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Scientific advancements mean we know much more about how the body works in the golf swing |
FAQs about golf-specific fitness
Increasingly, more golfers are curious about the advantages of golf-specific fitness. This month Ramsay McMaster answers some frequently asked questions.
Q. What is golf-specific training and how does it differ from a traditional gym program?
To function efficiently, the golf swing incorporates five major factors: rotation, compression, sequencing, postural endurance and body control under pressure. It’s a very unique sport because it requires power through clubhead speed in the long game and finesse in the short game.
It’s also very individualised: external forces affect other golfers but there’s not another person making a mistake on the other side of the net or an opposing team having a poor day on the field. Therefore, training for golf has to be very different. It has to complement the physiological requirements and match the technical fundamentals. Both have to be integrated with drills that are very specific, unlike normal gym exercises.
They should also be done in sequence and tailored to an individual’s golf swing. And since it’s a one-sided sport, golfers need to counterbalance the flexion involved in the golf swing. Apart from getting good muscle recruitment under pressure at different speeds with different forces, it requires counterbalancing of the postural and muscle imbalances that are caused by the one-sided, flexed posture. (This is exacerbated by lifestyle activities, such as computer work or driving a car).
Q. What is the first step towards undertaking a training program? Who should I see?
You need to get your body physiologically tested by a physiotherapist as well as a proper assessment from a PGA professional who can integrate the findings from the physio. If you have the finances to obtain a three-dimensional biomechanical analysis, then an assessment from a human movement expert will be able to indicate your signature motor patterns. This integrated ‘team’ can put together a formal golf ‘hymn’ sheet with a process, priorities and time frame. But the first point of contact should be a golf coach because the PGA professional is the doctor of the golf swing.
The teaching pro can identify swing anomalies and establish benchmarks. Along with a body prognosis from a physio, you’ll have a compatible ‘blueprint’ – a pathway to work through gradually over stages to better golf.
Q. How much improvement am I likely to see by adopting golf-specific training? By how many strokes can I lower my handicap?
It’s best to get a proper assessment from an experienced PGA professional. That teacher can set proper benchmarks. An unrealistic goal is that you’re going to be No.1 in the world. A typical goal is to go from a 30-handicap to 25. From 25 to 22. Then from 22 to 19.
Q. How much time will I need to invest?
Because the drills are individualised and specific to your actual golf swing, it should take a minimum of 15 minutes, twice a day. Many elite players would exercise between 1½ and 2 hours per day when they’re not competing on tour. The more serious player should do a proper warm-up and warm-down before hitting balls as well as performing ‘circuit breakers’ during practice. That is, posture exercises that take 5-10 minutes to break up fixed-movement patterns (e.g. a hunched-over putting stance). Note: it’s not just about getting fit for golf. The more you practise, the more important it is to counter the one-sided muscle imbalances created by the golf swing.
Q. Where can I perform these exercises and drills?
A golf-specific training program can be done in a park, an office or your own home. It doesn’t have to be in a gym. Your physiotherapist will be able to suggest appropriate training aids.
Q. Where is the proof to show that golf-specific drills actually work?
We’ve done a lot of work through three-dimensional biomechanical analysis that measures human movement patterns and sequencing of the body. From using the balls, bars, bands and belts, we’ve seen a massive improvement in players of all ability levels. In particular, tour players tell us they ‘respond’ to the drills and it’s been shown through their results on the course. Personally, I’ve had enormous feedback from patients at the Melbourne Golf Injury Clinic where we’ve performed at least 75,000 golf-related treatments.
Q. How do I make sure a practitioner is properly qualified?
The physio should be a registered physiotherapist. A golf coach should be a member of the Professional Golfers Association. The PGA has its own grading system, which means there are levels of qualification based upon experience.
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Although tour players like Oliver Wilson were the first group of golfers to make use of golf specific training, many club golfers have seen the benefits also. |
Q. You seem to work with a lot of tour players and elite amateurs. Aren’t your drills too advanced and sophisticated for an 18-handicapper?
On the contrary, we modify the drills for different levels of golfer and work safely within their capabilities. We reduce the resistance, endurance and repetitions, depending upon the person’s threshold. (We’re not using heavy weights and doing heaps of bench presses.) Golf-specific training is all about quality control of movement (through compression, rotation and sequencing). Furthermore, amateurs can get even more out of a program because their ratio of improvement is far greater compared to a tour player. This factor can also reduce the incidence of injury and help address common problems associated with amateur golfers of all ages and handicaps. I would also emphasise that 75 per cent of our business is treating juniors and social players between the ages of 30 and 60, male and female. So we work with seven levels of golfer: tour players, development-level tour players, elite amateurs, PGA professional coaches and trainees, social/corporate golfers, juniors and seniors.
Q. I want my teenager to get the best advice about fitness for golf. Who should they see once their body stops growing?
Firstly, teenagers should try a number of sports so they don’t get stuck in one movement pattern. Different sports recruit different muscle groups and promote co-ordination as well as strength and skill acquisition. They will also keep it fun and interesting. It’s important not to be too serious, too early. From the ages 7-9, I recommend parents should consult a local physiotherapist to give their child a postural assessment. The physio can provide two or three exercises to act as ‘circuit breakers’ to correct sedentary and flexed movement patterns. Once children start to have growth spurts, between the ages of 12 and 16, they should have further visits. It’s a bit like going to the dentist. Then if they have a desire to get serious about their golf, they should see a golf-specific physiotherapist for a postural and musculoskeletal screening. More intervention is recommended once the child gets to a certain ‘training age’ and commits to intensive golf practice and tournament participation.
For more information about access to these services, contact us.
Ramsay McMaster