golf ball surfaces back during the gutta percha phase. Coburn Haskell introduced the one-piece rubber cored golf ball encased in a gutta percha sphere. Then in 1905 William Taylor applied the dimple pattern to a Haskell golf ball, thus giving rise to the modern golf ball as we know it today.

After its beginning, dimpled golf balls were officially used in every golf tournament. In 1921, the golf ball took its current form with standard size and weight. Nowadays there is a wide range of golf balls to fit every style, game and condition, with some golf balls offering control, and other golf balls offering distance.

Though a common sight nowadays, the dimpled golf ball is not just a mere element of the sports arena; it is a showcase of physics at work.

One of the most elegant and prolific games of this century, golf has a fascinating trail of history running behind. The word ”golf” is actually a modification of the Dutch word “kolf” which simply means a “bat,” “stick,” or “club”. If defined literally, the game is all about striking a ball with a club from the teeing ground into the hole by a stroke or successive strokes while complying with the rules of the game. It is one of those rare games which do not require playing area; rather golf is played on golf “courses.” The competitions of golf are based on stroke play, where the individual or team posts with lowest score on the most individual for a full round, wins the game. Some other team games of golf such as fourball have been pioneered, and are played either using matchplay format or stroke. Several alternative styles of golf playing have been introduced like disc golf and miniature golf. However, it is still interesting to find out the History of golf.

Most scholars agree with the “fact” that the Scots were first to popularize the game of golf. However, there exists no common consensus in the history of golf about the inventors of the classy sport. The records suggest a golf-like game was played in a city called Loenen aan de Vecht, Netherlands, on 26 February 1297. The Dutchmen played this game with leather ball and a stick. Actually, the game required the players to hit the ball into a target situated several hundreds of meters away.

The emphasis on golf’s Scottish origin is contributed to the fact that the game was mentioned in two 15th-century Acts of the Scottish Parliament. Further, there are evidences that in A.D 1456, the first game of golf was played at Bruntsfield Links, in Edinburgh, Scotland, as recorded in the archives of The Royal Burgess Golfing Society.

There are some reports which record evidences of golf from continental Europe. Different forms of sports similar to golf were played in 14th century in the countries of France, Belgium, and Holland, apart from Scotland. However, the game was introduced in England by a keen Scottish Baron, James VI, after succeeding on the English throne in 1603.

In the early years of golf, the players never thought of forming a club or society until in 1744 a group of Edinburgh golfers united into a club named Honourable Company of Edinburgh Golfers. It was here that the first 13 rules of golf were drawn up for an annual contest. In 1766, Royal Blackheath Golf Club was formed in England – the first golf club formed outside Scotland.

Although traces of golf can be encountered in 18th century United States, however the game was still waiting to be popularized. The history of golf in North America began with its roots in Canada. In 1873, The Royal Montreal Club was formed, which was followed by the Quebec Golf Club in 1875 and the golf club in Toronto a year later. It was in 1888 that golf re-emerged in the United States. For the first time the “three-hole golf course” was built in Yonkers, New York by a Scotsman, John Reid on a 30-acre site. From a modest beginning, golf emerged as the new national pastime in the United States.

In the recent times golf has become a complete spectators’ game, involving professionals at different levels and amateur tours across various terrains of the world. Not only the game, but the golf players -Tiger Woods, Annika Sorenstam and Jack Nicklaus to name a few, have gained worldwide recognition as great sports personalities. Engrossingly huge sponsorships and new technologies being developed to assist golfers and dedication and raw talent from the emerging players all suggest a luminous new chapter in the “history of golf”.