HOW TO KICKSTART YOUR GOLF FITNESS

HOW TO KICKSTART YOUR GOLF FITNESS

INTRODUCTION HOW WILL FITNESS MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR GAME?.01 HYDRATION.02 DIET.03 WALKING.04 POSTURE P.4 P.6 P.7 P.11 P.11 P.13 CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION Welcome to Ultimate Golf s HOW TO series. This guide covers HOW TO Kick-Start your golf fitness. To get more of our quick tips and game insights click here. Written by the Ultimate Golf team, these guides offer you insightful, nononsense tips and advice you can put straight into action. So, have a flick through these guides during your lunch break, at the club house or on your way to work and you ll have the tips you need to maximize your time on the course! In this guide we ll break down the 4 components you need to build and maintain a good golf fitness regime. Fitness has an array of benefits for your game from coordination to endurance; you may be surprised the difference a good fitness regime can have on your performance. And as with anything, in order to progress you need a good solid foundation. So, whether you re starting from scratch or already have a fitness regime these fundamentals will help you build and maintain your golf fitness.

Your body is the most important piece of equipment you bring to the course. Think about it you often use your entire body during a shot. And with 18 holes to play, you need to make sure your body is up to handling all that stress. If not, you re not going to get the best out of yourself. Ensuring your body is in top shape means you ll have better: endurance strength flexibility agility coordination and more... You need to ensure you re drinking lots especially during a round of golf. In fact, increasing your intake of water before and (particularly) during your game will often boost your performance (and the beer can wait until after the round). Not only is hydration an important factor on the course, you need to address it in your day-to-day life. Make sure your body is continuously getting the nutrients it needs to create a fit and healthy body; ready for your next game. Exercise Science studies have proven: even the slightest drop in hydration negatively affects sports performance. Staying hydrated: HOW WILL FITNESS MAKE A DIFFERENCE TO YOUR GAME? These qualities (listed above) will ensure you re not only getting the most from your game, but benefiting your fitness in your day-to-day life. Following these 4 fitness components will ensure a better game from you: HYDRATION.01 Most people don t drink enough water, but what you might not realize is that dehydration can have a negative impact on everything from your mental state to your physical capabilities. Replaces any liquid lost through sweating Keeps you alert by preventing fatigue Prevents poor physical performance Thirst is a sign your body is already dehydrated. You need to stop your body from reaching this state by ensuring a regular intake throughout the day, especially on the course. Benefits of keeping hydrated doesn t just improve your physical game, it can also boost your mental performance.

Making sure your body gets the right amount of water means you re ensuring your brain gets the optimal amount of blood flowing to it keeping you in the zone. Staying hydrated can help: lubricate joints reduce fatigue boost mental game increase performance on the course and more... Your daily intake depends on your personal weight and levels of exercise, but you should aim for roughly 1000-2000ml per day. Note: During a round you ll need to increase your intake of water by roughly 50%. TIP: TRY DRINKING AROUND 25% OF YOUR DAILY WATER IN THE MORNINGS THIS LL HELP KICK-START YOUR DAILY HYDRATION. DRINK WATER THAT IS AT ROOM TEMPERATURE THIS LL MAKE IT EASIER TO ASSIMILATE INTO YOUR BODY.

DIET Your diet should work alongside your Eating the right food will: hydration plan. In order to support your workout, your Ensure a slow release of energy body needs a good source of nutrients, throughout your round, keeping such as: your performance and alertness high. rich sources of protein Boost your ability to build the nuts necessary muscles for the game. fruit Speed up your recovery rate after vegetables any injuries. whole grains As previously mentioned, there are Hydration forms the foundation of certain nutrients your body needs in any good diet, with the majority of order to play well. your food coming from whole foods To explain further (such as those listed above). Additional nutrients can then be added with the Hydration This will not only keep use of supplements. your body fit, but keep you mentally It s important to note Exercise alone alert for the game. isn t enough. Whole Grains and vegetables These If you want to see results, your exercise provide a slow release of carbohydrates, and nutritional plan need to go hand in giving you the stamina you need for hand. an entire game (but sugary foods and starchy carbohydrates will have the Maintaining a good diet will not only opposite effect). keep you in good health, it ll improve.02 your ability to exercise. Supplements Using supplements is a great way to ensure your body receives When practicing your game you need all the additional nutrients needed for to be developing those muscles that great health. are going to aid your swing or putt muscles that will develop more quickly from receiving the right nutrients..03 WALKING Let s face it, golf is a walking sport. So to make the most of your game, you need a good level of muscular and cardiovascular endurance. Many golfers opt for taking a cart Creating a walking program will give you numerous benefits, both on and off the course: better posture increased endurance around the course but in order to start muscle strength boosting that strength and stamina and more... needed for the game, you need to get out and walk. Did you know... While walking is not intense exercise, Walking the course can burn up to it s a start. 1,500 calories or more during a single round? That s almost twice as many as Researchers in Sweden found that if you were riding in a golf cart. walking for an entire round equated To get to the level of stamina to roughly 50% of the intensity of an aerobic workout (not bad for 18 holes You need to develop a walking program of fun). to suit your lifestyle. If you can t manage to walk the 18 The key be realistic. If you can t fit in holes with ease, how can you play the a long walk or hike every week, break it 18 holes to the best of your ability? down into more manageable chunks... As with most sports, you need to ensure e.g. Try walking at a moderate to brisk you re keeping active in order to make pace, 20-30 minutes, 4-5 times a week. the most of your game. You can adjust this to suit your own needs. Even if this only means ditching the cart for a walk, it s important to recognize which areas you can change in order to make improvements to your fitness.

Posture POSTURE The final (and arguably most important) The more time you spend on your feet, component of your golf fitness is your walking around and keeping active, the posture. healthier your posture and spine are going to be. You likely spend a lot of your day sitting down, whether it s: A healthy posture can result in: at the office improved range of motion for swing front of the TV improved distance and accuracy commuting minimized risk of injury at the kitchen table and more... None of these activities are doing your It s important you become aware of posture any good. and practice improving your posture whenever possible. Many people don t realize the amount of stress sitting down puts on their To improve your posture use the lower spine (it s 4x the weight as when following points below: standing!). Stand with your feet arches lifted You may not recognize the link between Ensure an equal balance of weight your posture and golf, but... between the front, back and sides of your feet Your game relies heavily on your ability Pull your stomach in to swing or putt with complete control Draw your shoulders back slightly and ease. Tip: Practice your good posture when If your arms, shoulders and.04 torso aren t walking. correctly positioned your range of motion is restricted and subsequently your own ability to play and make the most of your shot is hindered.

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