For Your Golf Game
by Dr. Mike
Functional full body strength training can help improve your golf game. In recent years strength training amongst golfers has gotten some more zest and vigor due to pictures of Tiger Woods having a ripped torso and muscular arms, and this is true for all golfers. Just as it takes time and time again to hone in on a perfect golf swing, your strength training should also have a purpose. Doing 1000 sets of bicep curls and sit-ups until you puke won’t necessarily help your game or your drive from the tee.
Reducing Overall Fatigue and Risk of Injury
A full-body, functional approach will help not only your game on the green, but will also reduce your overall fatigue and reduce your risk of injury as well. The long term goal with a golf fitness program would be to reduce bulk and to increase endurance and overall strength and power for better overall fitness and a better game as well. Ideally lifting heavier objects from a stationary position on the ground to a position over the head will heed the greatest results. To gain the best increases in muscle strength and overall bone density, lifting heavier objects for fewer repetitions will gain better results than lifting lighter weights for more repetitions. Isolation exercises are some of the worst exercises you can do for your golf game and for your overall health. Think about a bicep curl, they do not mimic anything that will occur in real life and only prepare you to curl more weight in the gym (seriously, what motion does this mimic other than bringing a drink to your lips from resting near your hip?).
The Main Areas of Focus
The main areas to focus in on would be strengthening the core (think planks, side planks, hollow body rocks and supermans), hips (lunges, glute bridges, cleans and squats) and shoulders (pushups, pull-ups and shoulder to overhead movements). A good mixture of both static and dynamic exercises will yield the greatest results to help improve your drive, chip, putt and your overall health!
– Dr. Mike