Take Advantage of Golf Fitness Training

Leaders in the data capture on the biomechanics of the golf swing in recent years have been the Titleist Performance Institute headed by Dr. Greg Rose, Advanced Motion Measurements directed by Dr. Phil Cheetham, and the American Sports Medicine Institute founded by Dr. James Andrews.The execution of the golf swing requires the golfer to draw the club through a large range of motion. In order to perform this efficiently and effectively, certain levels of flexibility are required. If the golfer is lacking the flexibility to execute the golf swing correctly, compensations in the biomechanics of the swing will occur.Next, the trainer will assess the balancing ability of the golfer. For instance, if the golfer is unable to stand on one leg for 60 seconds, there will be balance issues in their golf swing.Lastly, the therapist or trainer will gauge the golfer’s overall strength and coordination. The golf swing is a complex athletic move, so if the golfer is deficient in these areas, it will be virtually impossible for them to make a good, balanced golf swing.There is no doubt that even a golfer in peak physical condition can improve his or her game by spending time working out with a golf fitness training program. Such a program typically involves strength training for both the upper and lower body as well as cardio exercises, too. Take time to read some golf training reviews on the various DVDs, books, courses and more available to help improve your fitness level as a golfer.Walking the course also gives you time to reflect on the shot you have just played and what you did wrong if it was bad. What to do next time you have that shot to play. You also have more time to think of your next shot – size it up and be clear in your mind what might be needed before you get to your ball. The great golf players always walk the course when they play.For those of you who want to achieve even better performance, more specialized golf fitness programs are a must. These programs go beyond generic fitness exercises to specially tone and strengthen the muscle groups you need to use for your drives and backswings. A good program will not only train up the power of your hits, but also your control and precision. It will help to minimize your slice, which is a problem almost every golfer struggles with. Ultimately, you get more distance and better accuracy. No more ball in the water hazard or sand trap ever again.Are you flexible? Or more technically, do you have appropriate muscle length in multiple planar movements that make up the golf swing? If you are not working at it, you might be surprised at how little flexibility you actually have. The classic singular planar static stretches (20+ seconds long held in one position) are not the primary flexibility exercises golfers should necessarily use when trying to improve their golf specific flexibility. The golf swing moves in multiple planes all at the same time with the transverse (rotational) plane dominating throughout. Golfers should therefore work to improve transverse plane mobility with exercises. The stiffness of our tissues is increasing with our age, so our flexibility is diminishing with each passing year. We are, however, able to maintain or even reverse our decreasing flexibility with consistent and proper stretching techniques.The first is synchronisation (coordination as we know it but it doesn’t begin with S). You may have the strength but if your muscles are not firing at the right time, their strength will work against you. You’ll require more effort to work against the muscles firing at the wrong time which not only prevents free-flowing action but also increases your chances of injury.