Golf Fitness Routine

[EPBlue]

Hi,

Looking for a golf exercise program to follow to help improve strength / flexibility.

Preferably it would be website with programs listed, book or youtube with workouts to follow.

Free is preferable as it is expensive enough with course membership, lessons & gym membership without having to pay a trainer but would pay small price.

I have access to Resistance Bands + Kettle bells at home and hope to joing a gym for winter (lockdown permitted).

For context handicap is 10 and i struggle a little with distance (average about drive 230-240) that mean all the longer par 4s (400+ yards) leave me hitting 3 hybrid / 3 Wood.

Obviously swing aspects that I am looking to work on over the winter and I have had fitting for clubs but I am also looking for specific workouts to improve power in swing. General fitness is pretty good but do limited specific golf work.

Cheers

 

[spongebob59]

Look at the Titleist TPI stuff.

https://www.mytpi.com/exercises#filter?area=fitness&page=1

 

[Wilson]

Sign up to Fit for Golf, there is an app with loads of workouts, it's about £10 a month.

 

[clubchamp98]

Mainly core work.
But I would say the best exercise for golf is practice and playing.
You need to be careful what you do .
Since all the pros have been using the gym they all seem to be carrying injuries.
Might be coincidence but I am not to sure.

 

[4LEX]

Flexibility, core strength and explosive power.

clubchamp98 is right too. So many people go from nothing to intense workouts and get injured. The majority of golfers over 50 would be far better losing weight, eating better and doing pilates or yoga that hitting the gym. It would benefit their game and prevent injuries.

 

[birdyhunter]

I'd be interested in recommendations too for any of the various online programs - the Titleist TPI site is great and has loads of individual exercises but I could do with a set routine.

Any reviews of Fit for Golf, Me and My Golf, 18STRONG, Golf Fit by Olly.. or any of the online programs would be good.... positive recommendations only please, I don't think it's fair to put negative reviews on here. Anything for a 50 year old mid-handicapper who wants to get more flexible, and maintain/increase clubhead speed and ball distance.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Ssshank]

Mainly core work.
But I would say the best exercise for golf is practice and playing.
You need to be careful what you do .
Since all the pros have been using the gym they all seem to be carrying injuries.
Might be coincidence but I am not to sure.

I'd say golfers of that level tend to get hyperfocused and perhaps push their bodies too far (I do fear for Bryson) or don't allow for adequate rest.

As long as your form is good and you don't do the same muscle group every day you shouldn't have a problem.

To avoid any risk you could limit yourself to callisthenics exercises only, but you'd hit a ceiling pretty fast.

 

[clubchamp98]

I'd say golfers of that level tend to get hyperfocused and perhaps push their bodies too far (I do fear for Bryson) or don't allow for adequate rest.

As long as your form is good and you don't do the same muscle group every day you shouldn't have a problem.

To avoid any risk you could limit yourself to callisthenics exercises only, but you'd hit a ceiling pretty fast.

Yes Bryson will end up like Tiger one day ,on his knees on the tee.

 

[Ssshank]

Yes Bryson will end up like Tiger one day ,on his knees on the tee.

For sure, perhaps after his recent performance, he may reevaluate his strategy.

Tbf, I've noticed some pretty big gains after a few weeks of training, I haven't been able to measure my SS but it's making a different noise to usual.

 

[clubchamp98]

For sure, perhaps after his recent performance, he may reevaluate his strategy.

Tbf, I've noticed some pretty big gains after a few weeks of training, I haven't been able to measure my SS but it's making a different noise to usual.

My only concern with this sort of bulking up is.
I was always told that muscle mass wasn’t good for golf.
Especially with touch around the green etc. But Bryson has a great touch game.
Obviously things are much more scientific and targeted now.
Good luck with your training.

 

[BiMGuy]

One would imagine that Bryson has access to better advice than some "bro science" off the Internet?

He has specifically said that the bulking up and exercises he's doing are to prevent long term back injury.

Tiger has said that he regrets the amount of running he did as it ruined his knees. And that some of the training he did probably wasn't the best for him looking back.

 

[4LEX]

Tiger would run 10k each morning on concrete, terrible thing for an elite sportsman to do.

 

[clubchamp98]

Tiger would run 10k each morning on concrete, terrible thing for an elite sportsman to do.

Surley somebody must have told him it’s not good.

 

[4LEX]

Surley somebody must have told him it’s not good.

I think he did that from an early age when the risks weren't fully known. He used it for his mental health as well as physical. Just part of his routine and way to start the day/focus. Difficult to tell someone of that level what they've been doing for their whole life is wrong I guess?

 

[Dibby]

My only concern with this sort of bulking up is.
I was always told that muscle mass wasn’t good for golf.
Especially with touch around the green etc. But Bryson has a great touch game.
Obviously things are much more scientific and targeted now.
Good luck with your training.

Out of curiosity, what were the explanations given for muscle mass being bad?

From a physiology standpoint, muscle fibres can only be recruited or not, there is no partial recruitment. To control the amount of force you apply with your muscles your body sends nerve signals to more or less fibres. The stronger fibres are, the less you'll need to recruit - eg you'll be more relaxed for a given effort. The more fibres you have you more range of forces you can apply. Interesting that people would consider these things a negative.

As an aside, the above also plays into how you grip the club, some people will say be relaxed, but you can only be relaxed if you have a grip strength such that you can still hold onto the club without needing more force. This is why some people are able to feel relaxed and others strangle the club no matter what unless they really dial back their swing.

 

[clubchamp98]

Out of curiosity, what were the explanations given for muscle mass being bad?

From a physiology standpoint, muscle fibres can only be recruited or not, there is no partial recruitment. To control the amount of force you apply with your muscles your body sends nerve signals to more or less fibres. The stronger fibres are, the less you'll need to recruit - eg you'll be more relaxed for a given effort. The more fibres you have you more range of forces you can apply. Interesting that people would consider these things a negative.

As an aside, the above also plays into how you grip the club, some people will say be relaxed, but you can only be relaxed if you have a grip strength such that you can still hold onto the club without needing more force. This is why some people are able to feel relaxed and others strangle the club no matter what unless they really dial back their swing.

Yes I get this now but “ back in the day “ the science wasn’t as good.
More like old wives tales more than anything else.
I did a lot of weights when younger but was warned it would affect my golf swing.
I did realise later on that it was crap and in a way being strong helped.
It is flexibility you need not just brute strength, and people thought you could not have both.
But Sumo wrestlers proved that wrong a long time ago.

 

[Dibby]

Yes I get this now but “ back in the day “ the science wasn’t as good.
More like old wives tales more than anything else.
I did a lot of weights when younger but was warned it would affect my golf swing.
I did realise later on that it was crap and in a way being strong helped.
It is flexibility you need not just brute strength, and people thought you could not have both.
But Sumo wrestlers proved that wrong a long time ago.

This stuff has been known since at least the 70's in the sports science world, although I do agree that for some reason golf has resisted sports science regarding biology for a long time and is only just starting to accept it in the last 5-10 years.
Strange considering how much the golf world loves the science behind the equipment.

Sumo wrestlers, weightlifters. even more bizarely gymnasts - probably the most flexible athletes out there, and yet very strong and explosively powerful to be able to do somersaults and valuts etc... really does make it puzzling where these myths originate from.

 

[Wellout]

Look for a local TPI fitness coach without doubt