Stop for a moment to consider your body and your golf game. How do you see the relationship between the two? Do you see them as separate or functioning together as one integral unit?
To place yourself amongst the best, you must think of your body and golf as working together like a well oiled machine. This is the way to meet and then surpass your goals.
It’s true that you exercise to develop strength, endurance and coordination, and it is equally true that you go to the driving range to work on technique. These two activities may take place separately, but when it is time for the game, the body and golf must come together as a single unit.
When you think of the sport, do you see yourself as an athlete or as a regular Joe out with the guys? To excel and play your game on the top of the heap you must have an athlete mindset. And what do top athletes have in common? They exercise, but more specifically they exercise in a sport specific manner.
As you develop your workout routine think about your body. What key areas of the body need strength for a powerful drive? The answer is upper body, lower body and your core.
These areas must be trained for both strength and endurance. Endurance is important because although you might be nailing it on the first nine, if you can’t keep it up on the last nine it all will have been for nothing.
Develop a stretching routine and incorporate it into your life on a daily basis. Studies have proven that as we age we lose both muscular strength and flexibility.
This is critical when it involves your body and golf because in golf you must go from a static pose to quick aggressive action with an extreme range of motion when hitting a drive. The potential for muscular injury is immense.
How competitive are you on the course? Not against your buddies, but against yourself. This is where the connection between your body and golf comes into play.
The tighter that connection is the more your game will improve, the longer your drives will be and the more points you will shave off your score. Think Zen golf.
So adopt a golf specific exercise routine, stretch daily and focus on the seamless connection between your body and your golf game. You will be amazed at the improvement!
For more Golf Tips information , read the Perform Better Golf Blog, published daily by Mike Pedersen.
About the Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf training and conditioning experts in the country, author of the Ultimate Golf Fitness Manual, and founder of several online golf fitness and exercise websites.
Check out his golf exercise dvds, training programs, and workout products, and his new and proven Golf Fitness System, specifically designed to improve golf specific strength, flexibility, coordination, and overall golf swing mechanics!
