These common exercises could be holding back your golf performance
1. Patterned Golf Swing Movements with Heavy Objects
Avoid using medicine balls, flex tubes and heavy clubs to simulate any portion of the golf swing under load.
Loading up the golf swing pattern with heavy loads will actually decrease your club head speed and could rob you of distance if you train your central neural-muscular system to swing slow under tension. The golf swing is a ballistic movement so we never want to pattern that movement in a slow loaded manor. It is simple, force equals mass multiplied by acceleration. F=ma. The mass of the golf club (m) is very small, the acceleration (a) of the golf club is at a very high speed, for a touring professional upwards of 100+ miles per hour. The acceleration of the club head is what has the biggest influence on the force, not the mass of the club. So if you pattern your golf swing with a 10 pound load, you will not be able to move it very fast at all through the swing pattern and you will train the opposite movement pattern that we are trying to achieve. Training a golf swing pattern with a heavy load does not simulate the relaxation and tension pattern that occurs in this high-speed ballistic movement. A much better way to train this acceleration pattern under load is by using over speed eccentric techniques and ballistic movements that are very beneficial to golf swing performance.
Avoid using medicine balls, flex tubes and heavy clubs to simulate any portion of the golf swing under load.
Loading up the golf swing pattern with heavy loads will actually decrease your club head speed and could rob you of distance if you train your central neural-muscular system to swing slow under tension. The golf swing is a ballistic movement so we never want to pattern that movement in a slow loaded manor. It is simple, force equals mass multiplied by acceleration. F=ma. The mass of the golf club (m) is very small, the acceleration (a) of the golf club is at a very high speed, for a touring professional upwards of 100+ miles per hour. The acceleration of the club head is what has the biggest influence on the force, not the mass of the club. So if you pattern your golf swing with a 10 pound load, you will not be able to move it very fast at all through the swing pattern and you will train the opposite movement pattern that we are trying to achieve. Training a golf swing pattern with a heavy load does not simulate the relaxation and tension pattern that occurs in this high-speed ballistic movement. A much better way to train this acceleration pattern under load is by using over speed eccentric techniques and ballistic movements that are very beneficial to golf swing performance.
2. Any Type of Isolation Exercises to Strengthen Golf Specific Muscles
Avoid simulating any portion of the backswing or downswing in isolation, or sitting in a strength machine while attempting to train for overall golf performance.
Isolation movements have no purpose in golf fitness unless you are using them for injury rehabilitation or targeting a specific muscle. The golf swing is a highly coordinated linked movement that occurs at a very high rate of speed and generates a tremendous force at impact. This total body movement starts from the ground up, power is generated by the legs and hips, up through the core of your body, transmitted through your shoulders into you arms, then finally into the golf club. There are no isolated movements in any golf swing, so do not train your body in parts or sitting in an exercise machine with the hope of getting stronger for golf performance. The best way to train your body for golf fitness is through holistic movements that are ballistic in nature that work both sides of the performance coin, tension and relaxation. Train your body to generate force from the ground up, linked through your core and transmitted through your shoulders into your arms. These types of movements provide the best carry over effect for a graceful yet powerful golf swing.
Avoid simulating any portion of the backswing or downswing in isolation, or sitting in a strength machine while attempting to train for overall golf performance.
Isolation movements have no purpose in golf fitness unless you are using them for injury rehabilitation or targeting a specific muscle. The golf swing is a highly coordinated linked movement that occurs at a very high rate of speed and generates a tremendous force at impact. This total body movement starts from the ground up, power is generated by the legs and hips, up through the core of your body, transmitted through your shoulders into you arms, then finally into the golf club. There are no isolated movements in any golf swing, so do not train your body in parts or sitting in an exercise machine with the hope of getting stronger for golf performance. The best way to train your body for golf fitness is through holistic movements that are ballistic in nature that work both sides of the performance coin, tension and relaxation. Train your body to generate force from the ground up, linked through your core and transmitted through your shoulders into your arms. These types of movements provide the best carry over effect for a graceful yet powerful golf swing.
3. Balancing on Unstable Devices and Simulating Your Golf Swing
Avoid standing/kneeling on any unstable device, bosu ball, stability ball, balance board while simulating any part of your golf swing.
Training on an unstable surface to increase golf performance makes absolutely no sense. It would be like trying to hit a golf ball while standing on a skateboard, you would not be able to generate much force at all. The best movements for training rate of force development (RFD) for golf is to train movements with both feet rooted into the ground. The power of the golf swing starts from the ground up, you have to be able to apply force to the ground to remain stable through out the entire swing pattern. Standing or even kneeling on any unstable surface trains a pattern that does not create force. Think of it this way, could you jump higher from solid ground in bare feet, or from a cushioned surface in running shoes with 2 inches of foam padding in the sole. Train on firm surfaces, such as grass, with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Do movements that train your body to generate tremendous amounts of ground up force and the carry over effect is a much more stable powerful golf swing.
Avoid standing/kneeling on any unstable device, bosu ball, stability ball, balance board while simulating any part of your golf swing.
Training on an unstable surface to increase golf performance makes absolutely no sense. It would be like trying to hit a golf ball while standing on a skateboard, you would not be able to generate much force at all. The best movements for training rate of force development (RFD) for golf is to train movements with both feet rooted into the ground. The power of the golf swing starts from the ground up, you have to be able to apply force to the ground to remain stable through out the entire swing pattern. Standing or even kneeling on any unstable surface trains a pattern that does not create force. Think of it this way, could you jump higher from solid ground in bare feet, or from a cushioned surface in running shoes with 2 inches of foam padding in the sole. Train on firm surfaces, such as grass, with both feet firmly planted on the ground. Do movements that train your body to generate tremendous amounts of ground up force and the carry over effect is a much more stable powerful golf swing.
4. Static Stretching
Avoid all traditional stretching movements where you stretch and hold, especially in a simulated swing pattern position.
The stretching that occurs in the golf swing is dynamic, where certain groups of muscle relax, opposing groups of muscles are in tension, this is the nature of the golf swing. The swing is a very rapid relaxation/tension pattern. Relaxation is speed, tension is strength. You need both in the golf swing and it is best to train both sides of this performance dynamic in the same movement. Static stretching does not train your golf muscles to adapt to the relaxation/tension pattern. Static stretching is a stretch and hold technique that may actually put the brakes on your golf swing. Dynamic mobility and flexibility movements are simple to practice and they will release the parking brake from your hips and enable you to generate much more club head speed. This will increase shot distance and take the stress off your lower back region.
Avoid all traditional stretching movements where you stretch and hold, especially in a simulated swing pattern position.
The stretching that occurs in the golf swing is dynamic, where certain groups of muscle relax, opposing groups of muscles are in tension, this is the nature of the golf swing. The swing is a very rapid relaxation/tension pattern. Relaxation is speed, tension is strength. You need both in the golf swing and it is best to train both sides of this performance dynamic in the same movement. Static stretching does not train your golf muscles to adapt to the relaxation/tension pattern. Static stretching is a stretch and hold technique that may actually put the brakes on your golf swing. Dynamic mobility and flexibility movements are simple to practice and they will release the parking brake from your hips and enable you to generate much more club head speed. This will increase shot distance and take the stress off your lower back region.
5. Long Slow Distance Cardio Exercise to Improve Your Golf Fitness
Avoid long slow distance training on treadmill, exercise bicycles, stair masters, elliptical machines, and recumbent bikes to improve your golf fitness.
Long slow distance cardio exercise has its benefits for general conditioning but has no effect on golf swing performance. The golf swing is a rapid fire highly coordinated linked full body movement that takes place in seconds. You are required to move a very light object, the golf club, very rapidly to create maximum force into the ball at impact, in a very coordinated pattern. You do not have to possess a lot of cardiovascular fitness in order to make that event happen. Train your body to make this explosive ballistic movement, which trains an entirely different type of endurance, and the endurance you need for the golf swing, where you can call upon power when demanded. Unless you are walking every round of golf you play, which is highly unlikely today, you are basically called upon to perform this explosive movement around 50 times a round for an average recreational golfer. So do not spend your time doing long slow distance cardio to try to improve your golf performance, you would be better served spending time on other skills. Spend less than 3 minutes a day doing simple movements that will train your body to generate maximum power for a short period of time, which will have a great effect on your golf performance.
If you are interested in a golf performance program contact me at al@ironsolid.com
Platinum Golf Fitness is systematic approach for training golfers to perform at their best physically, integrating the five key elements of a graceful yet powerful golf swing: mobility, stability, balance/body awareness, strength and power. The system is adaptable to all levels, de-conditioned golfer to extremely fit golfer.
Avoid long slow distance training on treadmill, exercise bicycles, stair masters, elliptical machines, and recumbent bikes to improve your golf fitness.
Long slow distance cardio exercise has its benefits for general conditioning but has no effect on golf swing performance. The golf swing is a rapid fire highly coordinated linked full body movement that takes place in seconds. You are required to move a very light object, the golf club, very rapidly to create maximum force into the ball at impact, in a very coordinated pattern. You do not have to possess a lot of cardiovascular fitness in order to make that event happen. Train your body to make this explosive ballistic movement, which trains an entirely different type of endurance, and the endurance you need for the golf swing, where you can call upon power when demanded. Unless you are walking every round of golf you play, which is highly unlikely today, you are basically called upon to perform this explosive movement around 50 times a round for an average recreational golfer. So do not spend your time doing long slow distance cardio to try to improve your golf performance, you would be better served spending time on other skills. Spend less than 3 minutes a day doing simple movements that will train your body to generate maximum power for a short period of time, which will have a great effect on your golf performance.
If you are interested in a golf performance program contact me at al@ironsolid.com
Platinum Golf Fitness is systematic approach for training golfers to perform at their best physically, integrating the five key elements of a graceful yet powerful golf swing: mobility, stability, balance/body awareness, strength and power. The system is adaptable to all levels, de-conditioned golfer to extremely fit golfer.
