For most of the Northeast, the golfers off season is approximately 5 months long without much time for outside golfing activities. The off season is a great time to build on our summer golfing achievements and also to work on reoccurring issues in the golf swing by beginning a golf fitness plan. Most people would like to continue some type of off season activity but truthfully, most people have no idea where to start. The off season workout plan should be broken into 3 separate phases to help the golfer be fully prepared for opening day.
Fall Corrective Exercise and Stabilization Program: The Fall is best time to start any fitness program and the best way to get started is to have a complete golf fitness assessment. The way to attain any fitness goal is to follow a progression plan of mobility, stability, coordination, strength and power to achieve optimal health and physical development. A certified TPI Golf Fitness Professional can assist in the screening process, program design, goal setting and the program implementation to get you on the right path in the attainment of any goal.
First, we conduct an in depth health questionnaire screening to identify family history, exercise history and any past or lingering medical conditions.
Second, we conduct a 16 point golf specific movement assessment that will identify any physical limitations that may affect the golf swing.
Third, we conduct a 3-D technology assessment to identify flaws in our kinematic sequence as well as balance and weight transfer.
Fourth, we then do a complete flexibility assessment to help us understand your physical limitations and how they relate to the golf swing.
Last, we develop a corrective exercise program to correct muscle imbalances, address any injuries, build core strength and increase flexibility which all lead to the optimal athletic performance.
Winter Strength Conditioning Program: The Winter is our most sedentary season but it is a great time to work on strength for the upcoming golf season. One of the worst things a person can do is try to develop their own golf fitness routine because people will have a tendency to over lift and expose themselves to injury. A golf fitness professional will develop a strength program to correct any strength imbalances, strengthen golf specific movement patterns and lay the foundation for spring power training.
According to a study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning, here are some good reasons why winter strength training might make sense:
- Club speed increased by 7 – 10% or the equivalent of 10 to 15 yds. Without any ill effects on accuracy.
- Strength training was shown to improve muscular strength and muscular endurance which has a positive impact on golf swing consistency during an 8-hour, 36-hole round of competitive golf
- Golfers who strength trained demonstrated better putting distance control performance
- An increase in strength and flexibility allowed golfers to adopt more optimal swing mechanics
Early Spring Power Conditioning Program: By early spring, the golf season will be quickly approaching and now is the time to train the power sequence of the golf fitness program. Remember that golf is an explosive sport, it is not an endurance sport. Many people train their body for golf as if it was an endurance sport. Power conditioning consists of moving weights through a complete range of motion while keeping optimal speed during the exercise. There are tons of great exercises that will increase your rotational speed, power and strength. I like using medicine ball exercises for upper body and plyometric exercises for lower body as they improve all components of the golf swing as well as balance. By the time the season is in full swing you will feel the effects of all 3 of the phases of golf fitness training and then you will finally be on the road to be the best golfer that you can be.
The golfer can find qualified fitness professionals near his home or office by visiting the “Find an Expert” tab at www.mytpi.com.
If you have any additional questions or comments please feel free to contact me via email at James@Coregolfperformance.com