Golf Fitness - What Everyone Should Know About Golf Fitness

By: Puusaari

Would you like to know how to lower your golf scores without ever going to a driving range? Golf fitness can have a dramatic effect on your performance and is highly recommended for players at all skill levels. Golf fitness is more than just working out at the gym. Golf fitness consists of exercises that are specific to the sport of golf and is especially designed to increase increasing your flexibility, strength, balance and endurance.

A smooth, fluid golf swing requires a high degree of flexibility. However, as the years take their toll on our bodies, staying flexible becomes more difficult. Exercises that enhance flexibility are recommended because there are lots of great reasons to stay flexible that don't have anything to do with golf. The best way to increase flexibility is through stretching exercises. Don't expect amazing results from a casual stretch whenever you happen to think about it. Develop a specific stretching routine that you do on a regular basis.

When you combine flexibility with strength, you are able to drive a golf ball farther. The extra distance is a result of the faster club head speed you can generate with a stronger and more flexible upper body. The type of strength training required for golf fitness is somewhat different than what you might be familiar with. A great golf swing needs power that is more explosive in nature. You should look for exercises that have a high rate of force development (RFD). The real secret behind a powerful golf swing is not how strong you are, but is more about how fast you can deploy that strength and how quickly you can accelerate the golf club.

If you have trouble keeping your balance, then strength and flexibility won't do you much good. The best way to ensure that you can stay centered over the ball is to work on developing better balance. A well-developed sense of balance can also come in handy for dealing with difficult lies, like the edge of a bunker or a steep grade in the tall grass. You also have to create a stable platform so that your golf swing plane isn't negatively affected. This is where exercises that focus on your core strength and lower back can work wonders.

Finally, golf fitness exercises should add endurance to your flexibility, strength and balance. A full round of 18 holes can be brutal in the summer heat. Even nine holes can wear you down. And what if you travel to a golf resort and play every day? What are the most effective exercises to build endurance? Cardio, cardio and more cardio. One reason cardiovascular exercises help with endurance is their ability to reduce overall body fat. Time on the treadmill, elliptical trainer or stair climber is time well spent in the gym. A good, old-fashioned walk around the block can be just as effective.

Professional golfers understand the value of golf fitness and make it part of their training schedule. Amateurs like you and me probably don't have that kind of time in our week. When lack of time to exercise is an issue, then it's important to make every workout count. Golf fitness can be your secret weapon to score lower, hurt less and enjoy the game of golf more.

Article Source: http://www.bettergolfarticles.com

Ryan Woodward is a golf enthusiast who shares his passion for the game at his website. For more great Golf Tips on how to shave strokes from your game please visit -> ryansgolftips.com

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