By Susan Hill
Have you been curious why some golfers seem to take control
and rule the tournaments these days? Tiger Woods is the golfer
who is widely acknowledged with starting the revolution in
fitness training, although many players before him like Gary
Player are known exercise enthusiasts. While Tiger made it
not only acceptable, but preferable, to train for golf, the
majority of players are now taking their fitness levels very
seriously.
Do you have to be fit to play good golf? You may be surprised
to hear me say “no”. However, if you want to be
able to place at the top of the leader board on a consistent
basis from tournament to tournament, then the answer changes
to absolutely “yes”.
Physical conditioning is critical to every major contributing
factor in your game including swing mechanics, stamina, mental
acuity and good judgment. The ability to continue the through
a tournament in peak form is a competitive advantage for any
golfer in the peak of his season.
Assuming you understand and agree with the concept of physical
conditioning for golf, then how do you get started?
Give some honest and open thought to your current level of
conditioning. You likely know best where you may be falling
short on consecutive rounds of golf. Are you feeling weak?
Do you feel tired? Do you feel sharp mentally? Are you tight?
If so, where?
The answer to these questions is what helps you to set your
goals and priorities moving forward. Flexibility may be your
single biggest issue or just a small portion of the weaknesses
you face today. Maybe stamina is a small issue, yet strength
loss is a major factor. It could be just one thing or any combination
of things that work together and against your game.
When you set your fitness goals, begin with your weaknesses,
not your strengths. This will allow you to improve your game
the quickest. All of your efforts will make the difference
between a good golfer and an elite pro golfer.
Susan Hill is a nationally recognized golf fitness trainer,
CHEK golf biomechanic and sports nutrition specialist. For
more information on golf specific nutrition, exercises or stretches,
visit http://www.fitnessforgolf.com
