Here are some golf fitness tips that can literally improve every aspect of your game – from the distance you hit your driver (and every other club for that matter) to the way you feel on and off the golf course.

Ask most club-level golfers and they’ll tell you that fitness for golf is the preserve of the world’s top players looking for anything that will give them the slightest competitive edge. After all, they have time to spend hours at the gym each day and easy access to the best facilities and fitness coaches. But did you know that a simple home exercise routine, performed just 3 days a week with some basic, low cost equipment, can make a significant difference to your golf game?

Scientific studies have shown that with a well-designed golf fitness plan, everyday amateur golfers can:

1. Increase their swing speed and therefore their average carry distance with every club in the bag.
2. Improve their accuracy, hitting more shots out the middle of the club.
3. Reduce their risk of injuries – particularly to the shoulders and back.
4. Improve their overall health and energy levels and reduce the risk of serious illness.

And best of all, the amateur golfers that took part in these studies didn’t have to give up their life for exercise to improve their golf game and their health.

IMPROVE YOUR GOLF-SPECIFIC STRENGTH

A golf-specific strength training program has been shown to increase club head speed in amateur golfers. While golf isn’t simply about how fast you can swing the club (or even how far you hit the ball), research shows that faster swing speeds result in lower handicaps.

To a lot of gym goers, strength training means pumping iron to exhaustion. It means completing lots of isolated exercises such as biceps curls and crunches in split routines (one or two body parts worked each day). But the key to remember is that strength training for golf is NOT the same as body building.

Firstly, you should select exercises that mimic the movements and positions in golf. For example, rotational exercises that work the core region (such as ‘wood chops’) are more suitable than traditional sit ups or crunches. Likewise, squats or lunges are more beneficial to a golfer than seated leg extensions for example.

Secondly, you should choose a wide variety of exercises that work all the major muscles groups each session (even those muscles that might not predominate in the golf swing). This helps to keep your body and your musculature balanced – imbalances lead to injury. Whereas a bodybuilder typically splits his or her routine into body parts (chest and shoulders one day, legs the next etc.), a total body routine is usually more suitable for a golfer.

Thirdly, you should incorporate exercises that strengthen your core region (stomach, lower back, hip region) and improve your posture. This will help to prevent injury and it will also allow you to make a more balanced, more controlled and more repeatable golf swing.

IMPROVE YOUR GOLF-SPECIFIC FLEXIBILITY

Flexibility is under-rated. Improving your flexibility will allow you to make a fuller turn with less effort during the backswing – and that means more power in your golf shots. It will help you get into the correct positions during the backswing – and that means greater accuracy and consistency in your golf shots.

But more than your ability to hit a golf ball further and with greater consistency, increased range of motion just makes you feel better. Reducing your muscle stiffness can reduce your risk of injury, such as muscle tears, and the right types of stretches can help to improve postural imbalances – a major cause of back problems.

You can improve your flexibility through a static stretching routine completed 3x a week. It’s best to stretch when your body is warm after exercise. Focus on stretches to the shoulders, upper and lower back, hamstrings, quads and calves. You can hold each stretch for 15 seconds and complete it twice or hold for 30 seconds, completing each stretch once.

The time to avoid static stretching is immediately BEFORE a round of golf. Contrary to popular belief, there is no evidence to show that static stretching before a sporting activity reduces the risk of injury or improves performance (if anything, it’s detrimental). What you can do pre-round is a series of dynamic stretches…

A dynamic stretch uses movement and momentum to bring about a stretch. A classic example is ‘arm swings’ – where you start with your arms out in a crucifix position and then swing them across your chest and then out again. This dynamically stretches the chest muscles.

IMPROVE YOUR CARDIOVASCULAR FITNESS

Cardiovascular exercise will help you to feel more focused and alert on the golf course. It reduces stress and will keep you feeling fresher in the latter stages of your round. If you struggle to maintain your concentration and enthusiasm for 18 holes CV exercise can help. But more importantly…

Regular cardiovascular exercise literally allows you to live longer and healthier. It reduces your risk of major illnesses (such as heart disease, stroke, certain cancers and type II diabetes) and it reduces high blood pressure – known as the ‘silent killer’ that affects about 25% of the adult population worldwide.

If you’re short on time, you can structure golf strength exercises in a way that they improve your cardiovascular fitness as well. It’s known as circuit training and it’s one of the most efficient, time-friendly (and fun) types of exercise.

SUMMARY

• Research shows that a well-designed golf fitness program improves your golf game and lowers your scores, regardless of age or current handicap.

• Combining a program of golf-specific strength and flexibility exercises allows you to hit the ball further, more accurately and more consistently.

• Using a circuit training set up allows you to improve your cardiovascular fitness as well. This can have a significant impact on your health as well as your golf.

• A golf fitness program doesn’t have to take over your life. You’ll see benefits from a 3-day per week routine, completed at home, without requiring any expensive exercise equipment.