Golf Conditioning Myths

Golf conditioning is more important than ever if you want to succeed at the game of golf!  Guest author, Paul Tildon, offers this advice:


Golf has always been viewed as a game of leisure. But today’s pro golfer is leaner, stronger, and more fit than golfers in the past. Until the last few years, golfers didn’t know how to go about incorporating exercise or, specifically, a golf conditioning program.

Weight TrainingIt can be overwhelming to decide what plan of action to take and to determine if it will be worth the time and effort. There’s still a lot of misunderstanding about golf and how fitness works into your preparation for the game. Here are three myths about strength training for golf and the real truth about each.

Myth #1: “I’ll bulk up too much and that will hinder my golf swing.”

Conditioning specific for golf will not result in muscle gain that will alter your swing mechanics. A golf 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.

Myth #2: “I will lose flexibility if I lift weights.”

In fact, the opposite is true! Weak muscles are also tight muscles. When you do resistance training, you are increasing blood flow, working through a functional range of motion specific to golf, and strengthening the tendons and ligaments in every joint of your body. In conjunction with a stretching program, strength training will improve flexibility, not hinder it.

Myth #3: “Weight training will cause me to lose feel.”

By strengthening your muscles specific to golf, you will have better control of your body. A sport specific program trains your body specifically for your golf game. When you improve functional strength, you have more control and balance, which will improve your feel. Strength training involves body awareness, muscular control, and coordination. These are all key elements for enhanced golf.

In summary, golf conditioning can be done when you are in your early teens (with supervision), or into your late 80’s. I have personally worked with people in there 70’s and 80’s who increased their strength 100%. (This was partly due to the initial level of fitness being so low.)

Editor’s note: One great golf fitness instructor we can highly recommend is Kathy Ekdahl of Personal Best Personal Training. She is a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) with the National Strength and Conditioning Association (NSCA) and a Titliest Certified Golf Fitness Trainer.  Visit her website for more information.

It is never too late to start. Search out a fitness professional or golf conditioning specialist to design a golf specific program and you will play better than you ever imagined! Start now on your golf conditioning program!

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