Golf has always been viewed as a game of leisure. But today's golfer is leaner, stronger, and fitter. Until the last few years, golfers didn't know how to go about incorporating golf fitness, or specifically resistance training for golf.
They have had a vision of going into the local gym and being intimidated by the "muscle heads." It can also be overwhelming to decide what plan of action to take and if it will be worth the time and effort. I have listed some myths about strength training for golf and the truths about them as well.
"I will bulk up too much and that will hinder my golf swing."
Golf fitness (resistance training specific for golf) will not result in muscle gain that will alter your swing mechanics. To increase muscle size, involves lifting increasingly heavier weights with lower repetitions, increasing your calorie intake dramatically, and spending a couple of hours per day lifting weights.
A golf fitness program incorporates moderate weight, with medium (12-15) repetitions, and in a time frame of 30-45 minutes. This type of program is designed to improve your golf specific strength and endurance, not build muscle.
"I will lose flexibility if I lift weights."
In fact, the opposite is true! Weak muscles are also tight muscles. When you do resistance training, you are increasing blood flow, working through a functional range of motion specific to golf, and strengthening the tendons and ligaments in every joint of your body. In conjunction with a stretching program, strength training will improve flexibility, not hinder it.
"Weight training will cause me to lose feel."
By strengthening your muscles specific to golf, you will have better control of your body. A golf fitness program trains your body specifically for your golf game. When you improve functional strength, you have more control and balance, which will improve your feel. Strength training involves body awareness, muscular control, and coordination. These are all key elements for enhanced golf.
So in summary, golf fitness can be done when you are in your early teens (with supervision), or into your late 80's. I have personally worked with people in there 70's and 80's who increased their strength 100%. This was partly due to the initial level of fitness being so low. My point is, that it is never too late to start. Search out a fitness professional or conditioning specialist to design a golf specific program and you will play better than you ever imagined! Start now!
Saturday, November 24, 2007
Essential Information on Choosing the Best Golf Clubs to Suit Your Game
Most golfers, whether a beginner or a pro, struggle when trying to decide which golf club to buy. The buying process becomes easier when the consumer has a good understanding of the types of golf clubs available and their specific use. Your playing (and thus your staying) power is greatly enhanced by choosing the proper golf clubs.
For the novice golfer, the basic set of golf clubs consists of drivers, wedges, putters and irons. Using the proper type of golf club will help the beginner learn quickly and achieve results. Each different type of club is designed to help with swing speed and to correct faults to improve your game ? and your score.
In addition to clubs, a wide variety of accessories are also available, many of which are necessities and others that are ?just for looks.? One absolute necessity is a golf bag to assist you or your caddy in moving from green to green, and of course, golf balls. Another must is a pair of golf shoes to help stabilize your body so you can achieve the perfect swing. Other accessories include golf gloves, a golf cap, clothing, and covers for your golf clubs to protect them from the elements or while stored.
There are many variations in the types and styles of golf clubs and their uses. For example, if you?re trying to make a shorter shot, irons may be your best bet. Irons are usually available in sets that include several different sizes. You must also take into consideration the style, size, and type of material used to make the golf club shaft. One of the less expensive materials is steel. Clubs with a steel shaft weigh more but can be longer-lasting than other types. The steel shaft may also give you more control over those fast swings. If you choose a graphite shaft, it will be lighter than steel but will be more costly. This type of club is used for long distance shots or for slower swingers.
Most golf clubs are available with both steel and graphite shafts.
The flexibility of a shaft is referred to as flex, or bend. The less the bend in a shaft, the more control the powerful swinger will have. On the other hand, beginners and those with less powerful swings generally use a shaft with greater flexibility. The average swing speed is from 65 miles per hour for the beginner up to over 100 miles per hour for powerful swingers.
The goal when buying golf clubs should be to own the best golf clubs you can afford, whether they are name brands, used, or a reproduction of one of the name brands. Golf clubs can be purchased at many different types of establishments such as discount stores, buying clubs, specialty shops, catalogs, or the Internet, which offers an almost limitless variety of clubs and bargains, including used golf clubs. The cost of the golf club depends on the type and where it is purchased. Retail stores and catalogs have pre-season, post-season and regular sales, but since someone, somewhere, has the perfect climate in which to play golf at any given time of the year, you may find it difficult to find a true bargain. Internet shopping offers excellent prices throughout the year, and in many cases shipping is free. Golf club replicas are very good bargains if you compare their features to the originals. Many, many types of merchandise are duplicated, or cloned, so be sure the set of clubs you buy have not been illegally duplicated.
Most anytime is the perfect time for most golfers and ?wannabe? golfers to play, so take advantage of the large variety of clubs and bargains to be found, and don?t wait another day to start buying your golf clubs.
For the novice golfer, the basic set of golf clubs consists of drivers, wedges, putters and irons. Using the proper type of golf club will help the beginner learn quickly and achieve results. Each different type of club is designed to help with swing speed and to correct faults to improve your game ? and your score.
In addition to clubs, a wide variety of accessories are also available, many of which are necessities and others that are ?just for looks.? One absolute necessity is a golf bag to assist you or your caddy in moving from green to green, and of course, golf balls. Another must is a pair of golf shoes to help stabilize your body so you can achieve the perfect swing. Other accessories include golf gloves, a golf cap, clothing, and covers for your golf clubs to protect them from the elements or while stored.
There are many variations in the types and styles of golf clubs and their uses. For example, if you?re trying to make a shorter shot, irons may be your best bet. Irons are usually available in sets that include several different sizes. You must also take into consideration the style, size, and type of material used to make the golf club shaft. One of the less expensive materials is steel. Clubs with a steel shaft weigh more but can be longer-lasting than other types. The steel shaft may also give you more control over those fast swings. If you choose a graphite shaft, it will be lighter than steel but will be more costly. This type of club is used for long distance shots or for slower swingers.
Most golf clubs are available with both steel and graphite shafts.
The flexibility of a shaft is referred to as flex, or bend. The less the bend in a shaft, the more control the powerful swinger will have. On the other hand, beginners and those with less powerful swings generally use a shaft with greater flexibility. The average swing speed is from 65 miles per hour for the beginner up to over 100 miles per hour for powerful swingers.
The goal when buying golf clubs should be to own the best golf clubs you can afford, whether they are name brands, used, or a reproduction of one of the name brands. Golf clubs can be purchased at many different types of establishments such as discount stores, buying clubs, specialty shops, catalogs, or the Internet, which offers an almost limitless variety of clubs and bargains, including used golf clubs. The cost of the golf club depends on the type and where it is purchased. Retail stores and catalogs have pre-season, post-season and regular sales, but since someone, somewhere, has the perfect climate in which to play golf at any given time of the year, you may find it difficult to find a true bargain. Internet shopping offers excellent prices throughout the year, and in many cases shipping is free. Golf club replicas are very good bargains if you compare their features to the originals. Many, many types of merchandise are duplicated, or cloned, so be sure the set of clubs you buy have not been illegally duplicated.
Most anytime is the perfect time for most golfers and ?wannabe? golfers to play, so take advantage of the large variety of clubs and bargains to be found, and don?t wait another day to start buying your golf clubs.
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