How do golf and fitness go together?  Why do I need golf fitness training?  What difference would a golf fitness program make to my golf game?

I can tell you all about that from what I have seen with my friend and golfing buddy, Dooley Duffer.

Dooley had been away from the game for some years.  His career and family took priority over his time and golf, although he loved it, it just would not fit into his schedule. As he advanced in his career he became less physically active. He even moved to a management position so time in the office was nothing like the work he had been doing.

His body began to show his change in lifestyle. Don’t tell him I told you this, but his middle seemed to grow faster than his salary. Bet you know how that story goes, huh?

He had only played very occasionally during that time. So I don’t think he realized how much being out of shape affected his golf swing performance.

Then Dooley changed companies and began to play golf regularly again thanks to his new boss who had recently taken up the game. With his kids grown Dooley now had more time to devote to golf and it only took one round back on the course to re-ignite the passion which had burned so brightly in days gone by.

As he began to play more often his physical limitations became a more and more of an issue. He struggled at times to finish a round; scores would escalate due to inconsistent swings, loss of concentration and general fatigue.  He would even huff and puff when walking up hills in spite of always riding a cart. I can remember having to wait for him to catch his breath before he could putt on elevated greens. No chance he could walk when he played.

Then over a few weeks I began to notice improvement in Dooley’s game. Less and less of the struggles I had noticed before and more successful golf shots, better concentration and less fatigue. He even began saying he wanted to play an extra 9 holes!

You see, conditioning is critical to your overall golf performance. And poor physical conditioning will certainly ruin your golf performance. Just ask Dooley about that.

What was Dooley’s secret?  Had he hired a golf fitness trainer? Did he use golf fitness videos? What had he done to improve his fitness for golf and his golf handicap?

Turns out he had not done any of those things exactly.  He said he found this golf fitness eBook called “Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide” by Mike Pedersen. Seems Mike’s eBook is about how to improve your golf fitness at home in less than 30 days. Mike says that the secret to lower scores and longer drives is all about getting your body to move just a little bit better.

Dooley said he that he took the advice seriously and began to feel results quickly. Then he began to notice he felt better on the course. That was very encouraging to him and he was able to keep at it. He had tried exercising before but soon lost interest but this was different.  He could see improvement and he knew why! The Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide had delivered on its promise. Dooley says this is the kind of thing anyone could and should do from home to improve their fitness for golf.

Having watched Dooley now for these past few months make such wonderful progress, I too can recommend “Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide”.  (Yes, I am on it now too.)

If you need help with your golf fitness program, if you run short of breath at times or struggle scoring over the last few holes of a round then please look into how Ultimate Golf Fitness could help you see the same kind of improvement Dooley is experiencing.

Golf fitness training found here.  Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide

Golf fitness exercises can be beneficial for the woman golfer in terms of improving the foundation of the swing, rotation in the backswing, speed development in the downswing, and a consistent finish position. Learn how golf fitness exercises can benefit the woman golfer. Lowering scores and making the game more enjoyable.

It is well known in professional golf how integral golf fitness exercises are for success at the highest levels. Men on the PGA Tour and women on the LPGA Tour understand the benefits of golf fitness exercises in achieving success. Outside the circles of professional players many questions exist about golf fitness exercises. Questions such as; what are the best exercises to improve golf fitness levels, are flexibility exercises and stretches better than other forms of golf fitness exercises, and what are the benefits of golf fitness exercises for the woman golfer?

These and many questions surround the topic of golf fitness. This article is to provide some answers for you on the topic of golf fitness exercises for woman. It has been well documented in magazines and television how LPGA women such as Annika Sorenstam utilize fitness programs to benefit their play on the course. Is there a difference between the LPGA player and the amateur woman in relation to golf fitness training? The answer is no. Yes, the women on the LPGA Tour are the best women golfers in the world, but the physiology of the LPGA player and amateur are the same. The skeletal, muscular, and neural systems are the same. The professional player has the same number of muscles in their bodies as the amateur. The woman’s professional player has the same skeletal structure as the female amateur, and nervous system as well. Granted the LPGA player has more refined and efficient swing mechanics, but the body is the same.

As a result of the body being the same, the principles and structure of a golf fitness program for any woman is similar. Before discussing the specifics of a program for women it is necessary to understand a few important principles. The first principle to understand about a fitness program is sports specific. Sports specific is a term describing the type of training utilized in a golf fitness program. Sport specific training simply states the program utilized by the woman athlete is geared towards improving them in their chosen sport.

A second principle closely related to sports specific training is cross specificity training. Cross specificity training is the utilization of exercises to develop the woman golfer in the positions, movements, and actions incorporated in the golf swing. The goal of cross specificity training is a transfer of training effect to the field of competition. Simply stated, a transfer of training effect is the ability of exercises utilized to train the female golfer having a direct benefit on their performance on the course.

For example, golf flexibility exercises will attempt to improve the flexibility within the player. As the player improves their flexibility parameters in relation to the swing. She may be able to create a bigger shoulder turn, which may increase the distance of her drives. This benefit is an example of a transfer of training effect onto the golf course. In summary, the three principles that assist in the development of a golf fitness program for women are; sports specific, cross specificity training, and transfer of training effect. Many additional principles exist that are used as guidelines in the development of a fitness program, but these are three essential ones.

Outside of the guidelines governing the development of a golf fitness program for woman. Specific physical components within the body are needed within the body to execute the golf swing correctly. Remember, it is the body performing the biomechanics of the swing. In order for the swing to be executed correctly and efficiently certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required. These are the actual physical components within the golfer a fitness program looks to develop and enhance in relation to the golf swing.

The swing requires the body to move through a long range of motion for an efficient movement to occur. Much of this is contingent upon the ability of the core to coil and uncoil during the swing. In order for these two biomechanical actions to occur efficiently, the development of proper flexibility in the core is necessary.

We utilize flexibility exercises that are cross-specific to the movements in the swing to develop flexibility. The majority of these flexibility exercises are rotational and dynamic.

The swing is a dynamic movement, indicating that the body is in constant motion. It is crucial to develop a range of motion in a dynamic rather than a static (not moving) method. The goal of these exercises is to create a range of motion in the core for the golf swing. Flexibility is the first physical component requiring development within the woman golfer.

One needs to maintain, dynamically, a stable body throughout the entire swing. We have all hit balls at the range and know what happens when we do not stay balanced during the swing. Improving the balance and stabilization capabilities of the core translates into a better golf swing. Better Balance equals a Better Swing. Even subtle movements are consistency killers; thus we need to develop and maintain balance for a consistent swing.

Balance is connected to the efficiency of the nervous system and strength of the muscular system working together. The development of greater balance in the core and swing is the result of two types of specific exercise. The first challenges the nervous system creating greater efficiency. The second are exercises that create increased strength in the core. The combination of these two types of exercises permit for the body to maintain posture, promote efficient weight transfer, and create power in the swing. The result is a more consistent, accurate, and powerful swing. This is the second component included with a golf fitness program.

Remember that the golf swing is a repetitive movement. The mechanics of the swing repeat with each stroke. This process can be repeated hundreds of times in a round of golf. Ever go to the range and hit two buckets of balls? At some point the body starts to tire, and shots scatter.

Proper endurance training enables us to repeat a sound swing. We produce this through a series of exercises developing endurance in the entire body. This nets us a consistent swing through eighteen holes. Increasing endurance leads to lower scores. This is the third physical component of the golf fitness program for women.

Club head speed is a function of power. The more power generated by the body, the greater speed at which a club head impacts the ball. More power to the ball equals longer drives. Developing higher levels of power within the muscular system of the body is achieved through the implementation of power exercises. These types of exercise assist in creating higher power outputs of the muscles involved in the golf swing. Power training is the final component found in a golf fitness program for women.

In summary a golf fitness program for the LPGA or amateur woman golfer is relatively the same. Golf exercises for the woman golfer are sports specific. The exercises are cross-specific to the movements, positions, and requirements of the swing. The exercises within a woman’s golf fitness program induce a transfer of training effect onto the course. The swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. A golf fitness program for women will look to enhance these physical components of the body. The end result is an improved swing equating to lower scores and more enjoyment on the course.