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FIT FACTS

Over 70% of all amateur golfers play with an injury sometime throughout the year.

Golf involves muscular strength, power, endurance and flexibility.

Getting into shape will help prevent injury, increase flexibility and stamina and build strength for a better base and swing.

Getting Fit to Play (and Watch) Golf 
(by Sue Fracker, FINDaLESSON.com)

Not too long ago, I remember falling asleep to the sounds of golf on television. An open window, curtains whispering in the breeze, the sofa enveloping me as that British guy softly described approach shots and putts, sand saves and fades, club selection and lies. Golf seemed a thoughtful stroll. Even the applause was respectfully hushed, the crowd following along at a leisurely pace, admiring the control and grace of the professional competitors. It was quiet. Too quiet.

Enter the fist pump. I haven’t slept since.

But hey, I’m an average golfer. Pass the cigar.

True, your game may not require a rigorous workout, but consider for a moment how many times you’ve played golf, taken lessons, read tips, watched videos, followed a Tour player and no matter how hard you try, you pretty much shoot the same thing anyway? Not only that, your aching back, rickety knees, chronic neck pain and sore wrists are the hot topics in the clubhouse after just about every round. Perhaps you’re known, too, for scooting onto the tee box in the nick of time every week for league play, never giving a second thought to swinging full throttle from that first shot onward.

Mike Pedersen, a Certified Personal Trainer and President and Founder of GolfTrainer, suggests that many golfers could see improvement, and pain prevention, in their games just by making a minimal commitment to fitness. “The time commitment does not have to be that big,” notes Pedersen. “Just 15 minutes a day, 3-4 times a week will warrant improvement.” Inspiring golfers to focus on fitness can be almost as challenging as the game itself, but according to Pedersen, golf is viewed as a very athletic sport today, and golfers are beginning to realize that a fitter, more flexible body has a much greater chance at playing optimal golf.

“I hate to give Tiger all the credit, but the shift toward golf conditioning has heated up amongst the PGA players because of him,” says Pedersen. “You cannot turn on a PGA, LPGA or Senior PGA event without someone mentioning golf conditioning.”

Pedersen adds that golf involves muscular power and endurance – qualities that cannot be developed simply by playing more golf. “To become stronger and more flexible, to build stamina, a golfer has to implement a golf-specific conditioning program,” notes Pedersen. “Our physical limitations dictate our golf swing, not how many balls we hit, how many lessons we take or buying new equipment.” Pedersen also believes that being fit can help golfers complete a round without getting tired and giving up strokes on the last few holes, thus improving their chances at a better score.

Michael Brisbane, a PGA professional out of Birmingham, Alabama, agrees that fitness is an important part of the game. “I look at my students’ flexibility and determine closely where they appear tight,” says Brisbane. “For most golfers it’s the hips, hamstrings and shoulders.” Brisbane refers his interested students to an area health company that features a golf-specific conditioning program. Patrick Chartrand, the Head PGA Professional at Rolling Hills Country Club in California, says that most of his students don’t approach the subject, but when it comes up, he makes the appropriate recommendations.

“I think stretching is the most important of all,” says Chartrand. “For my serious players, I suggest arm and hand strengthening exercises along with proper weight control and lots of stretching exercises. I suggest aerobics to the less coordinated pupils I have.”

Robert Whetsell (Salem Golf Club, New York), focuses on flexibility for men and strength for women. “I stress fitness regularly in my instruction,” notes Whetsell, even though he admits fitness is probably harder than practice when it comes to getting a student’s commitment to improve. “On a personal level, I remember the only winter which I did nothing physically it took me most of the season to round into golf shape. The winter during which I worked the hardest, I couldn’t believe how quickly my game started the following spring.”

Pedersen feels that teaching professionals know best what their students need to do to play optimal golf, and he can help them get the message across with the GolfTrainer program. His program focuses on strength, flexibility, cardiovascular and nutrition.

Pedersen recommends improving your strength through a fitness plan - you will have a more stable base and be able to swing more aggressively. You will be able to generate more power at impact, preventing future injuries from long practice sessions or back-to-back golf days. When you improve your flexibility by stretching and other exercises, you increase your chances of making a full back swing without tension, producing greater club head speed and increasing distance. You’ll find yourself compensating less with other parts of your body during the swing.

Cardiovascular improvement means you’ll last longer. No more doubles and triples on 16, 17 and 18 because you’re burned out and can’t concentrate. You will have more energy and greater muscular endurance. Steer clear of those sandwiches at the turn while you’re at it. Nutrition may be a yawner for most golfers, but according to Pedersen, eating right can make a big difference in your performance on the course. “Having a balanced meal of carbohydrates, proteins and a little fat before you leave your home is the first step,” says Pedersen. “Every two hours or so, the body needs more fuel, so eat a nutrition bar or fruit and drink lots of water during the round. Remember, you are what you eat!”

George Connor, a PGA professional in Connecticut, tells his students that getting fit improves every day life, not just golf. Connor adds, “As you get more and more familiar with exactly how a person’s fitness, or lack thereof, will impact their golf, you can explain that to them. If they want to play at a higher level, they’ll do what it takes.”

Antoinette Budelier, a 40-year old 15 handicapper from Wisconsin committed to the GolfTrainer program and believes it took her game to the next level. “I can drive the ball 240 yards and sometimes play from the white tees,” she says. “My swing is much more consistent and I feel more stable. I was a 20.1 index when I started the fitness program and now I have a 12.3 index!” Pederson’s program can meet the varying needs of men, women, seniors and juniors, and he has had the pleasure of working with a range of talent. “Fitness is exploding in golf,” says Pedersen. “And it’s here to stay.”

The days of lounging on the couch drifting in and out of the Masters are over. It’s hard to snooze to the ripping sounds of club head meeting ball as 15,000 Tiger wannabes shout “You da man!” Even the applause seeps through the mute setting; it’s not the same game. Last time I saw Monty I thought he was Greg Norman. I’m keeping a vigil on Stadler. I know he, too, will cave.

You’d think I’d be a little sad about it, like losing an old friend. But I’m really inspired. I have a shiny new exercise bike to prove it. So now I ride while I watch, just to keep up.

Sue Fracker is the Vice President of Marketing for FINDaLESSON.com, a web site that's been shaping up since July 2000. Elaine Crosby, an LPGA Tour Division member, is founder and CEO of FINDaLESSON.com.

Mike Pedersen founded the Golf Trainer program to help educate golfers of all ages and abilities the importance of fitness for golf. President of Golf-trainer.com (GT), he is the author of four GolfTrainer on-line books and has designed all the customized golf-specific strength training, flexibility training, and cardiovascular exercise programs. He has trained and educated people in exercise and nutrition for more than 17 years.