Over the past several decades, fitness in golf has been a highly debated topic. Until recently, fitness was viewed negatively on the golf community and was something you “never” should do. However, even though times are changing, people still critic the place of fitness and lifting within the golf community. Prime examples of this are Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. Both of these elite golfers are known for their tremendous talent, as well as their love for fitness. Unfortunately, both golfers have had their fair share of injuries, which many blame lifting in the weight room as the main cause. However, that is not the case. Tiger was ahead of the time when it came to fitness and golf. He and his trainers did not have the knowledge we have now when it comes to the importance of posture and proper movement patterns. Rory’s injuries are not a result of lifting weights. His injuries are from improper movement patterns and poor technique when lifting weights. Not only did he have poor form, the exercises he was prescribed were not beneficial to his game or the sport of golf.
As a fitness professional, I can confidently say that all golfers need to lift weights. Why you may ask? Despite what many people think, golfers ARE athletes. Just like any other athlete, golfers need strength, power, mobility, stability and endurance to be competitive. Brooks Koepka is a prime example of this. The morning before the final round at the U.S. Open, his trainer posted a picture of him doing heavy incline bench press. You can imagine the buzz this picture creates around the golf community. His accomplishments show the golf community that you need to also work on your game off the course in weight room.
Lifting weights are not the only thing you need to focus on when it comes to the weight room. What’s the best way to train? I suggest you work with professionals in your area if you’re trying to be competitive and improve. But, if you don’t want to do that, here are a few tips. It is vitally important that your workouts focus on mobility, stability and strength. Depending on the time of year or your competition schedule, you should focus on different aspects of strength, power, and endurance. Mobility should always be a part of your routine all year round before and after your workouts. Remember it’s important to warm up and prepare your body for the workout ahead. Hopefully, some of this information helps you. But, whatever you do, remember golfers ARE athletes and because of that we need to train like athletes!
