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All posts about: golf fitness
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Posted: Jun 25, 2009 | 10:24 AM PST
Tags: golf instruction, golf fitness, golf training, golf training aid
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GolfGym.com, the leader in golf fitness announces its "Get Fit Fore Free" Giveaway where one lucky golfer can walk away with the Golf Gym PowerSwing Trainer for free. Made for Golfers of all skill levels, size and age, the GolfGym PowerSwing Trainer can help improve the fitness level and game for golfers of every type.

 

You can enter to win here http://golfgym.moonfruit.com

 

You can learn more about Golf Gym by visiting www.golfgym.com

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Posted: Jun 5, 2009 | 2:46 PM PST
Tags: cheap golf, golfing on a budget, golf gps, rangefinder, golf fitness, golf tips
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This day two years ago I couldn’t count the rounds of golf I played on both hands. This year I am sad to announce that I only need one hand to point out how many visits I have made to the course. Times are rough, just ask your local golf pro, they may ask you first “where have you been”. Rounds are down, I can’t afford a new driver and I’ve even had to sell off a few of my wedges to squeeze in an extra day on the links.

 

Drastic times require drastic measures right? I wish someone would have created the survival guide sooner but at least I stumbled onto it before my golf life witnessed its end. It’s safe to say there are no easy answers right now but these great tips have definitely got my golf budget looking a little better this year. Who knows maybe there’s hope for that brand new driver after all…

 

Steps to Golfing in a Recession:

 

1)      Sell Your Spare Clubs – Come on, you never pull out that 56 degree wedge, or the space age looking putter. Sell your clubs on Craigslist or through Ebay and use the cash to buy yourself into a few extra rounds.

 

2)      Clip Coupons & Look For Membership Deals – I thought coupons were for groceries until I unearthed a ton of savings through some local golf sites offering buy one get one rounds. Another great opportunity is to check in with your local course to see if they are offering discounted membership.

 

3)      Make Smart Buys – If you’re a gadget golfer, look for alternatives to pricey accessories. Instead of the ultra expensive range finder that can kill your golf budget at $400 or more, I downloaded GreenFinder GPS for my BlackBerry. It’s only $39 and it’s just as accurate as the stand alone units, you can add any course and you have over 11,000 courses set to go. You can save money by downloading it at www.greenfindergps.com

 

4)      Fire Your Fitness Trainer – Why pay for golf fitness lessons when you can get great tips and fitness advice online? Of course you don’t get the one on one training from a golf professional but you can access awesome tips and fitness excercises to keep on top of your game at http://www.golfgymblog.blogspot.com/

 

5)      Skip the Clubhouse – Ok, golf course owners please skip this step… Pack some power snacks into your golf bag like these Golf Energy Bars http://www.golfenergybar.com/order.asp< /a>.  BYOB, I’ll leave this one up to you.

 

 

Happy, Cheaper Golfing.

 

 

 

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Posted: Apr 15, 2009 | 6:57 AM PST
Tags: golf swing power, driving distance, golf fitness, power golf, golf training
One of the fastest ways to improve your power and distance is golf specific swing training. Anything you can do while making a full or partial swing will be the quickest way to enhance your distance with every club. We call it sport specific training.

All elite athletes and professionals do it, and so should amateur golfers.

One method I personally use is Power Golf Swing Tubing.

You've seen those exercise bands with handles right? Well, they are perfect to make golf swings with. And the beauty is they are affordable, portable and can be used in your home, office and even hotel rooms while traveling.

It is critical you get a door attachment, so you can make downswings, impact and follow through swings.

Depending on the strength of the tubing, you can train your body for power and speed.

So if you want to get more power in your golf swing, check out this Power Golf Swing Tubing Program!
Posted: Feb 28, 2009 | 5:47 AM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Swing, Golf Stretches, Golf Fitness, Golf Tip, Hank Haney, Power Golf

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive hands-on instruction from golf teaching guru, Hank Haney.  Now, this was obviously a special opportunity since Hank basically only teaches Tiger Woods, and the junior players at his academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina. 

Hank has a specific golf swing theory that he is confident will allow the golfer to hit the nine main golf shots with consistency, at will.  This includes the straight shot, with low, medium or high trajectory, a draw with these three trajectories, and a fade with these three trajectories.  If a golfer can swing the golf club efficiently, he or she should feel comfortable hitting any one of these shots when the situation calls for it.

 Hank’s theory is that the club shaft should maintain the same angle throughout the golf swing as its starting position at address.  This is not the so-called one-plane golf swing.  Hank dismisses that idea.  However, he does suggest that there is one plane “angle” that the shaft should maintain, on different planes, throughout the golf swing. 

 Now, although I always felt I had a pretty good shoulder turn, my lesson with Hank indicated that I was not getting the full shoulder turn I need to maintain this one plane angle with a full golf swing. Instead, my left shoulder would drop slightly, and my head would also drop, during the back swing.  As a result, I was not making the full shoulder turn that would allow me to swing the club on the consistent shaft angle that Hank indicates will lead to more consistent ball striking.   Instead, the angle of my club shaft would at times be too flat or too steep, and ultimately I would need to have exceptional timing to hit the ball straighter.

 I’ve stated in a previous article that flexibility is more important than strength for initially trying to add distance to your golf game.  In trying to make the fuller shoulder turn that Hank was making me do during my lesson, I realized that I probably need to work on stretching my upper body some more.  I will note that I also have a bit of a neck issue related to a skiing wreck when I was a teenager.  As such, this may limit how much of a turn I can ultimately make.  The swing can still be effective if I must make only a three-quarter swing, and I can still generate power in other ways, but I will make a go out of trying to generate a full swing by increasing my flexibility. 

 Increased flexibility is so important to improving the golf swing, that even Charles Barkley is working on this as he works with Hank Haney in trying to solve his full swing yip problem.  At the same time, he has lost 30 pounds as well.  It is no secret now that fitness is one of the big keys to improving your golf game!

 With that in mind, in the coming weeks, I will continue to focus my attention on stretching the upper body.  Below are descriptions of the primary stretching exercises I will utilize in improving my flexibility.  If you want to improve your golf game, I suggest you work on these simple exercises as well!

Back Stretch – Twist

 Lay flat on your back, arms out to sides and palms down,  with your knees bent and feet flat to the floor.  Shift onto your left hip, keeping your back flat to the floor.  Lower your knees to the left side, so that the left knee and thigh lay on the floor.  Place your left hand on your right knee, and pull the right knee down to floor…at the same time your head should be turned to the right, facing your right hand.  Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly switch positions to the other side.

Lying Down Shoulder Stretch

 While sitting on the floor, legs stretched out front, and back straight, interlock your hands on the floor behind your back.  Slide your feet forward as far as they will go, feeling the stretch in the front of the shoulders.  Hold that position for 30 seconds.

Trunk Rotations

 Hold a staff or a broomstick behind your neck, with your arms outstretched along the staff.  At the golf course, you can do a version of this with your driver, with on hand on the grip, and the other down near the clubhead. 

Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, slowly turn your body as far to the left as possible, hold for a second, then slowly twist to the right, as far as possible.  Repeat 10 times to each side, and each time try to turn a little further.

Elbow Pull Shoulder Stretch

 Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, or sitting in an upright position with your back straight, extend your left arm forward, reach under and slightly behind your left elbow with your right hand, then draw the left arm in toward your body and across to the right.  You should feel this stretch in the back and side of your left deltoid muscle of the shoulder.  Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, then perform this same stretch with the right shoulder.

Posted: Feb 20, 2009 | 1:59 PM PST
Tags: power golf, golf swing, golf training aids, golf strength, golf flexibility, golf fitness, golf exercise, golf training
We all are in the search for longer drives, and longer drives are the result of higher clubhead speed with solid ball contact. One without the other will not give you optimal distance with any club in your bag. Get them both and you'll no doubt be the longest hitter in your foursome.

There are many golf training aids, and new ones coming out every year promising more distance. We as golfers have gotten kind of numb to this type of advertising, but there are a few, select golf training aids, I do believe will increase both your driving distance and clubhead speed.

Using a weight, like a doughnut you use in baseball is a very affordable and effective way to add additional weight to your golf club to build up your golf specific strength, flexibility and clubhead speed.

I found a golf swing weight trainer that is perfect for any golfer, even in this bad economy. Most weighted golf clubs cost between $80-$100, and this portable little weight is only $30. Now what golfer wouldn't spend this amount for more yards?

The great thing is the portability factor AND you use it on YOUR OWN CLUB.@import url(http://www.golflink.com/community/js /rte/);
Posted: Feb 15, 2009 | 11:31 AM PST
Tags: golf, golf fitness, golf swing, golf exercise, power golf, golf training

There are plenty of golf fitness gurus out there who insist that you can gain greater distance by doing a few exercises and stretches.  This will be true if you already have a good golf swing.  But, the bottom line is, if you have a faulty swing, you can exercise until you are blue in the face, and it won't matter.

A week ago I was in Dallas attending the Hank Haney "Teaching the Teacher" seminar that he holds annually.  We all had the opportunity to work with Hank's staff on our swings.  Fortunately, I also had the opportunity to get a full swing lesson from Hank in front of the rest of the pros.  He analyzed video of my swing, showed me my faults, then showed me how to improve my swing.  He essentially gave me the same lesson that one of his instructors, Doug Alexander, had given me a couple days earlier.  However, it did reinforce what I needed to work on.

A couple hours later, I took these ideas to the driving range.  I struggled for a while, mainly because I was not getting the release at impact correct, and my follow through was off.  After a while though, it finally clicked.  I ripped four straight 5-irons with a slight draw, and decided to pull out the driver.  I made perfect contact with the driver, and the ball flew dead straight.  I have no idea how far it went, but the ball flight was beautiful, and the ball shot off the clubface like a bullet.  The beauty of all this was that the physical effort required to hit these shots was far less than with my old swing. 

So, first thing is first.  If you want more distance, improve your swing.  Then, when you want to take it to the next level, work on your fitness. 

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Jan 28, 2009 | 7:41 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Swing, Power Golf, Golf Exercise, Golf Training, Golf Fitness

This is a follow up to a recent post discussing the keys to generating more power in your golf swing.  In the first installment, I discussed the importance of a good set up with balance.  In this post, the focus is on the shoulder turn.

What I have noticed in most average players is the lack of a good shoulder turn.  This may be the result of a physical issue, but in most cases, it is due to a swing flaw, such as a reverse pivot.  Most golfers that learn the game as adults have difficulty developing a big shoulder turn since they are primarily focused on trying to either just make contact with the ball, or keep it in play.  Junior golfers and those that learn the game at an early age rarely have this problem. 

However, generating a powerful golf swing requires that full shoulder turn, since when you combine that with a smaller hip turn, you generate significant torque.  When this torque is unwound, significant clubhead speed is generated.

If flexibility is your issue in trying to generate a full shoulder turn, I suggest you learn some basic stretching exercises that will help to loosen up your upper body.  My ebook, "How to Improve Your Golf Swing Power" provides a number of such exercises along with strength training routines you can perform at home with no equipment.

If you have a swing flaw such as a reverse pivot, you are losing significant power in that regard.  Seek a qualified golf instructor to help you deal with that issue.

Scott Cole  www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Jan 25, 2009 | 1:46 PM PST
Tags: golf, golf fitness, golf tips, golf swing, golf conditioning, power golf

I did a little bit of research, as usual, in recent weeks, and came to the realization that there is one muscle group that most golfers do not work on much, but it is definitely a key to achieving distance potential.  This group is the lats, the muscles of the upper and middle back.  Women in particular tend to have much smaller lat muscles than men.
 
The reason this muscle group is important is that it is very involved in the winding and unwinding of the golf swing.  The stronger these muscles are, the more torque you can put into the golf swing. 
 
The best way to work out these muscles without much in the way of equipment, is the pull up.  Unfortunately, pull-ups can be quite difficult, and most people, especially people who are a bit over weight, find it difficult to perform just one repetition.  However, by simply using a chair to support some of your weight, you can still do pull-ups and increase your strength. 
 
We do this by setting one foot on the chair.  This takes away some of the body weight, which makes it a little easier to do a pull up.  Doing our best not to push up with that foot, we pull ourselves up until our chin as even or slightly above the bar.  If you lower yourself back down slowly, you will continue to work the muscles. 
 
You can try a variety of grips on the pull up bar.  First, try an overlapping grip with the hands shoulder width apart.  A more difficult version would be to place the hands outside of shoulder width apart.  Or you can also try a very narrow grip, with the hands just a few inches apart.  You can also do a chin up, which is done by grabbing the bar so that palms face toward you.  
 
Since the pull up hits the back and arms, and the shoulders to an extent, it is a great exercise for the golfer seeking to add some distance without spending hours in the gym.

Scott Cole  www.powergolftraining.net

 

Posted: Jan 25, 2009 | 11:42 AM PST
Tags: power golf, golf exercises, power golf training, core golf, golf fitness, golf swing
Every golfer wants more POWER! Power is attained from training your body specific to the movements of your golf swing with exercises (resistance) using tubing w/handles, an exercise ball, and some dumbbells. That's it! Once you realize how easy it is to implement a power golf exercise program, you'll be one step closer to being the longest hitter in your foursome.

You first need to build a foundation of strength and flexibility to enhance stability in your golf swing. Without stability, you will not be able to swing your club at higher rates of speed that add distance to your drives. This foundation will consistent of lower body (leg) exercises; as well as core exercises that will help you maintain your posture while you're swing faster.

Implementing power golf exercises, will only take a few minutes a day, not the hour or longer that most trainers tell you. One of the most important things to remember is to get a golf-specific evaluation, exposing both your strengths and your weaknesses. This way, you'll know what needs more attention and time, keeping you both efficient and targeted to YOUR needs in your golf swing.

Power golf is all about ROTATION, hingeing and unhingeing both your elbows and wrists to create maximum clubhead speed, power and distance.

Do you want to discover the secret to creating more power and consistency in your golf swing... AND eliminating ALL your swing faults?

Download this: Free Golf Improvement Ebook
Posted: Jan 25, 2009 | 11:24 AM PST
Tags: golf exercise, golf fitness, golf conditioning, golf workouts, power golf training, golf swing
Hitting it long is what most golfers dream of.

There's only one problem with this. Most golfers don't have the "physical" capability to pull it off. The prerequisite for power in your golf swing is a higher level of golf-specific strength and flexibility. Without this, you have no foundation to improve clubhead speed, power and distance.

Golfers are mislead to think they have to become gym rats to get fit for power golf. This is NOT true! In fact, you can do SIMPLE, EASY and very EFFECTIVE golf exercises and stretches right in your home in minutes with minimal and very affordable equipment.

Important: Going to a gym and plopping down on a "machine" and doing a leg extension is NOT golf-specific, nor will it train your muscles to be strong and efficient in your golf swing.

Golf is "on your feet", and in golf posture. Doing as many golf exercises and stretches in this very dynamic position will get you the fastest results for more POWER and DISTANCE!

The ONLY equipment you need is exercise tubing with handles, an exercise ball, and a pair of handweights (dumbbells). And if you want REAL power, you'll add a weighted medicine ball to that list.

Once you have your "in-home" golf exercise gym set up, you'll need a power golf training system to guide you so you're not wasting your time, or hurting your game even more.

Don't for one second think that a golf training program will hurt your game. This is far from the truth, especially if you're a golfer getting up there in age. At that point, you must do this to enjoy your later years of golf.

A power golf training program that focuses on core rotational strength and flexibility exercises is a great start, as this will quickly enhance your power and distance.

Do you want to discover the secret to creating more power and consistency in your golf swing... AND eliminating ALL your swing faults?

Download this: Free Golf Improvement Ebook
Posted: Jan 21, 2009 | 7:56 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Fitness, Golf Tips, Golf Swing, Golf Exercise, Golf Conditioning
Over the next few weeks I will be discussing the key components to increasing your distance off the tee. In the first few segments I will discuss the basic swing keys that must be present in your swing to maximize distance. These tips will be followed later by fitness tips, since many golfers may have limitations that make it difficult to maximize distance through golf tips alone.

First and foremost is the set up. I can not emphasize this enough. If you have a poor set up, you are immediately losing yardage potential. You've probably read plenty about the importance of a good set up in other places. Here is how I describe the proper set up for hitting a drive to my students...

1. First, place your feet about shoulders width apart, or slightly wider.

2. Now, if your club is in your hand, lean it on your leg. Let your hands hang down by your sides. Now, bend your legs slightly, and turn them in toward each other very slightly. Your weight should be evenly distributed, or 55-45 favoring the right side.

3. Focus your balance on the point between the two big pads on the bottom of your feet.

4. With your back straight, bend at the waist just a few inches, and keep your chin up a bit, and let your arms hang.

5. Now pick up your club, and retrace the steps described above if you did not have the club leaning on your leg. Once in that position, grip the club as you normally would, and let the arms drop down from that natural position described above, and let the clubhead extend to the ground. Move the clubhead so that it rests in line with your left heel, or up to one inch to the left of your heel.

This stance now should have you in a position where the arms are extended and relaxed. The shoulders will naturally be tilted slightly with the lead shoulder above the rear shoulder, since the lead hand is held higher on the grip. There will also be a few inches between the grip of your club and your body, which allows you room for proper extension on the take away. In fact, for the driver, there should be more than one fist length of space between the top end of the club and your body at the set up, and probably at least 1.5 fist lengths. This space will be narrower for shorter clubs.

Finally, your feet, knees, hips and shoulders should all be parallel to the target line. Now you are in the right position to make a powerful golf swing. Although most amateur golfers do not set up properly to the ball, this is the easiest part of the golf swing to get right!

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net
Posted: Jan 20, 2009 | 6:36 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Fitness, Golf Exercise, Golf Conditioning, Golf Swing, Golf Tip

I’ve been a golfer for over 30 years, and a student of Pai Lum Kung Fu for the past eight years, achieving the rank of 1st Degree Blackbelt.  Although these are obviously radically different activities, to excel in either one, you must develop similar characteristics.  Both golf and Kung Fu are total body activities that also engage the mind.

First we will focus on flexibility.  The more flexible you are, the more potential your golf swing will have, as you will be able to generate a longer golf swing with a wider arc, one of the major keys to increased power.  Obviously, flexibility is very important to the martial artist.  Again, the greater the flexibility in your technique, the greater the range of motion you may have, and thus, the greater potential for power.  Also, greater flexibility helps prevent injury.

Next is strength.  In both golf and the martial arts, you do NOT need to be super strong to have significant power.  Huge muscles typically are not important to either activity.  However, a decent amount of strength is clearly important.  Traditional martial artists tend to work out the body in more traditional ways, without the use of heavy weights.  This results in a lean and hard body, rather than a big and bulky body.  A less bulky body allows the martial artist to maintain greater flexibility.  This is also important to the golfer.  We don’t often see 250 pound linebackers who have a good golf game, but it is not uncommon to see a quarterback play golf well, not to mention a hockey player. 

It is also important for the golfer and martial artist to be strong mentally.  When in a fight, the martial artist must maintain his cool and composure at all times.  By doing so, he will make few mistakes that his opponent may capitalize upon. 

I am reminded of the early days of the UFC when Royce Gracie dominated that sport.  He was often matched against opponents much larger than he (he usually weighed in at about 170 pounds).  Typically, he would wait until his opponent would charge in and try to kick him to the head or body.  This type of technique often results in less balance for a martial artist and Gracie would capitalize on this by moving in quickly to take his opponent down, then work into a position where he could choke out his opponent, or put him in a joint lock, forcing a tap out or a broken limb. 

There is no other sport that requires you to be more mentally tough than in golf.  That is why Tiger Woods is the best.  He is simply much stronger mentally than any of his competitors, and that is why he often wins even when he is off his game. 

In Kung Fu, we generate power by maintaining proper balance and being rooted to the ground.  In the movies, you will see fighters leaving the ground and performing those fancy, jumping, spinning kicks.  But, once you leave the ground, you lose power.  If you watch any of the old Bruce Lee movies, you did not often see him leaving the ground when he finished off a kick or a punch.  Occasionally, but not often. 

In golf, the best players will keep their balance.  This is the most important factor to having a powerful golf swing and consistent ball striking ability.  That is why even when they swing hard, they maintain good balance.

Finally, both activities require you to remain relaxed to perform at the best of your ability.  If there is any excess tension, you lose power, flexibility and touch.  That is why breathing and relaxation techniques play a crucial role in the mastery of both. 

So, if you have the opportunity, go learn a little Kung Fu!  I guarantee it will help your golf game!

Scott Cole www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Jan 20, 2009 | 6:36 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Fitness, Golf Exercise, Golf Conditioning, Golf Swing, Golf Tip

I’ve been a golfer for over 30 years, and a student of Pai Lum Kung Fu for the past eight years, achieving the rank of 1st Degree Blackbelt.  Although these are obviously radically different activities, to excel in either one, you must develop similar characteristics.  Both golf and Kung Fu are total body activities that also engage the mind.

First we will focus on flexibility.  The more flexible you are, the more potential your golf swing will have, as you will be able to generate a longer golf swing with a wider arc, one of the major keys to increased power.  Obviously, flexibility is very important to the martial artist.  Again, the greater the flexibility in your technique, the greater the range of motion you may have, and thus, the greater potential for power.  Also, greater flexibility helps prevent injury.

Next is strength.  In both golf and the martial arts, you do NOT need to be super strong to have significant power.  Huge muscles typically are not important to either activity.  However, a decent amount of strength is clearly important.  Traditional martial artists tend to work out the body in more traditional ways, without the use of heavy weights.  This results in a lean and hard body, rather than a big and bulky body.  A less bulky body allows the martial artist to maintain greater flexibility.  This is also important to the golfer.  We don’t often see 250 pound linebackers who have a good golf game, but it is not uncommon to see a quarterback play golf well, not to mention a hockey player. 

It is also important for the golfer and martial artist to be strong mentally.  When in a fight, the martial artist must maintain his cool and composure at all times.  By doing so, he will make few mistakes that his opponent may capitalize upon. 

I am reminded of the early days of the UFC when Royce Gracie dominated that sport.  He was often matched against opponents much larger than he (he usually weighed in at about 170 pounds).  Typically, he would wait until his opponent would charge in and try to kick him to the head or body.  This type of technique often results in less balance for a martial artist and Gracie would capitalize on this by moving in quickly to take his opponent down, then work into a position where he could choke out his opponent, or put him in a joint lock, forcing a tap out or a broken limb. 

There is no other sport that requires you to be more mentally tough than in golf.  That is why Tiger Woods is the best.  He is simply much stronger mentally than any of his competitors, and that is why he often wins even when he is off his game. 

In Kung Fu, we generate power by maintaining proper balance and being rooted to the ground.  In the movies, you will see fighters leaving the ground and performing those fancy, jumping, spinning kicks.  But, once you leave the ground, you lose power.  If you watch any of the old Bruce Lee movies, you did not often see him leaving the ground when he finished off a kick or a punch.  Occasionally, but not often. 

In golf, the best players will keep their balance.  This is the most important factor to having a powerful golf swing and consistent ball striking ability.  That is why even when they swing hard, they maintain good balance.

Finally, both activities require you to remain relaxed to perform at the best of your ability.  If there is any excess tension, you lose power, flexibility and touch.  That is why breathing and relaxation techniques play a crucial role in the mastery of both. 

So, if you have the opportunity, go learn a little Kung Fu!  I guarantee it will help your golf game!

Scott Cole www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Jan 5, 2009 | 8:50 PM PST
Tags: golf, golf fitness, golf exercise, golf training, golf conditioning, golf swing

As is my custom, I started my New Year workout routine on the first Monday of the New Year.  Now, keep in mind, I worked out more consistently in 2008 than any year in the last 15.  But, as the holidays approached, and I tried to get a lot of my other work completed so I could relax for a couple weeks, I slacked off. 

Today, I started my new routine.  As someone who is experienced with working out, I knew I needed to not go all out today, or I would be in serious pain on Tuesday, since I had not worked out for three weeks.  I warmed up as I always do by jumping rope for a few minutes along with some light stretching.  Unfortunately, my "gym" is in my garage, although these days I do not do heavy lifting.  So, since I live in Pennsylvania, it is a little cold in there in the mornings in January. 

I went through my entire 45 minute workout consisting of a variety of pushups and pullups, but may not have been loose enough.  Near the end, I felt the familiar twinge in my upper back, under my shoulder blade, that indicates the onset of a muscle spasm.  As the day wore on, the spasm became more painful, and now it will be difficult to get through all of my routines the rest of the week.

Although I don't believe I over did it, as the rest of my upper body is a little sore, but not too sore, I probably should have eased into the routine a bit more. 

The moral to this story is...if you have not worked out for a couple weeks or more, don't over do it the first few workouts, especially if you are starting a routine once the golf season is underway.  Sore muscles on the golf course tend to inhibit good scoring! 

Scott Cole www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Jan 4, 2009 | 2:50 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Swing, Golf Tip, Golf Exercise, Golf Fitness, Power Golf

One of the most overlooked keys to a powerful golf swing is proper balance in your golf swing.  Quite often, most students are told that one of the keys to a good golf swing is to maintain good balance, and to try and keep your balance somewhere near the balls of your feet.  Unfortunately, that is where the discussion ends.

 I trained for eight years in the martial art of Pai Lum Kung Fu, and proper balance was stressed throughout my training, from my days as a beginner student, and even beyond when I attained 1st Degree Black Belt.  However, in our training, we focused on every possible detail regarding balance, from the feet, to proper stance width, posture and center of gravity.   These are all important keys to developing power in our Kung Fu techniques, and they are important keys to helping golfers develop more power in their golf swings as well.

 In describing the swing of J.B. Holmes, noted golf instructor David Leadbetter has this to say…” Starting down, his legs get into a squat position, which lets him use the ground as resistance and create an unbelievable energy flow from his legs, up through his shoulders and down into his arms and the club.”

 Using the ground as resistance and the creation of energy flow from the legs are two important components we focused on for generating power in our techniques at the kung fu school. 

 One of the things my teacher stressed often was to focus on getting our feet rooted into the ground to help generate power, particularly in our punching techniques.  We devote an entire breathing exercise that lasts about five minutes to this concept of rooting.  Later in our training, we were taught to focus on a specific spot on the bottom of our foot where our balance will be rooted into the ground.  This spot will also draw energy from the earth into our body, and then we learn how to transfer this energy into our technique.  When you develop this ability, you become capable of generating incredible bower with minimal movement.

 To locate this specific spot on the bottom of your foot, take a moment to sit down, and take off your shoes and socks.  On the bottom of your feet you will notice thick pads, that are often described as the balls of the feet.  The biggest of these pads is under the area beneath the big toe.  Next to this large pad is an area that looks like a small hollow.  Take your thumb and push into this hollow firmly.  If you feel a nice jolt of pain, you have found the right spot!  If not, keep searching until you feel that bit of pain.  In Chinese medicine, this spot is known as Kidney Point 1,  and it is viewed as a very significant healing point, even for a heart attack victim.

 Now that we have identified this point, we want to take this information and transfer it into our golf swing.  So, with your shoes off, find a spot on a hard floor and get into your golf stance (without a club of course).  When you set up into your stance to hit a golf ball, focus very hard on these points in the bottom of your feet.  These are the points where you should focus your balance.

Now I want you to feel a sort of corkscrewing motion, starting with that spot in the bottom of your feet, then feel it up into your knees, then into your hips.  You should feel as if you are trying to screw the bottom of your foot into the ground, and then the hips tuck under your torso, and maybe move forward a little bit (we also refer to this as a curling of the hips).  Practice a few times at home with your shoes off, then try getting that same feeling with your golf shoes on (preferably not indoors or you will have some damaged floors!).  You see, it is absolutely critical that you engage the hips in your golf swing, particularly at the start of your downswing.  Engaging the hips in this manner will help them clear out the path for the golf club more quickly, generating more power.

Posture also plays a significant role in developing proper balance.  Although we want to feel as if we are rooted into the ground like a tree, we certainly do not want to stand straight up in our golf stance, nor do we want to be bent over too far in our stance.  Generally speaking, if we draw a straight line up from the ground to the sky at the back our hips, we then want to be bent at the hips so that our spine is angled about 30 degrees from that straight line.  Find a photo of Tiger Woods’ stance and you have a perfect picture of what I describe.  This stance allows the arms plenty of room to swing freely in the golf swing.

Finally, it is important to maintain a low center of gravity throughout your golf swing.  You will often hear football announcers describe how a running back is difficult to tackle because he has a low center of gravity.  The martial artist looks to develop that low center of gravity as well, in order to generate power in his punches.  The golfer will lose power by rising up in his/her golf swing. 

To make sure you keep your center of gravity as low as possible, it is important to learn how to relax your abdomen during the golf swing.  In other words, let your gut sag instead of sucking it in!  This will require you to learn how to breathe so that you fill up all three levels of your lungs (lower, middle, upper), rather than just the upper level of your lungs.  By learning how to breathe in this manner, you will learn how to maintain a low center of gravity even while holding your breath at the beginning of the swing (you should learn how to exhale during the downswing).

 If you can learn how to develop proper posture and balance in this manner, you will have success in improving the power of your golf swing.

Scott Cole www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Dec 17, 2008 | 8:13 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Fitness, Golf Training, Golf exercise, Power Golf, Golf Swing
This post has been edited by an administrator

I had the opportunity to check out Jamie Sadlowski's world long drive championship form, and quite frankly, this kid's swing is amazing! He is not very big, and during his interview on ESPN today, he indicated he weighs only 155 pounds. But, the swing speed he generates with his swing is incredible. During the competition, he hit one drive 436 yards, and in the final, over 415 yards. For a man his size, that is pretty incredible!

I've included a video clip of his performance in the competition. You will note his very athletic stance at address. His swing is very long, even longer than John Daly. He has a very big shoulder turn and his hands get very high during the swing. I don't recall the name of the competitor he faced in the final, but that guy was much bigger and very muscular. He was clearly stronger than Jamie, but did not have nearly as big of a golf swing. As I have stated before, flexibility wins out over pure strength, and this is the best example I can find for that.

Anyhow, check out the video below!

Scott Cole

http://www.pinnaclegolfblog.com/2008/1 0/29/jamie-sadlowski-in-the-2008-remax-f inals/
Posted: Dec 11, 2008 | 7:24 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Training, Golf Fitness, Power Golf, Golf Exercise

The PGA named Corey Pavin as Ryder Cup Captain for the 2010 event in Wales.  Pavin has had a long career on tour, with a notable victory in the 1995 U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills on Long Island, where he held off Greg Norman with his incredible 4-wood shot into the 18th hole in the final round.  Overall, he has had 15 wins on tour.

I have no problem with this choice, as he was probably next in line for the job after Paul Azinger.  What I am noticing, however, is a trend over the past decade of shorter and shorter resume for our Ryder Cup captains.  The fact is, besides Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson, professional golfers on both major tours just don't win much anymore.  I have a sneaking suspicion that this is due to the huge amount of money these guys make on tour now.  Maybe they just are not as hungry, or maybe the fields are just deeper, I don't know. 

I will say this though, and I have said it many times before...there are fewer players on tour that really know how to win, and win consistently.  I think the 1960's through the early 1980's was probably the Golden Era of golf.  Look at how many truly outstanding players there were, and how often they won.  Not only tour events, but majors.  Let's specifically look at major winners.  Obviously you start with Nicklaus and his 18 professional majors, then you have Gary Player (9), Tom Watson (8), Arnold Palmer (7), and Lee Trevino (6).  Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo came on at the end of this period and had 5 and 6 majors respectively.

Back during that period, the list of winners is littered with players that won more than one major.  From 1960 to 1983, the list of major championship winners is dominated by repeat major championship winners.  Since 1990, besides Tiger Woods, there have only been a handful of winners who have gone on to win another major.  Among today's players, Tiger has 13 major victories, and his nearest contemporary competitors all have just 3 (Mickelson, Singh, Els and now Harrington). 

What I have noticed in recent years is that the only player who goes out and really wins a major without backing into it, is Tiger Woods.  In all 3 of his majors, Ernie Els essentially survived while is competitors fell apart.  Mickelson did well to win his three, and so have Harrington and Singh.  Otherwise, we have not seen any major brilliant displays such as Nicklaus' 65 at Augusta in 1986, Player's 64 at Augusta in 1978, or the splendid battle between Nicklaus and Watson at Turnberry in 1977.  And to top the list, Johnny Miller's 63 at Oakmont in 1973. 

The point is, going forward, unless either Tiger Woods or Phil Mickelson is the captain of the Ryder Cup team, the resume of the captain of the U.S. side will be pretty thin in the foreseeable future.  Most of the great players from the 1990's just have one major victory (Love and Couples).  Payne Stewart should be mentioned here, he had 3.  And, in the last five years, only four Americans have won majors (Woods, Mickelson, Todd Hamilton and Zach Johnson). 

Somehow, our players need to learn how to win!

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Dec 10, 2008 | 7:07 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Golf Swing, Golf Fitness, Golf Conditioning, Power Golf, Golf Exercise

When I've played with a lot of amateur golfers over the years, the one way they tried to hit the golf ball further off the tee is simply by swinging as hard as they can.  Unfortunately, most of the time, they lose their balance in the process, which defeats the whole purpose of the effort.

Most amateurs with a handicap over 10 simply do not have a golf swing that is capable of generating a lot of power.  Those that do, generally have no idea where the ball is going when they do hit it hard.  Usually, the problem lies with a major flaw in the golf swing.  No matter what you may read online in most golf fitness websites, improving your strength will not do the trick. 

The single most important factor to hitting the golf ball a long way is maintaining your balance.  You see, if you lose contact with the ground during your swing, or you do not have the appropriate weight shift, you will lose power.  Have you ever seen any of the big hitters falling over after they hit a tee shot?  No, their swing ends with a perfect finish with the weight on the left foot.  Even when Tiger Woods goes at it hard, he finishes with perfect balance. 

My first suggestion for adding power to the swing is to first have a good stance.  If you are crouched over too much, or too upright, too close, or too far from the ball, you will not maintain a good enough balance to drive the ball a long way.  The same can be said if your feet are too close together or too far apart (about shoulders width, or slightly wider is proper).  Your weight should not be on the toes, nor on the heels.  The stance should also not be too open or too closed.

Work on this at home...  Take off your shoes and socks and look for the area on the bottom of the foot, in the area we refer to as the ball of the foot, where there is a depression between the two big pads, and where there is a shape of an upside down V.  If you press hard on that spot (you may need to search for it a bit), you will get a bit of pain.  If you do, you found the right spot.  Now, stand yourself up and stand on one foot, and focus on that spot on the bottom of your foot.  Try to really feel that spot as the tightest to the ground.  Now switch feet and try to get that feeling with the other foot.  Finally, get into a proper golf stance and try to get that feeling in both feet. 

This is your beginning point for learning how to draw energy from the earth to help generate more power into your golf swing.  This is a basic concept in the art of Kung Fu for learning how to generate power in our techniques, and it applies well to the golf swing as well. 

Scott Cole
www.powergolftraining.net

Posted: Nov 25, 2008 | 9:06 PM PST
Tags: Golf, Power Golf, Golf Fitness, Golf Training, Golf Tip
As I stressed in a recent post on my other blog (http://scottcolegolf.blogspot.com) , for those of us who live in cold winter climates, this time of year does not need to go to waste when it comes to improving your golf game. In fact, you can actually make great strides toward improving your game when the season arrives again by improving your fitness and conditioning.

At PowerGolfTraining.net, I present a workout plan based upon the principles of Kung Fu. It is a plan that does not require you to join a gym, and you do not need ANY equipment whatsoever. That plan focuses primarily upon strength training, flexibility and relaxation techniques.

One aspect of golf conditioning I presently do not stress at PowerGolfTraining.net is aerobic conditioning. If you need to shed a few pounds, aerobic conditioning must play an important role in your workout regimen. Aerobic conditioning can involve something as simple as jogging, cycling and swimming, or something more complex such as kickboxing.

One of the best aerobic workouts I have come across in recent years is the Plyometrics workout in the P90X series of workouts promoted by Tony Horton. You can see the P90X infomercials running quite often every weekend. Their site is beachbody.com.

The Plyometrics workout is a somewhat high impact aerobic workout involving jump training. So, this workout is generally for people in decent shape already, and who do not have knee, back or ankle issues. The workout lasts for about 50 minutes altogether, and will help improve your cardiovascular conditioning quite rapidly if you do the workout consistently a couple days per week. It will also help to improve your leg strength, agility and balance.

So, for the serious golfer looking to kick things up a notch, I highly recommend the entire P90X workout, but the Plyometrics workout in particular.

Scott Cole
www.PowerGolfTraining.net