50+ Role Models in Golf

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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