TPI Sports Performance

What is Golf Fitness?

The Golf Fitness Section provides you with articles covering every aspect of golf specific fitness. Everything from Strength training for golf to Stability, Mobility and Cardio will be covered. If you are interested in understanding more about your golf swing and your body then this section is packed with useful information that applies to you and your golf game.

45 minute Golf Fitness Assessment (€75) includes:

12 physical screens to identify any physical limitations.
Record Golf Swing on Camera.
Analysis of swing by PGA Professional.
Linkage of Screen results and Golf Swing Characteristics.
Exercises assigned by T.P.I Golf Fitness Instructor to help body movement in the Golf Swing.
Option of a full body workout given and monitored by the Titleist Performance Institute based on screen results. (extra €25)

Heather Nolan

PGA Golf Professional

Wicklow G.C

Certified T.P.I Level 1 Golf Fitness Instructor

Golf Fitness Exercises for Performance After the Age of Fifty
Golf fitness training can be beneficial for everyone including mature golfers. There is no doubt the aging process affects the body and in turn adversely effects the golf swing. Learn which steps can limit and even reverse the effects age can have on your game.

By Sean Cochran - Posted July 27, 2009

Golf fitness exercises and training can be very beneficial for the mature golfer. There is no doubt the aging process affects the body and in turn adversely effects the golf swing. The aging process decreases mobility, limits flexibility, negates strength, and lowers power outputs. All which are crucial components in the execution of the golf swing.

The good news is there is help: certain steps can be taken to alleviate these symptoms of the aging process. For example, modifications in equipment can help, changes on the mechanics of your swing can be of great assistance, and the implementation of a golf fitness program can be of immense assistance as well. These three steps can assist in returning your swing to a level previously achieved or even improve your game to a level higher than ever before. In order for this to occur, the mature player must remember it is a combination of all three of these parameters; equipment, swing mechanics, and golf fitness training working seamlessly together.

Looking at the golf fitness side of game improvement in your fifties, a few important statistics may provide some relatively to the importance of golf exercises for game improvement. First and foremost, research indicates after the age of 25, the body looses muscle mass at approximately 1% a year. This decreases both the strength and power outputs of the neuromuscular system. If nothing is done to improve both the strength and power outputs of the body by the time an individual is 50 years old they will have lost 25% of their muscle mass.

Why is this statistic important relative to the game of golf?

In order to execute each phase of the golf swing efficiently, the neuromuscular system must have certain levels of strength. This allows the golfer to maintain a fixed spine angle, execute the postural position required in the swing, and generate speed. Basically, a loss of strength equates to the loss of stability in the golf swing affecting every phase of the swing from taking away to finish.

A second component of the aging process relative to the golf swing is mobility and flexibility. Mobility is a combination of both joint range of motion and flexibility. Joint range of motion concerns itself with the actual articular structure of the joint (i.e. skeletal structures), and flexibility has to do with extensibility of muscle tissue surrounding the joint.

The aging process decreases the extensibility of muscular tissues thus causing tightness in the muscular system and decreased mobility in the joint system. Both of these conditions are detrimental to the golf swing. The mechanics of the swing requires mobility within the joint system and flexibility within the muscular system. This allows for the requirement of drawing the club through a large range motion to be met by the body. If mobility is limited and “tightness” exists within the muscular system compensations within the swing will occur in an attempt to execute the mechanics of the golf swing correctly.

It is unfortunate the aging process results in the aforementioned negative affects on the golf swing, but as stated previously, steps can be taken to address such situations and prevent decreased performances on the golf course. These steps on the “physical side” of the equation are contained within a golf fitness program.

A golf fitness program for the mature player will address the negative affects of the aging process through the development of the required levels of mobility, flexibility, stability, strength, and power required to execute the mechanics of the golf swing correctly.

Dissection of this formula for performance improvement through golf fitness training for the mature player breaks down the process into the development of “five physical pillars” within the body. The pillars are as follows: flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power. The cohesive development of these physical parameters creates the opportunity of developing sound swing mechanics.

To improve performance, remove physical years from the body, and prevent injury in your game, it is necessary to develop the “five physical pillars” of the swing. Additionally, the golfer must address them on order: beginning with flexibility, moving onto balance, and completing the sequence with power training. Following this suggested progression allows for the proper synthesis of developing the body in relation to the biomechanics of the swing.

To better understand this process let us review each of the “five physical pillars” of the golf swing. The first pillar is flexibility. Flexibility refers to range of motion. If can be defined as the optimal extensibility of all soft tissues in the body (Michael Clark, Director: National Academy of Sports Medicine) To allow the golfer to swing the club on the correct plane, every muscle in the body must allow for optimal joint range of motion.

The second “physical pillar” is balance. Balance is the ability of the neuromuscular system to maintain proper alignment, center of gravity, and coordinate the body during biomechanical movements (Gray Cook, PT). Throughout the entire golf swing, it is necessary for the golfer to maintain the proper spine angle, create weight transfer, and coordinate muscular movements. To perform this properly, you must be able to maintain balance of the body as a unit and control your extremities (i.e. arms and legs).

Strength is the third pillar. It is defined as the ability of your body to exert the required levels of force to perform the functional movement at hand. (Michael Clark, Integrated Training for the New Millennium, 369) In order to execute every phase of the golf swing efficiently and effectively, a certain level of postural strength is required. This allows your body to correctly sequence the muscular contractions required of the swing, maintain your spine angle, and generate power.

The fourth pillar of your golf fitness program is muscular endurance. Muscular endurance is the ability of a muscle(s) to repeatedly perform a physical action over an extended period of time without fatigue. Performing repeated physical actions such as the golf swing causes fatigue within the muscular system. As a result, muscular performance can decrease. Once this occurs the ability to swing the club efficiently is compromised. To prevent such a situation from occurring during a round or practice session, it is necessary to develop muscular endurance.

Muscular power is the final physical pillar, and is the final factor that is necessary for optimal performance on the course. Muscular power can be defined as the ability of the body to create the greatest amount of force in a short amount of time. (Vladimir Zatsiorsky, Professor Department of Exercise and Sport Science, Pennsylvania State University)

During the golf swing, the muscles of your body, in conjunction with the golf swing, generate power (i.e. clubhead speed). In order to increase the power outputs of your muscles, it is necessary to implement specialized exercises. The performance of these types of exercises over time will increase the power outputs of your muscles.

As we can see, the benefits of a golf fitness program to improve performance for the mature player are vast. Again, the aging process negatively affects the physical components required in the execution of the golf swing, but if the mature golfer takes the correct steps in terms of training and practice these adverse affects can be limited or even reversed. Allowing you to return your golf game to a level previously achieved or possibly achieving a level of play never attained before.

The Swing

The Swing section was designed to educate you on the most common swing faults that we see at the Titleist Performance Institute. It will also have articles on golf's key fundamentals.

Swing Faults

Loss of Posture

Loss of Posture is defined as any significant alteration from your body's original set up angles during your golf swing. This loss of posture can affect all aspects of the golf swing including timing, balance and rhythm. Losing your spine angle or altering your posture usually causes two typical miss hits, the block to the right and a hook to the left. And as most competitive players know, having two misses, one to the right and one to the left, can be disastrous in tournament play.

Chicken Winging

A Chicken Wing is defined as a loss of extension or breakdown of the lead elbow through the impact area. This swing fault makes it very difficult to develop speed or power and tends to put excessive force on the outside of the elbow joint. If you're suffering from high weak shots or you tend to develop tennis elbow on your lead side, you probably have a chicken wing.

Slide

A Slide is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement towards the target during your downswing. This swing fault makes it very difficult to stabilize your lower body during the downswing, which will eventually rob power and speed from the upper body through impact. Your upper body needs a stable lower body to accelerate around during the downswing. Once the lower body starts its forward shift into the downswing its job is to transfer energy to the upper body and stabilize the extreme rotary forces that are created in the upper body, arms, and club. If there is no stable platform to rotate around, players will lose power and try to develop speed in an inefficient sequence.

Sway

A Sway is defined as any excessive lower body lateral movement away from the target during your backswing that forces your weight to the outside of your back foot. This swing fault makes it very difficult to develop a proper weight shift during transition and the downswing. Imagine a baseball batter digging in at the plate with their back foot. This simple routine allows them to coil around their back leg and drive their weight from their back leg to their front leg in a very efficient manner. If there is no stable platform to drive your weight off of during transition, you will lose power and try to develop speed in an inefficient sequence.

Reverse Spine Angle

A Reverse Spine Angle is defined as any excessive upper body backward bend or excessive left lateral upper body bend during the backswing. This swing fault makes it very difficult to start the downswing in the proper sequence, due to the lower body being placed in a position that usually limits its ability to initiate the downswing. This swing fault is also one of the prime causes of lower back pain in golfers. When the lower body can't start the downswing or has a limited ability to initiate the movement, the upper body tends to dominate the swing which will eventually create path problems and limited power output. This swing fault puts excessive tension on the lower back due to a forced inhibition of the abdominal musculature during the backswing.

Trapped or Stuck

This is perhaps the most common phrase used to describe a fault that occurs among better players. They feel that they are trapped or stuck on their downswing. This occurs because the arms are stuck behind the body as they transition into their downswing. As a result they will often have two misses. A block to the right or a hook to the left ( for the right handed golfer ). Most players that suffer from two misses struggle with their consistency and have difficulty making solid ball to club contact.

Over the Top

This is perhaps the most common swing fault among high handicap golfers. It occurs due to an overuse of the upper body on the downswing. As a result the club will be thrown on the outside of the intended swing plane with the club head approaching the ball from outside to in. This in turn creates a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the club face is open.

Early Release or Scooping

Early Release or Scooping occurs on the downswing, as the player starts the downswing there is a premature release of the wrist angles, this results in a weak impact position with the left wrist being cupped at impact. It adds loft to the face of the club and as a result we see a loss of power and consistency. It is termed Casting or Early Release when the club head and left forearm are in a straight line prior to making contact with the ball, it is termed Scooping when the club head passes the hands through impact and the student is trying to lift the ball into the air

Early Extension

Early Extension is defined as any forward movement (thrust) of the lower body towards the golf ball during the downswing. This swing fault causes the arms and club to get stuck behind your body during the downswing, and forces your torso to raise up and elevate through the hitting zone. This swing fault usually causes two typical miss hits, the block to the right and a hook to the left. And as most competitive players know, having two misses, one to the right and one to the left, can be disastrous in tournament play.

Players that have this fault will also complain of getting stuck or trapped, this is due to the fact that the lower body has moved closer to the golf ball on the downswing. As a result the body is in the way of the arms on the downswing and thus the term I feel stuck or trapped.

C-Posture

C-Posture is used to describe a posture that occurs when your shoulders are slumped forward at address and you have a definitive roundedness to your thoracic spine.

S-Posture

S-Posture, is a swing fault that can be caused by the player creating too much arch in their lower back by sticking their tail bone out to much in the setup position. This excessive curvature in the lower back or S-posture puts abnormally high stress on the muscles in the lower back and causes the abdominal muscles to relax. This deactivation of the core muscles can cause a loss of posture or reverse spine angle during the backswing. This in turn puts the lower body out of position on the downswing and will affect the sequence of motion in the golf swing.

You can actually stick your butt out at set up without arching your back if you just hinge from your hips and keep your spine in a neutral stable posture. Obviously, this requires good core strength and proper stabilization in the lumbar spine.

Sometimes the S-posture is actually cause by a series of muscle imbalances called a Lower Crossed Syndrome (LCS). One of the most clinically relevant patterns of muscle dysfunction is a lower crossed syndrome. Simply stated, the lower crossed syndrome is a grouping of weak muscles combined with overactive or tight muscles, that create a predictable movement pattern in the lower back that can lead to injury. A physical therapist from the Czech Republic, named of the Vladamir Janda, was really the first person to document this type of muscle imbalance. Janda noticed that many people developed a distinct pattern of muscle imbalances due to prolonged static postures, such as sitting at a desk all day.

He noted that when a muscle is subjected to a short or contracted state for an extended period of time it causes a reflex inhibition or weakening of the muscles on the opposite side of the body, called reciprocal inhibition. For example, if you sit in a chair for eight hours a day, with time your hip flexors will become shortened or tight. Therefore, your brain will automatically start to shut down or inhibit your glute muscles (butt) which are on the opposite side. Now, since your glute muscles are not working properly your body will recruit synergistic muscles like the hamstrings and lower back muscles to assist the glutes in performing hip extension. In other words, you start to recruit muscles that were not intended to be used for specific actions such as walking.

The most common pattern of imbalance that Janda observed, he named the Lower Crossed Syndrome. It is basically the combination of tight hip flexors and a tight lower back, paired with weak abdominals and weak glutes. This combination leads to an excessive arching or rounding up your lower back (swayback), a flabby or protruding abdomen, and a flat butt due to weakness in the glutes. This is a very dangerous combination of muscle imbalances due to the excessive stress that it places on the structures of the lower back.

Stability Article, February 2007.

Golf is Like a Box of Chocolates. You never know what you’re gonna’ get....

Consistency through Core Stability


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If this Forest Gumpism is true for your golf game, then increasing your core stability might be the best way to gain consistency in your swing. Most people don’t like surprises when they bite into their candy and likewise don’t like surprises in their ball flight. Core work, along with a total fitness program, will contribute greatly to take the surprise and frustration out of inconsistent play.

Lack of core stability leads to inefficient and inconsistent movements. Think of a parent helping a child ride a bicycle. The child on his bike is attempting to move forward by cycling the legs. The beginning cyclist is unstable as evidenced by the bike that is leaning or wobbling side to side. This leads to a loss of speed and less efficient movement, i.e. not going in a straight line. The parent helps by holding the seat of the bicycle (the base) steady or by holding the child’s trunk (the core) steady. With a stable base, the moving parts work more efficiently and consistently.

By contrast, look at Lance Armstrong with his compact posture on the bike. He wastes no energy with inefficient motion and has the strength and endurance to maintain a stable base for hours, days and even weeks. Likewise in golf, loss of stability or position leads to power leakage and inconsistency in the swing, thus creating surprises in your ball flight!

If you find that you need to begin with more basic core exercises or need a total fitness program, see a TPI certified fitness professional in your area. Hopefully, with hard work on your core, there will be fewer unpleasant surprises on the golf course! ©

For further Information regarding the Titleist Performance Institute www.mytpi.com.

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