How to Exercise Around Competitions
20 April 2010: author: Craig Tumblety
How to Exercise Around Competitions
So the new golf season is well and truly under way and I know everyone will be keen to play as much golf as possible in the summer months. For many this will include plenty of competitive rounds. Therefore it is, as ever, essential to stay injury free and fit to be at your best for any tournaments you may be playing in.
Those who have been training hard during the off-season will want to maintain the improvements in their golf fitness, while still benefiting their game with further training. The good news is that whether you have been training all winter or are just starting now it is always possible to make physical improvements in your game even during the busiest spells of the season.
The question is how to keep up your golf fitness training and still leave yourself fresh, for when you have those important rounds of golf coming up?
Whether you are a tour professional who has back-to-back week long events or a club player who is playing in the occasional open or medal competition, it is important to always make time for your golf fitness if you want to play to the best of your abilities.
When to train for different functions
It is essential that any power or strength training is well planned so as not to hinder performance during the most important weeks of the year. Research has shown that muscle soreness can negatively affect driving distance between 48-72 hours following an intense strength training session. However it has also been proven that power training must be performed at least every 2-3 weeks (depending on the individual) to maintain your power levels. So any explosive or resistance training should ideally be done early in your week, around 3 days before competition or alternatively during a free week. This will allow you time to recover adequately and benefit from those extra yards on the course.
Regressions can also occur in the mobility – stability pattern. Muscles that repeatedly follow consistent movement patterns while practicing or playing may become tight or inhibited if training does not take place to maintain and improve the muscle balance. (See “Understanding the muscle balance”)
Finally remember to stretch! As any top golfer will tell you, flexibility gives you huge advantages in golf. It is a major factor in being mobile enough to hit the ball a long, long way. Repeatedly using your muscles, such as in a few days of back-to-back golf, is when you are most at risk of losing flexibility. Therefore it is essential that the correct stretch work be performed following long days on the course or after the more challenging workouts.
The principles of training
To achieve gains through exercise and prevent regression your body must be continually challenged in new ways. If you happen to think the effects from one training session are ever lasting, I’m sorry they are not. Binge training does not work! For your body to become more physically able, exercise needs to be a continuous part of life for any golfer. If not then the body will always revert to any original imbalances and power will steadily decrease.
The Golf Fit Ltd Team are experts in helping you balance your training – playing schedule in order to achieve the best results. We create tailored workout programmes for golfers of all levels of physical fitness and ability. Our desire is for you to be able to play your best possible golf as often as possible. Golf specific training performed the correct amount of times per week and more importantly AT the correct times will allow your body to be finely tuned for the big events in your golf calendar.
