Get Fit for Golf
Written by Libby Norris
Golf is definitely a game of skill, but did you know you could reduce your score by improving your fitness? In the past, golf wasn't viewed as much of an athletic endeavour. Younger players on tour like Sergio Garcia and Tiger Woods have helped to change that perception with toned physiques, more athletic apparel and a combination of skill and strength.
Increasing your fitness can also help to prevent many of the injuries that are common in golf. Although it's not a contact sport, the risk of injury in golf is surprisingly high. Approximately 30% of all professional golfers play injured.1 It is estimated that 53% of male and 45% of female golfers suffer from back pain.2 In addition to back pain, other golf injuries include wrist pain, shoulder, neck and knee injuries. This shouldn't come as too much a surprise given the combination of a hinged or bent over position of the back, the coil or rotation of the swing and the repetitive nature of the swing.
Training can be extensive and intense, however, targeting the following major fitness components with simple at-home exercises can make a significant difference.
Flexibility is often associated with golf and is definitely an asset. Flexibility is the ability to move joints and muscles through a full range of motion. This is particularly important in golf as the swing involves flexibility of the shoulder, back, hips, wrists and ankles. Limitation at any one of those points will impact the swing.
Conditioned muscles stabilize and control the body throughout the stress and momentum of the golf swing. This can help to reduce the risk of injury and improve consistency. Additional strength will also help to increase your club head speed. Although only one variable, there is a high correlation with handicap and club speed where the lower the player's handicap, the higher the club head speed at impact tends to be.3 Even small amounts of training can have a significant impact. In one study, just 5 minutes of home exercises 5 times per week resulted in golfers increasing club head speed by an average of 24%.4
Endurance is an important fitness component that is often over looked in golf. Although a round of golf isn't usually considered intense cardiovascular activity, golf does involve integrated movement patterns for hours at a time, which does require stamina. This is often why you may find your swing is less consistent toward the end of your game. Regular walking - on and off the course - can help to improve cardiovascular strength and endurance.
Balance and stability have gained attention and focus in fitness in recent years and are crucial components in golf. Stability is required for the lower body with the hips, knees and ankles. Stability is required for the upper body to control the movement around shoulders. The torso and trunk area coordinate the movement between the upper and lower body, controlling the movement while helping to prevent over rotation. Balance is the ability to maintain that stability and control throughout the complex, fast and intense movement.
Fitness also helps to improve your proprioception, which is your ability to sense the position of your body and limb movements in space. This increased body awareness helps you to control the fine motor movements involved in a golf swing. It also helps you to make adjustments in your swing, which means you may end up getting more out of any lessons you happen to take.
1. Watkins,R.G., Uppal, G.S., Perry, J., Pink, M. & Dinsay, J.M. (1996). Dynamic Electromyographic Analysis of Trunk Musculature in Professional Golfers. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 24, (4).
2. McCarroll, J.R. (1996). The Frequency of Golf Injuries. Clinics in Sports Medicine, 15(1).
3. Hetu FE, Christie CA, Faigenbaum AD. Effects of conditioning on physical fitness and club head speed in mature golfers. Percept Mot Skills. 1998 Jun;86(3 Pt 1):811-5
4. Fradkin AJ, Sherman CA, Finch CF. Improving golf performance with a warm up conditioning programme. Br J Sports Med. 2004 Dec., 38(6); 262-5
