5 Key Benefits of the Strength Training for the Improving Golfer
Hello and welcome to the latest Fairway Nutrition Blog. Today’s blog is focussed around the gym and what golfers can do to help maximise their performance away from the course.
From a non-players point of view, golf may seem to be less physically demanding than other sports. But for us that play, the physical toll of swinging a golf club at near maximum force is quite telling. It is a total body movement: our glutes, quads and hamstrings provide the power, our core muscles provide stability and rotation and our shoulders and lats must be strong enough to hold the club in the correct position throughout the swing.
The golf swing requires a massive amount of effort. It is estimated that amateur golfers create approximately 2,000-4,000 Newtons of force each swing. That is the equivalent to 410kg at impact, each swing! For the pro’s, this increases to between 4,000-8,000 Newtons! This puts a massive amount of strain on us and the need for strong, robust bodies is clear and obvious. This is where the gym comes in. If you’ve seen Full Swing on Netflix, you’ll notice that a lot of the cut shots and interviews with the pro’s are in the gym, whether that’s in between tournaments or actually during them. Players like Rory Mcilroy and Brooks Koepka swear by the effectiveness of a pre-round workout and both have impressive numbers across the strength tests.
Unsure of the benefits of strength training in the gym? Here are 5 key benefits:
More strength = more power = further drives.
Building your strength in the muscles involved in your golf swing means the greater power they can create. More power leads to a higher club head speed. Statistically, you are more likely to hit lower scores the further you can drive the ball, due to the accuracy improvements when using shorter clubs.
Enhanced Stability and Balance
A strong core that is properly trained in the gym is key for a well balanced swing. The same applies to the smaller stabilising muscles in the back, shoulders and hips. Improving the strength in these improves their ability to hold positions easier and can lead to more consistent ball striking. Keeping your swing consistent from the first hole to the 18th is one of the easiest ways of lowering your scores!
Better Injury prevention
Building strength in the gym doesn’t eliminate the risk of injury, but it most certainly helps to lessen the likelihood of it occurring. Common injuries such as lower back pain can be avoided by building a strong core, upper back and shoulders. As I have mentioned above, a golfer's swing produces an incredible amount of force and if you have any muscular imbalances, these weak points will become weaker and lead to injury. Working on curing these imbalances by following a carefully thought out strength plan in the gym will help lessen the risk of injury.
Increased Endurance
Improving muscular endurance through strength training means that the muscles involved in the golf swing can work at their optimum levels time and time again, meaning your swing will remain consistent throughout your round and less likely to hit them waywards shots linked to fatigue.
Better Overall Fitness
Let's be honest, getting in the gym and getting fitter can benefit us all. Strength training is a great way to not only improve the above, but a properly planned strength programme can improve your mobility, flexibility and cardiovascular health. All key for you to play your best round! We have to mention longevity as well. We all want to play golf for as long as possible and maintaining a strong, fit body is the best way to achieve that!
The gym should be a staple part of every golfer's preparations, no matter your age or ability. Strength training is a low hanging fruit when it comes to game improvement. Keep an eye on future blogs when we delve into workout routines, recovery routines and what exercises are really worth your time, or not!
