The basics
You might think that the best way to get a call-up from the PGA Tour is to spend all your time down at the green. Think again. Golf fitness is a method used by everyone from the sport’s top echelon to amateurs who want to improve their long game and prevent injury.
Following a screen consultation, participants are given a handicap, a diagnosis and a dedicated workout programme to follow at home or with a trainer.
An extremely irregular golfer, I joined PGSTRONG’s Paul Greenwood for a one-on-one session to determine my future in the sport. I achieved a 38.2 handicap when the sport only goes up to 36.
Giving it a bash
After signing a waiver, I sat down with Paul to discuss my golf experience, my fitness history and to find out exactly what golf fitness is. He’s one of Australasia’s go-to golf strength and conditioning coaches and has previously worked with New Zealand representative Ryan Fox and an endless number of touring professionals to fine-tune their games.
The screening session is a consultation to isolate trouble areas for improvement. We started off in the position of a golf swing. Paul suggested that the swing is all about rotation and being able to isolate different parts of the body for that rotation.
Mirroring him, I began by moving the chest from side to side before advancing to the hips. From Paul’s reaction, it was clear that things were not looking good. I was challenged to touch my toes, attempt squats while holding a stick above my head, stand against a wall while reaching back and up, rotate my upper body while sitting, perform side plank leg lifts with resistance and balance on one leg with eyes closed. The PGA average is 25 seconds; I toppled at 3.
From the screen, Paul determined several things: I have weak latissimus dorsi (lats) mobility and tightness which may cause a loss of posture in my back swing and affect swing plane; my anterior hip is tight, which will again affect my posture; I have a misfiring gluteus maximum (backside) which could effect my backswing and follow-through; and I suffer from disassociation when separating my upper and lower body, something that can often result in a less powerful and dynamic swing.
My handicap sat at 38.2 out of 80 for the functional movement screen, which is not great but not exactly the end of the road. My diagnosis: eight weeks of inter-muscular strengthening and stability with focus on posture, mobility and drills.
The end of my report came with a recommendation in bold capitals to avoid sitting down while working. It was obvious to Paul that I’m truly horrible at golf.
Why you should try it
Golf fitness is for anyone looking for a particular fitness routine to improve their game and avoid injury while doing so. While my experience with the sport is limited to the driving range, the initial screening proved helpful by identifying areas that I need to develop for everyday posture and fitness.
Risk rating
There is no risk with a preliminary screen session of golf fitness. The objective is to take the risk out of the equation, especially during a golf match. Like all exercise, there are risks that may present themselves with the follow-up workout programme. It’s recommended you perform any physical activity under the guidance of a professional.
Find out more
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