Golf Fitness

Scottty2Hottty

I'm about to turn pro in the next few months, and I'm looking for any tips on weight training for golf specifically, such as what muscles to target and the exercises I should use. I'm aware that it can be damaging if you target the wrong muscles, so I'm pretty anxious not to make this mistake.

Karoma

Ease up on your forearm.

BrianD3

Well...this is a good question. I have thought about this myself many times and tried to do some research but have found that
a) weight lifters are generally clueless about and/or have no interest in golf
b) golfers are generally clueless about and/or have no interest in weightlifting

I play golf (off 12) and do weights and I have definitely found an increase in driving length since starting the weights. The weights I do are mainly deadlifts, weighted chin ups, military presses, one arm snatches, dumbbell swings all done for low reps plus grip strength work. These are all compound movements so they don't target/isolate any one muscle, instead lots of msucles are involved eg for stabilisation. Some of the above exercises are close to being full body exercises.

I would be of the opinion that Olympic/explosive weight training such as the competition snatch and the clean & jerk is probably the most beneficial for golf as they develop masssive explosive power in the whole body.

OTOH I think doing isolation work on the arm muscles would do little good and could possibly harm your club head speed if you build significant muscle mass in the arms. Also doing high reps of any exercise won't do a golfer a scrap of good. The Golf swing is over in a very short time so muscle endurance is not an issue but what is an issue is the power generated from fast twitch muscle fibres.

GreeBo

Yeah, what you do not want to do is increase the number of "dumb" muscles you have.
I made that mistake before and my game went off completely.
You need them fast twitch boyos for an effective golf swing.

Also, consider taking up something like Pilates to strengthen your core muscles, this is where your torque/power comes from in the golf swing.

ruck-it

Scottty2Hottty wrote:

I'm about to turn pro in the next few months, and I'm looking for any tips on weight training for golf specifically, such as what muscles to target and the exercises I should use. I'm aware that it can be damaging if you target the wrong muscles, so I'm pretty anxious not to make this mistake.

http://answers.google.com/answers/threadview?id=249801

Reyman

Like some of the posters i've tried to get serious technical information on this subject, and they aren't available.

You get silly articles on developing your forearms by rolling weights up on a rope, when it's obvious that the power in a golf swing comes from the legs and the core.

I have gained about 10% distance since taking up weights on a general programme but probably because I was pretty weak to begin with.

There was one interesting article written, which said that flexibility is much more important than strength. This makes sense because Tiger Woods has enormous flexibility with a huge hip to shoulder angle differential.

I'd say concentrating on your flexibility is the best approach along with a general weights programme

BrianD3

Reading the stuff in that link confirms my view that golfers and those who write about golf have a poor understanding of the area of weight training. The Telegraph article talks about Tiger Woods doing 20 rep lateral raises and heavy bench presses. IMO he'd be far better served with a completely different programme but then again who am i to say Tiger Woods doesn't know what he's doing

Also there are also some laughable statements in the article such as the bits about toning and the description of Tiger's back stretch that would allegedly result in injury if attempted by anyone else.

There's also the bit about Nick Faldo blaming "bulking up" for a deterioration in his game. Now this could possibly be the case but then again a bulking and bodybuilding programme is very different to say an Olympic lifting priogramme. Your average golfer reading that won't cop on that there is a difference and the common stereotype of all weight training producing "huge inflexible muscle bound steroid pumping freaks" will be perpetuated.

It would be cool if someone involved in sports science did some proper research into weight training for golf. I have never heard of anyone doing this however. This discussion about weights for golf reminds me very much of numerous discussions I've heard about weight training for boxing. In the past, boxing coaches hadn't a bloody clue about weight training and had load of set ideas and myths about it that they'd pass down to the guys they trained. Things are changing now but some coaches still seem to be stuck in the past.

Transform

http://www.chekinstitute.com/golfcond.cfm

The leader in the field and going to seehim this weekend in England!!!

Rogueish

You are spot on in regards to the power development and it's effects on your golf swing/drive.

Just beware Power Development coaches (also known as strength and conditioning coaches) are springing up everywhere as it is the new buzz word among certain circles and as it becomes popular there are more and more half arsed, half trained charlatans jumping on the bandwagon.

There are five American Strength and Conditioning Association trained instructors in the country check out http://www.nsca.com/trainers/locator/ for the contact details. All have a background in exercise physiology/science and would be able to help you to put together a power based strength and conditioning programme to help you improve your golf.

One of whom (the one unlisted guy!) is an ex olympic athlete (who has also a masters in Exercise Physiology). Two of them, whom I know personally, are consummate professionals and are dedicated to their job. Both of them have lectured in the area.

If you want to contact either of the two people (one of them is on the list D. Sheehan or the other unlisted guy PM me - I'll have to ask the unlisted guy's permission to pass on his contact details)

Also you cannot continue to generate increasing power (asGreeBo said) if you do not have a stable core which your muscles need to generate the required force from (like a springboard)

When Tiger Woods joined the professional golf tour in 1996 he weighed 155lb (70.4kg). Aware that his ability to generate massive clubhead speed put his joints – in particular his back – at risk of injury, and wanting a complete swing that maximised the large torque-producing muscles of his body, Tiger made it a priority to bulk up. He is now 35lb heavier and confidently says that he has never suffered low back pain. He is a keen runner, considering this important to maintain body balance, stability and cardiovascular fitness.

Attributed to

Tiger’s obvious strength and strong core turn his baseline physical attributes into a power-packed swing.

As for the flexibility topic. Reyman you are a little off in the flexibility department. Where a certain amount of flexibility is desirable too much flexibility has it's own problems

It was 2002 when things started to go wrong for Woods. For most of the year he was suffering severe discomfort with a knee injury and that December he had arthroscopic surgery to remove fluid that had built up and address inflammation in and around the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee – from which he had previously had a benign tumor removed in 1994. Most ACL injuries are due to rotational trauma, but in Tiger’s case the injury was chronic, resulting from excessive repeated valgus positioning and tibiofemoral rotation.

In other words his hypermobility which had allowed him to develop his phenomenol swing had eventually led to the start of his downfall. He then had to modify his swing to compensate for his damaged knee and thoracic spine and his performance has not truly recovered since.

The quotes were taken from http://www.sportsinjurybulletin.com/archive/tiger-woods.html

Scottty2Hottty

Thanks for all that, have a fair idea of what I need to work on, but how much time would you need to spend training per week to get maximum results cause I figure between work, Practice and the odd night out I would only be able to train around 3 times a week, also should I add in cardio work as well? Considering I'm either practicing or playing around 15-20 hours a week. and can it be harmfull do to cardio and weights in the same training session?

t-ha

Scottty2Hottty wrote:

Thanks for all that, have a fair idea of what I need to work on, but how much time would you need to spend training per week to get maximum results cause I figure between work, Practice and the odd night out I would only be able to train around 3 times a week, also should I add in cardio work as well? Considering I'm either practicing or playing around 15-20 hours a week. and can it be harmfull do to cardio and weights in the same training session?

If you're trying to get big and strong it can do - but I think a bit of cardio keeps you in good health, energetic etc. so I'ld include it if I was you.

I'm not sure about the crossover between weight-training and golf. I think the guys are right to recommend general strength development exercises like deads and so on, maybe you should include wood-cutters and seated medicine ball oblique twists to give you more core strength, particularly in twisting. I would also consider the fact that golf is quite repetitive in terms of you performing a similar asymmetric motion over and over. Might it be a good idea to try and address any potential imbalances with your training?

slumped

Scottty2Hottty wrote:

I'm about to turn pro in the next few months, and I'm looking for any tips on weight training for golf specifically.

You are turning Pro and have not considered weight training as an amateur?

How can you be at the top of your game as an amateur without considering this sort of training?

Think long and hard before committing to the Pro ranks. Why not give it another 12 months doing some weights as an amateur and then see how much yur game has improved as a result.

Too many people try to turn Pro and fail. Give yourself the best start possible. Have the donkey work done before you go to the PGA / Tour School

S