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Article #161: Improving Your Golf Game, the Optimal Recipe

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






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