Golf fitness

Golf fitness is a relatively new concept in the world of professional golfing, but one which is gaining wide currency now. While there is now a mainstream following of this type of training, this wasn’t always the case. Golfers were never considered athletes nor was the sport considered to share the physical demands of other sports like football, baseball or hockey.

Not only was it not popular to exercise for golf, but in many cases, it was frowned upon. Australian golfer Greg Norman credits himself with introducing the concept of golf fitness to the golfing world. cite web |title = Greg Norman Strengthens|author = Greg Norman|date = 2004-01-08
publisher = Men's Health|url=http://www.menshealth.com/cda/article.do?site=MensHealth&channel=fitness&category=fitness.tips&conitem=832a99edbbbd201099edbbbd2010cfe793cd____| accessdate = 2008-06-16]

Injury tendencies

History has taught us that golfers who do not properly prepare their bodies for repetitive practice or play tend to break down in injury, especially to the back, shoulders and wrists. Common complaints include sore or tender joints, early fatigue and lack of strength, especially as it relates to drive distance.

History of golf fitness

There were some early pioneers of the combination of fitness and golf. Gary Player, an avid fitness enthusiast, is one of the games most avid supporters of fitness on tour. [Hill, Susan: "Fit For Golf", page 34. Resort Living] Golf Fitness Magazine was golf's lone magazine dedicated solely to golf fitness. It was created in January 2007 and continues to grow as more and more golfers take notice of the importance of being fit.

New era of golf fitness

Gary Player may have been one of golf's earliest and most vocal supporters, but there were others. Greg Norman was also a huge proponent of the benefits of fitness for his game and his life overall. However, no one has had a greater impact than the most famous golfer in the world, Tiger Woods. His athletic physique is among the most envied by enthusiasts of many different sports. This athletic prowess in addition to his natural talent and ability and mental focus has elevated the game of golf to a whole new level. cite web |title = Change of Approach|author = Susan Hill |date = 2006-01-08
publisher = Ginn Club & Resorts|url=http://www.fitnessforgolf.com/pdf/LeeJanzen_LiveWell.pdf
accessdate = 2008-06-13|format=PDF]

Golfers now view their game as one that involves their entire body, their fitness and nutrition." [Bryant, Milo: "Fitness finds a way to golf course", The Gazette]

Aspects of golf fitness

The golfer must focus on golf-specific muscular strength, stability and balance, postural control and the development of power.

A golfer requires the following training:

*Aerobic activity to warm up the body and maintain cardiovascular conditioning
*Flexibility training
*Strength training – upper body, lower body and trunk
*Balance training
*Stabilization training (including muscle memory and power training).

The training regime varies depending on certain factors, such as time of week, time of season, practice time available, volume versus intensity, and so on.

References

External links

* [http://www.fitnessforgolf.com/ Fitness for Golf]
* [http://www.golffitness-magazine.com/public/home.html/ Golf Fitness Magazine]
* [http://golffitnessproducts.net// Golf Fitness Products]
* [http://www.sport-fitness-advisor.com/golffitness.html/ Sports Fitness Advisor]
* [http://www.golfingvalley.com/fitness/ Golf Fitness Tips]