A Golf Fitness Coach Equals Great Golf

Golf fitness coach. Have you ever considered one…and if so, what exactly were you looking for? There are many 'general fitness' trainers trying to get a piece of the golf fitness and training market that seems to be rapidly gaining exposure both on the television and in print thanks to Tiger, Vijay and Annika.

But the first thing you need to consider when looking into hiring a golf fitness coach or program is the trainers experience in golf.

Yes…that is high on the list of requirements. Does he/she know golf? Do they know the biomechanics of the golf swing? How about muscle function during the golf swing?

An easy test is during the initial interview or if you're researching it online is to either ask very golf specific swing technique questions; or take a look at the information on the website. You'll find out real quick if this person or program can help your golf swing, game and health.

A golf fitness coach or program should incorporate strength, flexibility, endurance, body awareness, balance, stability and even a nutrition component.

It's easy for a trainer to have a strength component…but is it specific to golf? A quick test. Take a look at some of the exercises. Are any of them on seated machines for instance? If they are…run! This is NOT a golf fitness coach and/or program. This is considered 'general fitness'.

Now stretching. There are dozens of stretches for all people. But take a look at some of them. Do they even remotely look like they will benefit your golf swing?

Stretches involving trunk flexibility; lower back; hamstring; and even shoulders specific to the mechanics of the swing are what you want. General stretches are better than nothing, but will delay your results. You want specific stretches.

Body awareness. Does any of the exercises resemble golf positions or phases of the swing? Do they look like you would be on your feet and in your golf posture? As stated above, if they are seated on machines, your body will learn nothing in regards to your golf swing.

Training your body specific to golf incorporates positions almost identical to what your body would be in during any part of the golf swing.

Stability. Training your body to improve stability in your swing can get a little complex if you really want to see results. The swing happens at between 80-100 miles an hour. One of the biggest flaws of amateur golfers is moving in their golf swing.

Moving either laterally (sliding), vertically (up and done) or both. This is death to your golf swing. To improve your stability involves specific strength drills most trainers don't even know about.

I could go on-and-on about the requirements of a golf fitness coach or program. It is critical you make the right decision. I have heard horror stories of golfers working with 'so-called' golf fitness experts and their game getting worse. With the proper research this won't happen to you. So definitely consider a golf fitness coach.

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A Bad Golfer & Comon Mistake You Will Find Every Time

Fascinatingly enough a bad golfer is consistent enough with his/her consistent mistakes and poor play, that it promotes even more bad golf and frustration.

Actually a bad golfer ignores or is unaware of what has to be the single most important aspect of the golf swing. This is the setup or positioning before the swing.

It does not matter how good your swing is and how much correct technique you have used. If you do not pay attention to your swing, you are a bad golfer and it will clearly show when you have hit the ball.

All great golfers are aware of how important the setup is and you can be sure that many bad golfers are not. If you setup correctly for a shot, chances are extremely high that you will hit a good shot. So important is your setup that even if you swing poorly in a good setup position, you are bound to at least hit a reasonable shot.

A good setup will enable you achieve a good posture and the sort of balance that will help you maintain balance and inevitably control throughout the shot.

The correct setup comes with correct training and even more important; exercising and conditioning of the muscles you use in your entire body for the swing. A bad golfer will more often than not be the sort of person who does not do golf-specific exercises aimed at improving their golf. The result is that they will not even be able to tell the difference between a good setup position and a bad one, simply because they will tend to feel uncomfortable in both.

It is amazing but true that all it takes to move you swiftly to the ranks of a good golfer from amongst the majority of bad golfers is a simple exercise routine, most of which you can even do from your office while you work.  

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4 Important Factors That Affect Your Golf Swing

In the game of golf, no two people ever have the same golf swing. Each person has their own individual body with its own strengths, flexiblity and range of motion. The way one person swings a golf club may not work for another person, even if they are near in body types. Every golfer has to find the playing style that fits them to help them produce the results that they want. Players that know what is going to happen to the ball when they hit it, and what factors affect that moment of impact can effectively use their body to create the consistent powerful golf swing that they desire.

One thing that can help all golfers make immediate and positive improvements on their game is an understanding of the factors that affect the golf ball at the moment of impact by the golf club. Knowing what these factors are and how they affect the ball will enable you to understand what happens at the moment of impact and interpret the golf balls flight. When you understand what occurs and why, you can then make small adjustments to your swing and then see the effects on the next shot. The flight of the golf ball will tell you whether you were correct in your personal assessment and you made a good change towards a better golf swing. If you made a change that made the shot worse than before, all you should have to do is undo that change to your swing.

The moment of impact (ideally the golf club sweet spot hitting the ball) is a combination of four factors that will ultimately determine what direction and how far the ball will travel. The golf ball will react to these factors regardless of how they occur. The first important factor that affects your golf swing is the angle of the clubface at the moment of impacting the ball. The position of the clubface at the moment of impact is the most important factor influencing the initial direction and the spin of the ball. The clubface must point in the direction of the target you've chosen farther down the course. If the clubface is straight and perpendicular to the golf ball at the moment of impact, it will travel straight down the course with no spin.

The second factor at the moment of impact is the angle of the clubhead with relation to the golf ball. There is the horizontal angle of impact and vertical angle of impact, both of which are combined to determine the initial direction of the ball and the height of the golf balls flight path. The horizontal angle of impact determines the initial direction that the ball will travel. The vertical angle of impact will determine how high the ball will fly. Too low or too high and you lose distance in your shot.

Thirdly, the clubface must hit the ball on the sweet spot. The sweet spot is the area on the face of the golf club that will transfer the power of your golf swing to the golf ball. Transferring this power effectively will maximize its potential and carry the ball far and straight down the course (as long as the angle of the clubface and the club head at the moment of impact are good).

Lastly, the fourth factor that is important at the moment of impact is the the club head. The speed of your golf swing will determine how much power you transfer to the golf ball and ultimately how far it will go when you hit it on the sweet spot. The speed or power of the golf swing is not dependent on muscles alone. Other factors such as body flexibility and range of motion affect how a golfer employs those muscles in creating a fluid smooth swing.

The golf swing is not just picking up a golf club and trying to blast the ball down the course. It is a combination of many factors that if you can interpret, you can influence by making adjustments to your swing. Knowing what causes the golf ball to travel as it does will allow you to improve your golf swing and gain distance and accuracy on your shots. However, knowing the cause that produces an effect, and affecting that cause to produce the desired effect are two different things, both of which can be learned over time and with practice.

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3 Key Elements to a Golf Specific Fitness Program

Many of the top touring professionals know that winning on the tour today takes much more than a great game of golf. It means understanding every aspect of their physical and mental being and what factors influence their performance. Gain a competitive edge in your next round by integrating these three key elements into your current fitness program. 

Specific to golf – Get rid of the traditional gym machines which focus on isolating specific muscle groups and require no stabilization work by additional muscle groups.  Integrate some old and new fitness tools which allow you to move your body in a more functional setting. These include cable machines, fitness balls, medicine balls, balance disks, traditional dumbbells and don't forget about the power of using your own bodyweight.

Increase Core Stability – More efficient movement creates more efficient power. Golfers maintain an athletic posture over long periods of time and require both trunk and core stabilization and endurance. By increasing your strength and endurance in the core region of your body, you provide both a solid base of support for rotation in addition to the proper transfer of power throughout the body.

Vary your Planes of Motion during Exercise - A golf fitness program will have varying planes of motion as part of your weekly strength routine. Planes of movement include front to back motions, left to right and rotational exercises. Some good examples include multi-directional lunges and medicine ball wood chops.  The Simple Golf Swing System™