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Fun In Fitness Training

by | Fitness

Fitness

Fun In Your Fitness Training

If you have been following my blog posts on this website, you are probably getting the message that fitness training for golf is important. Well, I will emphasise here again that it is very important, both to your golf and your general wellbeing.

But it is sooooooooo boring!!!! Is a common excuse I hear from people who are starting out with fitness training. Well, I am here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be.

There are so many options when it comes to fitness training and you can check out your local gym, talk to your personal trainer or use some of the ideas below to bring some fun into your fitness training.

Classes: Doing an exercise class is a great way to increase your enjoyment during your fitness training. You are in a group situation around like minded people with a fun and energetic instructor leading the way. The atmosphere keeps you motivated and classes usually include some great music to keep you going. Try lots of different classes and I am sure you will find a few that you like.

Set goals: Goal setting has been discussed on this website and in Mike’s podcast and, if you have a competitive streak like me, are a great way to keep your sessions fun. Striving to beat your personal bests and achieve your goals is a lot of fun and will keep you coming back for more fitness sessions.

Make up some games: Training your cardio vascular system doesn’t need to be hour after hour sitting on an exercise bike or walking on a treadmill. Make up games that you can play with a friend or group of friends and your session will be fun and the time will fly by. When I was coaching in Taiwan the players I was coaching has their own little games they would use to make the training session fun. You can see a couple of videos showing the session by clicking here and here. As you can see, they are simple games but can make the session fun and competitive and help make the training enjoyable.

Mix it up: Doing the same thing over and over is a sure-fire way to make your training sessions seem endless. Make sure you mix it up a little and try different types of training. This will ensure you use different muscle groups and continually challenge yourself and your body. When I was coaching in China my wife and I introduced the students to boxing training for golf. It is a great way to challenge your fitness levels, build your strength and improve your coordination. You can see, in this video, my pregnant wife leading the students through some combination punching drills.

These are just a few ways that you can make your training more enjoyable and I would love to hear your ideas in the comments below.
Until next time,

Brent Davis

Brent Davis

Brent Davis

PGA Professional

Training & Education Coordinator
PGA Centre For Learning Performance
Melborne, Victoria, Australia

Email: [email protected]

 

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How To Check Your Joint Range of Motion

by | Fitness

Fitness

How To Check Your Joint Range of Motion

It is important in a good golf swing to be able to move with freedom and speed. Having a body that is capable of this type of movement means that more power can be generated and a more consistent and reliable swing can be created. One important part of having a free and powerful golf swing is to make sure that your body has normal range of motion in its joints. Range of motion is how far you can move individual joints in different directions and it is important that your movement is in the normal range for each joint. If your range of motion is not in the normal range you need to stretch the particular joint to increase the movement. This will move you back into the normal range and, as well as making it easier for you to swing, will decrease the likelihood of you being injured.
As I have mentioned in previous blog posts the best way to determine if your joint range of motion is an issue is to go and visit a golf specific physiotherapist or trainer and have them assess your body and design a training program for you. I also understand that sometimes this is not possible for a number of reasons. One reason that I faced as a coach was when I was coaching in China. Golf is a relatively new sport in China and with the language barriers I faced and the lack of golf specific specialists I did my own research and designed my own evaluation and stretching program. Below is a video of one of my Chinese students completing all of the range of motion tests that I was using when coaching there. As you can see there are a number of tests and I will explain some of the tests that I feel are most important below.

Spinal Rotation Test:
As a golfer if you have restricted movement in your spine you will find it difficult to make an effective golf swing. Lack of flexibility in this area may result in incorrect or reduced rotation as well as making it difficult to swing with an effective swing path.
The Test:
Lie on your back with your knees in the air. Slowly lower your legs to one side. If you have normal range of motion in your spine you should be able to lay your legs on the ground while keeping your opposite shoulder on the ground. Repeat on the opposite side.

Stretches to Improve Your Range of Motion:
Trunk rotation stretch
Apley Scratch Test:
This test is to assess if you have adequate range of motion in your shoulders. This test will assess both internal and external rotation of the shoulder joint. Tightness in these joints can have an influence on your backswing and follow through as well as making it difficult to swing on plane.
The Test:
Reach over your shoulder and attempt to touch the top inside corner of your opposite shoulder blade. Then reach behind your back and attempt to touch the lower part of your opposite shoulder blade. The first test measures your external rotation while the second test measures your internal rotation. The further you are from your shoulder blade the less range of motion you have.

Stretches to Improve Your Range of Motion:
Medial shoulder rotator stretch
Lateral shoulder rotator stretch
Arm Raise Test:
This test is used to measure two common issues in golfers, tight latissimus dorsi muscles and a tight thoracic spine. Problems in this area will also make it difficult to complete an effective back swing and follow through and may result in swing plane compensations.
The Test:
Stand with your heels approximately one foot from a wall with your butt, back and head touching the wall. Have a partner check the amount of lower back curve you have and then raise your arms in the air. You should be able to move your arms back towards the wall while keeping the same amount of lower back curve. If you can’t do this, chances are you have tight latissimus dorsi muscles. If you are unable to keep your head against the wall whilst completing this test there is a chance you have thoracic spine tightness.

Stretches to Improve Your Range of Motion:
Latissimus dorsi stretch
Foam roller mobilization
(Note: if you test positive for tightness in the lower spine, please see your doctor to check for spinal arthritis before starting any stretching exercises. Mobilization exercises with spinal arthritis may result in fracture of the spine and serious injury and pain.)
These tests and exercises would be a good start for all golfers as it is important to understand that even if you have normal range of motion in your joints now, it would be wise to develop a stretching program to maintain your flexibility levels. Good flexibility will assist you in making a good golf swing as well as reduce the likelihood of injury from playing golf.

Until next time,
Brent

Links for stretches

Trunk rotation stretch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MuuZalrYoQE

Medial shoulder rotator stretch: internal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MpC3hlOL2i4

External: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMR66UZito0

Lateral shoulder rotator stretch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z95rp-mKfR8

Latissimus dorsi stretch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5yjGtlJ6NSg

Brent Davis

Brent Davis

PGA Professional

Training & Education Coordinator
PGA Centre For Learning Performance
Melborne, Victoria, Australia

Email: [email protected]

 

Fitness Archives

Recovery Strategies

Recovery Strategies

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Body Weaknesses & Swing Faults

by | Fitness

Fitness

Body Weakness & Swing Faults

The topic of my latest blog is something that has caught my interest for a while now. As a coach, I see a lot of swing faults that are caused by the golfer’s body inability to move in a particular manner. I am not saying that this is always the cause of swing faults but it can be. The good thing about these types of swing faults is they can generally be corrected by prescribing an exercise program rather than endless hours on the range hitting balls or doing drills. That’s not to say that the exercises are easy, there is a real possibility that they will be tough for you to do, especially when you first start the program. The benefit of exercise to fix golf swing faults is that exercise is good for you and if it helps your golf it is a double positive!

Let me first outline some of the more common in swing problems I see on the coaching tee and some of the body limitations that may cause these swing problems.

 

Bad Spinal Posture at Address:     This is a very common fault that I see all the time. Poor spinal posture makes it very difficult to rotate your body properly.

Physical Causes:
Poor spinal flexibility
Tight upper body muscles (pecs, lats, neck)

Exercises to Help:

Angel wings stretch
Supine chest stretch on a swiss ball
Lat stretch

 

Loss of Posture (Lifting Up):          In a good golf swing, you want your body to be rotating around a constant spine angle. A common fault I see is when your spine angle changes during the golf swing.

 Physical Causes:

Lack of core strength or lack of core mobility,  Hip mobility problems (lack of or too much movement),  Lower body instability

Exercises to help:

Hip stretch
Planks
Swiss ball crunches

Reverse Pivot:              This is when your upper body moves towards the target on the backswing and away from the target on the downswing. It can be caused by trying to keep your head still/down or if your clubs don’t suit you. It also has some physical causes that are listed below.

 Physical Causes:  Tightness in your hips,  Inability to separate shoulders and hips,  Lack of core strength

Exercises to Help:
Supine shoulder mobility/lumbar stretch
Planks
Hip/Trunk/Lat extension

Swinging Over the Top:       This is a very common swing fault and is when the downswing is initiated with the upper body instead of the lower body.

 

Physical Causes:

Hip immobility
Lack of glute and lower body strength
Poor trunk and shoulder mobility

 

 

Exercises to Help:
Articulating bridge position
Standing glute/hip stretch
Trunk stretch

These are just a few of the more common problems that I see on the coaching tee. It is important to realize that there are a number of different reasons that golfers make bad swings. It is important that you see your local PGA Professional to make sure you are working on the correct fix for your individual swing fault.

If you have any questions about the above information or exercises, please feel free to post your comments and I will get back to you as soon as possible.

Until next time,

Brent Davis

Credits:

http://www.performbettergolf.com/blog/proper-golf-posture-video

http://www.finishfirstsports.com/the-twelve-most-common-swing-faults.html

http://therangeatleonsprings.com/tip-of-the-week-archives

http://www.thegolfswinggenius.com/over-the-top-golf-swing.html

Brent Davis

Brent Davis

PGA Professional

Training & Education Coordinator
PGA Centre For Learning Performance
Melborne, Victoria, Australia

Email: [email protected]

 

Fitness Archives

Recovery Strategies

Recovery Strategies

by |

Recovery Strategies  In my last post I spoke about the often overlooked part of a golf training program, recovery. Four areas were mentioned in the post and I promised that I would give you some strategies that you could use for each area to give you the best possible...

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Recovery

Recovery

by |

Recovery  This post is on a golf fitness topic that is often overlooked by golfers as not being very important to playing better golf. Today I will be talking about recovery and how it relates specifically to golfers who are playing golf several times a week or even...

read more

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Improve Your Swing With Better Posture

by | Fitness

Fitness

Improve Your Swing With Better Posture

In my last blog post I spoke about how you could test yourself to determine the areas of your golf fitness that needed to be improved. In this blog I am going to talk about the major problems that are seen in golfers from a posture point of view. I will then talk about some of the golf swing problems you may see as a result of these weaknesses.

The most common postural problem we see is poor upper body posture. This is generally demonstrated by rounded shoulders at address with a forward head and neck posture. You can see in the picture what this looks like. This type of posture makes it difficult to rotate correctly during your swing so a common swing fault with these golfers is an “armsy” type swing with limited body rotation.

Golfers also have a tendency to be short and tight in the muscles of the right, lower back (for right handers). This can be caused by the correct golf set up in which you have the left hip and shoulder set slightly higher than the right hip and shoulder. This may lead to the right side collapsing during the downswing and overactive hands through impact.

Another common body issue in golfers is weak scapular muscles. This is generally seen in conjunction with the rounded shoulders position I spoke about in the first point and can lead to a number a swing faults. Disconnection between the arms and body is the most common problem I see when a golfer is weak in the scapular area. This, again, leads to “armsy” type swings that I see on the lesson tee every day.

The last of the common postural problems I see is weak glutes and hips. This leads to increased movement through the pelvis region which can lead to reverse pivots, sliding through impact or the inability to engage the core muscles effectively to help generate power in the down swing. It is basically defined as excess movement in the lower body during the golf swing. You can see in the picture some of the swing issues that weak glutes and hips can cause in the golf swing.

If you have had any of these types of swing problems, and you are having difficulty correcting them with your coach, there is a chance that you may have one of the postural issues I have spoken about. I would encourage you to go and see a golf specific physiotherapist/trainer for a detailed screening and have them design an exercise program for you. This, combined with the swing work you are doing with your coach, will give you the best possible chance to improve your swing and your game.

In my next blog I will be discussing some simple exercises you can do to help overcome some of the weaknesses I have discussed here.

Until next time,

Brent Davis

Brent Davis

Brent Davis

PGA Professional

Training & Education Coordinator
PGA Centre For Learning Performance
Melborne, Victoria, Australia

Email: [email protected]

 

Fitness Archives

Improve Your Swing With Better Posture

Improve Your Swing With Better Posture

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Improve Your Swing With Better Posture In my last blog post I spoke about how you could test yourself to determine the areas of your golf fitness that needed to be improved. In this blog I am going to talk about the major problems that are seen in golfers from a...

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Where Do You Start A Golf Fitness Program?

by | Fitness

Fitness

Where Do You Start A Golf Fitness Program?

Mike Fay Golf welcomes Australian PGA Professional Brent Davis to the staff of talented writers.  Brent’s knowledge of golf fitness and how it relates to the golf swing will be a great asset to the site.  Below is his first post.  Welcome, Brent!

I often get asked what exercises a player should do when they are working out in the gym. While it is important for golfers to get into the gym and exercise it is more important to be working out correctly if you want to improve your golf game.

There are different areas of fitness and each of these areas is important for golfers. The three areas of fitness are cardiovascular fitness, strength and flexibility. Cardiovascular fitness is important for being able to complete your round without fatiguing.  Strength and flexibility is important for making a strong and powerful golf swing. Each of these areas should be addressed in a good golf fitness training program.

The first stage in any golf training should be an evaluation. You need to know your strengths and weaknesses so you can get the appropriate program for you.   A good evaluation will also give you a starting point from which to measure your improvement. Measuring your improvement is also a great way to see if your program is appropriate and effective.

The next question then is how do you evaluate your current fitness levels? As a coach I use a number a different strategies to do this. Through my own research I have developed a series of evaluation tests that assess your ability to complete each test. This link will take you to a document that outlines the tests and how to complete them. You can then record your results and redo the tests after a set period of time. I like my students to complete the tests at the start of each macrocycle of their annual plan and you can determine the best timing for you with your own coach.

Another strategy I use, and this is arguably the best way to go about developing your fitness program, is to utilise expert service providers such as exercise physiologists and physiotherapists. Melbourne Golf Injury Clinic here in Australia has golf specific physiotherapists that will complete a entire body screening which will identify areas that need improvement. From this screening a personalised program can be designed to address the weaknesses. You can see a copy of this screening report by clicking on this link.

I also utilize a exercise physiologist to evaluate my client’s golf specific strength. He uses a series of tests to determine the areas that need to be worked on and from this can design the appropriate training program. He also has tour player benchmarks to compare yourself to and to aim for in your own training.

The purpose of this blog post is to give you an introduction into golf specific fitness training and to stress the importance of evaluating yourself before getting started. There will be plenty of people in your local area who you can talk to regarding your fitness programs. Check your local gym for sport specific trainers as well as online resources such as the TPI website and the Fitness for Golf website that you can find by clicking on the links provided.

 Keep your eye on this website for more fitness articles.

 Until next time,
Brent Davis

Brent Davis

Brent Davis

PGA Professional

Training & Education Coordinator
PGA Centre For Learning Performance
Melborne, Victoria, Australia

Email: [email protected]

 

Fitness Archives

Recovery Strategies

Recovery Strategies

by |

Recovery Strategies  In my last post I spoke about the often overlooked part of a golf training program, recovery. Four areas were mentioned in the post and I promised that I would give you some strategies that you could use for each area to give you the best possible...

read more
Recovery

Recovery

by |

Recovery  This post is on a golf fitness topic that is often overlooked by golfers as not being very important to playing better golf. Today I will be talking about recovery and how it relates specifically to golfers who are playing golf several times a week or even...

read more

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