What is Strength & Conditioning for Golf?

Strength training is “the use of resistance muscular contraction to place the muscles under stress with the aim of increasing the size and force that they are able to generate.” There are many different type of resistance training; with the most common being gravity, weights and also the use of elastic bands and hydraulics.

During the initial phase of strength training, before there is any change in physical size or hypertrophy of the skeletal muscle tissue, there is a noticeable improvement in the amount of force that is recruited by the muscles. This is due to what is known as Neural Adaptation. Neural adaptation is where the body improves the ability to recruit and activate muscles more effectively and efficiently which leads to an improvement in the motor pathway of the muscle. It is not until 4 – 6 weeks of regular resistance training that the muscles start to hypertrophy (increase in size).

Throughout a strengthening program there are different phases that will addressed depending on several different factors with the main goal to have the athlete in their peak physical condition for their main tournaments. Theses different phases are; basic strength phase (which sets a strong solid foundation for the other phases), hypertrophy phase, endurance phase, power phase, and also maintenance.

Each player that undertakes a strength and conditioning programme will undergo an initial screening which will highlight a players muscular weaknesses and areas that need to be addressed. They will also receive a comprehensive individualised strength program that will use a combination of several different training principles which will enable the player to be at their physical best come key tournament time.

In majority of amateur golfers, and even professional golfers, strength conditioning is overlooked with all of their practice being focused on their swing. It is now a commonly know fact that the elite golfers are now training more like athletes undergoing regular specific and functional golf orientated strengthening programmes.
There is extensive research that has shown the benefits and direct correlation that functional and specific strengthening exercises can have on player’s performance.

Improving the strength, flexibility, and balance of golfers may have the dual benefit of improving performance and decreasing injuries. Understanding these physical characteristics would assist physical trainers, physical therapists, and athletic trainers in the design of golf specific fitness programs.

This research clearly shows that golf specific training compromising of strength training, flexibility and also balance has been successfully shown to improve distance, an increase in club head speed and also which is notable an improvement in putting distance control. The improvement in the putting control is due to the improvements from the balance programs and the players increased proprioception (awareness of their body in space).

It has also been shown to increase pelvic rotation speed and stability which allows the player to generate more power through their hips, and being able to transfer this power directly to the club head. Developing functional strength through the core, lumbar spine and pelvis has been shown to also reduce the risk of injury in college golfers.

At the IOG we use a variety of different combinations of training modalities ranging from medicine ball work and exercises, swiss balls, balance pads however predominately the IOG uses the TRX suspension gravity system. This is ideal for not only our amateur players but also all of our traveling professionals. As it gives them ability to use the device where ever they are; whether it be overseas or even in their bedroom, it a piece of equipment that all our players are using.

The TRX suspension training is an approach to resistance training that uses a system of ropes and webbing called a “suspension trainer” to allows the player to work against their own body weight as resistance. It is form of training in which a variety of multi-directional, multi-joint compound exercise movements can be performed. These are done with the aim of developing strength, balance, flexibility, and joint stability simultaneously.

The TRX system is not just restricted for golfer and is versatile for all athletes. The team at the IOG have used their knowledge of golf bio-mechanics and anatomy to develop golf specific exercises that stress the body under golf specific loads. There are hundreds of different functional exercises that work on strength, flexibility and balance.

A player’s ability to move a joint smoothly and effortlessly through a full range of movement is an important factor for a golfer. There are two different forms of stretches that are commonly used to maintain and/or improve the length of different muscles throughout the body; these Static and Dynamic stretches.

Static stretching is performed slowly and gently while the position is held and maintained for a set period of time. Whereas, dynamic stretching uses momentum in an effort to stretch a muscle into an extended position, which is continuous moving stretch.

Current research clearly shows that there is added benefit in using dynamic stretching on a regular occurrence especially as part of your general warm up routine prior to a round of golf. It has been shown to improve the consistency of a players swing plane, increase club head speed, and also improve the consistency of the impact point on the face of the club. Therefore dynamic stretching should be used as part of a player’s warm-up routine, and static stretching should be used as part of warm down routine post round.

Gastrocnemius: Stand about 3 feet from the wall, keeping both feet together. Place both hands on the wall and lean into the wall until the gastrocnemius feels stretched. Raise and lower both heels simultaneously. Move the feet further away from the wall as necessary to ensure the gastrocnemius is stretched fully.

Soleus: As for the gastrocnemius stretch except the knees are flexed by about 70 °

Quadricep: While walking, the knees are alternately flexed so that the heel of each foot is forced back towards the buttocks before being extended again in a kicking motion.

Hamstring: While walking, raise the knee has high as possible and then attempt to straighten the leg as the foot is brought down to the ground in a circular path.

Lunge: As for the static stretch but this is performed while progressing forward (one step) with each lunge

Trunk rotation: Stand upright with feet shoulder width apart and the knees slightly flexed. The arms are extended in front of the body at shoulder height. Rotate the trunk alternately to the left and right. As the trunk rotates to one side, the arms swing around in a horizontal plane in the same direction as far as possible, with the ipsilateral elbow flexing as necessary.

Posterior shoulder: These are stretched during the ‘trunk rotation’ stretch (above). During rotation to the right, the left shoulder is stretched

Anterior shoulder and chest: These are stretched during the ‘trunk rotation’ stretch (above). During rotation to the right, the right shoulder and right side of the chest are stretched.

Anterior shoulder and tricep: Stand upright with feet shoulder width apart and hands hanging down at the sides. Rotate both arms in the sagittal plane, but in opposite directions. As each arm swings above the head flex the elbow as much as possible.