A physical assessment is a routine of exercises and movements that a practitioner will put you through, and write down your results - results practitioners say are objective, but are often far from it.
They will then compare those results to subjective standards to see whether you pass or, the dreaded, FAIL.
If you can sense from my tone, I don't agree with the way physical assessments are utilized in the golf training world... But more on that later.
Hate to break it to you... there is not a singular, or group of exercises that is "best for golfers."
However, there are TONS of great exercises you should be doing on a regular basis to maximize your performance on and off the golf course... but these exercises aren't very different from the one's I give my football athletes, my wrestlers, or my baseball athletes.
So, as a golfer, what exercises should you be doing in the weight room in order to maximize clubhead speed and increase pain-free performance on the course?
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[post_title] => Can Golf Get You in Shape?
[post_excerpt] => Golf is a GREAT form of exercise and activity.
It gets you outside for 5+ hours.
It's a physically impactful and powerful movement.
You're bound to take a bunch of steps whether you're in a cart of walking the course.
And, I think most golfers would agree with me that, by the middle of the back 9, fatigue normally sets in.
But, can you get "in shape" from it?
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[post_title] => Golf Fitness Training for Juniors and Youth Athletes
[post_excerpt] => I want this game to grow. I want more people to understand the power and importance that the game of golf can have within their lives. There are youth golfers everywhere, with parents and coaches who certainly want the best for them. I've had the pleasure of working with hundreds of youth athletes, and have no doubt learned a thing or two along the way. This article will describe what I believe to be "best" in terms of fitness for junior golfers.
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[post_date] => 2021-08-05 16:44:06
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[post_content] => When it comes to the golf swing, there are two separate, but at the same time unified pieces of the rotational power puzzle:
The lower body and its relationship with the ground
The upper body and its ability to load and explode rotationally
A recent video was posted by 2 Time World Long Drive Champion, Joe Miller, check it out below:https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCDXANgmRq/Hitting a golf ball 380+ yards, off your knees… absolutely unbelievable. This is by far one of the cooler things I have seen on the internet in some time. However, I think we can learn a lot from this video, so much that I decided to write an entire blog on it… let’s do this!Check out the rest of this article at the link below!
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[post_title] => 3 Pieces of Rotational Power Development
[post_excerpt] => When it comes to the golf swing, there are two separate, but at the same time unified pieces of the rotational power puzzle:
The lower body and its relationship with the ground
The upper body and its ability to load and explode rotationally
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[post_date] => 2021-07-29 14:36:50
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[post_content] => The ancient Chinese proverbs had a saying, wu-wei (pronounced ooo-way), which is a framework that helps guide you through your life. It refers to the “dynamic, effortless, and unselfconscious state of mind of a person who is optimally active and effective. People in wu-wei feel as if they are doing nothing, while at the same time they might be creating a brilliant work of art, smoothly negotiating a complex social situation, or even bringing the entire world into harmonious order” (1). Tapping into a state of wu-wei requires that we work or act with a bigger purpose in mind, a purpose both within and outside of ourselves.
“Wu-wei involves giving yourself up to something that, because it is bigger than you, can be shared by others.”
After reading these words, I began thinking of how, if at all, I tap into wu-wei in my own life., and then it hit me.
Golf is my wu-wei.
In his book, Trying Not to Try, Edward Slingerland discusses finding and harnessing the power of wu-wei. He notes that even the thought of driving somewhere, the anticipation, or the preparation for something, can begin the process of placing your mind and body in this state. Further, we only find wu-wei once we become one with our environment, once we find ourselves molded into a mind-body-environmental connection.I quickly realized, I get these feelings as I prepare for a round of golf, or grab my clubs on the way to the range. I forget about everything else when I have a club in my hand. I become one with the golf course, one with nature. I understand and believe in the greater purpose of golf. I connect with a community of empowered athletes, who share in that bigger purpose, whether they know it or not. Golf is my wu-wei.Golf is ALL of our wu-wei.
What is the bigger purpose of golf?
Golf is a vehicle of empowerment and this empowerment comes in two central forms. First, golf offers us empowerment in the form of self-improvement. We use the game of golf to explore our ability to grow and improve. Every golfer wants to find lower scores and play better, more consistent, golf. But why? At the end of the day, the majority of us aren’t making the PGA or LPGA Tour. We don’t even play the game “competitively.”But yet, we care about what we score. We think about the good (and bad) shots. We dream about having better ones. The game of golf is a tool that can be welded to seek and find self-betterment. Physical, mental, and emotional, the game of golf is a journey of self-empowerment and improvement. Secondly, the game of golf brings empowerment in the form of community. Like Slingerland said above, “...can be shared by others.” We play golf because of the community. We play golf because for four hours, we come together with friends, family and a community that is inspired by the same passions and goals. We play golf not because of the game itself but because of the empowerment that it brings to our lives - both in the form of self-improvement and community.
“An essential fact of wu-wei is that it’s not just about the experience unfolding within the mind of an isolated individual but also about social connections between people” (1).
Golf is my wu-wei. Golf is our wu-wei. Let’s go low.
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Source
Slingerland, E. (2015). Trying Not to Try: Ancient China, modern science, and the power of spontaneity. Broadway Books..
[post_title] => Golf is More than a Game
[post_excerpt] => The ancient Chinese proverbs had a saying, wu-wei (pronounced ooo-way), which is a framework that helps guide you through your life.
It refers to the “dynamic, effortless, and unselfconscious state of mind of a person who is optimally active and effective. People in wu-wei feel as if they are doing nothing, while at the same time they might be creating a brilliant work of art, smoothly negotiating a complex social situation, or even bringing the entire world into harmonious order” (1).
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Very rarely do I speak in absolutes. Within the strength and conditioning and sport performance industries, there are way too many people who speak with an absolutist attitude, thinking they have the magic pill for all. However, one thing I will say with certainty.
PRIOR TO GOLFING, WARMING UP IS MANDATORY.
Let’s start out by saying what isn’t warming up…
Grabbing 3 clubs and taking some practice swings…
Static stretching
Putting and chipping for 15 minutes
Showing up to the first tee 30 seconds before your tee time, taking 2 practice swings, and calling it good to go.
You are asking for poor performance with these bad warm-up habits, or worse, injury.One study completed in 2001 found that just 17% of recreational golfers complete any dynamic stretching prior to playing (2). Another one found that 48% of recreational golfers completed NO warm-up prior to playing (3).
READ THE REST OF THE ARTICLE BELOW!
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[post_title] => Why a Golf Warm-up is MANDATORY!
[post_excerpt] => Warming up prior to playing golf is MANDATORY for all of my athletes... it should be for you too! Here's why and how you should be warming up!
However, one thing I will say with certainty.
PRIOR TO GOLFING, WARMING UP IS MANDATORY.
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[post_content] => In order to understand what progression is, first we need to have a clear outline of what it is we are progressing towards. We need to answer questions like:Why do I train? How does it affect my life? My golf game? What effect do I want it to have on my life? My golf game?What are my goals? In training? In life? What type of adaptations and training benefits do I seek?...Once we answer these questions, we can begin to work backwards and map out a plan of progression to reach that point. The progressions and the adaptations that we seek in our training, need to parallel the progressions and goals we seek outside of our training. Too often strength coaches and weight room meatheads view “progression” as simply the weight being moved.But, if my goal is to move better, feel better, and play better golf, the weight on the bar means fairly little in the grand scheme of things… it obviously matters, but not as much as you may think.Progression runs so much deeper than the weight you can lift. ...If you golf, you are an athlete, we covered that a while ago here: Train Like an AthleteBecause of this, your training goals more than likely reside in the context of actually performing your sport, as opposed to the weight room or training setting. As a golfer, I personally don’t really care how much I squat… I just want drives to carry further, putts to end in the cup more often, irons to hit the green more consistently, and overall lower scores to be made. I need to make sure any progression I am undertaking in my training, is simultaneously progressing me closer to these goals that take place in the actual context of the golf course - not the weight room.
Progression is Holistic.
There are many ways we can progress our training, as I will outline below. However, understand that not one way of progression is enough to truly build your highest performing and most resilient athlete.Our progression needs to be all encompassing and holistic. It needs to make use of all of the strategies outlined below. Just like our movement, the wider breadth of progression we undertake, the greater benefits we will tap into.
Methods of Training Progression
1.) Load
Yes, I understand I hated on the weight being lifted as a mechanism of progression earlier in this article, but it is a great way to progress your training and tap into adaptations (it’s just not the only way, as you’ll see).By completing movements with a greater load, weight, or external stimulus you are going to be forced to tap into higher levels of strength and power. Further, this is probably the easiest way to measure training progression and actually note your physical strength gains. For example, last week you goblet squatted 50 lbs for 5 reps. This week you squatted 55 lbs for 5 reps… BOOM, progression!I believe this ease is why many strength coaches get obsessed with load. It is easy for an athlete to see gains and for a coach's ego to grow. So, to wrap up, load is absolutely a method of progression, and we should implement it into our training cycles, however, understand it is by no means the only way.
2.) Volume
We can increase the volume of training we complete by either increasing the number of sets or increasing the number of reps per set. By doing so, we can tap into greater muscular tension and fatigue (good fatigue). You will boost hypertrophic (muscle size) gains as well as strength, depending on the load being lifted and volume being completed. As a golfer, we should usually seek to remain in the 5-12 rep range 80% of the time. Doing so will push us towards the adaptations of strength, power and hypertrophy, as opposed to aerobic muscular endurance, or conditioning-like adaptations.
3.) Depth
The amount of work that we undertake when completing a movement (in the physics sense of the term) is based on two things: Force and DisplacementBy challenging the range of motion you utilize for a movement, we will increase the amount of work being completed with each rep. We also will expand our mobility, or our usable ranges of motion, which is a great thing for golfers!On the flip side, we can also progress by shortening our movement, depending on the athlete. I won’t get too into this as 90% of athletes fall into the above category (needing more mobility), however, if you are somebody who is hypermobile, by shortening your range of motion we may be able to tap into other adaptations such as tension development, core stability, and strength - which is where we should probably place our chips if you truly are hypermobile. But like I said, for the majority of golfers out there, more range of motion is better, and can be a tool of progression
4.) Intent
Training the nervous system can be a difficult, but important thing, and there are two ways I strive to do so:
Increase the intent at which we complete familiar movements
Challenge our motor control and coordination via new movements
Intent can be an awesome tool of progression, specifically with plyometrics, jumps, leaps, bounds, or really any “power” exercise.What makes this method of progression tough is that it is extremely subjective, meaning, you are the only person who truly knows your level of intent with a movement. Next time you include jumping in your workout, I want you to dig deep and truly try to jump through the ceiling. Doing so will increase your level of intent and help you tap into those nervous system adaptations as well as higher levels of power. My favorite way of challenging and progressing intent is by using an objective measure that offers immediate feedback. For example, a clubhead speed reader that tells you immediately how fast your swing was. Another favorite of mine is a radar gun for medicine ball throws that tells you in real time how fast you threw it. Using tools like these brings out higher levels of competition with yourself, and challenges you to uncover greater levels of intent.
5.) Tempo
In some ways similar to the mechanism noted above, by changing the tempo that we utilize for a movement, we can alter the adaptations that we blossom. I made a full YouTube video on this topic, so I won’t dive too deep… YouTube Video: Tempo Matters https://youtu.be/pMDv1_B0I5wThe big takeaway: Change the tempo you use for movements to create variability and a wider breadth of movement abilities -> Creating progression.
6.) Movement Variability
This is an important one, if you are zoning out reading this, time to tune in!All sports require adaptable bodies and movement systems. Even in a sport like golf, the best players in the world are the most adaptable golfers. Meaning, their movement has a breadth that allows them to produce similar results and outcomes, amongst an ever-changing, dynamic world. As I mentioned earlier, the goal of training progression should be to actually create progression within the sport. I don’t care about how much you squat if you can’t healthily move and find a wide breadth of bodily positions. The best way to increase our holistic movement abilities is to expose ourselves to higher levels of movement variability. For example, next time you squat, instead of increasing the load, try to widen or narrow your stance. Try to move one foot forward 6 inches to create a staggered stance. Try to hold the weight differently. Next time you do push ups, widen your hands. Move one hand up 6 inches. Cross your feet over one another. Bring one knee to your elbow while lowering. Put one hand on a 6 inch box while the other stays on the ground.Next time you lunge, take a smaller step. Then try a bigger step. Hold the weight differently. Pause in the bottom position for three seconds.Next time you are completing a lower body workout, complete a totally new exercise. This will challenge your nervous system, motor control and coordination, as well as expand your breadth of movement. All of these subtle alterations in our movement patterns will help us create the adaptable and robust body that our golf swing demands. I like thinking of our movement like a toolbox. Everytime we incorporate a new movement into our training we are adding a tool to our toolbox. The larger that toolbox, the more adaptable and resilient our bodies become…. Become a great mover, by building a bigger movement toolbox!
Transferring Your Training Progression
Playing better golf is the true, surface-level goal. It needs to be the destination of all of our progressions. “True Progression” = Better at golf“Training Progression” = Better at trainingWe can progress our training as much as we want, but if it isn’t transferring to higher levels of golf, we are missing a piece of the puzzle.Therefore, be sure to always pair your training progressions with playing golf! Progress your swing alongside progressing your physical body.Go to the range, work with a coach, and go play 18. ...Many strength coaches crave progress in the weight room (“training progression”), because it gives them a sense of success and “proof.” Even if an athlete doesn’t play well, they can say, “But look at these weight room numbers! I did my part.” B******t“True progression” takes place on the field of play, within the context of the sport itself. “Training progression” is simply a step in that process of improved health and performance. ...So, how do you progress your training? Which of these methods of progression do you make use of most?What steps do you undertake to transfer your training progression to true progression on the course? Let me know… carter@resistancebandtraining.com or leave a comment below!...And, as always, let’s go low!
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[post_title] => How to PROGRESS your golf training...
[post_excerpt] => The progressions and the adaptations that we seek in our training, need to parallel the progressions and goals we seek outside of our training.
Too often strength coaches and weight room meatheads view “progression” as simply the weight being moved.
But, if my goal is to move better, feel better, and play better golf, the weight on the bar means fairly little in the grand scheme of things… it obviously matters, but not as much as you may think.
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[post_content] => An argument that rolls through the golf training community is, at what point should we include “golf specific” movements in our training....On one side you have who we will call, the specifists, who maximize the degree of sport specificity inserted into an athlete’s sports performance training (for purposes of this article, sports performance is synonymous with strength and conditioning).On the other side, we have the generalists, who seek to eliminate (or limit) the amount of sport specificity we maintain in our training....The “correct” answer, like most things in this world, is somewhere in between the two.
Let’s define some things…
The toughest part of this argument is defining what truly constitutes a “sport specific” movement, and what doesn’t. And further, where is the cutoff line between sports performance training and actually playing the sport, because I would argue that actually playing the sport is a massive part of our sports performance training. So here are three important definitions that we should define upfront and will expand on later… Technique Specificity ~ Training the actual golf swing. Trying to improve technique by focusing on a certain swing characteristic. Ex: Trying to eliminate the over-the-top swing plane, or changing the level of flexion your leading wrist experiences in the backswing. Physical Specificity ~ Training the internal, physical stresses present in your golf swing. We can do so by looking at which muscles and bodily segments absorb and produce force, watching your swing and understanding where potential movement flaws are being created.Mental/Cognitive/Environmental Specificity ~ Training our mind and cognitive abilities to be adaptable and resilient within the sporting context (looking at the relationship between our internal body and external environment). Meaning, training in a manner that elicits higher levels of mental adaptability and strength, as well as preparing our perceptual-action coupling system to apply physical outputs to the actual sport.In general, a swing coach will be looking at the first of these (and a little of the third), while a sports performance coach will primarily be looking at the last two, however, there is a blurry grey area between these three ideas as, at some point, they all need to come together in order to produce your greatest golf success.
So, what is the goal of Sports Performance?
In my opinion, the goal of sports performance training is to improve our athletic abilities and holistic being in order to become more resilient, robust and adaptable. In terms of the golfer, this means our goals are to boost performance and injury resilience on the course.Doing so requires us to train in a manner that produces and transfers greater movement abilities directly into our lives, and indirectly into our golf games. The goal isn’t to look like a bodybuilder. Or move weight like a powerlifter. The goal is to become a better mover, a better problem solver with our movement, and, in the end, a better golfer. This short discussion is important as it provides the context and background to the question of: How specific should our training be?
The Summary:
Technique Specificity
In general, 95% of our training should avoid technique specificity, meaning, we should very rarely seek to actually improve technique and apply a specific swing characteristic in the training setting (weight room).Doing so will, more than likely, take away from the physical adaptations we are trying to create in training. For example, let’s say you are a slicer. You maintain a very over-the-top swing plane and struggle rotating through the ball. You’ve been told you have an “armsy” swing. This is something we can’t fix in the weight room alone. And further, trying to take the time to fix it in the weight room does two things:
It takes away from the time spent on other physical training
It is doubtful that any technique changes made in the training setting (weight room) will transfer
Sporting movement is extremely environmentally and task dependent, meaning, “fixing” your over-the-top swing during a weight room training session does not guarantee it will be fixed when you step on the course, in fact, it more than likely won't be. Now, I say 95% because everything is context dependent and I have absolutely made use of technique specific training in my athlete’s training. There is a time and place for everything.For example, we can use the information present in your swing to shape our training. For our slicer and armsy swinger we continue to refer to, we should make sure to complete kneeling wood chops from more of an acute angle of pull, in order to place your arms in a more “shallowed” and in-to-out swing plane position. Very importantly, understand that “technique” is very different than “golf specific” training. Technique means we are trying to intently apply a specific swing characteristic into our training in the hopes of it transferring to the range. Golf specific training is much more vague, and to me, means trying to move in a manner more synonymous with your golf swing, while not necessarily training the technique aspect of your swing. This will show itself in training in the form of medicine ball throws, sledge hammer slams, rotational rows and punches, etc. So, to summarize… Limit the amount of true technique work you do within your sports performance and strength and conditioning training. In general, save the technique work for the range session. By doing so you will:
Truly reap the rewards of your newfound physical output base
Make actual swing changes that will transfer to your game
Physical Specificity
You almost can’t have enough of this. In my opinion, this is where the majority of your sports performance training should exist.This is where we create robust and adaptable bodies capable of withstanding high levels of golf specific stresses as well as producing huge amounts of force and velocity. Within this bucket of specificity, we are looking at the intrabodily stresses being created during your swing, and training to maximize our preparation for them.It is within this category that we increase our physical abilities and our underlying health and movement abilities.Anything that attempts to build our physical capacity, falls under this umbrella. Squats. Deadlifts. Lunges. Jumps. Plyometrics. Skipping. Crawling. Max out clubhead speed testing. Push ups. Rows. Medicine ball throws. The list goes on, and on, and on. I would even consider a range session or going and playing 18 a form of physical specificity!Both “golf specific” and “non-golf specific” physical training falls under this umbrella as they should both be utilized to prepare and maximize our golf swings. * Remember, “golf specific” is different than “technique specificity” * The majority of our training should fall under this category as it is fairly all encompassing… I would estimate between 80 and 90%.
Environmental Specificity
I won’t get too deep into this topic because it could go on for pages and pages. But the central premise is that the game of golf takes place in a dynamic environment that continually challenges us to be adaptable from both a physical as well as a cognitive standpoint. A large amount of success on the course is dependent on our ability to adapt and perceive the environment we find ourselves in. If we think of ‘physical specificity’ as training the intrabodily (internal) stressors, ‘environmental specificity’ looks at the interbodily (external) stressors being created by our relationship with the environement.We can train these external stressors within our sports performance training by increasing the variability of stresses and environments we expose ourselves to. An easy example is through movement variability. By increasing our breadth of movement abilities, we are better equipped to overcome any dynamic environment we find ourselves within.
Let’s wrap this thing up…
When it comes to how much specificity, the answer is much, much deeper than it appears on the surface. We need to break down specificity into its separate components. We also need to understand that amongst the specificity is unbelievably complex variability. By this I mean that a crucial part of training for golf specificity, is training for the variability the sport creates.To summarize the three buckets of specificity... When looking at techniquespecificity, we probably should limit the amount of time we spend in our training focused solely on this. Physicalspecificity as well as environmentalspecificity are things we should attempt to maximize in training. Not only should we strive to create a wider and deeper breadth of physical outputs, but we need to teach our body’s how to apply those outputs in the context of rotational power (more golf specific).It’s not enough to say YES TO SPECIFICITY, or NO TO SPECIFICITY. The question is much deeper than that. The goal at the end of the day is to build an adaptable, robust and resilient body, capable of succeeding on the golf course. And, as always, let’s go low.
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[post_title] => How SPECIFIC Should your Golf Training Be?
[post_excerpt] => An argument that rolls through the golf training community is, at what point should we include “golf specific” movements in our training.
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[post_content] => How would you describe the ideal athlete? Would she be tall? Muscular? Strong? Would he have a 6 pack? Would she be able to jump high and run fast? What sport does he/she play? What position? ...These questions are nearly impossible to answer.The ideal athlete is extremely context dependent. Phil Mickelson just won the PGA Championship awhile back. What would happen if you put him at cornerback lined up across from Devante Adams? Yuka Saso just won the US Women's Open a few weeks ago. What would happen if she tried to guard Breanna Stewart on the basketball court?...Even if we just look at the sport of golf and ask, what do the best golfers’ athletic profiles look like? Dustin Johnson is very different from Colin Morikawa. Rickie is different from Rory. Compare Phil and Tiger from 15 years ago… Very different athletic builds. But yet, these are all very successful golfers. ...The reason I make all of these distinctions is because I want you to understand that when I say, “Train like an Athlete,” that doesn’t mean you, as a golfer, should be training like a middle linebacker, UFC Fighter, or starting MLB Pitcher. Furthermore, every athlete has a surrounding context that affects their ideal method of training.Your training experience, injury history, sport, position, goals, movement assessment results, (yada yada) all create differences in the athletic context that surrounds YOU.Very rarely should a coach jam the athlete into the mold of their training. Instead mold the training to fit the athlete.Now, that being said, training will have many underlying commonalities amongst differing sports. As a golfer, your training will look similar to others within the sport due to the fact that they play the same sport, complete very similar movements, and have similar goals (I don’t really know a golfer who doesn’t want to play better, healthier, and longer). At the end of the day if you are training and treating yourself like the athlete you are, you’re on the right track!...
What is an Athlete?
An athlete is somebody who uses their physical abilities in a competitive manner. If you golf, if you keep score, if you AT ALL care about what your scorecard says at the end of the round, or where your next tee shot goes, or avoiding the water on 7… YOU ARE AN ATHLETE. Boom, glad that’s settled....
How Can YOU Train Like an Athlete?
Quick Overview of the Rest of the Article:
There are three central themes that we need to discuss when attempting to train like an athlete...
Athlete Mentality - How should you be viewing your physical training in order to produce results like an athlete? Long story short, training needs to be come a priority.
Athlete Physical Development - 5 Things Your Training NEEDS to have in order to build the athlete within you.
Athlete Holistic Development - Never forget about the surrounding lifestyle and health habits that you maintain. Would the best athletes in the world fail to prioritize nutrition, sleep, or hydration… of course not… and neither can you!
...
Athlete Mentality
While all athletes attack their sports with slightly different emotions and mental states, nearly all successful ones make their training a PRIORITY.
The harder I work, the luckier I get - Gary Player
Athletes understand the role that physical development, practice, and strength training has on their success in the sport, and they make sure to prioritize it.And while, I understand you aren’t playing golf this weekend for $1.5 mil, nor does your livelihood depend on your athletic abilities, if you golf, you are an athlete (we went over this). Treat yourself like one!Nearly ALL golfers (pros and amateurs alike) share a relentless spirit and hunger to improve their games. It’s what makes the game so great! If you share this drive, ask yourself, are you doing everything in your power to improve your game? Are you maintaining an athlete’s mentality when it comes to prioritizing your training needs?If you are reading this, I am guessing you already train pretty regularly and share in my spirit of training and physical development, so I won’t beat on the point.But, to summarize, if you truly consider yourself a golfer, an athlete or even simply an individual who seeks improvement, training needs to be prioritized and given the proper importance, like your livelihood depends on it, like you are playing for $1.5 mil this weekend… I wish… ...
Athlete Physical Development
So, what should our training look like if we are seeking to move and feel like an athlete. Let’s break it down into 5 parts, simply because I like organization.
Train fast (and I mean FAST, like, explosively fast).
Train strong.
Train mobile and stabile
Train to boost coordination.
Train to expand your MOVEMENT CAPACITY.
...
Train FAST
Not only should we train fast because the golf swing is fast, but doing so prepares our body’s for what life throws at it.I believe many injuries in our world occur due to a lack of preparation. A muscle isn’t prepared to contract or elongate at a certain velocity, so it strains. A joint isn’t prepared for a certain dynamic load, so a different joint compensates.Our nervous system isn’t upregulated to perform a high intensity action, so we’re inefficient and ineffective. By training fast we can help build this preparation. We will tap into high threshold motor units as well as increase their firing rates. We will build neuromuscular effeciency and increase our muscle fiber shortening speed. We will become more powerful and faster - and our clubhead speed will increase as a result!By training FAST, we not only can enhance our athletic potential to perform an action, but we can also physically and neurologically expose ourselves to intensities that we will see elsewhere - building injury resilience!Here are 5 ways to train fast (placed in the order of increasing intensity and impact)!
Sprinting (no video here, but I think it’s straightforward)
...
Train STRONG
In order to create resilient and robust muscles, capable of withstanding forces that the golf swing (and life) presents, we need to train to be strong!Strength is quite literally defined as, the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure.Think about it this way: If we define strength, as I did above, then which of the following materials is strongest… paper, rope, or steel? Obviously the steel as it can withstand the most amount of forces and pressures… Strength training helps us adapt tissues to be more steel-like. The stronger our muscles, the harder it is to break them. Get stronger to help eliminate injuries.* Obviously there is way more to injuries than strength, but you get the point, in general, stronger = more resilient.Training for strength requires placing an external load on our movement, which will elicit higher levels of motor unit recruitment, and create strength adaptations. Here are some of my current favorite strength exercises in ascending order (1 = least impactful, 5 = most impactful).
The best athletes don’t necessarily have the largest range of motion (@ Jon Rahm). Nor do they have the most stability. However, all athletes have created a balance in their movement between mobility and stability. They can move joints through a relatively large range of motion (relative to the amount necessary for their swing), and they can do so with simultaneous strength and stability.The best way to train for higher levels of mobility and stability are to complete movements and exercises through a large range of motion in a controlled and tension driven manner. If you can find ways to strengthen and control larger ranges of motion, we will successfully expand not only our mobility, but our stability in these new ranges of motion. My recommendation: Instead of doing yoga or static stretching for hours on end, I encourage you to simply challenge the ranges of motion you are utilizing while completing strength exercises and other training movements. Pair this with some daily dynamic mobilization drills and we are on the right track!...
Train to Boost Coordination
Our training movements and exercises should challenge our body to connect as a holistic and interdependent system (not always, but for sure multiple times throughout the course of a training session). Furthermore, they should challenge our ability to interact with our environment. Can you move your body amongst the environment you find yourself in? This is a central reason I make nearly all of my athletes crawl!It teaches us how to interact with the ground, and use the ground. It exposes our movement, challenging our coordination patterns and ability to move in space!While crawling may not be inherently golf specific, it is towards the top of my priority list when it comes to golfers.Coordination can also be trained through various extensive plyometrics and locomotion drills such as hopping, variable walking, skipping, and light bounding. Just like crawling, these help teach us how to interact with the ground and our environment, produce force and absorb force. The golf swing is a total body movement that requires us to interact with the environment in order to overcome it. Training to boost more global coordination patterns will help us learn and succeed in this manner!
Examples:
This is a fancy way of saying, add variability to your training!Adding variability can be accomplished in many ways including, but not limited to:
Increase the weight or load you are applying to the movement
Change the tempo (faster or slower, maybe even add a pause somewhere)
Widen your stance, or narrow your stance
Change the training tool being utilized
Change exercises weekly or monthly
By doing so, we will expose our movement in a new way, and create a newfound adaptation.The variability you add should be dependent on the movement being completed. For example, if you are crawling or completing a low impact movement, be explorative and creative! The possibilities are endless.If you are completing a strength exercise in which a heavier load is being applied, you are better off adding variability in the form of tempo or weight, as opposed to totally changing the movement. With all of my athletes, I strive to add enough variability to challenge their movement system, coordination patterns, and athletic abilities, while at the same time allowing enough time for motor learning and control to be established with certain exercises. At the end of the day, the goal is to build an adaptable, robust and resilient movement system.Adding variability and continually changing the exercises we are completing, adding weight, changing the tempo, or subtly altering our movement will help us create this!...
Athlete Holistic Development
The third, final, and most important piece of training like an athlete… holistic development!How’s your nutrition? Hydration? Sleep and recovery? Stress management? Training like an athlete means that we need to adjust our more global lifestyle and holistic health habits to match our training and goals. If hitting the ball 20 yards further is a goal of yours, nutrition and prioritizing sleep are awesome places to start! At the end of the day, we are humans. Health underlies EVERYTHING that we do, including playing the beautiful game of golf. Treat your body and life like the athlete you are! Go out and train like an athlete today!...Let’s go low!
Attention All Golfers
GolfStrength360 was created to teach you how to become a more athletic and healthier you, on and off the course
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[post_title] => Train Like an Athlete
[post_excerpt] => How would you describe the ideal athlete?
Would she be tall? Muscular? Strong?
Would he have a 6 pack?
Would she be able to jump high and run fast?
What sport does he/she play?
What position?
.
.
.
These questions are nearly impossible to answer.
The ideal athlete is extremely context dependent.
Phil Mickelson just won the PGA Championship awhile back. What would happen if you put him at cornerback lined up across from Devante Adams?
Yuka Saso just won the US Women's Open a few weeks ago. What would happen if she tried to guard Breanna Stewart on the basketball court?
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[post_date] => 2021-06-24 15:12:50
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[post_content] => Are you somebody who finds yourself scoring low on the front nine, and then struggling down the stretch? Are you somebody who struggles putting together a complete round of golf? Are you somebody who continually feels fatigued throughout the course of a round? ...I am guessing many people out there are in one of these boats, and the first and most important takeaway we should have is that golf is a demanding sport. Playing 18 holes. Walking between 3 and 6 miles. Taking 36+ high velocity, high impact swings. It is a demanding sport, so don’t be discouraged when you find yourself getting fatigued… it’s normal. It is your body’s way of creating adaptations!...However, we all want to play better golf. We all want to score lower. In order to do so, we can’t be getting fatigued on the 15th, and limp our way into the clubhouse finishing triple bogey, double bogey, triple bogey. So let’s dive into the concept of fatigue, understand what actually is going on, and then discuss some ways that you can work to eliminate fatigue long-term, as well as short term solutions you can use to eliminate it as soon as today!
Head over to the link below to discover 4 Ways to Build Fatigues Resistance!
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[post_title] => 4 Ways to Build Fatigue Resistance
[post_excerpt] => Are you somebody who finds yourself scoring low on the front nine, and then struggling down the stretch?
Are you somebody who struggles putting together a complete round of golf?
Are you somebody who continually feels fatigued throughout the course of a round?
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[post_modified] => 2022-01-21 22:03:36
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[post_date] => 2021-06-17 13:49:36
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[post_content] => Way too often our world focuses on reactive mechanisms to problems, as opposed to proactive, and there are many reasons for this. It’s easier to spot a problem that has already happened.It’s easier to judge the success of your intervention… did it solve the problem? It’s easier to create a solution to a problem that is understood.However, I believe the central reason is due to the fact that we feel limited intrinsic rewards when it comes to proactive solutions.
We celebrate the response, the recovery, the rescue. But we’re capable of greater things. Less Undo and more Outdo. What the world needs now is a quieter breed of hero, one actively fighting for a world in which rescues are no longer required (Upstream, Heath).
Ask yourself, how satisfying is it to create a solution to a chronic problem?
Cleaning out the garage that was way overdue.
The lawn is getting long, so you decide to mow it.
You have a cavity, so you go to the dentist to get it filled.
These are “easy,” tangible solutions. We are reacting to a problem that exists.On the flip side, when we are proactive, it is impossible to know if a problem would have even persisted, if it wasn't for our intervention.
Oil changes to keep your car running smooth
Working out and maintaining a holistic lifestyle, to keep your life and body running smooth
Brushing your teeth and going to the dentist to avoid cavities
There are very limited intrinsic rewards associated with these solutions as we don’t know if a problem would have been created, with or without our intervention.HOWEVER… Proactive solutions are and will continue to be the better and more effective long-term solution to problems - and no doubt this is the case when it comes to lower back pain. You only get one body. We need to make it resilient, robust, and adaptable in order to avoid future problems.
The Prominence of Low Back Pain - It’s Everywhere but Low.
Of all golf related injuries, low back pain is associated with upwards of 36% of them (4). More than a third!!Unbelievable. Astounding. Blasphemous. I’m out of words.Low back pain is everywhere in golf, and the best way to solve it is by creating proactive golfers with durable, adaptable and resilient bodies, capable of withstanding the impacts presented by the golf swing. On a more global level, eliminating low back pain in golfers means being proactive and preventing it in the first place… not so much creating a magic pill to rid of it after it occurs. And if you are someone who currently suffers from lower back pain, don’t worry, it’s not too late!
Your Golf Swing Isn’t Soft
Before digging too deep into creating lower backs that feel good, and continue to feel good, let’s understand the problem we are attempting to prevent. What stress is your golf swing actually creating at the lower back?The golf swing does inherently place the lower back into some “risky” positions. However, I am a firm believer that the golf swing itself isn’t a mechanism of injury, unless we fail to prepare our bodies properly. During the golf swing… Compression forces on the lumbar spine are upwards of 6 times your bodyweight (1). Anterior-Posterior shear forces are estimated at 1.6 times your bodyweight (1). From a rotation standpoint, the lower back isn’t necessarily designed for the same levels of those found in the hips and thoracic spine, but yet it undergoes high degrees of rotation during the golf swing… Maybe even greater than the hips!In most humans, rotation between the 4 joints found at the lumbar spinal bones averages about 10 degrees, and is maximized at about 16 degrees (2).The thoracic spine (upper/mid back) rotates roughly 3 degrees at each segment, leaving a total of roughly 30-35 degrees.During your backswing, your hips will rotate about ~45 degrees, and your shoulders will rotate ~90 degrees, meaning the torso (spine to shoulders) is responsible for ~45 degrees of rotation - primarily led by spinal rotation. Of this ~45 degrees of spinal rotation, ~30-35 is from the thoracic spine, ~10-16 is from the lumbar spine. Basically all of this is to simply say, your spine rotates in your golf swing, specifically your lower back, and when we combine that rotation with the compression and shear forces being applied, it can create unhappy lower backs. So, yes the golf swing exposes the lower back to pretty high impacts, BUT, I still stand by my point I made earlier… The golf swing isn’t a mechanism of injury unless we fail to prepare our bodies properly. Once we understand these stresses and impacts, we can proactively prepare our bodies to overcome and thrive amongst them!
Proactive Exercises for Spinal Health
If you are somebody that is reading this with a “healthy” spine, we need to work to keep it that way! In order to do so, let’s progressively expose it to similar stressors it will see in your golf swing and in life. Let’s make sure it has the mobility it needs to reach positions demanded of it. Let’s make sure it has the stability and strength to support those high levels of compression created in our swings and remain resilient through highly powerful and forceful impacts.Let’s make sure it has the motor control and fluidity to move with our hips and shoulders, creating bodily connections and connecting our movement. Let’s make sure we expose it to high levels of rotational velocity, so the first time it meets these forces isn’t on the first tee.Let’s make sure it has the stiffness and rigidity to transfer forces up the kinetic chain....AT MINIMUM, your training sessions should include one spinal stability or strength exercise, and one spinal flow/mobility exercise. Check out some options in the exercise list below!
Obviously, this section and article as a whole, is very context dependent and it is impossible for me to broadly say… Do these exercises, don’t do these other ones. If you have this, do this. If you have this, don’t do this. That being said, if you are someone who does suffer from lower back pain, step 1 is to not be worried, it is by no means too late for you to unlock higher levels of health and performance. Steps 2 and 3 are to get out of pain and progress towards higher levels of spinal health. I put these two together because I feel that oftentimes, they can be completed simultaneously. As we work to gain spinal stability, strength and mobility, within a proper progressive plan, we will find the pain becoming eliminated. If you have pain, you are not broken or need to be fixed, that’s the wrong mindset to undertake. Your body is simply adapting to the physical stressors you are giving it. I love the saying, the difference between poison and medicine is the dosage. Similarly, the difference between injury and adaptation is the dosage. In order to create adaptations, we need to apply stressors. But similarly, stressors can create injury if overapplied.So, if you are undergoing lower back pain, reach out ~ carter@resistancebandtraining.com~ (or see a professional), let’s get you closer to those adaptations we seek! Let’s adjust the stressors we are giving our body, thus allowing it to adapt, become robust and create resilience.Let’s expand our movement capabilities while relieving the pain. Let’s explore what our body is truly capable of and understand that the pain is simply part of the process of adaptation. ...And, as always, let's go low!
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Sources
Lim YT, Chow JW, Chae WS. Lumbar spinal loads and muscle activity during a golf swing. Sports Biomech. 2012 Jun;11(2):197-211. doi: 10.1080/14763141.2012.670662. PMID: 22900401.
Pearcy MJ, Tibrewal SB. Axial rotation and lateral bending in the normal lumbar spine measured by three-dimensional radiography. Spine (Phila Pa 1976). 1984 Sep;9(6):582-7. doi: 10.1097/00007632-198409000-00008. PMID: 6495028.
Neumann, D. A. (2010). Kinesiology of the musculoskeletal system: Foundations for rehabilitation (2nd ed.). St. Louis, MO: Mosby Elsevier.
Mun, Frederick et al. “Kinematic relationship between rotation of lumbar spine and hip joints during golf swing in professional golfers.” Biomedical engineering online vol. 14 41. 14 May. 2015, doi:10.1186/s12938-015-0041-5
[post_title] => PREVENTING and ELIMINATING Lower Back Pain
[post_excerpt] => Way too often our world focuses on reactive mechanisms to problems, as opposed to proactive, and there are many reasons for this.
It’s easier to spot a problem that has already happened.
It’s easier to judge the success of your intervention… did it solve the problem?
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[post_date] => 2021-06-10 12:52:44
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[post_content] => As of late, I have been viewing the role of strength and conditioning, and physical preparation through two lenses. Lens #1: Building OutputsLens #2: Expressing OutputsI had the opportunity to discuss this and more on a recent Jochum Strength Podcast, Episode 85, go check it out HERE.Let’s dive into each lens, highlight its unique importance, and then bring them together to create the ideal athlete. Then, I’ll pose these questions to you: Which side are you on? Which lens do you look through?After that, we’ll complete a quick case study of Bryson DeChambeau, and look at his dramatic physical and performance transformation through these two lenses. Let’s do it....Building OutputsProbably the most well established role of physical training is increasing the body’s ability to create physical outputs.An output is defined as the amount of something produced by a person, machine or industry. It is purely a quantitative metric looking at efficiency, not effectiveness. How much force can you produce? How much active mobility do you have? How fast are you?How far can you jump? How far can you throw a medicine ball? How fast?These are all physical outputs, crucial to athletic success and longevity in any sport. They are quantitative metrics and can be measured. They will be built and grown through proper training. Although correlated to success in sport, simply having large physical outputs doesn’t assure you of success in sport.I believe that, while we can always improve as an industry, the strength and conditioning field as a whole is pretty good at this part of the athletic equation. We generally know how to get athletes bigger, stronger, faster. We generally know how to increase an athlete’s physical prowess and output ability as it relates to a training setting. However, being fast, alone, doesn’t mean you’ll be a great football player. Being able to produce force, alone, doesn’t mean you’ll be a great basketball player. Having higher levels of rotational power, alone, doesn’t mean you’ll be a better golfer. Expressing OutputsWe are missing a bridge between output creation and sport, and I believe the bridge is learning output expression. What can I do with my newfound outputs? How can I utilize my strength in the context of my sport? How can I apply my newfound rotational abilities to my golf swing? This is the trickier piece of the equation because it's hard to define, it’s tough to test, and it’s nearly impossible to quantifiably track. The best athletes in the world, in my opinion, have the ability to express their outputs better than everybody else. Of course, many of them have elite outputs to draw upon (DK Metcalf, Tiger Woods, Lebron James, Michael Phelps). On the flip side, many more have relatively less outputs to draw upon, but yet can express what they do have with extreme precision, energy, and creativity (John Daly, Tom Brady, Jerry Rice, Colin Morikawa, etc.)So how do we actually go about bridging the gap between output creation and sport? How do we go about learning to express outputs?The best way is to, get this, play the sport with your newfound outputs. If you gain 3 inches on your vert in an offseason, what is the best way to apply that to your basketball abilities… playing basketball. If you gain 10 lbs of muscle and higher joint ranges of motion in an offseason, what is the best way to apply these to your golf swing… play golf. If your bench press goes up 40 lbs in an offseason, what's the best way to apply this to your ability to block a blitzing linebacker… go practice blocking a blitzing linebacker. BUT.... I believe there are ways that we as sports performance and “strength and conditioning” coaches can and should help guide athletes to express their outputs. Exposing athletes to various environments, creating different opportunities for them to showcase their outputs places them in a state of learning. Allow your athletes to explore their outputs, and tap into their true movement potential by giving freedom and encouraging creativity. By adjusting and adapting the training environment consistently, and by giving the athlete the appropriate environmental information to explore, an athlete will be forced to perceive and utilize their movement and their outputs differently, and thus, unlocking newfound movement potential. Variability will create adaptability and learning. By continually exposing and stressing athletes in new ways with new movements, environments, contexts, problems, stimuli, and tasks we can help the athlete build adaptability in their movement system and learn how to maximally express their output ability. Bringing Them Together It takes both, a large output base to draw upon as well as the ability to express these outputs, in order to truly create an ideal athlete. So, let me pose the question, which side are you on? Do you have a large output base to draw upon, but struggle expressing those outputs in the context of sport? If so, we will call you an accountant. Why you may ask? First, because this is me. I have the physical outputs to succeed at golf, but yet I am still learning how to express my physical outputs and perform on the course. Even as a collegiate football athlete, I often found myself having the physical tools to succeed but failed to express them in a successful manner within the context of the sport. And further, I worked as an accountant for a year after graduating so it seemed fitting in that regard too. But also, I think the job of an accountant is very synonymous with this end of the spectrum… let me explain. While everybody I worked with during my time crunching numbers had the physical capabilities to perform their jobs at a high level, we worked extremely hard, sat at our desks for long hours, and got the monotonous work done, there was no expression, creativity, or variability in the job. We sat, we did the work, we went home. We had the physical outputs necessary for success, but there wasn’t much true expression of those outputs.Many football players and “weight room” sports (by this I mean those with a culture founded on weight room strength training) find themselves on this side of the spectrum. They have the strength, the speed, the jumping and the cutting abilities, but they struggle expressing those physical outputs in a creative and problem solving manner to truly succeed on the field.If this sounds like you, you are an accountant.Now, on the flip side, do you have a relatively smaller output base to draw upon but can express the outputs that you do have at a high level? We will call you an artist. While obviously having serious abilities and outputs to draw upon (as showcased in their artistic abilities) artists are extremely skilled at expressing the outputs that they have in whatever art form they choose. They have the creativity and problem solving ability to navigate their physical outputs and create something beautiful. However, artists' jobs are much more variable due to the fact that they rely on their expressions and creativity, as opposed to the accountant that relies on their physical outputs. Are you physically output driven? Do you succeed because of your outputs? Are you an accountant? Are you output expression driven? Do you succeed because of your ability to express the outputs you maintain? Are you an artist?Quick Case StudyBryson DeChambaeu, PGA Tour Golfer, has gone through a dramatic physical transformation over the last couple of years. He has gained 40 lbs and his strength numbers are through the roof (output creation). He’s gained speed too. In 2017, Bryson was averaging a ball speed of 174 mph off the tee. In 2021 he is currently averaging 190+ mph. In that same time, driving distance has increased from an average of 299 yards off the tee to a whopping 322.Wow. So let’s relate this to the two lenses we discussed earlier. Clearly his physical prowess and physical output reserve that he can draw upon has gone up. It’s evident. Look at the before and after picture below and look at the numbers I listed above... However, simply increasing this physical output reserve alone would not have created the huge increases in PGA Tour performance that he’s experienced over the last few years. His swing has undergone many, many changes in order to adapt to and maximize his newfound output reserve.. For example, he takes a much faster backswing these days than in the past. By doing so, he is attempting to tap into higher levels of stretch shortening cycle activity and momentum. Check out the video below: VIDEO: Bryson Swing Speed He also creates much higher ground reaction forces by actually lifting himself up slightly during his backswing. He has a much more dynamic lower body that allows him to really utilize higher ground reaction forces on the downswing to create huge amounts of rotational power and clubhead speed. And lastly, his swing and speed training has risen to an intensity and purposefulness that is inspiring. It is amongst these training sessions that we can actually witness himself translating his newfound physical output base into expression and a successful golf swing.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aesf7VAbtoEIt is evident, not only did Bryson increase his physical output base (the accountant within him) but he also increased his ability to express those outputs (his inner artist). It takes both, not one or the other. ...So, I’ll pose the question that will be crucial to your athletic development… which side are you on? Which lens do you look through?
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[post_title] => Which Side Are You On? The Accountant vs. The Artist.
[post_excerpt] => As of late, I have been viewing the role of strength and conditioning, and physical preparation through two lenses.
Lens #1: Building Outputs.
Lens #2: Expressing Outputs.
Let’s dive into each lens, highlight its unique importance, and then bring them together to create the ideal athlete. Then, I’ll pose these questions to you: Which side are you on? Which lens do you look through?
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[post_date] => 2021-06-03 10:00:42
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[post_content] => Finally! The time has come, golf season is in full swing. If you are a fellow Midwesterner, then I am sure you can echo my happiness. With the season officially upon us, it’s crucial that our training adapts to mold to our new lifestyle as well as continues pushing us towards our goals. It needs to complement our higher volumes of playing time, never leaving us feeling too fatigued or ill prepared for a round of golf.Because, let’s be real, a large reason I (we) train is to be able to play high level golf. When the time has come, I want to be ready, not waiting for my body to recover from a workout. Now is the time, and here are 5 keys to training in-season that are going to allow you to not only play great rounds of golf, but continually push you closer to your long-term goals. 1.) More Than MaintenanceThis is the first, and most important idea that we need to comprehend as a golfing community. In-season golf training is more than simply “maintaining” all of the work you did in the off-season. We all have long-term goals, some golf related, some life related. If you don’t, I recommend you come up with some and write them down! Feel free to share them with me if you would like. We are much more likely to follow through with goals when we tell others about them.At the base, I would guess many of our golf related goals are somewhere along the lines of:
Play better
Play healthier
Play longer
Being the case, we can’t simply go through this annual cycle of build up for the season, tear down during the season, repeat. Instead, we need to use the season to further progress our physical preparedness and overall physical abilities. While our training should adjust, and may attack our goals in different ways, ways that better complement the higher volume of golf we will be playing, the long term development goals remain the same.
Play better
Play healthier
Play longer
Instead, our year-over-year programming should resemble as below: Maintenance is reserved for fragile, non-adaptable things, like cars, buildings, and appliances, not humans. You can and should seek progression during in-season golf training. If you are maintaining, you are leaving progress on the table. 2.) Limit Training StressNow, at first glance this second key may seem opposite of the first one, however, let me explain. I want us to think of stress as a reserve system, meaning that we have a certain amount of stress within us that we can draw upon before creating burn out or negative effects. Drawing out some of this stress on a daily basis is a good thing, we need this for growth. But pulling too much from our stress reserve will be negative and could halt growth, or worse, reverse it. Further, we have to remember that stress is a multifaceted ideal, meaning it comes in many forms. Mental stress, emotional stress, physical stress, cognitive stress, etc…. And golf probably hits all of these and more, depending on the day. More golf in-season means more stress being pulled from our reserve. Therefore, the question as a sports performance coach then becomes, how do we limit stress but still produce adaptation and growth?First, and probably easiest, let’s make the workouts shorter and decrease volume (See key #3). A ton of work and adaptation can be created in 3, 30 minute workouts per week.Secondly, let’s remove some of the more impactful exercises like jumping, running, rotating, etc. (See key #4).Thirdly, let’s complete exercises and movements that athletes are very comfortable with. By doing so, we eliminate the additional stress of motor learning, which can be subconsciously dramatic. When completing a new movement our nervous system has to work over time not only to direct the actions of our muscles, trying to coordinate movement, but also in attempting to store the new exercise in our movement banks, ready to go for next time. If we can eliminate this neuromotor stress by completing movements that we are very familiar with, we will be able to limit the stress being pulled from our reserve, but still tap into growth and create adaptations.Lastly, be aware of other external stressors outside of golf and be able to gauge when stress is too high, and, oppositely, when you can afford to pull more from your reserve. Did you recently get into a fight with a loved one? Did you recently get married? Did you recently get a new boss whose first impression was unpleasant? Did you recently get a job promotion? Both positive and negative events in our lives trigger stress responses and will pull from our reserve. Therefore, be aware and attuned to your body. If too stressed, there is no point in adding the additional stress of training and instead go for a walk, do a 10 minute yoga session, or do something to promote recovery.Health always underlies performance, but more on this in key #5!3.) Shorter isn’t always worseAs I mentioned earlier, a lot of work can get done in 3, 30 minute workouts each week. Over a 5 month season, that would mean 1,800 minutes of training that you would have missed if you decided to not train in-season (and you would fall onto that first graph above titled, “Bad In-Season Training Habits”)A shorter workout will pull less stress out of our reserve and leave us with more to devote towards actually playing the game of golf, which is the end goal! However, don’t be fooled, shorter does not mean a “worse” workout. It doesn’t mean a less productive or effective one either. It simply means we need to transfer our focus. Instead of creating adaptations through volume, we are now shifting to create different adaptations through intent and quality of our movement. We are blossoming adaptations through shorter bursts of intensity, and not longer exposures to volume. While progressing health and performance throughout the course of a season DOES require continually increasing or altering the stress being applied via training, shorter and higher intensity based workouts can be an awesome tool during the season to minimize volume stress, but maximize intent and efficiency of the stresses being created. 4.) Prioritize:Strength, Stability/Anti-Rotation, Mobility.Microdose: Power and Rotation. If you have been following me for any amount of time, you are aware of the 5 physical traits of a holistic golf athlete:
Strength
Power
Mobility
Stability / Anti-Rotation
Rotation
While we should never, not train any of these qualities, when it comes to in-season training, we should be prioritizing those that complement our golf swings best, leaving us a healthy, robust, and adaptable movement system. The golf swing requires all 5 of these characteristics, but specifically, the golf swing is power and rotation based. Let’s say you are playing 4 times a week for 2 hours each time. That’s a total of 8 hours of powerful rotation based movement being created by your movement system. Therefore, in our training let’s shift our focus to the other keys in order to further push us towards our goals of holistic, long-term physical development. Priority should be placed on strength, stability / anti-rotation, and mobility as these are seen to lesser degrees in the golf swing. What do I mean by microdosing power and rotation? Microdose means to apply a very small amount of something in order to see adaptation, while minimizing any negative side effects of that same thing. Therefore, when I say microdose power and rotation, understand that we should continually include these in our training throughout the season. Trust me, I, more than anybody, will push you to include more rotational work in your training. However, when it comes to in-season training, we rotate a ton when we play, therefore let’s minimize the volume of rotation we are completing in training and instead complement our golf with stability and anti-rotation exercises.Same goes for power. The golf swing is powerful, and completing movements at the velocity that it calls for can be impactful on joints. Therefore, we need to pair this impact with a different stimulus in training like slower strength work or isometric stabilization work to continually create a holistic movement system.The goal is to push us closer to our goals of long-term physical development. The best way to do so is to balance these 5 keys throughout the duration of your training year in a way that promotes continuous growth and adaptation.5.) Establish Holistic Health HabitsLast but not least, it is crucial that we work to establish and progress our overall holistic health habits. This includes, but not limited to:
Nutrition
Hydration
Sleep and Recovery
Emotional health
Attitude
Physical activity
As discussed above, with the golf season comes increased stress being pulled from our reserve via volume of playing. Because of this, we should be minimizing stress elsewhere and maximizing our recovery and holistic health habits. Getting better sleep won’t just make you feel better and give you a better attitude, it will boost recovery from one round to the next. Improving nutrition won’t just help you recover faster, but it will supply you with proper energy to limit fatigue throughout your next round. Having a better attitude and maintaining higher degrees of happiness won’t just help you play better and enjoy the game, but it has shown to decrease blood pressure, increase heart health, and improve immune system function. Your game relies on your underlying health levels. There is no better time to improve your underlying health habits than in-season, because it is when your game relies on them most!Wrap Up Training in-season isn’t simply a time for “maintenance” or worse, regression. It is a time to continue progressing our physical development in a way that complements our golf game and volume of playing. There are ways to continue progressing, and yet still leave plenty in the tank for our next round or range session. Don’t pick one or the other. Choose both to truly maximize your current health and performance, as well as your future health and performance. Here is a glimpse at what my current in-season training schedule looks like… My Current In-Season Training ScheduleMonday:
45 Minute Total Body Strength Workout (Lower Body Emphasis)
15 Minute Mobility/Stability Session
30 Minute Short Game Practice
Tuesday
Active Recovery
15 Minute Primer Workout
1 Hour Range Session
30 Minute Short Game Practice
Wednesday
45 Minute Total Body Strength (Upper Body Emphasis)
15 Minute Mobility/Stability Session
Thursday
15 Minute Primer Workout
1 Hour Range Session
30 Minute Short Game Practice
Friday
30 Minute High Intensity Workout
30 Minute Short Game Practice or Range Session
9 / 18 Holes
Saturday
Active Recovery
15 Minute Mobility/Stability Session
9 /18 Holes
Sunday
15 Minute Primer Workout
9 / 18 Holes
Let's go low!
[carter_signature]
[post_title] => 5 Keys to In-Season Golf Training
[post_excerpt] => Finally! The time has come, golf season is in full swing. If you are a fellow Midwesterner, then I am sure you can echo my happiness.
With the season officially upon us, it’s crucial that our training adapts to mold to our new lifestyle, continues pushing us towards our goals and complements our higher volumes of playing time, never leaving us feeling to fatigued or ill prepared for a round of golf.
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[post_modified] => 2021-06-17 13:51:12
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Golf is a GREAT form of exercise and activity.
It gets you outside for 5+ hours.
It's a physically impactful and powerful movement.
You're bound to take a bunch of steps whether you're in a cart of walking the course.
And, I think most golfers would agree with me that, by the middle of the back 9, fatigue normally sets in.
But, can you get "in shape" from it?
I want this game to grow. I want more people to understand the power and importance that the game of golf can have within their lives. There are youth golfers everywhere, with parents and coaches who certainly want the best for them. I've had the pleasure of working with hundreds of youth athletes, and have no doubt learned a thing or two along the way. This article will describe what I believe to be "best" in terms of fitness for junior golfers.
When it comes to the golf swing, there are two separate, but at the same time unified pieces of the rotational power puzzle:
The lower body and its relationship with the ground
The upper body and its ability to load and explode rotationally
The ancient Chinese proverbs had a saying, wu-wei (pronounced ooo-way), which is a framework that helps guide you through your life.
It refers to the “dynamic, effortless, and unselfconscious state of mind of a person who is optimally active and effective. People in wu-wei feel as if they are doing nothing, while at the same time they might be creating a brilliant work of art, smoothly negotiating a complex social situation, or even bringing the entire world into harmonious order” (1).
Warming up prior to playing golf is MANDATORY for all of my athletes... it should be for you too! Here's why and how you should be warming up!
However, one thing I will say with certainty.
PRIOR TO GOLFING, WARMING UP IS MANDATORY.
The progressions and the adaptations that we seek in our training, need to parallel the progressions and goals we seek outside of our training.
Too often strength coaches and weight room meatheads view “progression” as simply the weight being moved.
But, if my goal is to move better, feel better, and play better golf, the weight on the bar means fairly little in the grand scheme of things… it obviously matters, but not as much as you may think.
How would you describe the ideal athlete?
Would she be tall? Muscular? Strong?
Would he have a 6 pack?
Would she be able to jump high and run fast?
What sport does he/she play?
What position?
.
.
.
These questions are nearly impossible to answer.
The ideal athlete is extremely context dependent.
Phil Mickelson just won the PGA Championship awhile back. What would happen if you put him at cornerback lined up across from Devante Adams?
Yuka Saso just won the US Women's Open a few weeks ago. What would happen if she tried to guard Breanna Stewart on the basketball court?
Are you somebody who finds yourself scoring low on the front nine, and then struggling down the stretch?
Are you somebody who struggles putting together a complete round of golf?
Are you somebody who continually feels fatigued throughout the course of a round?
Way too often our world focuses on reactive mechanisms to problems, as opposed to proactive, and there are many reasons for this.
It’s easier to spot a problem that has already happened.
It’s easier to judge the success of your intervention… did it solve the problem?
As of late, I have been viewing the role of strength and conditioning, and physical preparation through two lenses.
Lens #1: Building Outputs.
Lens #2: Expressing Outputs.
Let’s dive into each lens, highlight its unique importance, and then bring them together to create the ideal athlete. Then, I’ll pose these questions to you: Which side are you on? Which lens do you look through?
Finally! The time has come, golf season is in full swing. If you are a fellow Midwesterner, then I am sure you can echo my happiness.
With the season officially upon us, it’s crucial that our training adapts to mold to our new lifestyle, continues pushing us towards our goals and complements our higher volumes of playing time, never leaving us feeling to fatigued or ill prepared for a round of golf.
