Better Golf With Fitness

Standing Activation Video

Here is an exercise I like to recommend to my golfers before a round:

Me and Chi Chi

I had the honor of being on "Doctor Radio" (Sirius 114, XM 119) today on Samantha Heller's Health and Nutrition Show and golf legend Chi Chi Rodriguez was also on. 

The segment was on golf fitness (go figure) so Samantha interviewed me and we took a few calls for the first 30 minutes.

Chi Chi was on after me and Samantha let me stay so I could be part of the conversation.  He was really nice and still funny, I can see why people always loved him.

I asked him about his fitness program when he was on Tour and he said that he worked out starting in 1959.  "No one really knew because I didn't tell everyone my secrets.  Gary Player told everyone but I kept it to myself." 

He said he went to a famous bodybuilder in Puerto Rico and asked him to help him get stronger for golf.  Chi Chi showed him the golf swing and the trainer came up with some exercises he thought would help. 

According to Chi Chi, he gained "50 yards in 3 months"!!

I also asked him about what he did as a kid in terms of playing sports.  He said he played everything; baseball, boxing, soccer, you name it.  He feels that kids are playing in too many competition matches in golf and getting burned out.  Amen.

Chi Chi was known to have great hand-eye coordination, and I guarantee you playing different sports growing up was a big help.

Michael Boyle wrote a series of blog posts about kids, Early Specialization and how kids suffer from just playing one sport.   

Good stuff from Chi Chi today, I was pretty excited that he was on the show.  They are replaying it on Sunday (8am) and Monday at 2pm so check it out if you can. "Doctor Radio" (Sirius 114, XM 119)

S-POSTURE, HIP FLEXORS, AND BACK PAIN

Bob Forman

Certified Golf Fitness Instructor

MS Exercise Physiology

You see it more often in women, especially younger women, and young men.  It’s characterized by an arching of the lower back while standing over the ball at address.  The S-posture, as it’s commonly called, places a great deal of stress on the lower back.  It can also disrupt the golf swing sequence due to a concomitant relaxation of the abdominal muscles, resulting in swing faults like reverse spine (a leaning back of the spine toward the target at the top of the backswing).

(Click here to read more)

My Problem with Golf Digest and Golf Magazine

When are these magazines going to recognize that fitness is an important part of golf? 

First, Golf Magazine rarely has anything on fitness.  I have actually never seen anything on fitness in it but I did a search on their site and a great article from Brian Mogg came up from January 14th.  I'm not sure if it ever made the magazine, but it's on the site. 

Why not more of these type of articles?

Golf Digest does have a segment called "Fitness" in "The Digest" section but it is not in every issue and sometimes I wonder how some of the articles made it to the section.  It seems like a dumping ground for things that might have to do with "health."

The May issue does not have a "Fitness" section in it (even though Tiger is on the cover, go figure) so we need to go back to the the April issue. 

The main article on the fitness page is called "Grooving a swing."  It's about a golfer in Q school who had an iPod in for the whole final stage of the tourney.  Not a bad piece, but is this fitness? 

There is also a piece with a picture of Many Ramirez about mouth guards that relax the jaw muscles.  Again, interesting but is it fitness and why not show Scott McCarron or Steve Elkington who are allegedly wearing them?

The two true fitness pieces are 1) a box with cartoons showing three exercises and 2) some text on the bottom telling us about Camilo's secret move and to go to the website for a demo. 

Thanks guys, big help. 

How about dedicating the whole page to those three exercises and getting some pictures up with some real instruction so the average golfer out there who has no idea what they are doing won't hurt themselves?

It's no wonder golfers are using P90X.

Three Moves For More Power

Here is a link to an article I wrote for the Teeing Off Golf Blog.  It's called "Three Moves for More Power" and there is a link at the end of the article to videos of each exercise.

Golf Fitness on The Tour

Great new golf fitness blog from Coach Joey D.

From the blog:
"Joey D will drop by each week to talk about life on the PGA Tour and the pros he works with on a weekly basis -- Pat Perez, Charlie Wi, Ryuji Imada, Jason Gore, Tom Pernice Jr.Jason Dufner.

Joey also spent seven years working exclusively with Vijay Singh and even spent time touring with Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band, keeping them biomechanically sound. In time we'll dig into the vault and and re-tell some of those vintage stories.

The GolfGymBlog will feature commentary from Joey D, golf fitness-related tips and other golf fitness related articles, all in an effort to help you the reader improve your game. We'll also preview excerpts of Joey's upcoming fitness book, due early 2010."

Check out the blog here

Posting, TPI and Fixing the Problem

Wow, it's been a while since I posted.  I have been pretty busy with the studio (Five Iron Fitness) and my main podcast (The Strength Coach Podcast) so posting has been tough.  I plan on being a little more active now that the season is upon us.

This past weekend I attended the TPI Level 1 Certification class to review the material, see what changes have been made since I took my Level 1 two years ago and to help out Dave Phillips and Greg Rose in any way I could.

What a great weekend, I'm really glad I went.  Although I drink the TPI Kool-Aid already, it really reinforced some of the principles and ideas that I am trying to get across in the blog, in the podcast and to golfers interested in training at my studio.

Basically it comes down to:

1. Looking at the demands of the golf swing
2. Looking at the needs of the individual golfer to meet those demands
3. Prioritizing those needs to help fix what is broken

Pretty simple if you think about it.

The best way to do this is with an integrated approach of golf instruction, fitness training, mental coaching and club fitting.

I have found it hard to get people on board with getting their clubs fitted properly (especially in this economy) and getting some mental coaching (even if it means just reading some of the good books out there).

What I have had more success with is working with teaching pros since a lot of golfers will take lessons.  In it's simplest form:

1. The teaching pro looks at the swing and decides what the biggest 1 or 2 problems in the swing are.
2. They communicate with the me (the trainer) about what those problems are.  I look at the body and try to find imbalances, weaknesses or asymmetries that are potentially causing those problems or swing faults
3. Together, we look for solutions, and decide the best approach to fixing those problems.

The golf fitness trainer's job is to take direction about the priorities of the student from the teaching pro.

For example, if the teaching pro tells me that the student is swaying, or moving laterally with their hips away from the target in the backswing, then I will try to find the physical limitations that are causing the Sway.

My exercise programming will be based off of those results.  Those imbalances, etc. are what we will attack first.

Like I said, it's a pretty simple approach and it makes sense.

Although I love that people are embracing fitness with programs like P90X, if you are not addressing the physical limitations in your body that can cause swing faults, then you are not training for golf, you are just training.

If you think that's good enough and it's working for you, then keep doing what you're doing.

Increasing Range of Motion for Seniors Means More Distance

Bob Forman, GolFITT Carolina

One of the most common complaints from older golfers is that they can’t seem to be able to hit the ball as far as they used to. For some, this frustration often leads to less playing time or giving up the game entirely.

If the senior tees are not an option, here is a factor to consider when evaluating your game. Range of motion or the degree of movement one has for a particular body part, can play a vital role in the golfer’s ability to obtain distance on their shots. In particular, is the ability to get the club back during the backswing in order to produce sufficient clubhead speed at impact.

One of the preventable consequences of aging is a loss of flexibility and range of motion. This often is the result of a more sedentary lifestyle and/or the absence of a stretching routine. The stretching routine probably being the more significant of the two as even individuals who are active will lose their ability to move body parts, as stronger muscles tend to become tighter muscles. A consistent flexibility program will offset the tightness that develops through activity or the lack thereof.

As far as the backswing is concerned, many aging golfers lose their ability to disassociate their upper from their lower bodies, the X-factor as it’s known in the golfing world, resulting in a progressive limitation in their takeaways. This lack of mobility consequently reduces the distance the club head will travel during the downswing, thereby decreasing the ability to generate speed. Less speed generally results in less distance, unless other swing components are enhanced. . . like the hinging of the wrists for an example.

Another factor could be lack of external rotation in the shoulder joint. The inability to rotate the arm back from the shoulder while holding the arm out to the side and elbow bent 90 degrees (as when winding up to throw a ball), can also play an integral role in a restricted backswing.

Other commonly seen factors include tightness in the chest muscles and/or lats, as well as limited flexibility in the thoracic or mid back area. The latter also results, especially in amateurs, in a greater reliance on the lower back to swing the golf club. This may increase the potential for lower back injury as it places greater stress to that area.

A physical assessment evaluating the various anatomical components of the golf swing will identify where the deficiencies are, and help plan a course of action to begin the corrective phase. Precise exercises to improve flexibility can be recommended to enhance range of motion and improve swing performance.

The aging golfer who never really did much in terms of stretching to improve their game will be quite surprised to see how much of a difference it will make. . . in a relatively short period of time. The key is to first identify the deficiencies, so that a more targeted focus on the weakness/tightness can be achieved. A reputable golf fitness instructor will be able to assess and develop a personalized program that will better your body to better your swing, and increase distance.

Bob Forman is a Certified Golf Fitness Instructor through the Titleist Performance Institute and is the golf fitness professional at the Golf Academy at Barefoot Resort and Golf in Myrtle Beach, SC. He has established golf fitness programs in the medical fitness center he directs for High Point Regional Health System in High Point, NC, as well as country clubs in the Greensboro, NC, area. His client list includes golfers of all levels and ages including juniors up through and including LPGA players.
He’s been featured on the GolfersMD website as a golf fitness expert, and has provided workshops for the Golf Academy of America in Myrtle Beach. Bob has a Master’s degree in Exercise Science from Southern Connecticut State University and has been in the fitness field for over 26 years. During that time, he managed the corporate fitness programs for Kraft Foods in White Plains, NY, and the Crompton Specialty Chemical Company in Greenwich, CT. Along with providing current oversight to The Fitness Center at High Point Regional, Bob also manages their cardiac and pulmonary rehab programs, and the hospital’s employee wellness program.
GolFITT Carolina

Golfers Go Indoors to Get Their Game in Shape

From the Journal News, Dec. 24
Mike Dougherty

WHITE PLAINS - It's going to be a while before the blanket of snow melts, but a dedicated group of local golfers already is beginning to loosen up for next season here in the warmth of the Five Iron Fitness studio.

Actually, there's more than a good stretch involved.

"I almost lost my breakfast this morning," said a laughing Brad Smith, who spent an hour at the facility on Friday. "It was probably the most difficult session this year so far."

Swinging a golf club is now a serious athletic endeavor.

In recent years, professional and recreational golfers have discovered the benefits of regular fitness training. Everybody wants to be like Gary Player or Tiger Woods. It takes a little time away from the course, but the winter months provide an ideal window.

"A lot of people are jumping on that bandwagon," said Anthony Renna, a certified strength-and-conditioning specialist.

Renna discovered a niche in the industry and opened Five Iron Fitness in June, after spending a number of years making house calls.

"Golfers will do anything to get better," he said. "They'll do anything to gain a couple of yards or take off a couple of strokes. They are passionate. For me, it's more fun to work with people who are trying to get better at something."

Renna, who also has Titleist Performance Institute certification, currently has 25 full-time clients who visit the Post Road studio at least once a week for a golf-specific workout that emphasizes mobility, balance, power and energy.

He's not going to spend a lot of time on swing mechanics.

"Most of the people that are coming to me are being sent by golf professionals who are starting to understand that physical limitations are, for the most part, what's causing swing faults," Renna said. "I don't really get a lot of golfers in their 20s. I get people that realize they are losing flexibility, losing strength. They might be just getting tired on the back nine."

The process begins with a 90-minute full physical assessment.

"We're going to look at your ability to separate the upper body from the lower body," Renna said. "We're going to look at your ability to tilt the pelvis. We're going to look at core stability, thoracic and hip rotation. All of those are very important to golf.

"After the evaluation, we come up with some priorities. I'm going to work with your professional, too, and come up with some things we feel might help correct a particular flaw."

Most clients visit the facility once a week for an hour-long session. The initial evaluation costs $145, and each subsequent training session runs $95.

"Anthony likes to keep it moving," said Smith, a Pelham Country Club member who's been working out with Renna for two seasons from November to April. "We started with some aerobic exercise, and then did a lot of weights and bars. The last 15 minutes, there was cardio and more strength exercise.

"The biggest thing I feel when I'm out there is my back doesn't hurt anymore. I can play 36 holes of golf now, and I didn't used to be able to do that."

Other clients quickly note they do not measure success by a lower handicap index.

"I won't have that physical re-learning process when the season starts, and I am in better shape," said Rachel Orban, a real-estate attorney from Rye who's been working out at Five Iron Fitness since August. "Before I started, I sometimes had back pain during my practice session from sitting at a computer all day. I no longer have any back pain, and feel stronger. I anticipate that I will have a great golf season when the weather gets warmer and, in any event, I will be much more fit than before I started."

That's why Renna is busier at this time of year than any other.

"For me, it's like: What recession?" he said. "And when the season gets started, a lot of them will do the program from home. But winter is a busy time, and February will be even crazier."

Check out FiveIronFitness.com

Body Awareness

I think one of the most underrated benefits of training is a better understanding of body awareness.  Two things that I always experience with new clients is the inability to activate certain muscles (usually the glutes and/or core muscles) and not being able to understand the relationship of mobility and stability, most notably with segmentation of upper body and lower body.

Why is the ability to activate certain muscles important?

Greg Rose and TPI have gone as far as saying that the glutes are the "King of the Golf Swing."  They not only help maintain lower body stability throughout the swing, they help maintain core stability.  Having good core stability is important for an efficient energy transfer from the hips to the shoulders.  

So the ability to activate these muscles starts with an awareness of where they are and an ability to "turn them on."

Why is the relationship of mobility and stability, most notably with segmentation of upper body and lower body, important?

Being able to keep one body part or segment stable while the other is mobile is a key to power.  Think of a sling shot.  

 

If you are holding the sling shot in your left hand, and pulling back in your right hand, there needs to be stability in the left arm and mobility in the right arm.  We can have all the mobility in the world, but with out stability, we will not be able to store as much tension between the two for efficient power release.  The same goes for the opposite.  If I don't have the ability to pull it back all the way (assuming we have the strength to do it as well), then the rock will go nowhere.

In the golf swing, you need to be able to separate upper body from lower body, then lower body from upper body.  Having a better body awareness can help.