An Easy and Simple Golf Conditioning Program
Your body dictates your golfing ability. There’s no way around it. If you’re fit, chances are you’ll play better golf. If you’re not fit, chances are you’ll play poorly. While you should stay in shape all year round, the winter is great for starting a golf-specific fitness program. Regardless of age, gender, or playing level, participating consistently in a golf-specific exercise program pays dividends in your game and in your life.
A golf-specific conditioning program consists of resistance training, cardiovascular conditioning, and functional flexibility. Resistance training strengthens the “core†body— the abs, low back, and hamstrings. Cardiovascular conditioning generates energy to play longer at peak performance. Functional flexibility enhances swing mechanics and shot execution. Together, these three components build strength, suppleness, and stamina. The also build confidence in yourself and your game.
Functional Flexibility
Flexibly is a key to a consistent golf swing. Recreational golfers often lack the flexibility to perform swing mechanics correctly. Instead, they compensate for it by making adjustments in their swing. They risk hitting a bad shot and injuring themselves. Adding flexibility exercises to your winter workout improves your swing mechanics and your shot execution.
The Lunge with a Twist Exercise combines the power in your lower
body with the core rotational movement needed for maximum golf swing
speed and distance. Use a medicine ball or a single dumbbell for this
exercise.
• Assume a standing position with your arms straight and hanging
down in front of you, holding the dumbbell or the medicine ball.
• As you step forward with one leg, rotate your upper body to the same side holding the medicine ball or the dumbbell chest high the whole time.
• Return to the starting position and do the opposite leg.
• Repeat each side 10 times for 3 sets.
This exercise improves rotational range of motion and strength. It also strengthens the core area of your body. The Seated Twist is an offshoot of this exercise. Instead of standing and lunging forward, you simply twist from side to side while sitting on a chair and holding a dumbbell chest high. This exercise can be done in your office.
The Straight Leg Rotational Hamstring Stretch stretches the
hamstrings, hips, lower back, and mid-section. It trains the hamstrings,
glutes, hips, lower back, obliques, and upper back muscles.
1. Begin by placing feet shoulder-width apart, extend arms overhead,
and clasp hands together. Turn so that you are facing to one side.
2. Slowly extend arms toward the top of your shoes, keeping your
legs straight.
3. Extend downward to your level of tolerance, pause slightly, and return to the starting position.
4. Rotate torso, shoulders, head, and arms to the other side.
5. Slowly extend arms toward your shoes, keeping your legs straight.
6. Reach downward to your own level of tolerance, pause slightly, and
return to the starting position.
7. Return to the other side and repeat the same sequence, then return
to the center position.
8. Perform 15 to 25 repetitions.
Yoga is also a good exercise for enhancing flexibility. PGA pro Jamie Mulligan includes Bikram Yoga in his conditioning program. Bikram Yoga involves making precise movements for 90 minutes in a superheated room. It keeps the body loose and supple, and strengthens concentration and focus
Resistance Training
Resistance training should be part of your winter conditioning program. When you improve strength, you improve control and balance. Also, strength training involves body awareness, muscular control, and coordination—all key elements for improved golf. When you do resistance training, you increase blood flow through a functional range
of motion, and strengthen the tendons and ligaments in you body’s joints. In conjunction with a stretching program, strength training improves flexibility, not hinders it.
The strength-for-golf component of your program addresses your body’s “core†area—the abs, low back, and hamstrings. Contrary to popular belief, weight training does not cause you to lose “feel.â€
A golf-specific conditioning program incorporates moderate weight, with medium (12-15 repetitions, and in a time frame of 30-45 minutes. This type of program is designed to improve your golf-specific strength and endurance, not build muscle. A typical strength training exercise includes
• Leg Extensions
• Leg Press
• Leg Curl
• Low Back
• Abdominal
• Rotary Torso
• Double Chest
• Super Pullover
• Triceps
• Biceps
• Forearm
• Four-way Neck
The Tire Exercise is a different type of resistance exercise. Invented
by golfing great Henry Cotton, this simple exercise strengthens the
arm and wrist muscles and helps you judge swing speed.
Take your normal stance with the tire positioned as the ball. Employing a normal grip use a quarter swing to hit the back of the tire, moving the club head as fast as possible. The pitch of the swishing noise and the sound of the club’s impact are your speed indicators. The loudest crack at impact is heard when the clubhead is released properly. Do 3 sets of 15 to 20 swings. Then turnaround and do it from the left side.
Aerobic Conditioning
Improving your cardiovascular system boosts energy. It also increases stamina and focus. Waking, biking, stair stepping, running, and swimming are all good cardiovascular exercises. Since golfers walk a lot, many focus on it as their main cardiovascular workout. A cardiovascular program incorporating 20-30-minutes of walking at an intensity 10- to 15-percent higher than when you walk a course works well for most golfers.
Using the winter to get in shape pays dividends. It improves your golf game, enhances your quality of life, and builds self-confidence. Instead of being depressed this winter because the season is over, start a golf-specific conditioning program to get yourself ready for the spring.
Jack Moorehouse is the author of the best-selling book How To Break 80 And Shoot Like The Pros. He is NOT a golf pro, rather a working man that was able to figure out the secrets of shooting in the 70’s on a consistent basis without quitting your day job. Jack has helped thousands of golfers from all seven continents lower their handicap immediately.
March 22nd, 2008 at 8:50 am
How Online Incorporation Can Help You…
If you are a new small business owner, then likely you are juggling several business-related jobs during the course of each work day….
June 11th, 2008 at 6:07 pm
[…] Simple Golf Lessons. Description This Book Covers 6 Simple Lessons Of The Basics Of Swing Mechanics,Chipping,Bunkers Putting And The Correct Length Putter For YOU.Affiliates Commission Change On 24/4/08 To 65%– $29.50 Per Sale Of Full Book And %s Per 6 Parts. Excerpt from product page Produced and demonstrated by Teddy Webber, South African top 20 South African Teachers 2003-2004 and S.A. P.G.A Teacher of the year 2005. His golfing achievements include over 40 amateur titles including the Rhodesian Amateur title and twice consecutive South African Amateur Champion titles. He represented Rhodesia on 2 occasions in the Eisenhower trophy in 1974 and 1976 with players of the caliber of Nick Price, Mark McNulty, Dennis Watson and Tony Johnstone. He was nominated Rhodesian Sportsman of the year in 1978 and turned Professional that year. Teddy played on the South African P.G.A. Sunshine and Winter Tours from 1978 - 1993, consistently finishing in the top 20 on the order of merit, winning 4 tournaments in the process. In 1985 he qualified for the European Tour in 12th position, and played in Europe from 1986 - 1988 including playing in 3 Open Championships, once winning the qualifying stages. Teddy then turned to club professional duties and was instrumental in the opening of the Lost City Golf Club at Sun City in South Africa and later became the head teaching professional for the Titleist Golf Academy there. He then moved to Cape Town to open the Atlantic Beach Golf Club golf operations and now has the "Teddy Webber Golf Academy" there. Teddy has gained a "wealth" of Golfing experience, spanning over 40 years on and off the golf course. He would like to share some of his knowledge with you, to improve and enjoy your rounds of golf and moreover, to understand "why" those irregular shots occur. "One of my reasons for writing this book about how to get back to basics and routines and "why", was that during my years of playing, teaching, and playing many Pro-ams in Europe and Africa, I was astounded by how few players, including Professionals, did not have any kind of routine before each shot, even worse, how many players never checked their basics properly and then blamed a bad shot for numerous reasons other than the correct ones." -Teddy Webber His book covers easy to understand "basics", with pictures of the swing mechanics ideal for old and young, set-up procedures for all shots including Chipping, Bunkers, and most importantly Putting and the correct length of Putter for 'you'. It also includes specific routines for all shots including "faults and why", and for those bad chippers, how to overcome the "yips". It also includes basic methods to read greens in the putting section, practice programs, tournament preparations, course management, and golfing terminology used in the book. This E-Book requires Adobe Reader to view. Files size: +- 2mb (Approx. 30seconds to download depending on connection speed) Now is the time to stop all those HOOKS and SLICES, get back to basics and routines and importantly , to understand " WHY" all those irregular shots occur. The reasons for all irregular shots stem from inconsistent basics, too much wrist action and not having solid routines to follow. How many times have I heard these words after a bad shot," Oh look, that is where I was aiming", or" I played the ball too far back in my stance", or "I should have used a six iron, I knew I would not get there with a seven" or "I can't chip, I should have putted" or "I knew I should have laid up short" or "I was too far from the ball". Well I could carry on for ages reciting many more phrases like these and I know we have all been guilty of some of these misdoings at some time or other. These are all "bad excuses" for "bad shots". The Book covers the following Sections , demonstrated by Teddy Grip & Set-up Swing Mechanics Chipping & Pitching Bunkers & Plugged Lies Putting Conquer the Chipping"Yips" Practice Program / Tournament preparation Routine & Drills Golf Terminology Faults & "Why"? Let's be honest, we wish we could all hit a perfect golf shot every time but as we all know, that is virtually impossible. Even the best players on the tour don't hit perfect shots every time but the difference is that, they generally know "why" the shot was poor and should be able to adjust accordingly. Each shot should be preceded by a specific routine and this routine should not vary during the round. No blame for a poor shot should ever come from a poor grip, poor posture and spine angle, the wrong distance from the ball, poor alignment or the incorrect basic ball positioning. Each of these items should have been checked prior to each shot. This should take you about 20 seconds at most once you have gone through my procedures. Now let's think of it this way. If you are, or have been a 90 shooter, and you have played your round in 4 hours (with luck these days!!!), if timed, each shot from take away to impact would be +/- 1.5 seconds. So therefore, in 4 hours you have actually only hit shots for 135 seconds of so called enjoyment. If your pre-shot basics and routines are not sound, those 135 seconds of hitting will be wasted energy. Rather spend another 20 seconds per shot on the correct routines before you hit, to eliminate a few "whys". This would add another +/- 30 minutes of enjoyment to your round knowing that the problem should only have come from the actual swing or stroke. Now the processes of elimination become less and furthermore, more concentration can be placed on the execution of the shot and to understand the "whys" of that process only. These are all explained and demonstrated in this book. This E-Book requires Adobe Reader to view. Files size: +- 2mb (Approx. 30seconds to download depending on connection speed) Once you have reached or got closer to the green, the next problem is to Pitch/Chip close to the Pin and then putt the ball into the hole for the least amount of shots. The big difference between the good player and the average player is the ability to convert " as they say" 3 shots into 2 shots. In other words to chip and one putt instead of chip and two putt. Even so, converting 4 shots into 3 shots maximum. This again can not be achieved consistently without the correct routines and basics and even more importantly, the correct selection of club for the shot. This is all explained and demonstrated in the book. For those of you "so called" chipping "yippers" or "duffers" (by the way I don't believe such things exist but only happen due to bad basics and club selection) there is a section for you to help you on your way to recovery (if you would like to call it so), just by eliminating the over use of the right wrist movement and the correct basic take away using the big muscles. A personal guarantee for success. Also included are personal experiences and reasons for my problems on tour. If only I knew "why" then!! This E-Book requires Adobe Reader to view. Files size: +- 2mb (Approx. 30seconds to download depending on connection speed) Then comes the old adage "drive for show and putt for dough." Putting, eventually, will become the most important shot saving part of your round. As is well noted the best pro's will only hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation over a season period. The other 5 greens will be missed for various reasons, including direction around the green or in bunkers. The player who generally wins (as I have mentioned previously) is the one who can convert 3 shots into 2 shots (the up and down factor). It is no good chipping up to 3 foot from the hole if you are not able to hole the putt. However, I do believe, and I am sure you will agree that a putt is a miniature golf shot so similar basics would apply, but the ball should be below the eye line or closer to the body at address. The most important factor now is the correct length of putter to use to enable you to swing the arms freely. Most standard putter lengths are 35 inches for men and 33 inches for ladies, but that does not mean that is correct for everyone. We all have different builds, heights, and different length arms, so how can we all use the same length putters and putt consistently. Look in the article on putting. How to measure the correct length of putter for "you", and how to grip the "standard" way like the pro's. Included are putting drills for better feel and basic methods of reading greens to help you improve your putting. Even more, how to execute a bunker shot and how to play a plugged lie in the sand, all with correct basics and set-up routines and practice drills. The book ends with practice range drills, pre- tournament preparations, basic course management and for all the beginners, basic golfing terminology used in the book. This E-Book requires Adobe Reader to view. Files size: +- 2mb (Approx. 30seconds to download depending on connection speed) Remember, golf is all about basics and routines and understanding "why". If you know "why" bad shots occur you can fix the problem. There are no short cuts. All this information and more, compiled over more than 40 years of golfing and teaching experiences. The information has been condensed in an easy to understand manner with diagrams and photographs of all basics and the easiest methods to overcome the problems encountered. Good Golfing, Practise the Basics and Routines and learn "why". Yours Sincerely, TEDDY WEBBER. South African PGA. Teaching Pro of the year, 2005. FURTHERMORE, 10% of all net proceeds from this publication will be donated to the Western Province Junior Golf Foundation. The money raised will be used to purchase extra golfing equipment and training for the ever increasing number of new players being introduced to our beautiful game, we so love. WATCH THIS SITE FOR FUTURE PARTS ON : Working the Ball - Draws and Fades. Trouble Shots - Uphill, Downhill and Side hill Lies. Fairway Bunkers - Easy methods to execute these shots. CLICK HERE FOR PRICES AND TO ORDER YOUR COPY NOW. DELIVERY: THE HOW TO GOLF AND ' WHY ' is in PDF file format. If your computer does not have this format we will provide a link that lets you download this software for free. 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October 7th, 2008 at 12:15 pm
p90x…
Okay slight exaggeration, BUT, entering in my 10 digit phone number and using my index fingerprint to get through the turnstile is pretty high tech for a quick sweat. And this is just a regular 24 Hour Fitness Center… not ultra, not even sport….