Fit Body. Fit Game

Filed in archive Golf Fitness on January 2, 2007

At one time, golf and fitness were like Los Angeles and New York - miles apart and with very little in common.

But in the enlightened 21st century, we now know that when it comes to playing golf and being fit, the twains DO meet. Fact is, they have to.

Tiger Woods is probably the guy who started it all. The TV commentators began to tell us that Tiger worked out every day. He was lifting weights!!

This was shocking and revolutionary. I remember reading an article in golf digest way back around 1980 in which Johnny Miller said his swing was badly damaged by working hard on his farm in Utah, lifting big rocks and getting too muscular across his chest.

Well, more and more pros are doing just that and judging by how much money they're taking home, it can't be hurting THEIR swings! Camilo Villegas is a case in point.

So, we have the pros once again setting the example. But there's another very compelling reason for working out and staying fit: we baby boomers are no longer in our 20s and 30s (don't ask me how that happened. I have no idea...) and we don't bend or turn as easily as we once did.

Most doctors, chiropractors and physiologists will tell you that moderate weight training is enormously healthy for you. It builds bone density - which fights off effects of osteoporosis, it keeps that stomach bulge from getting bigger (now THAT can hamper your backswing!) and it just makes you feel more energetic.

Hand in hand with weight training is stretching. And that's a biggie for older golfers. We may not be able to get the driver to parallel on the backswing but if we can make as big a shoulder turn as possible, then we can still drive the ball a fair distance down the fairway.

A lot of the pros are turning to yoga for their stretching. I've done yoga stretching on and off for years and it's amazing how well it works at helping you feel loose and limber.

My swing coach, Mark Greenwood, Director of Instruction (Canada) for Swing Machine Golf (swingmachinegolf.com) says one of his favorite stretching methods is called STROLF. I'm not familiar with it but their website, strolf.com has plenty of information. The point is, whether it's yoga, STROLF or weights, the benefits for golfers are tangible and positive both in your scores and your appearance!