Fitness and Golf

[Jordan Wall]

Who works out on gca?

Has it helped your game?

Has it helped you hit the ball farther?

What golf specific workouts do you do?

Is working out a good way to improve your game?

Just curious on some thoughts.

Thanks,

[John Moore II]

Yes I work out. Yes it helps my game, at least when I can play enough for anything to make a difference. Not sure if I hit the ball any farther, I hit the ball a long way before. I don't do golf specific workouts. And yes, I think working out is a good way to improve your game in general.

[jonathan_becker]

Jordan,

Just like John Moore, I don't do golf specific workouts.  But the workouts I do are in relation to strength training.  

After a few shoulder operations, regular bench doesn't apply to me anymore, but "Perfect Push-Ups" have become my best friend.  From there I incorporate dumbbells, resistance bands, and various curl bars to help with everything else.  

I'm not sure if it helps me hit the ball longer, but it does help with more control in my swing, getting my hips through the ball faster, and overall endurance.

But, if you really want to get your ass kicked, go get P90X.  It's the real deal!!

Finally, no workout plan under any circumstances will work unless you have proper nutrition and eating habits.  Proper eating is 75% of the plan to get results.

[Jordan Wall]

But, if you really want to get your ass kicked, go get P90X.  It's the real deal!!

Finally, no workout plan under any circumstances will work unless you have proper nutrition and eating habits.  Proper eating is 75% of the plan to get results.

Jonathan, you forget I'm 19 for another month and a half.  I could eat an entire In'n'Out and lose weight!
 

P90x is intense, I did it for a while before switching back to a normal fitness program.

I do eat well though, and my body has transformed.  I was 220 and fat two years ago, I got to 159, and have since bulked up to a solid 180.  I can hit the ball noticably longer on the course - the other day I flew a ball on a green 280 away in 50 degree weather with a crosswind.  Since working out, my length has dramatically improved.

Not to mention, I just feel better.

I wonder why more people don't put the gym, even just a little bit, into their routines.

[jonathan_becker]

Jordan,

I keep forgetting you're 19.  I'll be 30 in a month and a half.  Go ahead Jordan, eat up!!

When I was 19, I had two bobybuilders that lived in my dorm and they showed me how to really get in shape.  The knowledge I gained from those guys about proper nutrition and training is invaluable to me.  It really opened my eyes as to how 90% of people have no idea what they're doing.

Though, it sounds like you know what you're doing with the gains you've made.  The key for me was to eat 6 small meals a day and 2 of those meals were protein shakes.  The shakes are key for someone your age that's looking to gain muscle mass. 

But In-N-Out does sounds great right now. 

[George Pazin]

I wonder why more people don't put the gym, even just a little bit, into their routines.

Same reason we don't golf more: time. You'll understand someday when you have a job, a wife, kids and real responsibility.

This is my new best friend:



Can't say fitness affects length for me, but it does make me feel a whole lot better.

[Jordan Wall]

Jordan,

I keep forgetting you're 19.  I'll be 30 in a month and a half.  Go ahead Jordan, eat up!!

When I was 19, I had two bobybuilders that lived in my dorm and they showed me how to really get in shape.  The knowledge I gained from those guys about proper nutrition and training is invaluable to me.  It really opened my eyes as to how 90% of people have no idea what they're doing.

Though, it sounds like you know what you're doing with the gains you've made.  The key for me was to eat 6 small meals a day and 2 of those meals were protein shakes.  The shakes are key for someone your age that's looking to gain muscle mass. 

But In-N-Out does sounds great right now. 

Do you still drink the protein shakes?

I was taking creotine and protein shakes as of a week ago.  I have since switched to creotine alone.

It really does help the game too.  For all you who blame the technology of golf clubs and golf balls for the distance craze, name one of the top-10 players in the world who doesn't work out.

I'd bet at least 80% of tour pros have some kind of fitness routine.

[Bill_McBride]

As I get older and tighter, I have learned the hard way that you have to continually work on keeping your hip flexors flexible and your core strong.  There are a bunch of yoga stretches that help those hip flexors.

[Bill_McBride]

But, if you really want to get your ass kicked, go get P90X.  It's the real deal!!

Finally, no workout plan under any circumstances will work unless you have proper nutrition and eating habits.  Proper eating is 75% of the plan to get results.

Jonathan, you forget I'm 19 for another month and a half.  I could eat an entire In'n'Out and lose weight!
 

P90x is intense, I did it for a while before switching back to a normal fitness program.

I do eat well though, and my body has transformed.  I was 220 and fat two years ago, I got to 159, and have since bulked up to a solid 180.  I can hit the ball noticably longer on the course - the other day I flew a ball on a green 280 away in 50 degree weather with a crosswind.  Since working out, my length has dramatically improved.

Not to mention, I just feel better.

I wonder why more people don't put the gym, even just a little bit, into their routines.

Not to mention that the chicks dig buff guys, as can be seen on your Facebook page!  Ah to be young again!   

[jonathan_becker]

Jordan,

Right now, I drink 1 EAS Myoplex packet after I work out.  I used to do the creatine thing and the stuff really works if you get the right kind (haven't used it for 5 years) and I used to have my other shake for breakfast.  

However, like George said, life starts getting in the way.  For me, that means going to work for 8 hours a day.  When I only had 2 classes a day and no job, I could dedicate a lot more time to fitness.

I do something 5 days a week, but at about 2/3 of the workload as when I was younger.  I'm just trying to keep my gut off and keep my strength up.  Just basic stuff.

Note - don't ever ditch the protein shakes.  If anything, ditch the creatine.  You need the nutrients in the shake over the creatine alone.  The protein shakes are a staple in the diet and the creatine is more of a detail thing.  Furthermore, the creatine won't work as well unless it's got protein and carbs to help shuttle it around your body.  Oh, and ALWAYS drink a shake after you workout.  That's when your body is screaming for nutrients the most.

Where's Kyle Henderson?  Doesn't he mess with this stuff for a living?

[Andrew Hastie]

If you want to get into golf fitness take a look at www.mytpi.com

As already mentioned good core stability combined with the ability rotate is the foundation of a good swing.

[Tim Martin]

Guys-Listening to the discussion about creatine and the EAS Myoplex packet is making me feel old and out of shape. I try to walk at least 3 miles a day and sometimes as many as five at a 15 minute per mile rate. Additionally I try to do some stretching but constantly struggle with diet. I never met a sausage or hot dog that I didn`t adore and probably spend as much time on Roadfood.com as this site. Traveling daily all over Connecticut does not help as I know where every diner,apizzeria,deli,clam shack is located. All of a sudden I feel like I`m on Dr. Melfi`s couch. I go up and down on the scale and can really get back to my left side in the golf swing far better at the lower weight.

[Ronald Montesano]

George, Amen to the kettle bells.  I love them and swing them as often as possible.

Stretching, Planks, high-lows, water wheels for the arms and anything pilates for the core are on my list.

And, being 44 going on 45, I am seeing the belly grow with every burger I eat.  The day has come and the flesh will not shrink, so I cannot afford to bulk out the belly any more.  Young guys, take note...skin doesn't shrink!

[Grant Saunders]

Jordan

Working out has benefits for many areas of your life. Although I am not currently getting to the gym, I find when I do it has a number of positive effects on playing golf.

I do think that it is however a myth that simply lifting weights is going to make you hit it any further. Distance is achieved through speed not strength. Hitting the weights hard and taking supplements will make you bigger sure, but it also makes you less flexible and slower as you are developing slow twitch muscle fibers.

Swing speed is generated by fast twitch muscle fiber and is an explosive action. Therefore, low rep and heavy weight sets arent conducive to developing this speed. Lighter weight and more focus on shifting the weight quickly would be a better approach. For example, if you bench press 100kg for 8 reps as your max, you could try benching 60kg and concentrate on lowering the weight slowly to your chest then push it back up as fast as you possibly can. You will be surprised how taxing it is and quickly you tire even with the lower weight.

As for golf specific exercises,here is a great one for forearm strength: grip a golf club or two with your elbow tucked to your side and your forearm pointing straight out parallel to the ground. Point the club straight up and then rotate your forearm only to the left until the golf club is now 90 degrees from starting point (parallel with the ground) From here, rotate the other way for 180 degrees until it is on the opposite side. Keep doing this slowly always stopping the club from going past parallel. Hope this makes sense.

Also, do plenty of core exercises. There are heaps of exercises to choose from so mix it up to keep it interesting. Swiss balls are great for this.

I think the biggest benefits come in the form of greater resistance to injury and also an increase in stamina and energy. Do plenty of squats and leg strengthening work and you will find that at the end of walking 18 holes you still feel fresh and strong. This means your able to swing the club as well at the end of the round as you could at the start and you also can concentrate better.

Hope this helps

Grant

[Pat Burke]

When I was playing, stopped and started numerous times, usually with not great results.
Was always heav, umm overw, err  oh hell fat!  In the '97 season,
found an incredible trainer, worked 4-5 days per week.  In a 5 month period, dropped over 28 pounds of fat
and picked up 8 yards on my irons, and almost 10 yards (carry) with my driver.
Also, with the weight loss and cardio, I ran most of my practice round (between shots) at Castle Pines for my cardio workout that day.
The year before, I had to stop at the turn (drink a milk shake) and then play the back nine.  It took 2 days to acclimate to the altitude before, no time with the new program

[JESII]

Jordan,

If it's for golf, find a Pilates class...period.

If it's for girls, show up at the class in between workouts...

[Jim Sweeney]

Jordan- If you are looking for info on golf specific exercises go to TPI.com or google Titleist Performance institute. Lots of good info, some of it suprising. For example, they do not like treadmills for golfers but recommend trail walking. I think that is to add balance (uneven surfaces) to the cardio benefits.

I work out 3-4 times per week, stretching before and after as well as on days off. I still can't get my hamstringd to lengthen, though. Also, abductors and aductors are an important but often overlooked area.

[Jud_T]

Jordan,

I do a bunch of golf specific exercises that a trainer put together for me with weights, bungees, medicine balls, kettle bells, etc., plus cardio and stretching.  Frankly, before I dropped some weight and got into halfway decent shape I don't think I was physically capable of making a proper golf swing.  It's still a work in progress, but now at least there's hope!  I think the amount of athleticism involved in good golf is vastly underrated...Essentially you can't do enough core work, balance work and stretching....I sat next to Lee Trevino on a flight once and his forearms were as big as my legs!

[Padraig Dooley]

I work out from time to time, I spent most of the winter of 2004 working out and played great in 05. I gained some distance which was mainly from hitting the ball better.

All my workouts or golf specific. Working out is a great way to improve, if we take the example of a golfer with a sway fault, he can try all he likes to stop swaying but if he has restricted hip rotation he might never to be able to stop the sway. Fix the hips, fix the sway. It might be only 5 minutes a day to fix the hips, not that easy to fix a swing fault on the range with only 5 minutes work.

My advice to you Jordan, is go to mytpi.com (which has been mentioned), go to the find a fitness pro section, find a golf pro near you. He will do a swing assessment. He will then do a physical assessment and match up the swing shortcomings with the physical shortcomings, next he will refer you to a physical trainer to design a workout program or he can do one for you if you don't have access to one. It is easy enough to design a comprehensive workout which would use very little equipment, maybe just a swiss ball and some tubing which can easily be done at home.

It's not advisable just to take exercises off the internet, you need to get assessed so the workout can be specific to you e.g. what's the point in doing hamstring exercises if your's work perfectly.

Power production is a tricky thing, it's mainly gained in the two growth spurts while growing up i.e. hit the ball as hard as you can when growing up. It's possible to gain some power later but it won't be the rocket fuel that can be gained in the earlier years.

[Jon Nolan]

I am an extremely recent case study...

October 4th:  Nearing 45 years old and 186 lbs. at 5'6".  According to the intergoogles I was solidly in the lower ranges of obese, considered pre-diabetic and at high risk for heart disease.  I like to ski, hike, mountain bike and golf but I would wear down fast in all of those activities.  Walking nine holes would leave a mark and walking 18 resulted in me limping in out of breath, muscle tired and usually about +8 over the last three holes.

After years of waffling I final decided to do something about it. 

January 1st:  Lost ~40 lbs. through diet/nutrition alone.  I had reached my goal of mid-140s but now I had just gone from overweight and unfit to skinny and unfit.

January 11th:  Signed up with a personal trainer (if you have the means, I highly recommend picking one up.)  As I went through my initial evaluation it was clear my strength was sorely lacking  Arms, chest, shoulders and back were all weak at anywhere from 25th to 40th percentile.  Legs were surprisingly strong (.85) probably from lugging my honorably earned beer belly around ski resorts, golf courses, mountain trails and up the stairs to my second floor bedroom.  Cardio was a joke.  Started working out to fix all that.  And hard.  Six days a week minimum with resistance and cardio.  Nutrition closely analyzed and good habits established (that was easy after what I did to lose the weight.)

February 26th-28th:  Three days at Bandon.  If any of you were there last Friday you know how wet it was.  As I finished that round I'm sure I was carrying around 10/15/20/whoknows extra lbs. of water.  The shoes, socks, hat, bag, head covers and across my shoulders were all soaked through.  But... no problems with endurance and strength.  Two more days at the resort in beautiful weather and still feeling fantastic.  That was a massive, massive change for me.  Had a little IT band flareup and my shins kinda hurt in the mornings but both of those quickly went away.  Night and day.

Regarding distance, it's hard for me to compare sea level with home at 4300 ft. but if nothing else I do feel that my swing is much better.  I'm not having to swing around a heavy body and my flexibility is improved.  It feels right and I think this year will be a big improvement.  Anecdotal evidence had me closer in drive distance to people I've golfed with previously so we'll see.  I haven't golfed enough around here recently to really say but without a doubt my skiing has become much more enjoyable.  I can hit it hard from 9:00-4:00 with a 30 minute lunch - no bother.  Last year I'd be looking for coffee in the lodge by about 2:00.  I am really looking forward to a markedly improved year in golf, hiking and biking endurance/strength. 

Some may be talented enough to be good overweight and unfit and golf is enjoyable even when you are.  But I think it's a certainty it gets better when you lose that weight and increase that fitness. 

I believe that working out improves your game.  I know it improves your life.

[David Lott]

I agree with the comment to look at TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) web site. It has simple, accessible work for all ages. It's a very well organized site and represents a major commitment of resources by Titleist. Good for them.

At age 67, and after Leukemia, a mild stroke and loss of a kidney, my exercise goals are more modest than 15-20 years ago, when I was very fit. Now the goal is to prevent injury, maintain core strength and flexibility and promote a sense of well being. This involves working out regularly but not intensely. So 4 times a week it's a mix of treadmill, recumbent bike (easier on the back), dumbbells, medicine balls and kettlebells, squats, core strength, bands and stretching. If there is any way you can, get evaluated by a trainer or golf pro who has gone through the TPI training. That evaluation will give you a good idea of what exercises you need most. They will also measure your progress.

We are lucky to have a TruStretch device in our gym, and hope to get the outdoor version for the range at our course. It makes stretching much easier and more accessible.

The key is regularity, especially as you get older. Every other day, even if some days you can only get in 15-20 minutes at home. The progress that can be made is quite remarkable.

[Carl Nichols]

Jon -- great story. Congrats!

Tim -- what's your favorite pizza in CT?

[Jim Sweeney]

Carl- Sorry to but in on your pizza question but I'll vote for the Kent Pizza Garden in the Village of Kent, although it has been a ;ong time since I was there. A great meatball grinder, too.

[Jordan Wall]

Just so everyone knows, I have a weekly fitness program that includes time at the gym, cardio, and good nutrition.  I'm just curious as to who else works out and if it has helped their game at all.

My routine is:
Monday and Thursday - Biceps, Shoulders, Lats, Back
Tuesday and Thursday - Triceps, Chest, and Abs
Sunday - Full body workout, 300 workout (check that one out, brutal !!)
Wednesday and Saturday - Off

My nutrition isn't something I have as much of a routine on, but generally speaking I eat 5-6 times a day, rarely getting full.  I always start the day with a bagel and peanut butter or cream cheese.

I don't know what makes the ball go farther, but its going farther - and I mean lots farther.

[Matt Schmidt]

http://www.golfdigest.com/golf-instruction/2009-02/coreworkout#slide=1

This golf specific workout doesn't take very long and seems to do the job...won't know if its added any distance until I head south, away from the snow.  I initially started without any resistance bands, and just did the exercises/stretches that didn't require them.