Golf Fitness Overrated?

[LeoLeo99]

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.

 

yup, are you saying he won because he's fit or because he's a great golfer or that fitness has no correlation to golf ability?

[MrJones]

I believe the vast majority of golfers out there would see an increase of their golf ability by increasing their natural fitness.

[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

 

 

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.

 

yup, are you saying he won because he's fit or because he's a great golfer or that fitness has no correlation to golf ability?

 

That is my question too? Maybe he would have won every major if he did not lift as much.

 

We have a few examples of golfers that played out of shape and in shape. To my memory getting "in shape" hurt more games than helped. Duval has been public that getting in shape hurt his game. Miller, Rory, Daly, Nicklaus come to mind. Maybe Tiger too if you believe the stories.

 

With golf there is too many variables to isolate one thing for a golfer success/failures but the stereotype that working out too much hurts a golfers game has some basis

[FullOfBrushMan]

Turned 36 last month and fitness is essential for me. Allows for faster recovery, better & easier positions, better stability ... yada yada. That being said the 300 lb club pro can still beat me on the course but for myself it's shown nothing but positives in my life.

 

I would say a lot of people would benefit tremendously from ANY type of fitness but is it necessary? No.

[Cwebb]

Koepka's workout program is put together by Joey Diovisalvi, who trained and also caddied for Vijay Singh back in 2003-05, when he won 9 times in season and got to world #1 at the age of 41.

 

Joey has been doing this for a long time and knows exactly what he's doing with each unique player that he works with.

[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.

 

yup, are you saying he won because he's fit or because he's a great golfer or that fitness has no correlation to golf ability?

 

That is my question too? Maybe he would have won every major if he did not lift as much.

 

We have a few examples of golfers that played out of shape and in shape. To my memory getting "in shape" hurt more games than helped. Duval has been public that getting in shape hurt his game. Miller, Rory, Daly, Nicklaus come to mind. Maybe Tiger too if you believe the stories.

 

With golf there is too many variables to isolate one thing for a golfer success/failures but

 

Which I think is universally untrue. I think most out of shape golfers simply like to cling to fringe cases as justification to remain sedentary/unfit/unhealthy.

[gripandrip]

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.

 

 

 

 

Won the Masters

[Krt22]

Even a blind squirrel finds the nut sometimes

[2bGood]

Which I think is universally untrue. I think most out of shape golfers simply like to cling to fringe cases as justification to remain sedentary/unfit/unhealthy.

 

At the pro level I don't think there is much truth in that. Most pro's who get to the show fat or unfit realize that losing weight may mess with their swing so don't (even if they wanted to).

 

At the amateur level, it is very safe to say that 'their golf game' is one of VERY many excuses people use to ignore fitness.

[broth518]

I believe the vast majority of golfers out there would see an increase of their golf ability by increasing their natural fitness.

 

Agree 100% but is that training like the titan Mike O'hearn or TPI?

[surefire]

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

 

 

Although Duval said fitness hurt him, aren't those pictures backwards?

 

I remember him being lean when he won his major and was world number 1, and then heavier when he made his comeback that didn't really go anywhere.

[RobertBaron]

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

 

 

Although Duval said fitness hurt him, aren't those pictures backwards?

 

I remember him being lean when he won his major and was world number 1, and then heavier when he made his comeback that didn't really go anywhere.

 

Yea looks pretty lean winning the 01 Open:

 

[PorscheFan]

I think there's a general perception that fat in golf represents unfit, whereas lean / built represents fit.

 

Generally true, but I think there are deep core muscles at play in the golf swing that aren't visible in general, let alone under layers of body fat. I don't think a Rahm or a Reed represents the average US couch potato, even though there may be cursory similarities.

[pinhigh27]

I think there's a general perception that fat in golf represents unfit, whereas lean / built represents fit.

 

Generally true, but I think there are deep core muscles at play in the golf swing that aren't visible in general, let alone under layers of body fat. I don't think a Rahm or a Reed represents the average US couch potato, even though there may be cursory similarities.

 

nope pretty much lean and built is fit and fat is not. now an NFL linemen? ya they are very athletic just with some extra weight. rahm? not so much

[gatorpedsMD]

there is all this controversy over lifting but I will say with pretty good certainty that cardiovascular fitness is crucial to good golf if ur going to walk/tournament play... if u are in great cardio health ur going to spend less time catching ur breath and more time focusing on butter cuts/golfing.

[MountainGoat]

I can think of a number of overweight golfers who got fit and lost their swings. I can't think of any who were fit and lost their swings after gaining weight...unless they got older at the same time.

[gatorpedsMD]

https://golfweek.com/2018/08/17/andrew-beef-johnston-plays-to-crowd-as-he-takes-off-pants-puts-on-waterproofs/

 

 

BEEF looking like he does legs

[golfarb1]

In the past golf had an image of being a non- athletic activity partly because many of its top players were very out of shape and went to the bar after playing.

I hope that the current trend of working out ,whether it be specific golf fitness or more general fitness will change that image.

[BB28403]

If you think Koepka is just busting out some deadlifts and bench presses for his workouts your wrong. Check out kolbywayne and joeydgolf on instagram and you can see what kind of workouts his trainer focuses on. Like everything in life, the best results come from a variety of approaches.

 

Here is Koepka throwing a med ball if you want some proof.

 

Agree but how many golf fitness guys are doing 225, 14 times and can easily do 315? NFL football players yes but golfers?

 

Baseball players do that standard in high school. You can get to 315 if you work up to it with reps over a couple years. Bench maybe 3 times a week. Just add it to your routine. I always found bench to be fun

[BB28403]

https://golfweek.com/2018/08/17/andrew-beef-johnston-plays-to-crowd-as-he-takes-off-pants-puts-on-waterproofs/

 

 

BEEF looking like he does legs

 

Truthfully that’s prob just from walking the courses 4x a week. Even going as a fan to these events is a great workout. I had 15,000 steps the other day. Or put your treadmill on hills setting and walk for 4 straight hours and every hour put $5 in the jar for a water. Haha

[toofdocta]

Being fit is going to only improve ones game, regardless of sport, activity, endeavor. PERIOD.

[MrJones]

:lol: These type of threads...

 

 

I wonder if any doctor has ever recommended their overweight patient start exercising and then said "Wait a minute...do you golf? No exercise for you then. Wouldn't want you to lose that world class swing."

 

 

Seriously golf may be the only sport where you'll hear arguments against working out and getting more fit.

[SirFuego]

Here are a couple good quotes from an article I posted earlier in the thread for those that didn't read it:

 

During the season, the goal is to maintain maintaining movement quality to improve durability and ensure a consistent baseline for performance. If a golfer is used to 90° of shoulder rotation, their swing will feel very different if they get off the table with 105°.

So for golf professionals, you don't want to do anything drastic during the season or it could throw off their swing. That doesn't mean that fitness is "overrated", because they don't want to decrease their body capabilities either.

 

two of the biggest biggest differences between a PGA TOUR player and amateur: 1) professional golfers have SIGNIFICANTLY less physical limitations than amateurs and 2) professional golfers do a better job working around physical limitations they do have. Professional golfers don’t need significant change.

IMO, this is a very telling quote. Yes there have been a lot of "unfit" professional golfers, but they still are capable of moving their bodies in ways that many amateurs can't. Just because you can swing 45 degrees past parallel like John Daly doesn't mean that you are just as flexible as him. There are many (incorrect) ways to make a backswing that can get you 45 degrees past parallel. When you learn the correct way, you realize how much flexibility it requires.

 

I'm embarrassingly overweight, but my (old) swing was "built" around when I was skinnier, lifting and running a lot. After struggling a lot last year to make swing changes, I realized that my handicap fluctuates with my weight. My 150 club was an 8-iron about 10 years ago before I put on the weight and it diminished to a 6 or 7 iron. Since I've started working with a TPI fitness guy, my contact with the ball is much better and my 150 club is now a 9-iron -- using the same set of Mizuno irons I had back when I was fit. I don't keep a handicap, but my first couple rounds this year (my golf season is only about 7 months) would have been my two lowest rounds last year. My worst rounds are significantly better than my worst rounds the year before. The biggest thing is that after a round of golf, even when I was fit, my lower back would always be sore -- now it is not. I didn't even know half of the exercises I do even existed before I started going to my fitness guy. I lift weights, I stretch, I throw weighted balls, I beat the crap out of my core, and I do "functional" exercises. I probably sweat a lot more and maintain a higher heart rate than when I was younger and primarily focused on "traditional" strength training.

 

That said, I can't attribute it all to fitness because I've also been trying to make technical changes. But I have noticed that my swing changes are progressing a LOT faster than they were before.

 

Since I started focusing on "golf fitness" in November, I didn't actually start losing weight until I made nutritional changes. It's nothing drastic (weight watchers), but it's been huge for my morale and health.

 

So the bottom line is that golf fitness isn't the end-all-be-all. It's not going to magically fix your swing, but it will probably make swing changes easier since your body has a larger range of motion and you'll be stronger in the muscles that matter. You'll still need to put in the technical work to improve, but in theory your potential should be a lot higher. More importantly it's going to improve your health, which is never a downside. If one hasn't seen anyone get better at golf through golf-specific fitness, it's probably due to the fact that it still TAKES A LOT OF WORK, EFFORT, AND LIFESTYLE CHANGES for it to truly be effective. It's basically no different than the people that lose 50 pounds and put it back on within a few years -- or purchase a gym membership and not go for months at a time.

[pinhigh27]

I really doubt john daly has/had any great mobility or flexibility. He just had insane skill and ability to time a move that most amateurs could not.

[RobertBaron]

I really doubt john daly has/had any great mobility or flexibility. He just had insane skill and ability to time a move that most amateurs could not.

 

He has a huge shoulder turn.

[golfarb1]

I really doubt john daly has/had any great mobility or flexibility. He just had insane skill and ability to time a move that most amateurs could not.

 

According to this article John Daly was a placekicker in high school and held a number of Arkansas records.It is hard to believe that a succesfull placekicker does not have above average flexibility in his legs.

I can cite only two players whose backswing length compare to Daly's ,Bubba Watson and Jamie Sadlowski.If you do not call that superior flexibility/mobility than I do not know what is.

 

http://articles.latimes.com/1991-08-13/sports/sp-770_1_john-daly

[Stanks]

Golf Fitness? Never heard of it. I understand that you can attack particular muscle groups through a fitness coach to benefit your game but, here is the simple end all be all for your gym needs.

 

I don't care if you're 16 or 65 or even higher, you should make it a point to visit the gym the majority of days a week. It'll help you and it will help your game. Be smart about it. Do weights and cardio. It's not really to benefit golf but, just a recommendation for your lifestyle. Playing 18 isn't the gym. It's a good walk.

[Jasonic]

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

 

 

Although Duval said fitness hurt him, aren't those pictures backwards?

 

I remember him being lean when he won his major and was world number 1, and then heavier when he made his comeback that didn't really go anywhere.

 

Exactly. When he got fit and lost weight is when he won the Open and got to world number one.

[dpb5031]

I really doubt john daly has/had any great mobility or flexibility. He just had insane skill and ability to time a move that most amateurs could not.

 

I generally agree.

 

Earlier in this thread someone posted that flexibility > strength, referencing Koepka v. Justin Thomas, etc. I call B.S.

 

I think flexibility is overrated. Sure, you need sufficient flexibility/mobility, but it's not the holy grail...just as strength alone is not.

 

Speed is a separate entity. To maximize speed your body needs to be strong enough and supple enough so as to achieve a full range of motion and to also avoid injury, but beyond that the returns are minimal. I believe there are diminishing returns beyond a certain requisite.

 

Speed is another story. Just as with running and jumping, some people are just naturally faster and will have a higher ceiling. Optimal swing mechanics and sequencing will have more of an impact on speed than strength and/or flexibility... unless the player has a significant deficiency in one or both of those areas.

[Yuck]

A lot of good points in this thread. The key to remember is that talent level is not correlated to fitness, so a very talented, relatively portly golfer, (Think Aphibarnrat or Laura Davies) will beat the 4 handicapper who is in outstanding physical shape, nearly every time. I am sure for a given player, cardio-vascular fitness, strength and flexibility will help many optimize their performance, but as someone said earlier.

 

If a player makes to to PGA tour level with a spare tire, getting rid of the spare tire at that point will not automatically make them better and could make them worse.