Fitness for golf has of late become a catchword -- on sports television and in athletic circles, and especially among professional instructors. Though the aging golfer seems to be the target audience of air time on the subject, even younger enthusiasts stand to gain by taking heed.
There seems to be a prevailing belief in beating the physical limitations brought on by the passing of years: the optimal power, driving distance, and accuracy of one’s swing can be sustained almost indefinitely -- through fitness for golf.
One of the main premises is that human bones and muscles need stress to remain strong and resistant to injury. Through a continuing golf-specific exercise program, any noticeable decline in strength and flexibility in the player can be prevented. The maxim "use it or lose it" holds true in the case of the golfer who is getting on in years.
The line of thinking makes sense. Who hasn’t experienced aches, stiffening, or energy depletion after periods of extreme preoccupation with family- or work-related commitments and of neglect of physical fitness activity?
As a golfer, haven’t you felt a loss of verve in your game after such an interlude? So, the way to defy a death sentence to your golf swing is to keep on swinging it! Maintaining some sort of fitness for golf program is the way to go.
"General fitness" is not the same as fitness for golf, which is sport-specific. Going to the gym and working out using a universal abdominal machine is an example of an activity that is oriented toward general fitness. This type of activity isolates one muscle group at a time.
Doing torsional twists (just like how you do when you are doing a golf swing) while holding a weight (dumbbell) in your outstretched hand to gain core strength and flexibility for your back and down swing, on the other hand, forms part of your fitness for golf routine.
This specific fitness for golf exercise helps improve rotational strength as well as flexibility so that you can make bigger, more powerful turns.
Core strength and flexibility wane if not tested often. You know what happens next. The explosive energy that was once pent up in you backswing dissipates.
The distance your golf ball goes off the tee falls far shorter than it used to be with the aging golfer demographic. This is the reason having a fitness for golf routine and engaging in it on a regular and consistent basis is important.
Your golf performance is affected by how often you put yourself in a fitness for golf routine. You shake your head and ask how could you have ignored all that talk about fitness for golf on television.
I hope I've opened your eyes to the importance of fitness and golf, and how it can quickly and effectively improve your golf swing and performance. The decision is now yours! Will you get proactive and take the next step?
For more up to date Golf Fitness information and advice or core training, read the Perform Better Golf Blog, published daily by Mike Pedersen.
About the Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf fitness trainers and golf 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 golfworkout exercie dvds, fitness training for golf products, and his new and proven Golf Stretching DVD, specifically designed to improve golf flexibility, coordination, and overall golf swing mechanics!
