Golf Fitness Advantage-Planet Golf Fitness

Training-Tiger and More Golf Talk

admin — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 00:36:21 +0000

I recently received this question in my inbox from a golfer and thought many of you would like to see the answer so I decided to answer it in this newsletter.

‘Susan, I would just like to know what the key principles of training is and how it can be applied to golf?”

Hmmm…key principles. There are many ways to answer this depending on exactly what this golfer was looking for. I assume he means ‘what are the most important elements to training for golf’.

Here are some things I think every golfer should use in their training.

-single arm and leg training. The reason for this is because golf is generally played either right side or left side dominant with a repeated pattern. Depending on how many times you practice or play, you can hit a lot of golf balls each week. So, the stress on your body is in the exact same places, time after time. This causes imbalances in the body that can turn to injuries. For this reason, I like to make sure golfers perform exercises by addressing one leg and arm at a time. For example, I love the one legged squat.

If this is something you’ve never tried, you might be surprised at how strong one leg might be relative to the other. Try placing a high chair behind you and simply lifting one leg up behind you while you bend at the knee and attempt to sit in the chair. Of course, try it with both legs independently. See if you can just slightly touch the chair and then pushing through your foot, attempt to stand back up (without actually sitting in the chair)

-stretch what’s tight. Perhaps this is obvious, but let me explain the problem as it pertains to golf. Most people have areas where they are very tight and areas that are loose. It is human nature to only want to continue stretching in places where they already feel good. For example, let’s say a golfer has good shoulder flexibility and very tight hamstrings. Clearly, this golfer needs to stretch his or her hamstrings in a 3 to 1 pattern. In other words, they should spend three times the amount of time stretching their hamstrings as compared to their shoulders. But, this is not what happens in real life scenarios. Why? Well, I have asked the same question to golfers for years and guess what their response is.

I will say…’did you realize how tight your hamstrings are?’. They will reply ‘yes’. Then, I will ask why don’t you stretch more often and the reply is ‘because it doesn’t feel good’.

No doubt this is a very honest answer which in turn leads back to the problem.

How will we ever get better or more flexible in this area if we ignore it?

-try to understand your strengths and weaknesses as a golfer. We have have both. But, for each of us are strengths and weakneeses are different. So, the most significant improvement that is made with a golfer is when we address what the real issue is with each person. For example, maybe just the left shoulder is super tight, but the right is fine. Or perhaps, a golfer has good upper body strength, but poor lower body strength relatively speaking. Each of these single issues have an opportunity for improvement.

Many golfers already have a sense for what needs to be improved. However, there are still many golfers who don’t. Remember that I have a very comprehensive self assessment designed specifically for golf on my website at http://www.fitnessforgolf.com.

I have used this exact assessment when working with a handful of tour players when I can’t fly out and meet them due to schedule or travel conflicts. I have also had 3 college teams use it to find out their strengths and weaknesses so we could plan a specific program for improvement.

These are the main principles that I think will take you a long way in your golf improvement process.

Do you have more questions for me that I can answer through this newsletter sequence? Just send me an email to susan@fitnessforgolf.com.

Enjoy the rest of your week.

P.S. Want to know what I think about Tiger’s latest speech? Read below.

Susan Hill

http://www.fitnessforgolf.com

****************

I got a ton of mail from golfers who wanted my ‘take’ on the big press conference with Tiger Woods last Friday. I wonder how many of you heard it or watched it?

What did I really think? Really? Ok. Here goes…

I thought it was awful and pathetic. To see a man who on a ‘normal’ day would be so filled with passion, grace, presence, then to see him at the height of jis self destruction. It was a sad day for everyone. Sad for him, his wife, his kids, his mom, golfers across the world, sponsors, and his collegeaus…did I leave anyone out?

He looked terrible, like a truly broken man and I find no joy in seeing this with anyone…whether he brought it on himself or not. It was a sad day indeed.

My only other comment was something he said as part of his public apology that really bothered me. He said he did it because he thought he was ‘entitled’. Something about those words just stayed with me.

I guess I have never felt entitled to anything. I have worked hard in my life and made more money than seemed fair, but I never felt entitled to it. I have worked towards some interesting achievements in my life, but never felt ‘entitled’. Sometimes I felt I deserved things. But, I can’t imagaine a day where I ever felt ‘entitled’ to anything. That word strikes me as the ultimate in arrogance.

Do you want to share your thoughts on his speech, his pending ‘comeback’ or how your support has changed (or not) for Mr. Woods? Come join me on my blog here and feel free to share your comments.

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Tiger Did It - Now What?

admin — Wed, 02 Dec 2009 18:02:31 +0000

I remember the first time I was interviewed for a major newspaper publication. The reporter asked questions for about 15 minutes and was going to write a story about how exercises for golf can benefit a golfer’s game.

I was so excited. It would likely mean that I would be positioned further as an expert in my field and maybe even sell a few more golf fitness memberships.

But, then I saw the actual story published and I saw a few quotes around comments that were attributed to me. I remember thinking that there is no way that I said one of the comments that they put quotes around.

It was not something I remember saying. Not something I even think is true. I even thought the comment with quotes around it made me look silly instead of like the expert I believed I was.

I wondered…’how did this happen’?

Did it happen because the writer was lazy and filled in his own interpretation of what I meant? Or was it that I was misunderstood?

In the end, it didn’t matter. The article was published in a paper and online and there was nothing I could do about it. It was in that moment that I realized that you need to be careful when you read about someone or something. Sometimes it comes out wrong. Sometimes the quote isn’t quite what the person said and so on. Now, I can see how easy it is to be misinterpreted.

This is why I chose not to follow all the gossip on the Tiger story.

In fact, I was getting mad because it was not only private information, but it was coming across as highly suspect. It was as though all these ‘gals’ were trying to get their 15 minutes of fame. I did not want any part of it.

Then, this morning, something changed. Tiger came out and admitted his ‘transgressions’. In fact, here is an actual excerpt from his own statement (not a gossip magazine).

‘”I have not been true to my values and the behavior my family deserves,” Woods said on his Web site. “I am not without faults and I am far short of perfect. I am dealing with my behavior and personal failings behind closed doors with my family. Those feelings should be shared by us alone.” “I will strive to be a better person and the husband and father that my family deserves,” Woods said. “For all of those who have supported me over the years, I offer my profound apology.”

That is when it hit me. For some reason, I was just really disappointed. But, I couldn’t figure out why.

I don’t personally know Tiger. I certainly don’t know his wife. And, frankly, it is none of my business.

I finally put my finger on it.

I started golfing before I ever heard the name Tiger Woods. Anybody remember those days? I was addicted, in fact. I practiced or played atleast 4 days a week after work.

But, once I started watching Tiger play, my game and my attitude changed.

I watched him stage dramatic comebacks and watched shots that are completely unexplainable when they go in the hole from some outlandish position on the course. He is the only golfer I can honestly say that I remember specific holes and what he did…like his shot in the hole on 16 at the Masters. I mean, who could forget that…

Then, of course, came the interviews…he was a master at this. He would give great speeches about patience, perserverance, his desire to succeed, his willingness to stay committed to each and every shot, and never ever let up.

Watching and listening to him, he made me believe that I could be a better golfer and even a better person. I started setting more aggressive goals with my game and practiced even harder. I started studying different facets of the game-technical, mental, physical.

So, I guess I wanted to believe he was ’super human’. I wanted to know that there are people out there in the world that can ‘have it all’ or atleast work towards their opinion of perfection.

Now, I guess he is just another human being to me. He will always be a great golfer…but will we ever see him as a whole person again?

What do you think? Do you have any different opinion of Tiger now that he has told us the truth about his imperfections as a man?

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50+ Role Models in Golf

admin — Sat, 09 May 2009 18:08:28 +0000

Ever wonder how some people are able to play golf up into their 70’s and, even beyond, and others cannot? The answer might be in their fitness levels. A very good example of how overall physical fitness can play a huge part in the golfer’s ability to continue to play as the years roll by is Greg Norman.

Years ago, Norman got the nickname The Great White Shark, and he has lived up to that name ever since. Even now, in 2009, as he qualified for the Master’s, Norman is as fit at 54 as he was a decade ago. But Norman’s level of fitness did not happen by chance or dumb luck. It came about through dedicated work.

It doesn’t hurt that his wife is tennis legend Chris Everet, with whom he plays tennis regularly, but the real secret to Norman’s incredible level of physical fitness are his workout routines. It seems that Norman has learned, and is practicing, the age-old advice of maintaining complete fitness, rather than concentrating on one aspect of fitness training alone. There seems little doubt that Greg Norman has mastered a complete fitness routine that is working for him and can work for us as well if we apply some of his principles to our routine.

We did some online research to see if we could discover Greg Norman’s fitness secrets and we came up with some interesting information.

Norman uses a combination of fitness training activities to stay in top form. He works his cardio through aerobics; he maintains great flexibility through stretching exercises, and he keeps up with strength conditioning for his upper and lower body, including the trunk. In addition to the above, he also works on his neuromuscular abilities which embed that all-important memory recall system of repeated swing mechanics. This is one way that great golfers make those great shots time after time.

Norman also understands that the very act of swinging a club thousands of times over the course of a lifetime will cause the body to deteriorate. And this is on top of everything else that we put ourselves through. The very act of playing golf demands a dedicated physical fitness routine just to maintain strength and flexibility. The more you play, the more critical it is that you dedicate yourself to this higher level of complete fitness.

A complete fitness regime will do more than just keep a player in good shape; it will also help to prevent injuries. Anyone who has played for any length of time can attest to the fact that golf injuries are most common when we are not warmed up properly or we have ignored our stretching program.

Another key to Norman’s program is that he varies the type of conditioning he does so that he does not get bored with any one routine. By doing a variety of activities and exercises, his body gets the full workout that it needs, with no major muscle group being totally ignored.

But perhaps the most important aspect of his training that we can all take away and use is his determination to just do it. Fitness cannot be achieved overnight or even over the course of several months. It needs to a long-term endeavor and treated as such. This means getting up and getting started today! Consider your physical training time to be just as important to your game as your driving range time or playing time because it is. And who knows, you may be playing into your 60’s and 70’s too!

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Golf Putting Instruction

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:34:05 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljQJXaisLMw

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Long Drive Tip

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:27:50 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y9wIcRcrkiw

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Short Game Tip

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:23:13 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9rsbaoxjs6k

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Mental Golf Tip

admin — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 23:03:33 +0000

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdfurYuCbSM

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Golf Swing Instruction

admin — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 03:31:23 +0000

Why not Take a Lesson from One of the Original Masters of Golf-Mr. Ben Hogan

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QL_6M_xZvq0

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Golf Pro

admin — Fri, 02 May 2008 18:53:43 +0000

http://www.planetgolffitness.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/05/mike_haase.wmv

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4 Golf Training Principles That Produce Results

admin — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 01:09:58 +0000

Time is a precious commodity when it comes to golf. We need to set aside time for practice, play and training in addition to managing our jobs, our families and other priorities and interests. Training should be a compliment to our complete process of development for a better game. Let’s keep things simple when it comes to golf training by focusing on those things that can make a solid difference in the shortest period of time.

Performing too little is the same as performing too much.

In either case, this is not a productive approach. Overtraining is a common problem among elite athletes and it isn’t any different for golf. Your body needs an opportunity for repair, remodeling and growth so give it proper rest to see the best results. The opposite effect can also occur which is performing too little. If you follow one of the principles of progressive resistance then you should always use resistance that is greater than what your body is accustomed to.

Power is driven from the core.

The abdominal muscles should never be trained in isolation because they are never an isolated movement in golf. Core training serves as the foundation for strength, power, speed and all elements of movement. When performing rotational movements, make sure you set your body in the proper position first. Begin by establishing good posture. Specifically, this means placing your feet about shoulder width apart with chest up, shoulders back and down and navel pulled in. This creates a solid position which actively engages the core so you can achieve optimal training results. When performing rotational movements like wood chops and medicine ball tosses, always check to make sure your movements are core driven.

Muscle integration is superior to isolation.

Functional training for golf is a system that focuses on training the body the way it will be used when you compete or play. This makes it the most efficient and effective form of training today. Functional training improves athletic ability, enhances performance, and reduces injuries while developing golf specific movement patterns. The goal becomes not only the development of more efficient patterns of movement, but endurance patterns as well so the motion has a better chance of being repeated swing after swing.

Balance is an essential element.

Balance comes in many forms when you think about golf training. Each golfer should strive for improved balance by assessing strength and flexibility discrepancies looking for opportunities of self improvement. Look at your body as individual segments comparing your top half to your bottom. How strong is your upper body compared to your lower body? How does the strength of your mid section compare to the strength of your lower back? Next, take a look at your flexibility. How is the rotation of your shoulder joints on your left arm compared to your right? Is your left side less flexible than your right? Is your lower body tighter than your upper body? Each of these assessments are considerations in seeking a higher functioning, more balanced body for golf. Weaknesses create opportunities for injuries to creep in as well as ways for the body to perform less optimally.

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