Golf Fitness

2006-11-20T05:14:00.000-08:00

Golf Specific Fitness Is Underrated

By Mike Pedersen

Tip! The amateur during this time of the year (usually the winter when snow is on the ground) can implement a golf fitness program. A golf fitness program will entail developing the physical capacities of the body around the golf swing.

Golf specific fitness is mainstream on tour! There is no way around it! To play your best, you've got to be in better golf shape! Golf is physical�and requires both dynamic strength and flexibility.

Gone are the days of the 19th hole! That's if you want to be top dog in your foursome. Instead of going to the 19th hole after your round, why not do some cool down stretches so you're ready for the next round?

I'm not saying you have to be a fanatic, but just realize there is a definite "physical component to optimal golf performance. The demand on the body to swing a club at upwards of 100 mph and stay in your golf posture is huge.

A golf specific fitness program incorporating golf exercise and golf stretching will maximize your body's ability to produce awesome power where it counts�at impact!

What is golf specific fitness?

I can tell you it's not going to a gym and doing a seated chest press. It's not spending 2 hours everyday beating yourself up. It's not lifting heavy weights. But it does require a commitment. Just like anything else worth achieving.

That phrase, "if it were easy, everybody would be doing it" is so true.

With over 70 million baby boomers who want to enjoy life, be healthier and a big majority of them playing golf�golf specific fitness "kills two birds with one stone". A fitter, stronger body and an awesome golf game. What better way to spend your quality years?

Tip! On the other hand, if you were only able to hold the starting position of the Russian Twist for 15 seconds before your lower back started to bother you, this is an indicator to me that this is where we begin your golf fitness program. I would have you �hold� the start position of this golf exercise for a certain number of seconds and sets.

Golf specific fitness incorporates dynamic strength and flexibility; muscular endurance directly related to your golf swing; balance; coordination: stability; and a much improve sequence of timing to produce maximum power through the impact zone.

Golf specific fitness does not require heavy weights, but improving your golf swing strength is always a goal. Being stronger in your golf swing takes a unique approach that is not accomplished with a general fitness program.

The main focus should be on "rotational" strength and flexibility!

Tip! A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

The golf swing is a high-speed rotational movement. The goal for maximum distance is to create a higher level of torque and be able to store and unleash it at the right moment in time.

This requires a major emphasis on core rotational movements with resistance. This is the ONLY way to improve your backswing AND follow through range of motion and power. These movements should be done sitting on a stability ball; standing erect; getting in your golf posture; and even on one leg.

It kills me to see a trainer do a bicep curl with a golf client. This will NOT help your golf swing. Just take a look at the position your wrist is in doing a standard bicep curl. It's turned out very awkwardly (and uncomfortably).

Tip! I have purchase all the golf fitness videos on the market doing research since I'm in that business. I have been hugely disappointed at all the 'hollywood fluff' and talking on these videos.

Do you grip a golf club like this? Then why would you do this exercise? If you're a golfer, you wouldn't!

How about a seated chest press on a machine?

I've seen golfers in the gym doing this one.

Golf is "on your feet", using every major muscle group in your body in a certain sequence of motion. How would a "seated" chest press on a "controlled" machine help your golf swing?

It wouldn't!

Golf specific fitness will get your body moving powerfully through your golf swing for 18 holes. Your swing will become more consistent. You will add a ton of yards to all your clubs�especially your driver. And your incident of injury will plummet.

Tip! When you're researching golf fitness videos, there are several things to keep in mind. There should be easy to follow demonstrations of every golf exercise.

Isn't this reason enough to get start on a program of golf specific fitness?

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf performance experts in the country. He is Golf Magazines golf performance expert; author, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf performance membership sites. Take a look at his just released golf dvds and manual at his improve golf swing site - Perform Better Golf.

2006-11-19T05:07:00.000-08:00

How to Prevent Your Golf Swing from Breaking Down with Golf Fitness Exercises

By Sean Cochran

Tip! Not one single golf fitness exercise can improve the power outputs in your golf swing. It is rather a combination of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power training exercises that enhance clubhead speed.

It happens to all of us. We loose our golf swing, make some type of unknown modification in how we swing the club, and everything falls apart. What can we do to prevent our golf swing from leaving us?

Remember this saying as you continue to read this article; "Proper Preparation Precedes Success and Confidence". Think about this phrase for a moment and then keep reading.

I write about this subject because of an e-mail I received from a fellow golfer. The e-mail read:

"Sean, while out practicing I appear to have injured a muscle(s) in my back just below my left shoulder, and also around the outside of my left side rib cage. I have tried to continue to play golf through this injury, hoping it would get better but I had to stop. Hitting down and through the ball proved to very difficult and I seemed to be pulling out of shots early and topping the ball on my iron shots a lot.

Tip! To summarize, the questions surrounding women and developing the correct golf swing are many. How to improve the golf swing through golf fitness exercises is one of these questions, and one specific area within this topic is distance.

Do you have any golf fitness exercises in your book which will heal the injury and prevent a re-occurrence?"

Absolutely! I do have golf fitness exercises to help you with the prevention of such an injury occurring.

But let's get back onto the topic of this article and that is the loss of our golf swing.

"Loosing" your golf swing can occur for a number of reasons. Typically, they fall into one of 3 categories:

Tip! He stated that since he implemented a golf fitness program, his flexibility, strength, and power have all increased.

1) Mechanical

2) Physical

3) Mental

A loss of your golf swing on the mechanical side of the equation is pretty simple to understand. Essentially, you have made an adjustment in the mechanics of your golf swing causing compensations to occur. These compensations result in poor shots and possibly a great deal of frustration, if you do not know what is happening.

Often times the amateur is completely unaware of the changes they have made wreaking havoc on their golf swing.

How do you go about solving such a situation?

Through proper instruction from a qualified teacher is the first part of this equation. A qualified teaching pro will be able to diagnose the problem and provide you guidance on how to fix it.

The ball is then in your court, meaning you must use this information and go practice (remember, proper preparation precedes success or confidence).

The second reason for the "loss" of your golf swing is a publicized matter, and it is your body.

Tip! An amateur recently sent me an e-mail describing how he is driving the golf longer and straighter than ever before. He plainly states the reason for the improvement is directly connected to a golf fitness program he implemented 10 weeks ago.

Remember it is your body that swings the golf club. If your body is unable to swing the golf club properly, the ability to swing it without compensations will occur.

The e-mail above is an example of such a problem. The amateur golfer has incurred an injury as a result of the body not being flexible, strong, or powerful enough to swing the golf club properly over a period of time.

Keep in mind the golf swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to swing the golf club correctly. If any one of these facets within your body is not up to par (no pun intended, but it fits real well doesn't it?), the swing will suffer.

Tip! Implement a comprehensive a golf fitness program into your schedule will undoubtedly increase your clubhead speed, driving distance, and overall performance on and off the course.

Often times body impairments causing you to "loose" your swing are not as severe as an injury (they will get that way if ignored), but rather they are a slight discomfort, muscle pull, or fatigue. Which cause compensations to occur in your golf swing.

Again, we can go back to the phrase "proper preparation precedes success and confidence". You must properly prepare your body for the golf swing. This is where golf fitness exercises are beneficial.

Golf fitness exercises develop the levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power within the body to swing the golf club properly. Golf fitness exercises prepare the body to swing the golf club just as practice ingrains the mechanics of the golf swing.

We finally come to the third category, the mental aspect of golf and fitness. Mental blocks, certain thought processes, or a lack of confidence can directly affect your golf swing.

Tip! On the other hand, if you are an experienced exerciser, you want a golf fitness video that is more challenging than a beginner (novice) one. One that will challenge your core stabilization, balance, coordination and muscular endurance.

I have found through my work over the years with professional athletes the development of a sound mental approach to golf begins with the body and progresses from this point to swing mechanics.

If you develop a strong foundation in your body, it provides you confidence that you can perform the mechanics of the golf swing correctly.

Once the physical foundation is developed, you can create the optimal swing mechanics on top of this foundation. Once these two "building blocks" are in place. The mental approach towards the game is confident, relaxed, and focused. Again, let's go back to the phrase; "proper preparation precedes success and confidence." Confidence in your golf game can only occur if the physical foundation and fundamentals of the golf swing are in place.

Tip! If your starting point is a little lower, then a golf fitness dvd that is more challenging will only promote you to fail. I've seen this time and time again.

To summarize, "loosing" your golf swing can be attributable to essentially 3 different categories. These categories are your golf swing mechanics, your body, and your mental approach to the game. To minimize the possibility of "loosing" your golf swing, develop a flexible, strong, and powerful body to support your golf swing mechanics. On top of this body, develop an efficient golf swing. This will allow your mental approach to be focused, relaxed, and confident.

If you are confident in your body's' ability to swing the golf club, the mechanics of your swing to execute the shot, the ability to mentally focus will be much easier. This is what separates good golf shots from bad golf shots on the golf course.

About the Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com

2006-11-17T05:13:00.000-08:00

How to Choose a Golf Fitness Trainer

By Sean Cochran

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've been asked this question during my travels around the country and world on the golf circuit; "Sean, I am looking for a golf fitness trainer in my area, what do you suggest?"

Finding a golf fitness trainer for you, simply takes a little knowledge and time on your part.

Bottom line there are thousands of fitness experts, personal trainer, instructors, and conditioning coaches available to you. Some are more qualified than others to help you improve your golf game. Lets first off take a look at some general qualifications to look for in candidates.

The golf trainer's education would be the first thing I would consider. In the world of personal training and fitness, there are no educational requirements, governing bodies, or state boards. Essentially, anyone can hang a sign on their front door and call themselves a "personal golf fitness trainer". It's unfortunate, but unqualified people are training people every day.

Tip! I have purchase all the golf fitness videos on the market doing research since I'm in that business. I have been hugely disappointed at all the 'hollywood fluff' and talking on these videos.

A highly qualified golf fitness trainer will likely have a college degree in the field of kinesiology, biomechanics, health sciences or a related field. There are many other organizations that accredit trainers too. These organizations provide intense educational programs providing the trainer with certifications. Accreditations from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, National Academy of Sports Medicine, and American Council of Exercise are highly regarded within the field. I would suggest looking for a golf fitness trainer with a degree in the field and at least one additional certification from the above organizations. This tells us that they have taken the time to become more specialized and better educated.

The Proof is in the Pudding

Experience within the field is absolutely critical. First look at the trainer's general experience and dig deeper. In general, I am talking about how long they have been in the industry. Are they just starting out or are they a seasoned veteran in the field? What areas of the industry have they worked? Have they worked only in the health club setting, have they worked in a collegiate or professional athletic environment, or experience directly related to the golf industry?

I would look for a golf fitness trainer with some experience in athletics. A trainer with experience in competitive athletics understands the demands on your body under competition, whether it's the weekend round with your friends, the club tournament, or the Masters for that matter.

Go to the Right Mechanic to Get Your Car Fixed

Now I don't know about you, but if I had an engine problem with my car, I probably wouldn't go to a motorcycle mechanic to get it fixed.

Would you look for a personal trainer that specialized in let's say, youth football, to help your golf game?

Most trainers in the industry usually have a repeat client base. The client base can tell you a lot about the trainer's area of expertise. The trainer's cliental base could be very specific, for example working with elderly individuals or with athletes only. Other trainers may work with numerous types of individuals from young children, homemakers, to the budding collegiate star. More than anything a trainer's client base gives you an idea if they have experience working with someone like you, and if they fit your individual needs.

Tip! Through many of our free daily golf tips on our website, we have provided answers to these questions and many more. One area of golf fitness I get quite a few questions about revolves on how to implement golf exercises into a golf swing improvement program.

I would suggest looking for a golf fitness trainer that has some experience working with someone like you. For example, if you are Nationwide Tour player, I would probably suggest looking for a golf fitness trainer who has experience working with professional athletes. The experience of working with professional athletes is only going to help with the interaction between the two of you.

Can't We Just Get Along

Outside of education and experience, the final area to consider is the trainer's personality. Some personalities will work well with you and others will not.

To get the best results for you, you must find a trainer that you are comfortable with on a professional and personal level. This will allow for the training sessions, development of your program, and the relationship to be a positive experience for both. Remember, you must trust the golf fitness trainer and this requires a level of comfort with them.

Tip! When you finally come to that realization and partake in a golf fitness routine, you'll see a golf game you have possibly never seen before. This is not hype�it's a fact.

Overall, I suggest taking some time on the front end and interviewing a series of trainers. This will allow you to compare and contrast all of the criteria we've discussed, and help you make a decision you feel good about.

Remember, choosing the right golf fitness trainer for you can mean the difference between reaching your goals on the golf course or not.

Sean Cochran

About the Author
Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

2006-11-15T05:10:00.000-08:00

Keep Your Golf Swing in Shape All Year with a Golf Fitness Program

By Sean Cochran

Tip! The same can be said about every other category of exercise and drill incorporated in a golf fitness program. The balance drills in a golf fitness program are designed to improve the golfer's balance capacities relative to the golf swing.

Some PGA Tour players have been playing for a couple of weeks in Hawaii and California. Others like Vijay and Ernie have been playing on the European Tour. Regardless of how many tournaments the pros have played this year, they have been working on their games for more time than most of us realize. Make no mistake about it: in golf - or baseball, football, basketball or any other pro sport - there is no longer an off-season.

So while this may be the first official shot of the season for some, the training process to get ready to make that shot has been quietly going on for months.

The amateur can learn a great deal from the professional golfer. Many parts of the world it is not possible to play golf year around, but there are ways to keep your golf game in shape all year long. Professionals know how to do it and so can you.

Tip! A golf fitness program trains the body to the positions, movements, and requirements of the golf swing. A golf fitness program is not concern about �beach muscles� or how one looks in the mirror.

Realistically, there is very little time to take a break and do absolutely nothing for professional golfers. While every pro is different, there is a generic blueprint most will follow. After the pro finishes his last golf tournament, they take a little break. A few weeks off to give the body and mind a little rest. Every pro athlete needs that time to just recharge and give the body - both physically as well as mentally - time to recover. The PGA Tour season is one of the longest in sports and even though they may not play every week, it's very taxing on the body and the time off is essential to ensure positive results when we begin training for the next season.

I would recommend the same recipe for the amateur. Regardless if you are able to play year around or not, take a period of at least 2 weeks to put the golf clubs in the closet. The break away from the game will do wonders. You may even find after you return you are playing better golf and shooting lower scores.

Following the rest time - and like I said, it's longer for some, shorter for others - its time for the tour player to begin ramping up for the next season by physically improving the parameters of the body for the upcoming year. Just like any other golfer - from the Sunday hacker to the scratch golfer to the club pro - the professional golfer will work on trying to increase flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power.

The amateur during this time of the year (usually the winter when snow is on the ground) can implement a golf fitness program. A golf fitness program will entail developing the physical capacities of the body around the golf swing. The program will look to develop flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power in relation to the golf swing. This is the first step for the amateur to keeping their golf swing in shape all year long.

Tip! When you finally come to that realization and partake in a golf fitness routine, you'll see a golf game you have possibly never seen before. This is not hype�it's a fact.

The amateur during this time of year can also implement swing drills into their training program. The professional may or may not incorporate swing drills into their program at this time year. But for the amateur I recommend it, why? This is the time of year in addition to developing the body for the golf swing. The amateur can work on swing faults that hindered their scores the previous season.

The swing drills can be simply performing "mirror drills" to work on posture and the phases of the golf swing.

You should start putting drills this time of the year. If you are lucky enough to live in a region you can play golf year around, a couple short sessions at the range every week is a good idea. I would recommend the range sessions be kept short and focused on fixing the "problem" areas in your golf swing. The important point is the off-season is a time the amateur can take advantage of working on both their bodies and their golf swing

Tip! This part of the plan centers on the implementation of golf fitness exercises to go along with your swing drills. We must understand the concept of your body and the golf swing.

Professionally when the PGA Tour season approaches, we begin what is essentially the preseason. This is when the player starts to practice the fundamental mechanics of the sport. If it's a golfer, he's on the range working on his swing, if it's a pitcher, he's throwing getting ready for spring training. Physically, we're still training the body, but we tone it down while the player fine tunes his game. But make no mistake about it, even though working on the golf game is 75 percent of the focus of this pre-season training program, we're still working on the basics of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power training.

Tip! But the first thing you need to consider when looking into hiring a golf fitness coach or program is the trainers experience in golf.

The pre-season for the amateur marks the time of year when the snow is beginning to melt and the "itch" to play golf comes around. I would suggest the amateur follow a similar program as the professional during this time of year. Start spending more time at the range. Working on all aspects of your golf game. Continue with your golf fitness program, but you may want to back off it a little as a result of the increased practice time. Again, keep in mind the body swings the golf club and we must keep the body in shape to do so.

The pre-season program of increased golf practice and a little less golf fitness continues with the professional golfer until their first tournament. This marks the point when we shift to an in-season golf fitness program. The golf fitness exercises don't stop, but we back off on the intensity. The program doesn't change much. We're still focused on flexibility, balance, strength, endurance and power, but the amount or volume of work is much less to accommodate the physical and mental strain of competition.

Tip! It is very easy to implement golf exercises into your golf swing improvement program. Follow the simple rule of �position, movement, tolerance,� and this should help you dramatically in the development of your golf fitness program.

Four days of tournament play can take a toll on the body. As a result, we must back off on the amount of golf fitness training. The amateur during the golf season is probably in a little different of a situation. They are probably not playing 4 competitive rounds of golf per week plus practice. At most, they may be playing 2-3 rounds per week with a couple practice sessions. As a result of the lower volumes of golf they can spend a little more amount of time with their golf fitness program.

Essentially, the amateur can pretty much stick to pre-season volume of golf fitness training unless they are playing quite a bit. Just make sure the right balance of golf fitness training is in place in relation to your golf practice and playing. This is necessary so that you do not physically over-tax the body. Bottom line if you are looking to keep your golf game in shape and improving year around, I recommend following what the pros do; take a break at the end of the season, implement a golf fitness program, work on your swing faults during the winter, increase your practice time at the range before the season, and during the season keep a good balance of playing, practicing, and working out.

Tip! It comes down to this: In order to be prepared for the upcoming golf season and to improve your golf swing. The implementation of golf fitness exercises geared towards developing your body around the golf swing is necessary.

About the Author

2006-11-14T05:09:00.000-08:00

A Simple Fitness Model Guaranteed To Slash Strokes Off Your Golf Game

By David Petersen

Tip! He related his increased driving distance and clubhead speed to a golf fitness program, a program with exercises specific to improving his golf swing. Not a traditional, pump-the-iron program, but one that promotes a more efficient and powerful golf swing.

Fitness training for golf has become so popular recently, with many of the big names like Tiger Woods and Anika Sorenstam crediting it for their performance. While a golf fitness and conditioning program should be tailored for the individual golfer according to his or her current physical condition, it must also follow some sort of logical sequence too. Using the Functional Fitness Pyramid model as a guide to your golf-conditioning program will have you booming your drives and draining your putts - guaranteed.

Tip! In order to reverse the effects of aging and improve your clubhead speed, you need to implement a golf fitness program.

What is the Functional Fitness Pyramid (FFP)?

The FFP is a highly effective model for designing any sport specific or functional training exercise conditioning program not just for improving golf fitness. The FFP is so effective for exercise program design because each conditioning tier builds on the adaptations achieved in the tier below it - allowing for functional progressions that produce incredible results.

Tier 1: Flexibility and stability

Flexibility and stability form the base or foundation of the golf fitness pyramid. This tier involves stretching and exercises to develop your core as the foundation on which you will build your "golfing machine" body. Attempting to strengthen your body for any sport without first developing core strength and flexibility will only lead to frustration for the trainer and the athlete.

Tip! A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

A good tip is to remember is that "You cannot fire a cannon from a canoe." - that is the strength and power of your limb muscles can only be as strong as the core "anchor" to which they are attached.

Flexibility is the ability for a joint to actively and passively move through its full range of motion. A tight muscle is often an overactive muscle resulting from compensation or substitution for muscle weakness somewhere else in the body. These are what is commonly referred to as muscle imbalances.

To improve flexibility, you must restore muscle balance by stretching the tight muscles and strengthening the weak ones. Muscles that are frequently tight are the hip flexors, adductors (front and inside groin muscles), the low back, hamstrings, external hip rotators (deep butt), posterior neck and pec (chest) muscles. Muscles that are frequently weak are the abdominals, glutes (butt), middle back and deep neck flexor muscles.

Tip! Four days of tournament play can take a toll on the body. As a result, we must back off on the amount of golf fitness training.

Stability can be thought of as the ability to control your center of gravity. Static stability is what we commonly associate with our sense of balance while not moving the arms or legs; for example, your ability to stand on one foot with your eyes closed. Dynamic stability is the ability to remain stable while generating force with the arms and legs like in the golf swing.

Golf Fitness Guide. Easy tips and techniques to quickly transform your game and add 20 yards to your drives.

It is crucial that you develop static stability first and then progress to dynamic stability. This makes sense since if you don't have static stability, then how is it possible to have dynamic stability?

So a well-designed golf exercise program will initially concentrate on static core exercises using a stability ball and progress to free weight and cable column exercises while maintaining "neutral spine and pelvis" (neutral spine and pelvis are synonymous and comparable to a person with good posture standing upright).

The Supine Swiss Ball Bridge is an example of a static stability exercise and the cable wood chop is an excellent example of a dynamic stability exercise.

Tier 2: Whole-body strength

The second tier of the FFP builds on the foundation of stability and flexibility to develop whole body strength. Strength is the result of an improved communication of the muscles with the nervous system, that is, the brain is able to activate more nerves and more muscle fibers - increasing force generation.

Tip! Where most amateurs get �off-track� with their golf fitness training is the components and exercises incorporated in such a program. Golf fitness programs are quite different then �general� fitness or �weight training� programs.

Initially, you may start doing general machine-type exercises like shoulder presses, lateral pull downs, leg presses, chest presses and rows to build strength, but it is important that you progress toward exercises that closely mimic the golf stance and swing too.

Sport-specific exercises require the brain to form a motor plan. A motor plan is the sequence of nerve firing that activates muscles to work in a certain pattern to cause a particular movement. Exercising this way provides what is known as transfer or "carry over" to your sport. Isolated muscle strength is good, but to really smash your competition, you need strength in the motor pattern that most closely mimics the golf swing. Exercises such as the cable wood chop and reverse cable wood chop are two very effective examples of exercises that mimic the swinging and throwing movements in many types of sport and especially golf.

Tip! When you are implementing a golf fitness exercise(s) into your golf swing improvement program, you must be able to place the body in the correct starting position of the exercise.

It is also essential that the technique you use to perform sport-specific exercises is perfect. Should you perform the exercises with bad technique, the brain remembers and reinforces the faulty motor pattern, thinking that it is actually normal and correct. Your brain is like a computer and a motor pattern like a program. If the program is full of "bugs" then the computer will not work effectively. The adage JUNK IN = JUNK OUT is very applicable to all three phases of functional fitness and conditioning.

Tier 3: Whole-body power

The third tier of the FFP takes the newly acquired strength developed in tier 2 and converts it into power. Power is essentially a measure of how quickly you can generate muscle force. So high power is the ability to generate high force or torque at fast speeds - allowing you to generate higher club head speeds and "bomb" your drives.

Most golfers are confused when trying to improve their power and assume that if they swing a heavier club they will increase rotary coil power. Unfortunately this is unlikely to happen since muscle contraction speed is directly dependent on force. A muscle will contract much faster lifting little to no load compared to lifting a heavy load. Using a heavier club may slightly increase torque, but it sacrifices club head speed - reducing power output.

Tip! This type of improvement is a result of using exercise to develop the physical parameters of the body relative to the golf swing. A golf fitness program will include flexibility exercises, balance drills, muscular strength exercise, endurance training modalities, and power drills.

A tried and tested method to train muscles to generate high power regardless of sport is to use plyometrics. Plyometrics manipulates the nerve physiology of muscle to greatly increase the force and speed at which the muscle contracts by pre-stretching the muscle first.

Exercises using rubber medicine balls are ideal for developing explosive coil and swing power for example, the medicine ball swing slam, the wood chop and reverse wood chop. The elastic recoil force of the rebounding ball stretches the muscles of the trunk and back and eccentrically "preloads" them for the next side throw.

The golden rule of power training is that it must be explosive, and the movements are quick and precise. It is essential then when doing plyometrics that the movements are not slow as this defeats the plyometric effect.

Tip! If your starting point is a little lower, then a golf fitness dvd that is more challenging will only promote you to fail. I've seen this time and time again.

In closing, this article has provided some basic pointers for the golfer or athlete looking to improve their game with exercise. Following the Functional Fitness Pyramid model to a "tee" will have you well on your way to a lower handicap and possibly even "taking on Tiger".

David Petersen is a Personal Trainer/Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist (CSCS) and golf fitness specialist and the owner and founder of B.O.S.S. Fitness Inc. based in Oldsmar, Florida. More articles and exercise video clips can be found at http://www.bossfitness.com

NOTE: You're free to republish this article on your website, in your newsletter, in your e-book or in other publications provided the article is reproduced in its entirety, including this note, author information and all LIVE website links as above.

2006-11-13T05:13:00.000-08:00

How To Set Up a Golf Fitness Program to Improve Your Golf Game

By Sean Cochran

Tip! A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

Professional golfers on the PGA Tour understand the connection between golf swing mechanics and the body. The most notable players in the world have regimented golf fitness programs they adhere religiously too. The benefits of such programs have been well documented in the media. Press clippings from Tiger Woods, Vijay Singh, and Phil Mickelson all refer to golf fitness exercises being a component of their regular practice schedule.

The amateur can learn a lot from the pros. They can learn the importance the body has in relation to the golf swing, how golf swing mechanics and the body are intertwined, and improvement in the golf game requires the implementation of a golf fitness program.

Where most amateurs get "off-track" with their golf fitness training is the components and exercises incorporated in such a program. Golf fitness programs are quite different then "general" fitness or "weight training" programs. A golf fitness program is designed to develop the golfer's body around the golf swing. In order for this to occur certain parameters and exercises are required in such a program.

Tip! Essentially, the amateur can pretty much stick to pre-season volume of golf fitness training unless they are playing quite a bit. Just make sure the right balance of golf fitness training is in place in relation to your golf practice and playing.

First and foremost the amateur golfer must understand the connection between the golf swing and body. The golf swing is a complex series of biomechanical movements execute by the golfer. In order for the golfer to execute the biomechanics of the golf swing correctly. It is necessary for the golfer to have certain physical parameters well developed.

These physical parameters are flexibility, balance, muscular strength, muscular endurance, and muscular power. High levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required to execute the golf swing correctly. Often times the amateur golfer is not flexible enough, strong enough, or powerful enough to execute the golf swing correctly.

This results in the golfer developing compensation patterns in their golf swing. The result being poor shots and high scores on the golf course. Bottom line is a physical foundation of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power is required to develop an efficient golf swing. If the amateur golfer is lacking in anyone of these categories the foundation upon which the golf swing is being built will be insufficient.

Once the amateur golfer understands the connection between the golf swing and the body it is necessary to implement a golf fitness program, A golf fitness program is different than "traditional" training programs in such this type of program develops the body around the golf swing.

A golf fitness program trains the body to the positions, movements, and requirements of the golf swing. A golf fitness program is not concern about "beach muscles" or how one looks in the mirror. Rather a golf fitness program has the primary goal of improving the scores on the golf course and play of the golfer.

This type of improvement is a result of using exercise to develop the physical parameters of the body relative to the golf swing. A golf fitness program will include flexibility exercises, balance drills, muscular strength exercise, endurance training modalities, and power drills. Exercises from all of these categories are included in a comprehensive golf fitness program.

Understand the exercises and drills within each of these categories are not necessarily traditional type of exercises. For example, flexibility exercises for golf are less concerned about touching your toes, and more concerned about completing a full shoulder turn. Flexibility exercises for golf are geared towards developing the flexibility within your body to execute the components of the golf swing correctly.

Tip! I don't want to bash golf teaching professionals because they are critical for golfers who need to understand golf swing mechanics. Most, if not all the golf fitness instructors don't know the golf swing well enough to even take a guess at it.

The same can be said about every other category of exercise and drill incorporated in a golf fitness program. The balance drills in a golf fitness program are designed to improve the golfer's balance capacities relative to the golf swing. Power exercises in a golf fitness program are designed to improve clubhead speed. Where as power drills in other programs may be geared towards improving how fast you run.

Once the amateur golfer understands the connection between the golf swing and body, the elements of the body needing development relative to the golf swing, and the components of a golf fitness program. The final component of understanding is golf fitness training order.

Often times the amateur golfer desires more power (i.e. clubhead speed) in their golf swing. As a result they perform only exercises to enhance the power components within their body. What the amateur golfer fails to realize is developing golf strength, endurance, or power is useless if they do not have the flexibility or balance capacities to execute the golf swing. Developing the body for the golf swing requires the amateur golfer to follow a specific order relative to their training programs.

Tip! This part of the plan centers on the implementation of golf fitness exercises to go along with your swing drills. We must understand the concept of your body and the golf swing.

It is necessary for the amateur golfer to first develop their flexibility for the golf swing. Secondly proceed to increasing their balance capacities in relation to the golf swing. Continue the process with developing strength and endurance for the golf swing. Completing the process with power drills to enhance clubhead speed. This guarantees the effort placed within a golf fitness program will enhance the golfer's swing. It becomes a simple process once the golfer is educated on the relationship between the golf swing and the body. The benefits a golf fitness program has upon the golfer's swing, and how to implement golf fitness exercises correctly.

Tip! Implement a comprehensive a golf fitness program into your schedule will undoubtedly increase your clubhead speed, driving distance, and overall performance on and off the course.

About the Author

2006-11-11T05:11:00.000-08:00

Golf Fitness Trainer: Do You Need One

By Mike Pedersen

Golf fitness trainer is a term that has become very popular among tour players and golfers looking to improve their golf swing power and efficiency. But what is a golf fitness trainer and do you really need one?

Golf Fitness Credentials

I'm not a huge advocate pertaining to certificates on the wall. I believe in the "old school" approach is experience "on the street" in combination with adequate educational support.

At the least, a golf fitness trainer should have a college degree in either exercise physiology or sports training. Beyond that there are more and more golf fitness certifications popping up since it has become a lucrative career.

What I think is equally as important is the golf fitness trainers knowledge of the golf swing and muscles involved from a biomechanical standpoint. All you need to do is ask one of these trainers about golf swing mechanics, and you'll know in less than 60 seconds if they even have a clue.

Golf Training Background

How many years has this golf fitness trainer worked in this specialty? I'm not talking about "general" fitness training; I'm talking about golf specific training. How many golf clients did he or she have or is currently working with? What kind of success did the golf clients achieve? Place a phone call or two and you'll find out real quick.

Golf Swing Improvement

If you are looking to improve your golf swing power, mechanics and consistency�a credible golf fitness trainer can help you achieve these goals much quicker.

Tip! In order to increase the power outputs in your golf swing it is necessary to implement golf fitness exercises into your training program.

Why?

Because a golf fitness trainer will assess your physical limitations and golf swing faults and prescribe a golf strength and flexibility routine to eliminate these limitations and correct your golf swing faults.

Your body dictates your golf outcome! When you address the above concerns with the guidance of a golf fitness trainer, your golf swing will transform. Your body will finally do what you mind has wanted it to do all along!

Golf Exercise Commitment

One very important aspect a golf fitness trainer can bring to the table is adherence to your golf training program. Your consistency with your program will ultimately determine your outcome. Your golf performance will dramatically improve if you are consistent�and will not if you quit early or don't give your body a chance to improve.

Tip! When you are implementing a golf fitness exercise(s) into your golf swing improvement program, you must be able to place the body in the correct starting position of the exercise.

Your golf fitness trainer will be your motivator! Constantly reminding you of the reason to continue. A better golf game! Keeping the "end-goal" in mind makes the journey much easier.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is one of the top golf performance experts in the country. He is Golf Magazines golf performance expert; author, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf performance membership sites. You can see more golf fitness tips at his Golf Trainer site.

2006-11-10T05:07:00.000-08:00

Golf Fitness Instructor Is A New Approach To Your Golf Improvement

By Mike Pedersen

Golf fitness instructor may be a term you've never heard before, but it's one that is becoming popular thanks to all the touring pros using them and even the golf channel having an entire segment on golf fitness.

No More Golf Lessons Or Tips

How many times have you taken a golf lesson only to play worse? How about during your lesson your teaching pro tells you, you need to get a certain position and you physically can't do it. More lessons won't help. You need to eliminate the limitation to be able to do what your pro wants.

Tip! A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

I don't want to bash golf teaching professionals because they are critical for golfers who need to understand golf swing mechanics. Most, if not all the golf fitness instructors don't know the golf swing well enough to even take a guess at it.

Improve Golf Swing

Your body determines how well you'll swing the golf club!

I have said this hundreds of times and will continue to say it. Hitting more balls will not improve your golf swing mechanics if you have physical limitations that don't allow your body to perform the movements required during the golf swing.

When you finally come to that realization and partake in a golf fitness routine, you'll see a golf game you have possibly never seen before. This is not hype�it's a fact. Get your body moving better, and your golf swing takes care of itself.

Tip! When you're researching golf fitness videos, there are several things to keep in mind. There should be easy to follow demonstrations of every golf exercise.

A golf fitness instructor at the very least should have a basic understanding of the golf swing. So many golf fitness professionals spend all their time getting certifications, but when it comes time to actually work with a golfer, they don't have a clue where to begin.

Golf Training Knowledge And Experience

Finding out the experience in the field is critical in choosing a golf fitness instructor to work with. How many years have they worked in this specialty? I'm not talking about "general" fitness training; I'm talking about golf specific training. How many golf clients did he or she have or is currently working with? What kind of success did the golf clients achieve? Place a phone call or two and you'll find out real quick.

Tip! Rotator cuff exercises within a golf fitness program fall into category number one. These types of golf fitness exercises develop additional strength and endurance within the rotator cuff muscles.

Golf Swing Improvement

If you are looking to improve your golf swing power, mechanics and consistency�a credible golf fitness trainer can help you achieve these goals much quicker.

Why?

Golf Fitness Sucess

One very important aspect a golf fitness instructor can bring to the table is adherence to your golf training program. Your consistency with your program will ultimately determine your outcome. Your golf performance will dramatically improve if you are consistent�and will not if you quit early or don't give your body a chance to improve.

Your golf fitness instructor will be your rock! He/she will be with you every step of the way. Your conistency will determine your outcome. This outcome is a power golf swing that is repeatable for 18 holes!

Tip! The amateur can learn a lot from the pros. They can learn the importance the body has in relation to the golf swing, how golf swing mechanics and the body are intertwined, and improvement in the golf game requires the implementation of a golf fitness program.

Picture this outcome in times of struggle. Envision walking off the course victorious. You'll never be handing over the money after the round ever again!

All of this can be accomplished with a golf fitness instructor.

About The Author: Mike Pedersen is an Internationally recognized golf fitness instructor and author. He is Golf Magazines golf performance expert, and founder of several cutting-edge online golf performance membership sites. Take a look at his best selling Golf Fitness Training System at his golf fitness exercise site - PerformBetterGolf.com.

2006-11-08T05:16:00.000-08:00

Golf Fitness Exercises Can Help You Drive the Golf Ball Farther and Straighter

By Sean Cochran

This is probably a burning desire of most every golfer on the planet. The desire to drive the golf ball farther and straighter, allowing us to lower our golf scores on the golf course. One of the keys to driving golf the straighter and longer is a golf fitness program. This type of a training program incorporates exercises to improve your golf swing.

An amateur recently sent me an e-mail describing how he is driving the golf longer and straighter than ever before. He plainly states the reason for the improvement is directly connected to a golf fitness program he implemented 10 weeks ago.

Here is what he had to say;

"Sean, Thought I'd drop you a note to let you know I am still enjoying the BioForce workout exercises and I'm getting closer to the goals I set 10 weeks ago.

I still track my workouts and I am encouraged by the progress I see, not only on the chart, but also with my swing. As a reward for my efforts and progress, I bought a new Ping Tour wedge. Why a wedge?

Tip! This is accomplished with golf fitness exercises training the body in the positions, movements, and physical requirements of the golf swing. This allows for the proper levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power to be developed within the body.

Because I can already see I am hitting my drives consistently much straighter -

This, of course, is giving me more distance and great enjoyment.

And, I am much more consistent with my pitches and chips.

So, a good wedge that will give consistent distance and allow me to try different types of shots to expand my skills seemed like the right reward.
The only thing I am unsure of is "am I pushing myself enough? Could you please have a look at my workouts and advise the best schedule for me to meet my goals.

I know I haven't pushed myself on some the exercises like Side Holds as I should have; the result being no progress with this.

For my initial goals I have 5 weeks to go, if I miss these then Mid-May is the next deadline I have set."

Colin

Colin, let me first congratulate you on your progress, determination, and results you are seeing. It is because of your hard work and dedication to the golf fitness programs your golf game is improving.

I always like to say; "I have the easy part, all I have to do is teach you, and the hard part is following through with what I teach you." I tip my hat to you.

Before I answer your question about "pushing yourself", I would like to make a note of your goal setting. Goal setting is extremely important. I know Phil and almost every athlete I work with sets goals. On one hand, it allows you to measure yourself and see how you are progressing.

I think all amateur golfers do this to some extent. Aren't we all trying to lower our handicaps, make more birdies, and overall improve our golf game? The answer is yes, and on some level, we set goals to measure our progress. Additionally goals have another benefit.

It provides a "mark" to achieve, keeps you focused, and provides a sense of accomplishment when met. We as golfers often set goals of lowering our handicap to single digits, drive the golf ball 280 yards, or not make any three putts. These are all "marks" we are trying to hit, and these "marks" are essentially goals.

Once the goals are set, a plan can be put in place to reach those goals. For example, if the desire is to lower your handicap to single digits, part of the plan may be practicing at the range three times per week. On the other hand, if the goal is add an additional 20 yards to your drives, part of the plan may be the implementation of a golf fitness program to increase your flexibility, strength, endurance, and power.

I will also say at times goals are not met, and that is okay. If a goal is not met, it provides us a point to reflect, make adjustments in our current program, and set new goals.

Additionally, Colin you bring up a very good point on how much should you be "pushing yourself" on the exercises. We all probably are aware that in order to improve in any task, golf swing included, we must put forth an effort. How much is very important, and this is of the up most importance in relation to golf fitness exercises.

Let me first say there is a very fine line between the correct amount of exertion and too much exertion. Too much exertion can lead to poor exercise technique and a possible injury. Too little exertion will limit the benefits received from your golf fitness program.

A term I use as a guideline for the correct amount of exertion on each exercise is: "Perform each exercise to your own level of tolerance".
Essentially this states every exercise you perform should be done with the;

1) Correct technique
And

2) Performed for the number of repetitions in which you can maintain proper exercise technique.

This requires you to "push yourself", but in addition maintain an awareness of your exercise technique. For example with the golf fitness exercise Side Holds, once you set yourself up in the correct position, you should "hold" the position for the amount of time you can until your technique falters.
This guideline can be followed for almost every golf fitness exercise. Another golf fitness exercise, the Jack Knife should be performed for as many repetitions with the correct technique. If you find your technique starting to falter this is the point at which you stop.

To summarize, we know a golf fitness program can assist a golfer in driving the golf ball longer and straighter. In the bigger picture longer and straighter drives is a goal. In order to achieve a goal in the sport of golf, a plan must be put in place. The plan can include golf fitness exercises as part of the steps for us to meet that goal. Additionally, when we talk about any golf fitness exercise the correct amount of effort must be exerted, but not exceeded. Following the guideline of "perform every golf fitness exercise to your own level of tolerance" will help you maintain this fine line of effort.

Golf Fitness Guide. Easy tips and techniques to quickly transform your game and add 20 yards to your drives.

2006-11-07T05:10:00.000-08:00

How to Optimally Prepare for the Golf Season with Golf Fitness Exercises

By Sean Cochran

The PGA Golf Tour is in full swing and for many parts of the country and world the golf season is upon us. Many of you are anxious to dust off the golf clubs and get out to the golf course for your first round of golf. A question that may be on your mind is how do I get ready? How do I knock off 6 months of rust on my golf swing, feel comfortable with my driver on the first tee, and post a good golf score at the end of the round?

All questions that are asked often in the world of professional golf and this article will provide you with the answers. Answers to these questions and many more fall under the category of how do I prepare myself for the golf season?

Interesting enough if the guidelines from this article are followed the golf score you post for your first round of the year may be lower than you ever expected, the distance of your drives may well be farther than you imagined, and the number of accurate golf shots you hit may be even more surprising!

The answer to all the questions on how to get ready for the upcoming golf season centers on preparation. Preparation is the key to a successful first round of golf and every round you play in the upcoming golf season.

We all probably understand the definition of preparation but lets take a quick look in order for us to all be on the same page. Preparation can be defined as the work or planning involved in making something or somebody ready or putting something together in advance (Encarta Dictionary, MSN.com).

A definition that sheds light on getting ready for the upcoming golf season. Using the above definition we can see the process of preparing for the upcoming golf season does not begin 10 minutes before your first tee time, but rather in advance of when you get ready to hit driver off the first tee. Bottom line the process of getting ready for the upcoming golf season begins weeks or even months before your' first round of golf of the year.

To have a successful first round of golf and a good season of golf you must begin the process of preparation well in advance of your first time on the golf course. If you look at professional golfers they begin the process of preparing for the upcoming golf season months in advanced. I would suggest doing the same. Develop a plan that will get your golf swing ready once the snow thaws, the birds are chirping, and the greens are ready for putting.

What does such a plan contain? This type of "golf preparation plan" would contain drills, exercises, and programs to improve and prepare every aspect of your golf game. If we break down the game of golf into categories the "golf program" becomes much easier to understand. Obviously, we have the different shots made on the course. A brief breakdown would indicate the need to implement swing drills to work on the full swing, short game, and putting. We could obviously get a little more detailed than a breakdown of the golf game into three different categories, but lets' keep it simple.

Tip! I have purchase all the golf fitness videos on the market doing research since I'm in that business. I have been hugely disappointed at all the 'hollywood fluff' and talking on these videos.

Now that we have this breakdown of the game of golf into full swing, short game, and putting the next step is to implement a series of drills to work on each of these aspects. Simply put I would suggest devising a series of drills to work on each part of the golf game/swing. This can easily be accomplished by purchasing a few books or videos from one of the top-teaching professionals in the world of golf.

Each one of these qualified golf instructors have numerous materials available to help you with your golf swing. And if you are one of those individuals that lives in a cold climate and is unable to get to a driving range or practice facility, no need to worry. Most all of the instructional videos/books available have drills that can be performed in the comfort of your own home.

At this point we have a couple of bases covered in the "preparation plan" for the upcoming golf season. We understand preparation is key to a successful year on the golf course, the "preparation plan" begins well in advance of the first tee time of the year, and a portion of the plan consists of swing drills. This brings us to final part of your "preparation plan" for the upcoming golf season.

Tip! It is well known on the LPGA tour the number of players utilizing golf fitness programs to improve their golf game. Annika Sorrenstam has publicly stated the benefits she has received in her golf game from golf fitness training.

This part of the plan centers on the implementation of golf fitness exercises to go along with your swing drills. We must understand the concept of your body and the golf swing. The golf swing is executed in its' entirety by your body. In order for your body to execute the golf swing correctly. It requires you to have certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power within it. If you are lacking in any one of these physical areas compensations will occur in your golf swing.

It comes down to this: In order to be prepared for the upcoming golf season and to improve your golf swing. The implementation of golf fitness exercises geared towards developing your body around the golf swing is necessary. This type of program will prepare the body for the golf swing and the upcoming golf season.

To summarize, the process of preparing yourself for the upcoming golf season begins with a "preparation plan". This plan begins weeks to months in advance of your first time out on the golf course. Additionally, this "preparation plan" for the upcoming golf season contains a series of golf training drills to prepare your golf swing. The golf training drills break down the golf game into three sections; full swing, short game, and putting. A series of swing drills are implemented to work on each one of these parts of your golf game. In addition golf fitness exercises are implemented into the golf-training program to develop your body around your golf swing. Put all these pieces together and your first time out on the golf course this year should be an enjoyable one.

Sean Cochran

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

2006-11-06T05:11:00.000-08:00

Golf Fitness

By Bob Blick

Tip! Once the amateur golfer understands the connection between the golf swing and body, the elements of the body needing development relative to the golf swing, and the components of a golf fitness program. The final component of understanding is golf fitness training order.

Golf fitness not only pertains to exercise away from the golf course. Proper stretching before a workout and before golfing is very important!

Here's some stretches you can do before your golf game

Toe Touch

1. Start by holding a golf club in front of you.

2. Keeping your back flat and legs semi straight bend forward and reach your club towards the ground.

3. Hold this position for 1-2 seconds and then return to the starting position.

4. Repeat for 8 - 10 repetitions.

Hamstring Stretch

1. Start by placing your golf club on the ground and hold onto the end of the club.

2. Place one leg forward keeping your knee straight.

3. Lean forward keeping your back flat until you feel a stretch in the back of your front leg.

4. Hold this stretch for about 30 seconds and then repeat with the other leg.

Lateral Side Bend

1. Start by holding a golf club above your head with your arms extended.

2. Slowly bend laterally to one side until a comfortable stretch is felt.
Return to the starting position and repeat to the other side.

Tip! A golf fitness instructor at the very least should have a basic understanding of the golf swing. So many golf fitness professionals spend all their time getting certifications, but when it comes time to actually work with a golfer, they don't have a clue where to begin.

3. Bend side to side for 8 - 10 repetitions.

Shoulder Warm-up

1. Hold a golf club with one hand and place it behind you with your hand over your shoulder.

2. Reach back with the bottom hand and grab onto the club head.

3. Using your upper hand pull the club up towards the ceiling until a stretch is felt in the opposite shoulder.

Golf Fitness Experts. Golf exercises, mental strategies, and swing instruction from 7 leading golf experts.

4. Hold for about 30 seconds and then repeat with the other side.

Trunk Rotation

1. Hold a golf club out in front of your chest and arms extended.

2. Rotate your trunk and shoulders to the left side until a stretch is felt in your torso. Return to the starting position and repeat to the other side.

Dust Golf Training Innovative golf training advice and golf tips to help you lower your golf score.

2006-11-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

Golf Fitness Training Improves Your Golf Swing with Core Training

By Sean Cochran

Tip! The pre-season program of increased golf practice and a little less golf fitness continues with the professional golfer until their first tournament. This marks the point when we shift to an in-season golf fitness program.

The words core training, golf fitness, and improving your golf swing have become common words in golf. It is well known the number of professional golfers utilizing a golf fitness program to improve their golf swing. Addition to this well-known situation a common word has become connected to the phrase golf fitness. This phrase has become a buzzword in the world of golf. Unfortunately many do not understand the phrase and the relevance it can have on the golf swing. The phrase is core training. Core training can be a great benefit to your golf swing as a part of comprehensive golf fitness program.

Tip! Implement a comprehensive a golf fitness program into your schedule will undoubtedly increase your clubhead speed, driving distance, and overall performance on and off the course.

Unfortunately many amateur golfers are unsure of the exact definition of core training and the relevance it may or may not have on a golf fitness program. The core is a reference to an anatomical area of body. The core is the anatomical area of your body from above the knees to below the chest. It includes all the muscles, nerves, and bones within in this anatomical region of the body. It must also be noted that the core includes all the neuromuscular structures on the front, side, and back of your body. For example, your lower back muscles are a part of the core as are your abdominals.

Core training is an integral part of a comprehensive golf fitness program because this is the anatomical area of the body where the majority of the golf swing occurs. For example, the golf swing requires you to rotate around a fixed spine angle. The majority of muscles allowing rotation to occur around a fixed spine angle are found within the core region. The golf swing requires a full shoulder turn to execute correctly. The muscles allowing the shoulders to rotate are mostly found within the core region of the body. These are just a few examples providing a reference between the biomechanics of the golf swing and the core region of the body.

Understanding the connection between the biomechanics of the golf swing and the core should begin to shine some light on why core training can be beneficial to the golf swing. Overall, the golf swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. If the body lacks the required levels within these physical components the golf swing will be difficult to execute correctly. Knowing that a large portion of the movements in the golf swing occur within the core region, it becomes obvious developing these physical components become necessary in order to improve your golf swing.

The key component of core training in relation to the golf swing centers upon the principle of cross-specificity training. Cross-specificity training implies the exercises within the core program train the body to the positions, movements, and requirements of the sport. A core training program beneficial to the golf swing must train the body specifically for the anatomical positions, movements, and actions encountered on the golf course.

The goal of cross-specific core program is to develop a transfer of training effect. The majority of fitness programs and many core programs do not address the needs of the golfer relative to improving flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power. A cross-specific core program will provide the foundation for a better golf swing. Just because a program is labeled a "core program" does not necessarily mean it will be beneficial to improving the golf swing.

Once the golfer understands the concepts of cross-specific training, transfer of training effect, core, and the biomechanics of the golf swing. You can begin to piece together the components of a golf fitness program. Outside of providing the foundation for the golf swing through providing the golfer with the needed levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to efficiently execute the golf swing. A golf fitness program can also improve a golfer's swing.

Tip! In this type of situation there are �baby steps� you can take in terms of implementing such exercises into your golf fitness program.

One common area of desired improvement for most any golfer is increased distance. Increased distance in the golf swing is equated to increased clubhead speed. And increased clubhead speed is directly related to the golfer's power outputs. Increasing power within the golf swing is connected to both swing mechanics and the body. The coiling and uncoiling within the golf swing directly affects the power outputs generated. In addition the body has a direct affect upon power development in the golf swing. Power in relation to the body can be defined as the ability of the body to create the greatest amount of force in a short amount of time.

Tip! A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

If the golfer increases the ability of the body to generate more force, what will be the result within the golf swing? The golfer is more powerful, an increase in clubhead speed will occur, and the golf ball will probably travel farther. Interestingly enough improving power outputs by the body in relation to the golf swing, centers upon developing greater power outputs by the core region. Again, the golf swing is a rotational movement centering in the core region of the body. Increasing the force outputs of the muscles in the core can invariably improve the power in your golf swing. This again is only one example of where core training and golf fitness can improve the golf swing. Many additional areas of improvement can occur when the golfer develops the body correctly for the golf swing.

Understand the biomechanics of the golf swing require certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. The golfer requires minimal levels of these physical components at the very least to execute the golf swing correctly. The core is an anatomical region of the body where much of the movements within the golf swing occur. A core training program can be beneficial to improving the golf swing if the exercises within the program are cross-specific to the movements, positions, and physical requirements of the golf swing. If the core program is not cross specific to the golf swing, the benefits may less than optimal. Realize a comprehensive golf fitness program includes core training to develop the body around the golf swing. Such a program can improve the golf swing in areas like clubhead speed. And remember just because a program is labeled "core" does not necessarily mean it will improve your golf swing. The exercises within the core program must correlate with the movements of the golf swing.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters, 2005 PGA, and 2006 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

2006-11-02T05:58:00.000-08:00

How To Warm-up for Your Golf Game in 5 Minutes with Golf Fitness Stretches

By Sean Cochran

It is well known that in every professional sport athletes perform a series of flexibility exercises and drills to prepare them to play a game. The game of golf is no different. Unseen to the general public, many PGA Tour players perform a series of golf flexibility exercises to prepare them to play golf. It is done prior to hitting the driving range or putting green. It is a process of getting the muscles and joints of body ready to swing a golf club. Most every golfer on the planet understands the benefit of a warm-up program to get the body ready to play golf or any sport for that matter. Unfortunately for us the time required to perform a comprehensive golf warm-up program with golf flexibility exercises is not reasonable. Not reasonable because of time restrictions on our busy lives.

For example, we set our tee time for Friday at 1:30. Our plan when we leave the house in the morning is "I will get to course at 1:00, hit a few putts, chip for 10 minutes, head to the range, and be at the first tee with a few minutes to spare". Unfortunately, our plans sometimes do not play out as we intended.

We get stuck with a client on the phone, a conference call runs long, we get stuck in traffic. Whatever the case may be we are caught rushing to the golf course, getting to the course with 10 minutes to spare, jump out of the car, tying our golf shoes, get to the first tee with 5 minutes to spare, haven't hit a shot or putted�.Do I need to go on?
Probably not.

It is a situation that happens to us all, and I as am guilty of it as you. However as strong as I suggest performing a good warm-up, and putting yourself in the correct frame of mind for the round, life at times just does not allow us to do it.

What are we to do in such situations?

I first off would suggest not utilizing the John Daly "grip and rip it" motto if you get to the first tee without warming-up. I have seen this (myself included) lead to a myriad of problems from the get go.
I can remember a few years ago I took this approach and I think made a triple bogey on the first hole. My drive went left into the rough, second shot to the right, approach shot over the green into the bunker, bunker shot rolled 20 feet past the hole. Need I go on?

Let's just say I learned my lesson. First and foremost if you are caught in this type of situation lets not panic. Let's put a plan together to start the round out on the right foot and keep you in a positive frame of mind.
My first suggestion is not to rush and attempt to hit 3 putts, pull out driver take a few hacks, and then tee it up.

Lets take the 5 minutes we have and get the body warmed-up and ready to swing a golf club. How can we do this? Simply by putting together a series of golf stretches to "loosen" you up. Golf flexibility exercises will loosen the muscles and joints of your body. Preparing them to swing a golf club. They are simple to perform and can get your body and mind more ready to play than just a few practice swings with the driver. This will take a couple of minutes to perform, but it will help you get the body ready to swing the golf club.

Once we have got the body "loosened up" lets get the mind in the correct space. I have seen all too often the tempo of a swing is way out of whack when a golfer lacks the time to properly warm-up. Attempt to relax, take a few deep breaths, and get the body to slow down a little. This should definitely help create some better tempo in your swing from the start.
Also, take your time. Once it is your turn to hit, take a little extra time. Take a few extra practice swings, relax, find your tempo, and match your first swing to the tempo of your practice swing. This is a tip I learned from Dean Reinmuth (top 50 Golf Digest teaching pros).

If you are not comfortable over the ball, step away, take a series of practice swings until you find the "right" swing and then perform that same swing over the golf ball. It has done wonders for my game.
I would also suggest continuing to take extra time on every shot until you feel comfortable and have found your swing. This might not occur until the second or third hole, but it is okay. It allows you to relax, make a good swing, and make a good shot.

Finally, when you are rushed I think course management can really help. Think about it for a moment. Why not on the first tee pull out 3-wood instead of driver, even if it is a par five. Hit a nice shot into the fairway, lay-up, and play for par? Again, starting off with par or even bogey is a lot better than a double or triple, both for your scorecard and mental frame of mind.

So if you are rushing to the first tee to get your golf game going let's review the protocol. First and foremost lets be smart and utilize the time we have at hand. Lets take the 5 minutes we have to warm-up the body for the golf swing. We will do this through the implementation of a series of golf flexibility exercises. These golf exercises will get your muscles and joints ready to swing a golf club. Once the body is ready the next step is taking your time. Take a few extra practice swings with the golf club. This will allow you to find the tempo of your golf swing. Finally lets be smart with our course management skills. Think about what is the best golf shot to make and play within ourselves until our body and mind is ready to go.

2006-10-31T07:26:00.000-08:00

Develop the Correct Golf Swing for Women with Golf Fitness Training

By Sean Cochran

The woman golfer has a myriad of questions on how to develop the correct golf swing as does most any amateur. The questions from woman golfers center on a myriad of topics such as; how to hit the golf ball farther, how to develop a more repeatable golf swing, how do I hit half shots with my wedges, what are good putting drills? The list can go on and on in relation to the woman golfer and how to improve their golf swing. An area that is now presenting more and more questions from the woman golfer centers upon golf fitness. Questions such as; what are good golf flexibility exercises, and how can golf fitness exercises help me drive the golf farther? These and many more questions are arising in relation to golf fitness and the woman golfer.

It is well known on the LPGA tour the number of players utilizing golf fitness programs to improve their golf game. Annika Sorrenstam has publicly stated the benefits she has received in her golf game from golf fitness training. One area that always appears to be a concern for the woman golfer is distance. How to hit the golf ball farther and Sorrenstam does hit the ball a long way, and utilizes golf fitness training. A simple connection can be drawn between increased driving distance, women golfers, and golf fitness exercises. The bottom line is this; golf fitness exercises can benefit the distance of drives for the woman golfer.

Tip! Don't be overwhelmed! But making the right choice will dictate the ultimate success of your program. So make sure to thoroughly read over all the information pertaining to that golf fitness video before you buy it.

The questions that need to be answered are how and why. First off an understanding of increased distance, the golf swing, and the woman golfer needs to be addressed. Driving distance is contingent upon clubhead speed. The faster the clubhead is traveling at impact with the golf ball. The golf ball will travel farther, an easily understood concept.

Clubhead speed in the golf swing is contingent upon two components. Component number one is golf swing mechanics. The biomechanics of the golf swing in and of themselves create clubhead speed. It centers upon physics and the coiling/uncoiling of the body during the golf swing. In relation to improving clubhead speed and golf swing mechanics. The more efficient the woman golfer performs the mechanics of the golf swing. A greater amount of energy can be developed and transferred into the golf ball as a result. First and foremost for the woman golfer; the development of efficient golf swing mechanics can improve driving distance.

Tip! Four days of tournament play can take a toll on the body. As a result, we must back off on the amount of golf fitness training.

The second component of increasing clubhead speed is the body. Remember, the body is the implement swinging the golf club. It is the woman's body executing the biomechanics of the golf swing. In addition it is also the body generating power for the golf swing. Power is the ability of the body to generate the greatest amount of force in a short amount of time. Increase the ability of the body to generate more power within the biomechanics of the golf swing. An increase in clubhead speed can occur. How does the woman golfer increase power outputs of their body? This is where the implementation of golf fitness exercises can be a benefit. Golf fitness exercises can increase the power outputs of the body. Power golf fitness exercises increase the ability of your muscles to develop more force within the golf swing.

Golf Fitness Experts. Golf exercises, mental strategies, and swing instruction from 7 leading golf experts.

How do golf fitness exercise achieve this outcome? Golf fitness exercises develop the body around the golf swing: Very different than ordinary fitness training or aerobic classes. Golf fitness exercises develop the required flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power within the body for the golf swing. This allows the body to execute the biomechanics of the golf swing correctly. In addition, golf fitness exercises can improve the swing in areas such as clubhead speed.

This is accomplished with golf fitness exercises training the body in the positions, movements, and physical requirements of the golf swing. This allows for the proper levels of flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power to be developed within the body. Improving the capacities of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power can improve the ability of the body to perform the golf swing and increase distance.

Tip! In order to increase the power outputs in your golf swing it is necessary to implement golf fitness exercises into your training program.

To summarize, the questions surrounding women and developing the correct golf swing are many. How to improve the golf swing through golf fitness exercises is one of these questions, and one specific area within this topic is distance. Increasing distance is contingent upon increasing clubhead speed. Improving clubhead speed centers upon golf swing mechanics and the body. Improving the efficiency of the golf swing mechanics will allow a greater transfer of energy into the golf club, thus improving clubhead speed. The second component of distance lies within the body and its ability to generate power. Increasing the power outputs of the body will enhance clubhead speed. Power outputs of the body can be improved through golf fitness exercises. These exercises differ than normal gym based exercises in that they develop the body around the swing. This allows for the proper levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to be developed within the golf swing.

Sean Cochran

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters, 2005 PGA, and 2006 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

2006-10-24T05:08:00.000-07:00

Golf Fitness Programs

By Eddie Tobey

Fitness is the state of the body that determines the overall health of all the organs. Physical fitness determines the ability of the body to remain strong and endure physical stress to a certain extent. It is basically a condition wherein, all the major parts of the body- the heart, lungs, kidneys, liver, bones, and muscles are in proper working condition. Fitness programs are the path to having a healthy body. They are the perfect way to incorporate exercise into the daily routine. Fitness programs, when followed religiously, are a remarkable way to counter several diseases, even in old age. Fitness programs need a lot of commitment and hard work.

Golf is generally considered to be a laid-back game with no real requirement for physical fitness. However, golfers also need to be physically fit in order to have the right strength, power, flexibility, balance, core stability, body awareness, and endurance to finish a round successfully. This enables them to drive the ball further, have greater control over the backswing, increase the endurance level, enhance core strength, improve movements like spinal rotation, and avoid cramps and hamstring pulls. This is achieved by a series of exercises comprised of stretching, holding, and relaxing.

Golfers have special fitness programs that focus on the parts of the body that have to be more agile. These programs contain particular exercises that include workouts, stretching and nutrition plans for getting the required conditioning required for playing golf. These programs train the body to infuse swings with more power using less effort. The player's muscles can be trained to react consistently since they have the flexibility and balance for perfect shoulder-turns. These programs also focus on weight-loss and fat loss.

There are many professional golf training institutes today. They have professional programs and trainers for customized golf fitness training. An ideal golf fitness program should cover all relevant aspects like: strength, flexibility, aerobic and anaerobic endurance agility, and speed. These institutes provide customized workout routines, nutrition plans, personal trainers, and expert guidance to make the results last.

Fitness Programs provides detailed information on Fitness Programs, Fitness Training Programs, Golf Fitness Programs, Kid Fitness Programs and more. Fitness Programs is affiliated with Gym Equipment.

2006-10-23T05:07:00.000-07:00

Squaring the Golf Club Face, the Rotator Cuff, and Golf Fitness Exercises

By Sean Cochran

We all know the clubface must be square at impact and the club releases thereafter. Generally speaking a large amount of swing mechanics are centered upon returning the clubface to square at impact. In order to square the clubface at impact a combination of separate but connect components work together.

The first of these components is your golf swing mechanics. The biomechanics of the golf swing are an intricate series of movements, in a sequential order, and executed with a specific timing. The golf swing mechanics if performed correctly allow for the clubface to return square at impact. In conjunction with golf swing mechanics the body executes these biomechanics.

In relation to the body, specific muscles are very active in returning the clubface to square. The golf swing is a "total body" activity involving the entire neuromuscular system in the execution of the golf swing. Looking at a specific part of the body and squaring of the clubface, we can see a significant connection to certain muscles. During certain phases of the golf swing we see a rotation of the clubface in the backswing, returning of the clubface to square at impact, and release of the club in the follow through. These three actions within golf swing require rotation of the arms.

The action occurring within the arms is elevation, internal, and external rotation. This allows the club to rotate, return to square, and release during the follow through. That being said, there are specific muscles involved in the rotation of the arms. Again, these are not the only muscles involved in squaring the clubface, but from an anatomical perspective, these muscles are active in the internal and external rotation of the arms. Going back to squaring the clubface, internal and external rotation of the arms is required. The muscles we are talking about are the rotator cuff muscles. Yes, the rotator cuff.

Not necessarily a group of muscles that go "hand-in-hand" with the golf swing and probably more thought of when we talk about baseball and pitching. Nevertheless, these muscles are an active in the golf swing. The rotator cuff is a reference to four muscles in the shoulder complex. For those of you who love the science behind this stuff, the four muscles that comprise the rotator cuff are; supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.

The rotator cuff has a couple primary functions when it comes to the shoulder complex. First off, they act to stabilize the shoulder capsule. The skeletal structure comprising the shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The "socket" part of this joint is very shallow, and the rotator cuff muscles help to stabilize and essentially keep the arm from coming out of the joint. The rotator cuff provides tension during movement to keep the shoulder joint stabile. The rotator cuff creates what is called a musculotendinous joint for the shoulder, stabilizing the shoulder.

Secondly, these four muscles are actively involved in elevating, internally, and externally rotating the arms. All of which are movements involved in the golf swing. Utilize a picture of the golf swing and the actions involved in the phases of the golf swing to create the connection. During the backswing, downswing, and follow through these muscles assist in the biomechanics of the golf swing. The rotation of the arms in the backswing, squaring of the clubface at impact, and release of the club during the follow through are some basic components of the golf swing where the rotator cuff is involved in the golf swing.

Tip! When you finally come to that realization and partake in a golf fitness routine, you'll see a golf game you have possibly never seen before. This is not hype�it's a fact.

The shoulder joint and rotator cuff muscles are subject to overuse and early degeneration. The repeatable action of the golf swing, and involvement of the rotator cuff in the golf swing add to this situation. These two factors; the repeatable nature of the golf swing, and subject of the rotator cuff to over use injuries point to the need of injury preventative rotator cuff exercises. Injury preventative rotator cuff exercises should be a part of a comprehensive golf fitness program. The goals of a golf fitness program are two fold; number one to prevent injury to the body from the stresses placed upon it by the golf swing. Number two is performance improvement.

Rotator cuff exercises within a golf fitness program fall into category number one. These types of golf fitness exercises develop additional strength and endurance within the rotator cuff muscles. The purpose of the added strength and endurance is to prevent overuse injuries from occurring. The added strength and endurance allow for the golfer to execute the biomechanics of the golf swing over and over again without fatigue or comprise the joint structure of the shoulder.

During my years on tour, I have never seen someone injure a cuff muscle from swinging a golf club. I have seen rotator cuff injuries impede a golf swing, and if you have ever injured your rotator cuff, you know how debilitating an injury it can be. The point being this: The rotator cuff muscles are actively involved in the golf swing. The biomechanics of the golf swing are a repeatable athletic action, stressing the muscles of the rotator cuff every swing. In order to combat a rotator cuff injury from occurring, the implementation of rotator cuff exercises in a comprehensive golf fitness program can be beneficial. These types of golf fitness exercises are injury preventative.

Assisting to develop high levels of strength and endurance in the muscles of the rotator cuff. Preventing breakdown from over use. Injury to rotator cuff can be very debilitating to your golf swing or any activity for that case. And I suggest regardless if you are avid golfer or a weekend warrior. Implementing a series of rotator cuff exercises to them healthy is a good idea.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters, 2005 PGA, and 2006 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com

2006-10-22T05:12:00.000-07:00

Core Strength and Balance in Golf Fitness Training

By Tracy Byrd

Tip! What you are really paying for is the golf fitness workout itself. There should be a component of the golf fitness video that takes you through the entire golf fitness session, from start to finish.

Core strength is all the buzz in not just golf fitness these days. In fact, there is even a relatively new trend in the world of plastic surgery called abdominal etching. In the course of one procedure (liposculpture - a combination of liposuction and traditional instrument sculpting), a person can attain non-functional six pack abs that resemble the real ones that might take years to achieve in the gym. The emphasis on the superficial aspects of a strong core leads a person to wonder - will core strength be the next fitness fad or are there serious benefits? Increasingly, physicians and therapists seem to be touting the benefits and wondering why the medical community has not focused on it sooner.

From the age of about 3 years old, right after we finish learning to sit, pull up and walk, humans need to make a conscious effort to develop a strong core. A client once reported that a physical therapist had measured his core strength to be about that of a 4 year old. It was not a compliment, needless to say. Core muscles are more complicated to understand than say the quadriceps or biceps. There are layers of muscles within our midsections that overlap and run in different directions. Learning to isolate the core muscles is the first step to conditioning them. For starters, performing a pelvic tilt can help you to identify the muscle that people often refer to as "nature's weight training belt", the rectus transverse abdominus, which plays a key role in protecting your lower back.

Physicians are urging patients that a strong core is key to long term fitness and are recommending core strength training in addition to aerobics for cardiovascular health and weight training for muscle and bone strength. Research indicates that people with strong muscles in their abdomens, buttocks, low back and pelvises are less likely to incur injuries. That is good news for the Baby Boomers who desire to lead active lifestyles into retirement. And since the effects of aging are well known, the possibility of putting off some of the degeneration and injury that comes naturally with age is compelling to everyone, young and old alike.

Tip! Implement a comprehensive a golf fitness program into your schedule will undoubtedly increase your clubhead speed, driving distance, and overall performance on and off the course.

But perhaps the least understood benefit of core strength is the link between core strength and balance that neurologists are now beginning to emphasize. Core strength and balance have a symbiotic relationship with each other. To reach some of those hard to get core muscles or to train more than one core muscle at a time, an unstable surface training aid such as stability ball, balance pad and balance disc is often utilized. If you don't use your balance when using one of these training aids, you won't be able to perform the core strengthening activity. And the reverse is true too - if you don't use your core while performing balance training, you won't have much success. Try standing on one leg and balancing while leaving your core muscles completely relaxed. It won't matter where you focus your eyes, you will find that the amount of time you can balance will greatly increase when you contract your core muscles. Although many factors can affect balance as a person ages, the brain's ability to transmit and receive the neural signals that lead to good balance is key. And as with many things involving the brain, neurologists are finding the "use it or lose it" mentality applies to balance. By challenging a person's balance on a daily basis, the nerves that fire those messages to the brain stay active and alive.

Fitness to Play Golf specializes in golf fitness training and equipment to improve your golf game and keep you playing longer. Tracy Byrd, BS, CPT is the Wellness and Activities Director at The BriarRose in White Plains, Georgia.

2006-10-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

Squaring the Golf Club at Impact, the Rotator Cuff, and Golf Fitness

By Sean Cochran

Tip! Four days of tournament play can take a toll on the body. As a result, we must back off on the amount of golf fitness training.

We all know the clubface must be square at impact and the club releases thereafter. Generally speaking a large amount of golf swing mechanics center upon returning the clubface to square at impact. Additionally, the golf swing is a "total body" movement incorporating every joint in the body. In order for the clubface to be square at impact all of these joints must work in coordination to allow this to occur.

In relation to the body, specific muscles are very active in returning the clubface to square. One joint directly involved in the squaring of the clubface at impact with the golf ball is the shoulder joint. The shoulder joint is a "ball and socket" joint allowing for the arms to move through a large range of motion. Review of the biomechanics of the golf swing, it becomes very evident the arms move through a large range of motion.

Tip! I have purchase all the golf fitness videos on the market doing research since I'm in that business. I have been hugely disappointed at all the 'hollywood fluff' and talking on these videos.

That being said, there are specific muscles involved in the rotation of the arms. Again, these are not the only muscles involved in squaring the clubface, but from an anatomical perspective, these muscles are active in the internal and external rotation of the arms during the golf swing.

Going back to squaring the clubface, internal and external rotation of the arms is required. To get a sense of internal and external rotation, simply stand up with your arms hanging at your sides. Rotate your hands inward and outward. This is a simple description of internal and external rotation of the arms. Now if you relate this movement to the golf swing you can see how the arms internally and externally rotate during the backswing, downswing, and follow through.

Certain muscles within the shoulder complex have a direct effect on internal rotation, external rotation, and stabilization of the shoulder complex in the golf swing. The muscles we are talking about are the rotator cuff muscles. Yes, the rotator cuff.

Not necessarily a group of muscles that go "hand-in-hand" with the golf swing and probably more thought of when we talk about baseball and pitching. Nevertheless, these muscles are an active in the golf swing. The rotator cuff is a reference to four muscles in the shoulder complex. For those of you that love the science behind this stuff, the four muscles that comprise the rotator cuff are; supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis.

The rotator cuff has a couple primary functions when it comes to the shoulder complex. First off, they act to stabilize the shoulder capsule. The skeletal structure comprising the shoulder is a ball and socket joint. The "socket" part of this joint is very shallow. As a result the muscles of the rotator cuff in addition to muscles in the "back-side" of the shoulder assist in stabilizing the shoulder during movement. An over simplification would state these muscles assist in keeping the arm in the socket. If the rotator cuff muscles did not assist in stabilizing the shoulder, the arm would literally come out of the socket every time you swing a golf club.

Tip! When you are implementing a golf fitness exercise(s) into your golf swing improvement program, you must be able to place the body in the correct starting position of the exercise.

Secondly, these four muscles are actively involved in elevating, internally, and externally rotating the arms. All of which are movements involved in the golf swing. Beginning in the take-away and completing with the follow through, the muscles of the rotator cuff are active in every phase of the golf swing. That being said, we know the muscles of the rotator cuff are under stress each every golf swing.

It is important to understand the muscles of the rotator cuff are very small. They are not big muscles such as your quadriceps or deltoids. They are very small muscles asked to perform a myriad of activities. As a result of the size and workloads placed upon these muscles. They can become fatigued quite easily. Once muscles become fatigued they begin to falter in performing their required activities. In addition once muscles are fatigued, they can easily become injured.

During my years on tour, I have never seen someone injure a cuff muscle from swinging a golf club. I have seen rotator cuff injuries impede a golf swing, and if you have ever injured a rotator cuff muscle you know how debilitating an injury it can be. The point being this: The rotator cuff muscles are actively involved in the golf swing. Injury to a rotator cuff muscle can be very debilitating to your golf swing or any activity for that case.
Knowing what we know about the mechanics of the golf swing, the rotator cuff, functions of the rotator cuff, and how they affect the golf swing. This information invariably indicates to us it is necessary to keep the rotator cuff healthy and strong. How can one achieve this goal? Simply by adding a golf fitness program incorporating rotator cuff exercises.

Rotator cuff exercises will focus on these four muscles. These types of exercises will develop higher levels of strength and endurance within these muscles. This will assist in these muscles handling the workloads placed upon them during the golf swing or any athletic activity. So I strongly suggest if you are an avid golfer or a weekend warrior. Add some golf fitness and rotator cuff exercises to your training program. This will help keep you in the game and off the sidelines.

2006-10-18T05:08:00.000-07:00

The Best Golf Fitness Exercises for the Junior Golfer

By Sean Cochran

I receive many questions about the junior golfer and golf fitness programs. The questions are on a number of different topics, but they generally fall into three or four different categories. Typically the questions are; at what should a junior golfer begin utilizing golf fitness exercises, how often should a junior golfer implement golf fitness exercises, and finally what are the best golf fitness exercises for the junior golfer? Typically this last question is the most commonly asked question. This article is intended to provide some answers to the question; what are the best golf fitness exercises for the junior golfer?

First and foremost golf fitness exercises can be of great benefit to the junior golfer provided a few principles are adhered to in the development of such a golf fitness program. We are obviously aware certain exercises are beneficial to the golfer and others are not. Keep in mind regardless if you are a junior, professional, or senior the exercises within your golf fitness program should center upon developing the body around the golf swing.

Tip! If your starting point is a little lower, then a golf fitness dvd that is more challenging will only promote you to fail. I've seen this time and time again.

This single principle indicates certain exercises are of greater benefit to the golfer than others. Generally speaking, the exercises should focus on developing your body to the positions, movements, and physical requirements of the golf swing. This equates to exercises developing the required flexibility, balance, endurance, strength, and power required of the golf swing. For example, we are fully aware the golf swing requires you to make a full shoulder turn. A portion of the ability to make a full shoulder turn is contingent upon the golfer's flexibility (regardless of if you are a junior golfer or not). If you are lacking flexibility the ability to make a full shoulder turn, the golf swing will be compromised, and compensations may set into your golf swing. That being said, a portion of your golf fitness exercises, specifically your golf flexibility exercises will focus on developing a full and effortless shoulder turn.

The junior golfer is really no different than golfers of a different age when it comes to the basic principles of a golf fitness program. The goal of the golf fitness program is the same, and the physical components of the body to be developed are the same. The goal of the golf fitness program is to develop your body around the golf swing in order to create a more powerful, consistent, and accurate golf swing.

The difference for the junior golfer comes down to what are the best exercises within each of these categories. Typically the junior golfer is not as physically developed as an adult thus changing the exercise prescriptions that are best for them. Meaning, the categories to develop within the body for the golf swing are the same as the adult golfer, but modifications in certain exercises are required to counteract the physical development of the junior golfer.

Typically flexibility exercises for the junior golfer can be the exact same as for any other age golfer. Generally speaking, flexibility training is often much easier for the junior golfer to perform because muscles and connective tissues tend to be more flexible when we are young.

Progressing to balance exercises. Often the junior golfer is not as kinesthetically developed as an adult. Their bodies, control of the limbs, and knowing where the body is in space tends to be less developed at younger ages. For this reason we must modify some of the balance exercises to a lower level of difficulty. For example, a junior golfer may have difficulty performing an advanced airplane rotation found in my golf fitness book. As a result a modification may be required in the exercise. The adjustment could consist of keeping the junior golfer using the basic airplane rotation and adding more repetitions to increase the difficulty.

Tip! When you're researching golf fitness videos, there are several things to keep in mind. There should be easy to follow demonstrations of every golf exercise.

Another adjustment is usually required for the endurance, strength, and power exercises for the junior golfer. Golf fitness exercises found within these categories of training are geared towards increasing muscular strength, endurance, and power. In order to improve these components of the muscles in anyone (junior golfer included) we must overload the body with a higher workload than it is accustomed too. For example, if you were a bodybuilder and wanted get bigger biceps. You may choose to perform bicep dumbbells curls with a 50 lb. dumbbell. In the beginning this exercise may be very difficult to perform. The reason is the 50 lb. dumbbell is overloading your bicep. Over time the bicep gets stronger and the 50 lb. dumbbell gets easier to lift. This is an example of how to overload the muscles of your body to get stronger.

Many of these exercises to develop increased strength, endurance, and power can require the use of external resistance: In the form of dumbbells, elastic tubing, medicine balls, etc. The mistake with junior golfers is externally loading these exercises too much. For example, using to heavy of dumbbells for a certain exercises. The result is a compromise in form and loss of benefit from the exercise. For this reason, I have found it best for the junior golfer to use their body weight as resistance first. Then slowly progress to adding external resistance in the form of tubing, medicine balls, etc�

This format allows the junior golfer to progress in the development of their bodies for the golf swing properly. It allows them to focus on exercise technique and execution rather than the amount of weight lifted.

To recap, modifications for the junior golfer in terms of their program is required. It is a simple process if they are not overloaded with resistance or difficulty of exercise. The goal for the junior golfer is the same as any other golfer; develop the body around the golf swing. The physical components to be developed by a golf fitness program are again the same; flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power. The difference for the junior golfer lies within the implementation of the exercises within these categories in the golf fitness program.

Tip! In order to reverse the effects of aging and improve your clubhead speed, you need to implement a golf fitness program.

2006-10-17T05:09:00.000-07:00

Golf Fitness Exercises to Help Your Short Game

By Sean Cochran

Tip! Golfers are realizing that a golf fitness video is a great shortcut to a better game, quickly. The great thing is�you don't have to be young or fit to do it.

The connection between golf fitness exercises and the short game often times goes unnoticed. It is usually thought golf fitness exercises help us generate more clubhead speed, add more distance to our drives, hit longer iron shots, and play more consistently from the fairway. In this mix of benefits the short game is often lost when discussing golf fitness. Believe it or not golf fitness exercises can benefit your short game in a big way.

The idea of golf fitness exercises and their benefit to short game play came into focus during a conversation with PGA Teaching professional Christopher Smith. Christopher is a great instructor; he works with Nike Golf, is rated as a top instructor in the Pacific Northwest, and was recently featured in Golf Digest Magazine. Not to long ago Christopher and I filmed a couple of golf instruction videos together. One of the videos was on the short game.

Tip! A golf fitness program can slow �the hands of time,� improve your flexibility, increase the strength within the body, and improve your power outputs. You essentially become an ageless golfer.

The video we filmed was not your �typical� short game video. Where we instructed you to place your feet here, clubface in this position, hands forward of the ball, etc, etc. It was a much better approach in the video and discussed concepts of the short game. Christopher presented ways to think about short game shots, and processes to improve your short game.

One area he touched upon was how finite of an athletic action chipping and pitching are in the big picture. For example, the muscular strength in the hands, forearms, and wrists are integral parts of the short game. In addition so are the motor skills of the nerves and muscles coordinating the movements involved in such golf shots.

Christopher's question to me in the video was in relation to these exact topics. He flat out asked me:

�Sean, are there golf fitness exercises that can help in the short game? I find as an instructor, physical limitations are showing up in some of my student's short game. This is limiting their ability to perform chips, pitches, and most shots from 100 yards in. What are your thoughts?�

I told Christopher there are absolutely golf fitness exercises that can benefit any golfer's short game. I first discussed the hands, wrists, and forearms. To perform chip shots and pitches the hands, wrists, and forearms come into play. In order to execute such shots consistently and correctly a level of strength is needed within these muscles. If the muscles within these parts of the body are weak and lack endurance, the ability to set the hands where they need to be, and hold the clubface in the correct position can be compromised.

I said the easiest way to correct this problem on a physical level is to implement a series of golf fitness exercises for the hands, wrists, and forearms. These exercises will increase the muscular strength and endurance in these body parts. The end result will be an improvement in their short game on a physical level.

The second problem area indicated by Christopher with his student's short game centered upon the finite motor skills of these shots. These types of shots require a very high level of motor control. Motor control is centered upon the interaction of the brain, nerves, and muscles. It is essentially your brain telling your body what to do, how to do it, and in what order. This is a result of your brain coordinating movements of your muscles through the nervous system. The execution of your brain �telling your body what to do� can be either efficient or inefficient.

If your brain, nervous system, and muscles are operating efficiently, the execution of finite motor control movements such as short game shots are easy. On the other hand, if your brain telling your nerves, and consequently your muscles what to do is inefficient. The execution of finite motor control movements, again such as short game shots will be more difficult.

I told Christopher motor control is the second area in which golf fitness exercises can be of benefit to the short game. The types of golf fitness exercise beneficial to the short game are balance exercises. Balance exercises are a type of golf fitness exercises.

These types of golf fitness exercises incorporate your brain, nerves, and muscles. They have many benefits when it comes to the golf swing. Outside the benefit of creating higher levels of muscular strength and endurance, these exercises assist in motor control.

Let me explain, we understand motor control is the interaction of your brain, nerves, and muscles. The interaction can either be efficient or inefficient. Efficient motor control is good, especially for finite muscular activities such as short game shots. Golf fitness balance exercises �challenge� your nervous and muscular system interaction. Over time as these two systems are �challenged� through exercise they become more efficient. Essentially they operate together more efficiently. Resulting in higher levels of motor control and the ability to execute finite motor skills (i.e. short game golf shots).

So lets summarize this discussion between Christopher Smith and myself. Golf fitness exercises are often overlooked as a benefit to short game shots. The reality is different than many individuals think. Golf fitness exercises can assist the golfer's short game on a physical level. It does this in two ways; golf fitness exercises increase the strength in the muscles involved in short game shots. Secondly, the short game is a finite motor control activity. Golf fitness balance exercises can improve a golfer's motor control abilities, allowing them to execute finite activities such as short game shots with greater ease. Bottom line, golf fitness exercises can benefit every aspect of the golf swing and the amateur's golf game.

Sean Cochran

2006-10-16T05:10:00.000-07:00

Why Ride When You Can Walk - Improve Your Golf And Fitness

By Richard C Myers

Tip! I have purchase all the golf fitness videos on the market doing research since I'm in that business. I have been hugely disappointed at all the 'hollywood fluff' and talking on these videos.

Walking or riding a golf cart? Which option is most likely to help you play a better game of golf? Well, it seems that walking is the real key to a better golf game, and in more ways than one.

Golf carts are destructive little critters whose ability to damage the course is well known amongst greenkeepers and golf course maintenance personnel the world over. Golf carts chew up the rough and, even though they are banned from the traps and greens, wayward drivers often wreak havoc there as well.

While you might think that the rolling resistance of four tires would be far less damaging to today's hearty grasses than the effects golf shoes and dragging heavy golf bags, you'd be wrong.

That's why so many courses restrict carts to marked paths only, and some courses have banned golf carts all together.

But the health of the golf course isn't the only reason that walking is better for your game than riding is. Walking is much better for your health as well. While golfers who drive carts will only burn around 200 calories per 18 holes, walkers can burn as many as 500.

Plus, the cardiovascular benefits of golf including:

Tip! Using a golf fitness video is a great alternative to going to a gym. Just think of the time you're saving not worrying about what you where or how you look; or driving 20 to 30 minutes to your local gym; and then showering, changing and getting back home.

* Strengthening the heart muscle itself
* Lowering blood pressure
* Lowering bad cholesterol levels while raising good ones

are greatly enhanced for those who walk and leave the golf carts for someone else.

Golf requires the coordinated efforts of over twenty muscle groups to play the game, and each of those muscle groups will perform a lot better if they get the opportunity to walk along the golf course with you.

Walking also increases your lung capacity which, in turn, delivers more oxygen to help your body produce more energy.

So far we've seen that walking the golf course can make your golf game better by promoting good health for both you and your favorite greens. Now it's time to take a look at the "Zen" side of the walking versus riding debate.

Tip! Implement a comprehensive a golf fitness program into your schedule will undoubtedly increase your clubhead speed, driving distance, and overall performance on and off the course.

Walking provides the additional "woo woo" benefit of allowing you to "become one with course". Forget the new age implications, there's really something to this. Zipping around the course at golf cart speeds is like driving through a new area and staying on the Interstate. Sure, you can say that you've "been there", but did you really learn anything about the local sites and attractions?

The same holds true for walking on the golf course. When every step you take puts you in actual contact with the course, you end up getting a much better feel for the peculiarities of the course including slopes, rolls, bumps, and other interesting items that commanding a golf cart would never let you see.

So the next time your partner asks if you want to walk or ride, whip out a copy of this article and show him or her why walking actually improves your golf game. Not only that, but it will save you money too!

Tip! Golfers are realizing that a golf fitness video is a great shortcut to a better game, quickly. The great thing is�you don't have to be young or fit to do it.

Richard Myers is a keen golfer and his web site http://www.thinkandreachpar.com and http://www.golfforleftys.com contains many free tips and great golfing advice plus training videos and DVDs to help you to improve your swing and lower your score using some very simple exercises.

Golf Fitness Information

2006-10-15T19:11:00.000-07:00

Are you looking for a way to stay fit and want to combine it with an outdoor sport activity? Have you always wanted to start playing golf but never really had a good reason to start? If you want to stay fit and meet people with similar interests, and you love the outdoors, then taking up the sport of golfing is really an excellent way to combine all of theses interests. Golf is one of the worlds most popular sport that that is played by young people and seniors and can take years to master. This website will give you information and tips on the health benefits of golfing and all the health reasons to start playing golf today.