Home /
Fitness for Golf - by Jason Ziel
Golf - first impression, a long walk and a bit of game play, not particularly interesting, no twisted jeans and certainly no bad behaviour. However, with hot new talent entering the sport at an ever younger age, the image is becoming more and more popular with the possibilities of earning enough for a tidy lifestyle and serious toys to play with. Media coverage, fame, sponsorship and enough prize money to buy your dreams ensure those at the top are true professionals dedicated to their sport and this means excelling in every discipline including maintaining top physical condition.

You might be thinking that as a younger player you’re at an advantage simply because of your age. Whilst fitness may not be a priority for you at this point you should remember that most things in life last and perform better if they are taken care of. Schumacher’s not the fastest man on the planet in car simply because he drives a sleek Ferrari. He’s perfected his style, listened and learned from those around him and trained his body over years, and the same applies for golf - perfecting your technique and being in the best condition is the only way to reach the top.

As a junior player, developing a fitness programme into your game play is a ideal way of ensuring you are aware of what strengths and weaknesses you can work on. Can you image how someone like Beckham would feel sat on the bench due to injury or poor fitness or Tiger Woods out due to a ‘bad back’. The risk of these types of setbacks can be reduced by maintaining good levels of fitness and being aware of your muscles and joints

Footballers need certain physical attributes (not the Porsches, houses or Nike underpants), racing drivers have to be the right size to fit into what is essentially a rocket without road tax and to be an extreme games competitor requires a desire for first-aid treatment. Golf is accessible to everyone at all levels so your fitness training should be tailored to your individual needs. For example, a six-foot tall player will train differently from how a shorter player will train. Whereas one has exceptionally long levers and naturally more potential power a shorter player will have to focus on developing power whilst not compromising technique. Remember, what might be good for your friends may not be ideal for yourself so when you start a fitness program how do you know what are the best exercises to do?

You need to accept that players come in all shapes and sizes and you will have to tailor your fitness needs to suit your body type. Improving your fitness is NOT a competition between you and your friends. Tall and slim body types generally find it difficult to gain muscle mass and need to adopt certain training styles. A weight training programme can significantly improve your game by developing strength and awareness of posture. Shorter more muscular body types need to ensure that they retain flexibility and improve strength without adding mass.

Before you start fitness training you need to discuss your needs with your coach and a qualified, experienced fitness instructor. This will help to identify key areas that you need to work on and maintain. At this point they can figure out how much time you have to concentrate on your fitness, arrange a program and demonstrate the exercises best suited with the facilities you have available.

Jason Zeil on 2001-01-01