Ever wonder how some people are able to play golf up into their 70’s and, even beyond, and others cannot? The answer might be in their fitness levels. A very good example of how overall physical fitness can play a huge part in the golfer’s ability to continue to play as the years roll by is Greg Norman.

Years ago, Norman got the nickname The Great White Shark, and he has lived up to that name ever since. Even now, in 2009, as he qualified for the Master’s, Norman is as fit at 54 as he was a decade ago. But Norman’s level of fitness did not happen by chance or dumb luck. It came about through dedicated work.

It doesn’t hurt that his wife is tennis legend Chris Everet, with whom he plays tennis regularly, but the real secret to Norman’s incredible level of physical fitness are his workout routines. It seems that Norman has learned, and is practicing, the age-old advice of maintaining complete fitness, rather than concentrating on one aspect of fitness training alone. There seems little doubt that Greg Norman has mastered a complete fitness routine that is working for him and can work for us as well if we apply some of his principles to our routine.

We did some online research to see if we could discover Greg Norman’s fitness secrets and we came up with some interesting information.

Norman uses a combination of fitness training activities to stay in top form. He works his cardio through aerobics; he maintains great flexibility through stretching exercises, and he keeps up with strength conditioning for his upper and lower body, including the trunk. In addition to the above, he also works on his neuromuscular abilities which embed that all-important memory recall system of repeated swing mechanics. This is one way that great golfers make those great shots time after time.

Norman also understands that the very act of swinging a club thousands of times over the course of a lifetime will cause the body to deteriorate. And this is on top of everything else that we put ourselves through. The very act of playing golf demands a dedicated physical fitness routine just to maintain strength and flexibility. The more you play, the more critical it is that you dedicate yourself to this higher level of complete fitness.

A complete fitness regime will do more than just keep a player in good shape; it will also help to prevent injuries. Anyone who has played for any length of time can attest to the fact that golf injuries are most common when we are not warmed up properly or we have ignored our stretching program.

Another key to Norman’s program is that he varies the type of conditioning he does so that he does not get bored with any one routine. By doing a variety of activities and exercises, his body gets the full workout that it needs, with no major muscle group being totally ignored.

But perhaps the most important aspect of his training that we can all take away and use is his determination to just do it. Fitness cannot be achieved overnight or even over the course of several months. It needs to a long-term endeavor and treated as such. This means getting up and getting started today! Consider your physical training time to be just as important to your game as your driving range time or playing time because it is. And who knows, you may be playing into your 60’s and 70’s too!

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tdfurYuCbSM

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Why not Take a Lesson from One of the Original Masters of Golf-Mr. Ben Hogan

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Time is a precious commodity when it comes to golf. We need to set aside time for practice, play and training in addition to managing our jobs, our families and other priorities and interests. Training should be a compliment to our complete process of development for a better game. Let’s keep things simple when it comes to golf training by focusing on those things that can make a solid difference in the shortest period of time. 

Performing too little is the same as performing too much.

In either case, this is not a productive approach. Overtraining is a common problem among elite athletes and it isn’t any different for golf. Your body needs an opportunity for repair, remodeling and growth so give it proper rest to see the best results. The opposite effect can also occur which is performing too little. If you follow one of the principles of progressive resistance then you should always use resistance that is greater than what your body is accustomed to. 

Power is driven from the core.

The abdominal muscles should never be trained in isolation because they are never an isolated movement in golf. Core training serves as the foundation for strength, power, speed and all elements of movement. When performing rotational movements, make sure you set your body in the proper position first. Begin by establishing good posture. Specifically, this means placing your feet about shoulder width apart with chest up, shoulders back and down and navel pulled in. This creates a solid position which actively engages the core so you can achieve optimal training results. When performing rotational movements like wood chops and medicine ball tosses, always check to make sure your movements are core driven. 

Muscle integration is superior to isolation.

Functional training for golf is a system that focuses on training the body the way it will be used when you compete or play. This makes it the most efficient and effective form of training today. Functional training improves athletic ability, enhances performance, and reduces injuries while developing golf specific movement patterns.  The goal becomes not only the development of more efficient patterns of movement, but endurance patterns as well so the motion has a better chance of being repeated swing after swing.  

Balance is an essential element.

Balance comes in many forms when you think about golf training. Each golfer should strive for improved balance by assessing strength and flexibility discrepancies looking for opportunities of self improvement. Look at your body as individual segments comparing your top half to your bottom. How strong is your upper body compared to your lower body? How does the strength of your mid section compare to the strength of your lower back? Next, take a look at your flexibility. How is the rotation of your shoulder joints on your left arm compared to your right? Is your left side less flexible than your right? Is your lower body tighter than your upper body? Each of these assessments are considerations in seeking a higher functioning, more balanced body for golf. Weaknesses create opportunities for injuries to creep in as well as ways for the body to perform less optimally.

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I learned many years ago that the quickest way to success in any endeavor is to emulate those who have already been successful before you. This advice has been passed on through mentors throughout the years and I have read the same advice in books on the principles of success.

It is pretty easy in golf to find a role model to emulate. Take a look at Tiger Woods swing and play it several times through. Each time you will likely see something different to focus. While we all have different body types, and therefore different swings, there are still some key ingredients to a beautiful golf swing.

Here are a few things I picked up:

1. Notice how smooth his hips turn. His lower body is very stable while his hips have a nice smooth rotation-back and through.

2. Once his hips stop turning in the backswing, notice how much further his shoulders continue to turn.

3. Look at those hips ‘fire’ on the downswing. Wow!

Now, what did you notice most?

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