| There are hundreds, probably thousands, of articles | | | | efficiency in any movement. Don't expect to be near |
| about how to improve your golf. Just pick up any | | | | 100% efficiency. To get better swing mechanics the |
| weekly or monthly issue of any golf magazine. You | | | | bottom line is that you must find quality information, |
| will read page after page on how to get better at | | | | instruction and practice, practice, practice. No ifs, |
| your driving distance, how to improve your putting, | | | | ands, or buts. |
| how to improve your short game. The list goes on | | | | Physical "Golf Fitness" Recipe |
| and on and on. (I could probably fill this whole article | | | | The physical side of golf has to do with preparing the |
| with the titles of the articles that are "supposed" to | | | | actual physical body to perform the athletic |
| fix your game). This tells me a few things about | | | | movement you are asking it to do. Every movement |
| golfers: 1) we all want to get better, 2) we are | | | | that your body performs, be it walking down the |
| anxious to absorb all the information possible to get | | | | street, playing catch, or swinging a golf club, requires |
| better, and 3) golf is a game of continual | | | | effort from your body. Your body has to perform |
| improvement. | | | | "work" to complete these physical actions. To swing |
| The question that may be running through your mind | | | | a golf club with the correct biomechanics in an |
| at this point is: "Why is this article any better the | | | | effective and efficient manner, your body needs to |
| ones I read last week?" The answer is that it is not. | | | | be flexible, balanced, strong, have endurance, and |
| It is different, not necessarily better or worse. The | | | | power. |
| difference is the perspective from which this article is | | | | It becomes obvious that to swing a club on the |
| written. Let me explain. | | | | correct path you body has to have the "platform or |
| I currently work on the PGA Tour as a personal | | | | base" to do it correctly. Your platform consists of |
| trainer/strength and conditioning coach. Previous to | | | | the flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and |
| my position on the tour I worked in professional | | | | power we discussed in the previous paragraph. |
| baseball with the San Diego Padres and the | | | | These 5 pieces to the golf fitness puzzle are |
| Milwaukee Brewers training elite athletes. This article | | | | developed through training which create what is called |
| will look at improving your golf swing through the | | | | a "transfer of training effect" into the golf swing. |
| "my" eyes, which is a perspective different from | | | | Quite often I see amateur golfers lacking the |
| players, swing coaches, and sports psychologists. This | | | | necessary amounts of flexibility, balance, etc. and it |
| article will not speak directly about specific drills or | | | | hinders any possibility of developing the correct |
| mental thoughts that should be incorporated into | | | | biomechanics of the golf swing. |
| your swing. We will look at golf from a broader | | | | So simply put, you have to develop a better swing; |
| perspective and provide some insight on how to | | | | you need to develop more flexibility into your body, |
| approach improvement in your golf game on a | | | | improve your balance, become stronger in your |
| day-to-day basis. | | | | overall body, improve your muscular endurance and |
| I see improvement in the sport of golf contingent | | | | what we are all after, and improve your power. |
| upon three ideas. These ideas are categories that | | | | Think of your golf fitness as a cookie recipe. If you |
| any golfer or any other athlete can apply to their | | | | leave out any one ingredient, your cookie will taste |
| daily lives for improvement in their sport of choice. | | | | terrible. |
| The three keys to improvement in any athletic | | | | Don't leave out any ingredients in your golf fitness |
| endeavor, golf included, are: | | | | plan. |
| 1) physical, | | | | Mental/Emotional |
| 2) biomechanical, and | | | | You have probably read articles of "the mental side |
| 3) mental/emotional | | | | of golf," which I think are great reads and have a |
| Realize that entire books are written on these three | | | | significant benefit to your game. I know personally |
| subjects, and the point of this article is to present | | | | when I am confident in my swing, hitting the fairway |
| these keys to pique your interest for more | | | | off the tee is much easier. That has to do with |
| information to help you improve your game. | | | | confidence in my game in addition to success on the |
| Biomechanical (Golf Swing Mechanics) | | | | course. I would like to interject a point that I have |
| Biomechanics is essentially physics applied to the | | | | seen from working with numerous professional |
| body. The study of biomechanics concerns itself with | | | | athletes. |
| how the body moves and what allows it to perform | | | | Let me begin by asking you a question: "which occurs |
| certain human movements. For example, | | | | first, success or confidence?" The answers I hear |
| biomechanics studies how the body moves to throw | | | | half the time are success and the other half of the |
| a baseball 95 miles per hour or how to swing a golf | | | | time confidence. Let me first tell you that it is a trick |
| club to create club head speed of 120 miles per hour. | | | | question. The answer is as follows: "Proper |
| Biomechanics looks at how the body moves to | | | | preparation precedes success and confidence." So |
| perform these actions efficiently. Biomechanics in | | | | with that said, I found through experience that both |
| relation to the golf swing concerns itself with how | | | | success on the course and confidence in your game |
| the body swings a golf club to get the most efficient | | | | are a direct result of being properly prepared |
| and effective swing possible from the human body. I | | | | physically, mentally, and biomechanically for |
| would estimate that probably 95% of the books, | | | | competition. |
| articles in golf magazines and television programs deal | | | | So just thinking about making a putt usually does not |
| with the topic of biomechanics. When it comes to | | | | work. Making that putt or putting that drive into the |
| the biomechanics of the golf swing, the research is | | | | fairway is more a result of days upon days of |
| pretty solid, and "they" (swing coaches, instructors, | | | | physical and biomechanical preparation of your swing. |
| etc...) know mechanically what the golf swing should | | | | This will then foster what is required to make those |
| do, and how the body is suppose to work to | | | | shots on the course. One additional observation: I |
| perform it correctly. | | | | have found that creating the mental focus required |
| Biomechanically, the human body is not perfect. The | | | | for golf is much easier when you have developed the |
| perfect golf swing or the perfect pitching motion has | | | | physical foundation for your swing. If you trust that |
| yet to be achieved by any human. The professionals | | | | your body will do what you ask it do, when you |
| in such sports get very close. Their efficiency ratings | | | | want it to do it, mentally the game becomes much |
| when it comes to these athletic actions are in the | | | | easier. |
| 90's in terms of percentages, but there is yet to be | | | | Where can I learn more? |
| a human who has achieved 100% biomechanical | | | | |