Golf Fitness Overrated?

[LeoLeo99]

It's the putting. Lots of dudes are Brooks' size can wallop a golf ball. Brooks has some great touch around and on the greens. And he's a much larger man than guys like Jordan or Justin.

 

I hit the ball much farther when I was a 135 lbs 16 year old than I do now at 190 lbs. Flexibility > strength. Strength plus flexibility can help golf but strength without flexibility doesn't help. Fitness keeps you from getting hurt more than it helps you play better. Plenty of chubby guys on the senior tour still playing some incredible golf.

[finleysg]

Koepka isn't jacked either and his body transformation is pretty much in line with his age and where his body was when he was 17. The issue with a lot of workout routines (not all) in golf is that they don't properly account for the amount of stress that a Tour player puts on their lower back.

 

I think that with more research and trial and error, we are finally starting to see some trainers create workouts better suited for competitive golf.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

 

 

 

 

RH

 

What do you mean by "Brooks Koepka isn't jacked"

 

That brooks koepka isn't jacked. He's like a slightly above average sized dude, they all just wear tight clothing

 

Brooks is big in Japan.

[golfarb1]

Just a question for posters who believe that workouts specific to a sport are not effective.

Don't quarterbacks work out differently than offensive linemen and do not both work out differently than wide receivers?

[pinhigh27]

Just a question for posters who believe that workouts specific to a sport are not effective.

Don't quarterbacks work out differently than offensive linemen and do not both work out differently than wide receivers?

 

what do you mean by work out? are you talking about position specific skill work, or lifting weights for the purpose of increasing their mobility, strength and etc?

 

the difference in lifting weights and the movements they do wouldn't be very different.

 

a lot of people conflate sport and position specific skill training with fitness training. It's not the same thing. Obviously the linemen isn't working on throwing the ball. that is an example of positional skill difference. but in terms of lifting weights and mobility stuff? I wouldn't train them very differently. Most college S&C programs have a lifting template they use for whole team. obviously weights and intensities are tailored to someone's capabilities

[golfarb1]

Just a question for posters who believe that workouts specific to a sport are not effective.

Don't quarterbacks work out differently than offensive linemen and do not both work out differently than wide receivers?

 

what do you mean by work out? are you talking about position specific skill work, or lifting weights for the purpose of increasing their mobility, strength and etc?

 

the difference in lifting weights and the movements they do wouldn't be very different.

 

a lot of people conflate sport and position specific skill training with fitness training. It's not the same thing. Obviously the linemen isn't working on throwing the ball. that is an example of positional skill difference. but in terms of lifting weights and mobility stuff? I wouldn't train them very differently. Most college S&C programs have a lifting template they use for whole team. obviously weights and intensities are tailored to someone's capabilities

Lifting weights and exercises for that specific sport ,NOT skill work

 

Some more examples although every sport has its own specific requirements

DOWNHILLSKIING.

No doubt most skiers do squats and dead lifts,but there is much more emphasis on balance and foot agility than would be present in a more general workout and much more use of physio balls and bosu balls which you seem to dislike .Very few on Golfwrx can do squats (with no weight) while standing on a physio ball.,but most top skiers can

 

ROCK CLIMBING

MUCH more emphasis on hand ,wrist and shoulder strength than would happen with a more general program .More specifically sets of finger pushups,which you treat with disdain and one arm pullups ,which almost no one on this forum does or can do .Obviously many weight exercises will develop hand and wrists strength as an ancillary benefit,but if you were a rock climber and great strength and endurance are a requisite in your hands and wrists or you might fall and die ,would' t you do more specific training to the needs to rock climbing?

 

If all other sports have specific fitness requirement that need to be trained ,why should golf be the exception?

 

You also need to consider your audience.Golf is not a contact sport,but one of repetition.Almost all golfers have or will develop injuries of the back or wrist or rotator cuff or knee or hips or multiple injuries at some point in their life. A weight program may in many instances just exacerbate these injuries. Wouldnt it better to focus more on body weight exercises and get fit without using heavy weights and risk injury? Have you ever seen Bruce Lee do DRAGON FLAGS or have you ever seen people who can do squats with over twice their body weight,completely unable to perform pistols.

Exercises like yoga and palates offer many of the strength benefits of weight training ,with a lower probability of injury.

 

I am not against doing compound exercises I include squats ,dead lifts in my workout.But I am very wary about doing bench presses because i have had some problems with rotator cuff injuries previously.

[Golfjack]

I don't think it makes as much of a difference for amateurs as our problems are more swing related. For pro's obviously strokes gained is what matters and piping it down the fairway even 10 more yards could mean a lot of money made. Koepka is in great shape but not as strong as NFL guys obviously. He doesn't need to take contact like they do either. I think the closest future approximation is MLB. Guys will get bigger and bigger and soon will start looking like the LD guys.

 

BTW yeah these pro's are all more impressive looking in real life vs on TV. At golf tournaments in person they are all pretty tall and lean/fit. Right now the ideal golf body is still more long and lean, but with more Koepka's there will be more like him (kinda like Tiger, but to me actually he slimmed down slightly it seems).

[pinhigh27]

Just a question for posters who believe that workouts specific to a sport are not effective.

Don't quarterbacks work out differently than offensive linemen and do not both work out differently than wide receivers?

 

what do you mean by work out? are you talking about position specific skill work, or lifting weights for the purpose of increasing their mobility, strength and etc?

 

the difference in lifting weights and the movements they do wouldn't be very different.

 

a lot of people conflate sport and position specific skill training with fitness training. It's not the same thing. Obviously the linemen isn't working on throwing the ball. that is an example of positional skill difference. but in terms of lifting weights and mobility stuff? I wouldn't train them very differently. Most college S&C programs have a lifting template they use for whole team. obviously weights and intensities are tailored to someone's capabilities

Lifting weights and exercises for that specific sport ,NOT skill work

 

Some more examples although every sport has its own specific requirements

DOWNHILLSKIING.

No doubt most skiers do squats and dead lifts,but there is much more emphasis on balance and foot agility than would be present in a more general workout and much more use of physio balls and bosu balls which you seem to dislike .Very few on Golfwrx can do squats (with no weight) while standing on a physio ball.,but most top skiers can

 

ROCK CLIMBING

MUCH more emphasis on hand ,wrist and shoulder strength than would happen with a more general program .More specifically sets of finger pushups,which you treat with disdain and one arm pullups ,which almost no one on this forum does or can do .Obviously many weight exercises will develop hand and wrists strength as an ancillary benefit,but if you were a rock climber and great strength and endurance are a requisite in your hands and wrists or you might fall and die ,would' t you do more specific training to the needs to rock climbing?

 

If all other sports have specific fitness requirement that need to be trained ,why should golf be the exception?

 

You also need to consider your audience.Golf is not a contact sport,but one of repetition.Almost all golfers have or will develop injuries of the back or wrist or rotator cuff or knee or hips or multiple injuries at some point in their life. A weight program may in many instances just exacerbate these injuries. Wouldnt it better to focus more on body weight exercises and get fit without using heavy weights and risk injury? Have you ever seen Bruce Lee do DRAGON FLAGS or have you ever seen people who can do squats with over twice their body weight,completely unable to perform pistols.

Exercises like yoga and palates offer many of the strength benefits of weight training ,with a lower probability of injury.

 

I am not against doing compound exercises I include squats ,dead lifts in my workout.But I am very wary about doing bench presses because i have had some problems with rotator cuff injuries previously.

 

bosu balls don't train balance. standing on a bosu ball accomplishes nothing. It limits force production because your body senses it is unstable. It doesn't nothing to enhance stability or balance. actually using heavy weights is how you do that as your body has to stabilize itself more and more as the load gets heavier. if I do a push up on 1 finger, it's really hard but is there any actual benefit? no

 

Not sure what you mean about golfers getting injured. Maybe at the tour level when guys are hitting 500 balls a day. I don't know too many people who get golf injuries.

 

Heavy weights are relative. I'm not saying average joe needs to go out there and squat 405. but squatting 225 for reps would have massive benefit compared to do silly bosu ball stuff. As the weight gets heavier and heavier the chance to injury yourself does increase, however I'm not recommend elite level strength training.

 

Pistols are an extremely specific movement that I'm not sure how that indicates athleticism. There's tons of elite athletes that if you took right now, they couldn't do a pistol either, yet there crossfit chicks who can probably do one. Not sure I would plant my flag on being able to do a pistol.

 

For your rock-climbing example, sure that would be an example of how you'd train someone a little different. they would still do all the same movements with just more emphasis on muscular endurance. Not a huge difference.

 

The problem is you can't really train the lower body well with body-weight exercises. all the calisthenics people have decent upper bodies but essentially no lower body. the muscles in the legs are too strong to be stimulated sufficiently generally by body-weight loads.

[jbw749]

If you're already on a 3 to 5 day a week weight lifting split then yes golf fitness probably overrated assuming you're hitting all the key muscles once a week. Golf fitness exercises are easy for you and probably feel pointless.

 

But if you dont work out and are trying to golf all the time, golf fitness is huge! mainly core strength to prevent lower back injuries.

 

I've been on both sides of this.

[RichieHunt]

Koepka isn't jacked either and his body transformation is pretty much in line with his age and where his body was when he was 17. The issue with a lot of workout routines (not all) in golf is that they don't properly account for the amount of stress that a Tour player puts on their lower back.

 

I think that with more research and trial and error, we are finally starting to see some trainers create workouts better suited for competitive golf.

 

 

 

 

 

RH

 

 

 

 

RH

 

What do you mean by "Brooks Koepka isn't jacked"

 

That brooks koepka isn't jacked. He's like a slightly above average sized dude, they all just wear tight clothing

 

Brooks is big in Japan.

 

And Rip Taylor cannot walk the streets of Brazil.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

RH

[MountainGoat]

If golfers were really interested in fitness, they'd walk and carry their own bags.

[PorscheFan]

Muscles are dumb. Train them to do whatever you want.

 

Want to train them for golf? Train them for golf.

 

Want to train them for basketball? Train them for basketball.

 

Want to train them for 'life'? I guess you need to work out what your 'life' is... Writing your first novel on your Mac in SBUX? Watching TV and eating Doritos? Anything's possible...

 

Ya so how in the world does doing a wood chopper translate to golf? Do squats to train your body, and golf to get better at golf. The tpi crap is just that, crap. Any weighted moment that resembles a golf swing is basically a joke from an athletic standpoing

 

Justin James seems to disagree. His BS has gone up from the 190s to 220s. You seem to know better, though.

 

Justin's Thomas works with Tyler Parsons on workouts 'tuned' toward golf. Seemed to work for him. You seem to know better, though.

 

This pointless binary 'train for health, not for golf' thing is as shocking as it is hilarious:

 

1) In any sport that requires significant physical exertion elites do sport-specific training. This isn't a golf-specific thing.

2) Just because somebody has a workout tuned to golf doesn't mean that they're not training for golf and life. What an odd conclusion! Most golf workouts focus on core stability and posterior chain... how shocking.

3) What on earth is 'training for health'? Who defined that? Who on earth isn't 'training for health'. Why would anyone create the false notion that one precludes the other? I know of no golf-specific workout routine that wouldn't improve or protect health.

 

This post sounds like somebody had a bad personal experience, or got advice that they didn't like or didn't want to hear, and is now on an 'I hate TPI' rant. The thread should just be relabeled as such. It's not a debate or discussion.

 

I have gained 40 yards from golf specific workouts and importantly have significant pain reduction. I've lost body fat. My resting heart rate Is identical. Why would I stop doing something that gives me those benefits?

[pinhigh27]

I don't hate TPI I just think it's useless and people spend money for little to no benefit. Just because someone gets more ballspeed after using TPI doesn't mean it's the right way to train. People who go to crappy instructors get better too because going to an instructor means you're more likely to practice and play more. That doesn't mean the instructor was teaching you the right stuff.

 

I really doubt you've gained 40 yards solely from golf specific workouts. More likely you improved aspects of your swing and then gains in athleticism have added some yardage as well. If not, that's awesome. Just because something improves doesn't mean it's ideal though.

 

So fitness is what made justin thomas good? I think he was pretty good before he ever did anything

 

Training for health is compound movements with mobility work and some endurance work sprinkled in. Squat. bench. deadlift, mobility work and then some GPP.

[PorscheFan]

I don't hate TPI I just think it's useless and people spend money for little to no benefit. Just because someone gets more ballspeed after using TPI doesn't mean it's the right way to train. People who go to crappy instructors get better too because going to an instructor means you're more likely to practice and play more. That doesn't mean the instructor was teaching you the right stuff.

 

I really doubt you've gained 40 yards solely from golf specific workouts. More likely you improved aspects of your swing and then gains in athleticism have added some yardage as well. If not, that's awesome. Just because something improves doesn't mean it's ideal though.

 

So fitness is what made justin thomas good? I think he was pretty good before he ever did anything

 

Training for health is compound movements with mobility work and some endurance work sprinkled in. Squat. bench. deadlift, mobility work and then some GPP.

 

I get that you think it's useless, and maybe the instructor or the prescribed workouts didn't work for you. Maybe worth polling others, though? I don't doubt for a second that it hasn't worked for you, but it's worked immensely for me. I actually backed off weight and some exercises completely and folded in golf-specific ones, including SSG which is an incredible workout in itself. Also layered in med ball slams, wall ball exercises and some TRX squats. 40 yards, and I'm not stopping there. I have suffered back issues, so much is designed to keep that healthy, stabilized, and out of odd angles.

 

JT absolutely gained under TPI training. That's a fact. Here are his words from 2015, before he was one of the top guys on tour:

 

"I have never been strong weight lifting wise, so it's mostly all flexibility, core strength, endurance, and band work. I didn't think it would make such a big difference, but my club head speed has gone up 6-10 mph in a year and a half, and ball speed is 5-12 mph faster on my great days."

 

Note, Thomas had back issues in college that were related to hip mobility, so he had to specifically train for health.

 

There's nothing wrong with any of those exercises you mentioned. The last TPI facility I was at had a huge squat rack. Personally it's not for me because of my back issues, plus the fact that the ground forces generated in the golf swing are equivalent to a foot strike in a mild run, so squats are great, but there are other options too. Most golf-specific exercises are compound movements and key in on sequencing and stability, which carries over into everything that you do.

 

Most people I see in the mall aren't training for anything, so I give props to anyone who's trying to incorporate exercise into their life, however they do it.

[wmblake2000]

My ss has jumped from 83-85 before I started going to the gym (18 months ago) to 93-95 now (at age 66). To be sure, my swing is better now from lessons but clearly (in my mind anyway) the increased range of motion and the improved strength in my core and back are huge factors in this increase.

 

Key exercises: stretch every muscle group in legs, back. Internal and external rotation of hips and shoulders. Planks, squats, dead lifts, rows, bench press, rotation (don’t know if this exercise has a name - rotate upper body with resistance). Swing speed with light homemade weighted shafts and radar.

[me05501]

The dirty little secret of physical training is that every body is different, and not every body will respond the same way to a certain type of training.

 

Same goes with diets. What works for one body type might not work as well for another.

[PorscheFan]

My ss has jumped from 83-85 before I started going to the gym (18 months ago) to 93-95 now (at age 66). To be sure, my swing is better now from lessons but clearly (in my mind anyway) the increased range of motion and the improved strength in my core and back are huge factors in this increase.

 

Key exercises: stretch every muscle group in legs, back. Internal and external rotation of hips and shoulders. Planks, squats, dead lifts, rows, bench press, rotation (don’t know if this exercise has a name - rotate upper body with resistance). Swing speed with light homemade weighted shafts and radar.

 

That is seriously impressive at 66 years old. It shows what’s possible.

[Gamble Gamble]

I play most rounds after pretty intense work outs. I used to take off on a tourney day but found I played worse.

 

In the end, for those are used to it, it's just like stretching. Routine is the key for him it seems. Just another Sunday. Good approach I think.

 

This year is the first year i have done my cardio before my rounds and it has been the best year in golf for me. I seem to have more energy and focus throughout the round.

 

Also, i am lifting on a regular basis so my "sore" days are almost non existent.

[Krt22]

If golfers were really interested in fitness, they'd walk and carry their own bags.

 

Even the pro's don't carry their own bags, so I don't carry mine (I walk with a push cart)

 

But I will say golfers are a strange bunch, as many use golf as an excuse to remain largely non-athletic. Everyone knows if you touch those evil weights for a few weeks you are going to turn into a line backer and lose your swing. Or if you drop your huge spare tire your timing will be all off

[Gamble Gamble]

If golfers were really interested in fitness, they'd walk and carry their own bags.

 

You can be into fitness but not want to carry your bag. When I am playing golf my goal is to shoot as low as possible. I focus on fitness in the gym or running, not when i am on the course.

 

100% of the people I know that are super fit still drive to work.

 

by your logic: "if they are really into fitness why don't they walk to work"

[dbleag]

Are you guys saying that Jack Nicklaus would have won more majors if he had gone to the gym more and less to the "all you can eat" buffet?

 

He also had a self-admitted weakness for Graeter's ice cream.

[gripandrip]

Maybe 20-30 reps of Spanish wine?

[broth518]

Maybe 20-30 reps of Spanish wine?

 

That's all in and out burger right there LOL

[PorscheFan]

Maybe 20-30 reps of Spanish wine?

 

He built that up for his weighted dips. It's an athlete thing...

[MountainGoat]

If golfers were really interested in fitness, they'd walk and carry their own bags.

 

You can be into fitness but not want to carry your bag. When I am playing golf my goal is to shoot as low as possible. I focus on fitness in the gym or running, not when i am on the course.

 

100% of the people I know that are super fit still drive to work.

 

by your logic: "if they are really into fitness why don't they walk to work"

 

Point taken. Nonetheless, I'm always amused by the number of people who drive to the gym in order to walk on a treadmill.

[Gamble Gamble]

If golfers were really interested in fitness, they'd walk and carry their own bags.

 

You can be into fitness but not want to carry your bag. When I am playing golf my goal is to shoot as low as possible. I focus on fitness in the gym or running, not when i am on the course.

 

100% of the people I know that are super fit still drive to work.

 

by your logic: "if they are really into fitness why don't they walk to work"

 

Point taken. Nonetheless, I'm always amused by the number of people who drive to the gym in order to walk on a treadmill.

 

Haha agreed, especially when they are putting in minimal effort and just using their phone the whole time.

[golfarb1]

Just a question for posters who believe that workouts specific to a sport are not effective.

Don't quarterbacks work out differently than offensive linemen and do not both work out differently than wide receivers?

 

what do you mean by work out? are you talking about position specific skill work, or lifting weights for the purpose of increasing their mobility, strength and etc?

 

the difference in lifting weights and the movements they do wouldn't be very different.

 

a lot of people conflate sport and position specific skill training with fitness training. It's not the same thing. Obviously the linemen isn't working on throwing the ball. that is an example of positional skill difference. but in terms of lifting weights and mobility stuff? I wouldn't train them very differently. Most college S&C programs have a lifting template they use for whole team. obviously weights and intensities are tailored to someone's capabilities

Lifting weights and exercises for that specific sport ,NOT skill work

 

Some more examples although every sport has its own specific requirements

DOWNHILLSKIING.

No doubt most skiers do squats and dead lifts,but there is much more emphasis on balance and foot agility than would be present in a more general workout and much more use of physio balls and bosu balls which you seem to dislike .Very few on Golfwrx can do squats (with no weight) while standing on a physio ball.,but most top skiers can

 

ROCK CLIMBING

MUCH more emphasis on hand ,wrist and shoulder strength than would happen with a more general program .More specifically sets of finger pushups,which you treat with disdain and one arm pullups ,which almost no one on this forum does or can do .Obviously many weight exercises will develop hand and wrists strength as an ancillary benefit,but if you were a rock climber and great strength and endurance are a requisite in your hands and wrists or you might fall and die ,would' t you do more specific training to the needs to rock climbing?

 

If all other sports have specific fitness requirement that need to be trained ,why should golf be the exception?

 

You also need to consider your audience.Golf is not a contact sport,but one of repetition.Almost all golfers have or will develop injuries of the back or wrist or rotator cuff or knee or hips or multiple injuries at some point in their life. A weight program may in many instances just exacerbate these injuries. Wouldnt it better to focus more on body weight exercises and get fit without using heavy weights and risk injury? Have you ever seen Bruce Lee do DRAGON FLAGS or have you ever seen people who can do squats with over twice their body weight,completely unable to perform pistols.

Exercises like yoga and palates offer many of the strength benefits of weight training ,with a lower probability of injury.

 

I am not against doing compound exercises I include squats ,dead lifts in my workout.But I am very wary about doing bench presses because i have had some problems with rotator cuff injuries previously.

 

bosu balls don't train balance. standing on a bosu ball accomplishes nothing. It limits force production because your body senses it is unstable. It doesn't nothing to enhance stability or balance. actually using heavy weights is how you do that as your body has to stabilize itself more and more as the load gets heavier. if I do a push up on 1 finger, it's really hard but is there any actual benefit? no

 

Not sure what you mean about golfers getting injured. Maybe at the tour level when guys are hitting 500 balls a day. I don't know too many people who get golf injuries.

 

Heavy weights are relative. I'm not saying average joe needs to go out there and squat 405. but squatting 225 for reps would have massive benefit compared to do silly bosu ball stuff. As the weight gets heavier and heavier the chance to injury yourself does increase, however I'm not recommend elite level strength training.

 

Pistols are an extremely specific movement that I'm not sure how that indicates athleticism. There's tons of elite athletes that if you took right now, they couldn't do a pistol either, yet there crossfit chicks who can probably do one. Not sure I would plant my flag on being able to do a pistol.

 

For your rock-climbing example, sure that would be an example of how you'd train someone a little different. they would still do all the same movements with just more emphasis on muscular endurance. Not a huge difference.

 

The problem is you can't really train the lower body well with body-weight exercises. all the calisthenics people have decent upper bodies but essentially no lower body. the muscles in the legs are too strong to be stimulated sufficiently generally by body-weight loads.

 

For pure strength and muscular development weighted squats are better but to develop a combination of strength,balance flexibility and mobility,pistols are better.In some sports like football linemen,strength and muscle development is paramount.That is not so in golf where strength IS a factor but it is not the most important factor

Another crossfit chick doing pistols?

https://www.google.c...DSKvtq8PXfRRbM:

 

And Dustin Johnson standing on a physioball

https://www.pinteres...52568784948919/

 

I reemphasize my point ,EVERY sport places different specific demands on an athlete ;therefore athletes in different sports need to train differently.That does NOT mean that compound and explosive weight exercises are not applicable for the golfer,but they need to be done in the context of an overall golf specific workout

Your comment about injuries leads me to believe that you live in a fantasy world .Injuries are a fact of life in EVERY sport..That have been many top golfers who have had serious injuries .Just because there is no official injury list like in football does not mean that top golfers are not injured.Few amateur golfers hit as many balls as the pros,but most golfers are older than touring pros,have more swing errors which exacerbate injuries and work at desks,All of these factors increase the probability of injuries for non pros. As we age we are obviously more susceptible to injuries.Workout emphasis should be more on maintaining mobility and flexibility than on lifting relatively heavy weights

[2bGood]

I think you can play golf quite well without being very fit, but being very fit will allow you to play better.

 

Steve

 

World Number 1

 

Can't make the cut

 

[2bGood]

If golfers were really interested in fitness, they'd walk and carry their own bags.

 

You can be into fitness but not want to carry your bag. When I am playing golf my goal is to shoot as low as possible. I focus on fitness in the gym or running, not when i am on the course.

 

100% of the people I know that are super fit still drive to work.

 

by your logic: "if they are really into fitness why don't they walk to work"

 

Interesting point. I have seen the opposite. Guys that also want to use their golf time to get some fitness in. Including running between shots.

 

I also know lots of people who use their commute for exercise be it bike / run/ walk / paddle etc.

 

Personally I aways walk/carry when I golf. I do this for fitness reasons, as if I am out for 4 hours golfing I don't have time to also go work out that day.

[Hellstorm]

You guys know the only reason for a golfer to work out is to look good for the 19 year old cart girls. Anything other than that is just ludicrous. Bunch of dirty old men.

[Krt22]

I think you can play golf quite well without being very fit, but being very fit will allow you to play better.

 

Steve

 

World Number 1

 

Can't make the cut

 

 

I can play the anecdotal evidence game as well.

 

 

Has won 3 majors in <15 months and didn't even play in The Master's this year.