Fitness for Golf
By Chas DeVetter, BS, CPT
Spring is finally here. The grass is getting green, the weather is warming up and golfers
all over the Midwest can let out a collective sigh of relief, knowing that they will finally be able to
get out onto the course. It is time to scratch at that “itch”. It’s time to get outside, take in the
fresh air, hang out with some friends and for some, to chase down their personal best low
round. Finally, it is a time of simplicity. When on the course, one does not have to worry about
the bills getting paid, the never-ending pile of things to do at work, or the hustle and bustle of
everyday life. Instead, it is only important that you find a way to get your little white golf ball into
the little round hole with as few swings as possible.
Alright, maybe that is a bit of an over simplification. Golfers have many reasons why
they love the sport and many goals for the time that they spend on the course. One thing that
all golfers have in common is the desire to remain injury free while playing the sport that they
love. In addition, to staying injury free most would like to perform at a high level (beating the
others in your foursome is never a bad thing). So how does one go about accomplishing those
two elusive goals?
One way is through learning the proper technique involved in the golf swing. Golf lessons are a
great way to reduce the likely hood of injury and improve scores. Purchasing new clubs is
another way that many people invest in improving their game. With many recent improvements
equipment technology, this can also be a great option. The best option, in my humble yet
biased opinion is a golf conditioning.
Simply put, golf conditioning or golf fitness is an exercise program designed specifically to
enhance golf performance and to prevent golf-related injuries. Golf conditioning is a relatively
new area of study, with very few professional golfers practicing any form of strength training
(one aspect of a good golf conditioning program) until about ten years ago. Pretty amazing if
you think about the fact that sports like professional football have employed strength training for
over 60 years.
One of the founding researchers in the area of golf conditioning was Dr. Wayne L.
Westcott, Ph.D. In 1995 he published an eight-week research study that measured the results
of a strength training and stretching routine; it was the first study of its kind. The strength
training program that the study used included one set of 15 different exercises done three times
per week. The stretching was done on the same days and the total workout session lasted 30
minutes.
The results of the study were significant. After only eight weeks of the study,
participants improved their club head speed by 5 miles per hour and increased their joint
flexibility by 25%. The study found that the participants increased their muscular strength by an
average of 50%. In addition, golfers gained 4 pounds of muscle and lost 4 pounds of fat along
with reducing their resting blood pressure by 5mmHg. To top it all off, not one of the
participants had a physical setback or injury the following golf season. All of those were things
accomplished from just three, 30-minute workouts per week.
A comprehensive golf conditioning program includes more than strength and flexibility
training. It also includes balance, cardiovascular endurance, and breaks up strength training
into muscular strength training and muscular endurance training, with flexibility being the most
important. This type of program employs methods of periodization or cycling through the
different phases of golf conditioning so that you can perform at your best during the season and
to continue to improve during the pre-season, post-season and off-season.
So get outside. Enjoy the weather and hanging out with your friends on the golf course.
If you are interested in taking it a step further, why not join the majority of PGA Professional
Golfers and growing number of amateur golfers that already are involved in a golf conditioning
program. If you are interested in getting started you can use the same program Dr. Westcott
used in his study by going to the Wellness Massachusetts website:
http://www.wellness.ma/sports-fitness/golf-conditioning.htm
or for a more detailed program see a personal trainer with experience in designing these kinds of programs.
The rewards are well worth the investment!
Westcott, Wayne. PhD. Getting Into The Swing of Golf Season. Wellness.MA. 2005.
http://www.wellness.ma/sports-fitness/golf-conditioning.htm
