Why is strength important in golf?
Many don’t see golf as being that physical of a sport and certainly it’s not a contact sport unless you count the club hitting your golf bag after a bad shot, but strength is a critical component to the game.
Most rounds of amateur golf are anywhere from 4.5 - 5.5 hours long, usually played outside in (hopefully) warm weather and you end up walking anywhere from 4-6 miles if you are not taking a cart. Add in the fact that you might be carrying a bag (which could be an additional 30-40lbs) and you can see that over the length of the round, fatigue can set in quick.
How many times have you found yourself playing an amazing front 9 only to run out of gas on the back nine and start seeing bogeys and double bogey’s de-rail your round? That drive that found the fairways on the front is now finding the tree’s on the back as you struggle to maintain your balance and swing form.
You can improve your game by being more physically fit. This will not only allow you to be play better, but also recover quicker and reduce injury. Backs, elbows and shoulders are the most injured body parts in golf. While injuries can occur in both sedentary or actively fit golfers, your chances to avoid injury are certainly greater if you are fit and strong.
So what types of exercise are we talking about? I would recommend a blend of strength (resistance) training combined with flexibility/mobility drills and some cardio. This will give you the most well rounded body for golf. The resistance will help build your muscles and protect your tendons and ligaments. The flexibility and mobility will help you to move better and more independently within your moves and the cardio will help prevent running out of gas through your round.
I am a Level 1 TPI Certified Golf Fitness instructor. I can take you through a movement assessment to analyze and identify areas that need attention in your body which could be preventing you from being in the correct position for your swing to make proper contact or could be robbing you from strength to hit it farther.
Together to build goals and a plan that will get you stronger and more resilient to injury and improve your golf with conditioning and more body confidence. Visit my programs page and click on Golf Programs.