We've launched the new forums! Read more here

Results on the course because of the gym?

Payton333

Payton333

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 10, 2018
Messages
278
Reaction score
289
Location
Hab Land
Handicap
11
Trying to get back in some semblance of shape during the long Canadian winter. I'm a month in and it's going quite well.
I was wondering if anyone might have seen real tangible results related to distance due to nothing more than getting in the gym and working hard?
 
I found if i kept myself flexible whilst getting stronger I added a fair few yards onto my drives and iron distances were easier to get meaning I could tone my swing down
 
alexped2393 said:
I found if i kept myself flexible whilst getting stronger I added a fair few yards onto my drives and iron distances were easier to get meaning I could tone my swing down
Click to expand...

Flexibility is the ticker here. If you aren't putting in the time to stretch after working out it may even correlate to reduced motion. Hit up that yoga :giggle:
 
Would you be better at golf if your legs, arms, back, etc were stronger?
 
I worked out with Pilates before I started golfing, but there are 3 guys who work out with Pilates at the same time I do. All three have told me that the flexibility they have gained has helped their game. One of the was boasting last week that his muscle-bound (his words) was giving him a hard time about doing Pilates until he beat him on the course 2 times over Thanksgiving. MattStub is right about maintaining flexibility. Both Yoga and Pilates will help with this.
 
I’m a workout junkie. I would do it all day if I could. Love being at the gym and putting in the work. When it comes to my golf swing, I’ve noticed what has the most transfer from gym to course is flexibility, mobility, and core strength.

Flexibility has been mentioned and mobility is related but goes a bit deeper. A rough definition of each: Flexibility is your body being able to reach a certain range of motion and mobility is reaching the range of motion and having strength and control there. So with mobility if you can strengthen your body in a golf position that will lead to results on the course. One example would be holding your address position to strengthen your muscles in that position.

Lastly making your core stronger is going to lead to better swings. All the rotation and leverage you are using your body for will become more efficient when your core is stronger.

Bonus: I like doing Olympic lifts, snatch and clean & jerk, to help my swing. There’s a lot of timing involved in both movements that are transferable skills to the golf swing. The planes of movement are different but learning the timing in those lifts will give you some more awareness during your swing.

Just like anything else this all takes time to develop. Hope that helps.
 
I've found that stretching and working on my core has helped more with distance, than purely lifting weights. For me its more reps, less weight with yoga/Pilates thrown in for my core.
 
I had shoulder/bicep tendon reconstruction back in 2011 and had wanted to recover fully for golf. After surgery I bought several golf fitness book and my favorite is this one:

:https://www.amazon.com/Golf-Fitness...ocphy=9019692&hvtargid=pla-568103225416&psc=1


Each of us are at a different baseline for our golf strength and flexibility and IMO all of us can improve our golf fitness. For me I focus on core strength and flexibility in my hips, hamstrings, and back/torso. I tend to be less flexible in those regions than others. I didn't need any golf specific training before the age of 45 to keep my distance but I'm happy to say that age 53 I haven't lost any distance.
 
Last edited:
I appreciate all the responses. Made me quickly realize that although I'm doing quite a lot well in terms of core and full body movements I need to put more effort in regards to flexibility! God knows I need to be working on something during the evenings beyond reading golf forums;-)
 
I’ve also noticed a big difference now that I’m back in the gym. I do weights 3-4 days a week and run 2 miles a few times a week. Need to get back in to yoga.
 
Totally agree with most, if not all posters, regarding flexibility and core strength. Very important to a golf swing.

Will tell a fantastic story about this. My buddy had been working on exactly those two things in the off season.

Was at a range with him, not a huge guy, but not small either. Probably 6 ft and 180 lbs. We were hitting next to this muscle bound fellow. My buddy warms up a little with a wedge and then pulls out driver. Smacks a couple decent ones, but hits them pure so the sound is nice and crisp. Muscle bound guy next to us goes "Easy there Tiger". To which my friend replies "Whatever you say Sally". This gets muscle guy's friends going and chirping him so he says to my friend, "Long drive contest, now!". My buddy says "Sure, I'll take two and give you 5". Muscle guy scoffs and says "Your loss". My buddy quips back "Ladies first", setting off muscle guy's friends again! Muscle guy, hits his 5, purely relying on arm strength to muscle it out there. Does a decent job of it, longest one is about 285. My buddy's turn, first one, he doesn't swing too hard and pokes it out to about 280. Muscle guy says "You really gotta muscle up". Buddy says "I'll be thinking of your girl on this one". Takes a nice slow and long backswing, smooth as silk follow through and hits it completely pure. The ball ends up hitting the back wooden post holding up the netting (300 yards approx). Muscle guy's friends go crazy and start smack talking their friend like crazy. In the midst of all this we hear a lady, on the other side of us, say to her husband "I thought you said nobody could do that!". Husband of lady says "No, I said no one could hit it over". My buddy responds "I can get one over". Husband says "$20 says you can't". My buddy pulls a ProV1 out of his bag. Husband says "Whoa, I never said you could use your own ball". My buddy quickly points out "You didn't say I couldn't". Husband still doesn't believe my buddy can pull it off so agrees. Sure enough, my friend smashes his ProV clean over the netting!

One of my best golf stories and it didn't even happen on the course!
 
Absolutely have seen it, but I think it is also partly my ball striking has gotten better. Gone from a lot of worm burners to now having directional issues mainly, so I think working out has played a part in it.

My flexibility used to be really good and that's gone away a little too, going to work on that this winter and hopefully can gain some more distance that way too.
 
I haven't lifted a weight since 2011, but I've run more since 2014 than I ran in my 37+ years before that. I have found that the better shape I'm in, the better golf I play. Could I use a bit of help from yoga and/or core strengthening exercises? Sure. I'm just not sure where I'd find the time.
 
Any recommendations on workout routines to improve flexibility and core strength? Besides the book referenced earlier?
 
I know I played my best golf when I had been working out. It seemed to help with my consistency and a few extra yards didn't hurt either. I've been terrible about any kind of exercise over the last 1 1/2 years but I just ordered DDP Yoga so that's about to change.
 
I found I have let my conditioning slip over the last year and my game suffered. Strong legs and core are my keys to success and not having back pain.

Now just gotta get it in gear.

Sent from my Note 8 using Tapatalk
 
PatsFan said:
I found I have let my conditioning slip over the last year and my game suffered. Strong legs and core are my keys to success and not having back pain.

Now just gotta get it in gear.

Sent from my Note 8 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Same here, man! Get after it!

Sent from my SM-G960U using Tapatalk
 
Flexibility, muscle tone, especially legs and core, yield the following benefits.
  • Distance
  • Consistent distance
  • Improved accuracy
  • Consistency over the round due to improved stamina

At least that is my experience.
 
I definitely could recover better from golf when I exercised a couple other times over the week.. workouts now are very inconsistent, I got some dumbbells for home workouts but motivation is minimal. Just need to get off my ass... But short answer, yes many benefits

Sent from my SM-G965U using Tapatalk
 
If you really want to add distance and that is all you care about, just get yourself a SuperSpeed set and follow the regimen like gospel. It really works. I stopped doing it because I need to get more accurate, not longer.

My kids have both gained 30mph CHS this past year, probably lost some since they haven't been using it lately. Some of that would have come naturally due to growing but my 15 year old (then 14) had a CHS greater than the average on the PGA tour last winter and my then 12 year old was just below what is generally considered what would fit into an X-flex shaft. Both are skinny as all get out. My now 15 year old weighs 126 and my now 13 weighs 90.

Justin Rose was always considered a shorter than average player, and now hits it well above Tour average. I believe that he has attributed it to overspeed training. I could be wrong there as I'm going off memory but my kids results is not. Fall of 2017 my then 12 year old was at 72 mph. My then 14 year old was at 87. Over the course of last winter they both gained HUGE gains. Some was swinging a bunch, some was overspeed training. Neither method by itself would have jumped them 30+ MPH.
 
With extra gym , I can hit the ball further :act-up:

Pay attention to legs ( squats movement ) , and abs ( rotation )
 
Not from the gym,but last season I attribute an increase of distance to running the freight elevator at Amazon last fall to the end of spring. Carrying heavy loads on pallets and walking up to 50,000 steps a day usually between 40-45,000) gave me strength to my calves, thighs and forearms. 45,000 steps equaled a marathon as far a miles go!

Even today, I still walk 20-30,000 steps a day in a different, but more energetic role, so I expect to see the distance gains continue. I am still relatively short, but not as much as before.
 
I lift weights but don't feel they do much for my golf swing. About 6 months ago I picked up a book called fix your body, fix your golf game by the guy that trains DJ. It has lots of turning core movements that I think are helping my golf swing and you can do them all from home. Got a Yoga book as well but that is tougher to read/understand without a coach. You can do both. They are complementary to each other, just alternate days.
 
As I’ve gotten older, cardio fitness has become more important. When I was in my 30’s and 40’s, I never got fatigued during an 18 hole round and didn’t have to do any cardio exercise to keep fit. Now that I’m 53, I need to do cardio to keep my fitness and it’s more important as many days I now have the time to play 27 or 36. The good news is my body still responds well to cardio. I started back into biking December 12th with the delivery of our Peloton indoor bike and after 10 workouts I’ve increased my cardio fitness almost 20%. It should be easy to walk 36 holes when the courses open up in March or April!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top