For Stability and Strength in Your Legs and Glutes – Try this!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Stability and Strength are critical in the golf swing. Poor lower body action due to weakness in the glutes and thigh muscles will have a devastating effect on your power and consistency. Here Brandon Harris of Premier Fitness Systems gives a fairly simple drill that you can do at home using a broom handle, golf club or even a wall. Doing three sets 3 times a week will have a huge effect on your golf game!
In this video Brandon Harris golf fitness specialist from Premier Fitness Systems in Scottsdale, Arizona demonstrates a passive range lift off for hip and glute strength. This drill will dramatically increase glute and hip strength as well as increase total body connectivity. It will help you stay connected throughout your entire golf swing as well as increase your power.
Velocity Based Training is the latest in the Quest for Power!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
There is a new type of training that is taking the golfing world by storm! Velocity-Based Training!
Have you ever wondered how small guys like Rickie Fowler and Rory McIlroy can consistently bomb it over 300 yards? Remember this, for every 1 mph of additional clubhead speed, you will gain 4 yards! So do the math. If you increase your clubhead speed by a measly 10 mph, you can add 40 yards! Now that’s what I’m talking about! Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear, along with fitness editor Ron Kaspriske, gives us the latest research and equipment to enhance your training and give you more distance!
Illustration by Viktor Koén
If you’ve ever wondered how someone like 5-foot-9, 150-pound Rickie Fowler or 5-foot-9, 165-pound Rory McIlroy can consistently drive the ball past golfers who look like NFL linebackers, it’s certainly not because they’re stronger. And it’s not necessarily because they have better technique.
A key ingredient in their distance prowess is the amount of power they can generate.
It’s one thing to be strong. And it’s another to be fast. But when you’re strong and fast, you have the ingredients to really bomb it. That’s the concept behind a type of training rapidly gaining popularity with athletes in all sports—even golf. It’s called velocity-based training, or VBT. Instead of focusing on how much weight is moved, VBT focuses on the rate of speed for each repetition of any mobile exercise.
VBT improves muscle coordination, timing and, most important, swing speed, says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear, who works with PGA Tour pros Webb Simpson, Luke Donald and Russell Henley. According to Foresight Sports ball-flight-simulation models, increasing the average amateur’s swing speed from 90 miles per hour to 100 mph offers the potential of 36 more yards (see chart below) on center-face strikes.
“I’ve introduced it to many golfers,” Shear says, “and I think it will one day become a training norm for most athletes.”
Is working with weights harmful to your game – some think so!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
In recent years, there has been a lot of talk on the type of workouts some of the PGA Tour players are going through in the gym.
With Tiger Woods being beset with so many injuries, some say that working with weights is detrimental to the body, especially when relating to a good golf swing’s smooth, fluid motion. In recent weeks Brandel Chamblee, who is known for his outspoken manner, sometimes to his detriment, has criticized Rory McIlroy for his workouts. There now seems to be a minor war between the two, with Rory tweeting some workout pictures to Brandel. Personally, I feel that if Brandel had worked out a little more in the gym, he might have done better as a professional golfer. Thanks to Sam Weinman of Golf Digest for this article. I’m sure we have not heard the last of this!
Golf Channel analyst Brandel Chamblee gets credit for raising an interesting question — Is there’s such a thing as too muchstrength training for golfers? Specifically, he asked if Rory McIlroy’s intense fitness routines might have damaging effects, especially when you consider Tiger Woods also put in countless hours working out and has since been beset by a series of injuries.
“It does give me a little concern when I see the extensive weightlifting that Rory is doing in the gym,” Chamblee told reporters in a conference call.
The comments provided some amusing fodder for McIlroy, who replied to Chamblee by tweeting a video of him doing squats. But the question remained: Is the four-time major champion doing more harm than good?
Avoid injury with these golf stretches by Paige Spiranac!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Paige Spiranac is an Instagram star with almost 500,000 followers. She recently turned pro but had a disappointing debut in Dubai. She agreed to do a series of videos for Golf Digest, focusing on strength, flexibility, and avoiding injury on the golf course. Check these out!
Instagram star and golfer Paige Spiranac demonstrates some exercises to help you avoid injury when out on the course. Everyone’s fitness level is different and constantly fluctuating. So tailor the number of reps or duration you perform each move to your immediate capabilities. Don’t forget to also perform one-sided exercises with the opposite side or in the other direction.
Strengthen your abs and legs with help from Paige Spiranac!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
My favorite workouts are those that require minimal equipment. These are workouts that can be done at home or at the gym and at your own pace. In fact, the slower you do these exercises and pay attention to good form (just like the golf swing), the more benefit you will get out of the workout.
Thee most oft-asked questions from golfers regarding fitness are things such as What can I do to avoid back pain?, What exercises are good to strengthen my core muscles? and What are the best stretches before I play? We attempted to answer those questions, and many others regarding golf fitness, by producing a series of short videos highlighting the very best exercises for anyone who loves the game.
Best part? We got Instagram star Paige Spiranac to demonstrate those moves.
Build stability and strength simultaneously with the Physio Ball!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
The Physio or “Swiss” ball is a piece of exercise equipment that is not expensive but a must-have if you want a great workout.
It provides an unstable environment that forces the core muscles to engage, creating stability. It is a great tool for sit-ups as it is easy on the back. My favorite, the plank, is done first with your feet on the ground, and once you have mastered that, put your feet up on a small table or chair to create an excellent core and balanced workout. Thanks to Ron Kaspriske of Golf Digest for this article. Go to the link below for additional videos with the Physio Ball.
Back in 2014, we put Dustin Johnson’s girlfriend, Paulina Gretzky (left), through the paces of a golf workout including use of one of the most beneficial pieces of equipment in any gym—a physio ball. There are literally dozens of exercises you can do with one, and Golf Digest fitness advisor Ben Shear and I demonstrate a few of them below. Physio balls cost $20-$40 and come in various sizes. Typically men should use a 75mm ball while women would be better off using a 65mm or 55mm ball. It’s smart to check this out before buying.
Why is a physio-ball so useful?
In a word: Instability. In order to perform most exercises with a ball, your body has to make up for the lack of stability that the spongy, round ball doesn’t have. So you have to use several muscle groups—most notably the core muscles around your midsection—in order to avoid falling off the ball. This “stability-first” mandate is similar to what needs to happen in order for you to swing a golf club effectively and safely. Without bracing yourself, you can’t swing a golf club without losing your balance.
The plank that Paulina is demonstrating here is just one of many exercises all golfers should incorporate into their routines. This one is especially good if you move the ball around with your forearms rather than just staying still. You’ll really feel it working your core muscles.
A really Good Stretch to Increase Your Shoulder Turn!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Front view of two young adult golfers stretching on the green, yoga for golfers
If you are in your mid to late 60’s or older, you will have noticed that it is much more difficult to make a good shoulder turn.
Most students of this age that I film have about half the shoulder turn they should have. This exercise by Michael Cummings, a performance specialist at Sklz, will show you an easy way to increase your shoulder turn. By the way, the product he is using to help slide along the wall is called Slidez and is available here.
The ugly truth about swinging a golf club properly is that your body isn’t designed to do it without stressing certain parts to the point where pain/injury is a probable outcome. But if you’re like me, the game is too good to quit simply because there’s an increased chance I might hurt my wrists, elbows, shoulders, neck, back, etc., etc., etc.
So assuming you’ve accepted the risks associated with repeatedly swinging a golf club, there are some things you can do to reduce the odds of injury if you’re willing to get a little sweaty. This is especially true of the most common area where golfers experience pain—the lower back.
To stay loose and feel young get out your foam roller today!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
In my quest to become more flexible and agile in 2016, I came across this video by Titleist Performance Institute Level 3 Golf Fitness Coach Stephen Ladd on using a foam roller to massage and relax the golfing muscles. These exercises can be performed just before you leave the house to go and play golf or when you return home to get all the tightness and stress out of your body. In my case, I intend to do both! I have had a foam roller sitting in my study for over 5 years now, so after watching this video, I pulled it out and followed along with Stephen. Wow, did I feel good afterward! I think I will do this before heading out to the gym to do my TRX class as well!
To stay loose and feel young get out your foam roller today!
Folks, attaining your golfing goals takes hard work and dedication, but if you view this as keeping your body in shape even into your older years, you will never regret it!
Quick review of how to utilize foam rolling for golf, to loosen up the lower body, increase range of motion and enhance recovery.
An Easy Daily Exercise to Improve Your Golf Posture!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
Good golf posture is critical if you want to swing the club efficiently.
A straightforward exercise to do daily to help is a yoga pose called “Cobra.” Here Stephen Ladd demonstrates, with help from an intern, the correct form in getting the most out of this exercise. The benefits here are huge. Not only is this going to improve your golf posture, but your day-to-day posture is important as well, particularly as you get older. So first, start really easy if you have not done this before. Then, allow a gradual stretch over a period of two weeks to get into the final po0sition.
The Prone Cobra is the best Golf Posture exercise for maintaining your spine angle late in the round.
2 Great Rotational Exercises for Strength and Power!
Golf Chats is a website to encourage discussions on various subjects relating to the game of golf. I am Mel Sole, Director of Instruction of the Mel Sole Golf School and SAPGA Master Professional. I invite you to enter into a discussion on this or any article on the golfchats.com website. The input is for the entire subscriber base to learn something new each time! Please post your comments below. Keep it clean and tasteful. We are here to learn from one another!
What are your New Years’ resolutions? Mine is to increase my flexibility and increase the power in my golf swing. I joined a gym, hired a personal trainer, and am totally committed to gaining back some lost distance as I have aged. At 68, I still feel I have plenty of good golf left in me, and although my club handicap has drifted up to a 3, I am determined to get back to scratch by the end of the year. Set your own goals as to where you would like to be at the end of the year, and then put a plan in place of how you will get there.
The five key components of setting goals are :
Set a start date
Set an end date.
Ask yourself if the goal is realistic. (you are much more likely to quit if the goal is too hard.)
Set aside time for your exercise time every week. Put it down on a calendar, so you don’t accidentally book a social event that clashes.
Share your goals with a friend, relative or spouse. (You are much more likely to persevere if you know someone is checking on you to see if you are still on track.)
