GOLF FITNESS
EZINE
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COURSES TO PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE
STRETCHES TO IMPROVE YOUR GOLF
HOW BRYSON DECHAMBEAU GAINED 40 POUNDS
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GOLF FITNESS
CONTENTS WHY GOLFERS NEED STRENGTH TRAINING
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How the game of golf is changing and why strength training could improve your game
5 COURSES TO PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE
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A list of the top 5 courses that every golfer should have on their bucket list
CLUB HEAD SPEED
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Do you need more club head speed? We dive into how club head speed relates to better golf
BRYSON DECHAMBEAU
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We dive into the story behind Bryson DeChambeau’s transformation and how he gained 40 pounds.
10 EXERCISES TO BOMB YOUR
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DRIVER These exercises will have you on your way to out driving your friends and lowering your scores
10 OVER 50 NUTRITION Nutritionist Niamh Jones on how nutrition can help you on and off the course
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10 NUTRITION TIPS www.golf.fitness.ie
GOLF FITNESS
WHY GOLFERS NEED STRENGTH TRAINING
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here are a plethora of benefits strength training can have on your golf game. More club head speed, better swing mechanics, longevity and more endurance coming into the closing stretch of holes. One of the most common misconceptions golfers have surrounding strength training is that if they build too much muscle and strength is will lead to a loss in flexibility and range of motion. This could not be further from the truth.
the likes of tiger woods, Bryson Dechambeau and brooks Koepka. These players have changed the way golf is played today. These changes have primarily been around the increased driving distances that these players have achieved. It is very common to see top PGA TOUR athletes posting videos on social media of them training in the gym.
For any golfer, possessing the ability to increase your force production with less effort will help you move the club at higher speeds. Increasing your strength Golf is generally seen as a slow-paced sport which is will increase the capacity for stability in your system. different to other high-speed sports such as football, This will also help you decelerate your swing which rugby, tennis or basketball. However, the golf swing will allow you to be more explosive during the downis an explosive action that puts high amounts of swing. stress on the muscles and joints throughout the The right strength programme should focus on a body. Strengthening the muscles that are active dur- golfer’s weaknesses and aim to improve these ing the golf swing may allow athletes to exert more whether they be in the lower body, upper body, core mechanical force on the golf club during the swing or all three. creating a higher club head speed at impact. The physique of the elite golfer on tour now a days has changed significantly in the last 20 years with 3
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COURSES TO PLAY BEFORE YOU DIE
Here are 5 courses every golfer should have on their bucket list to play before they die. The following list are all courses that are open to the public however they are certainly not cheap. It is hard to choose only 5 courses but these are some of the most iconic courses in golf that all golfers should know about. Pebble Beach Golf Links, Monterey Bay, California Whether you are an aspiring tour golfer or just an average weekend golfer it is likely that you have heard of Pebble Beach. It is at the top of most golfers bucket list courses and for good reason. It is one of the most breath-taking and recognizable golf course s in the world. However, playing a round on this course does not come cheap. Green fees for non members cost a whopping $550.
Old Course, St. Andrews, Scotland The Old Course at St. Andrews is widely known as the home of golf and has unarguably the most iconic layout in the world. There have been very few changes to the original layout of the course and over the years it has hosted 28 British Open Championships with its 29th this summer. Definitely a bucket list course for any golfer that has seen an open championship played here.
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Pinehurst Number 2, North Carolina, U.S.A Pinehurst is located in North Carolina and has 8 courses total. However, the other 7 courses are just courses compared to No. 2. This magnificent collection of holes has been the location for multiple major tournaments such as the US Open Championship, PGA Championship and a Ryder Cup. There are no oceans or coast lines surrounding this courses however, it does not take away from the beauty of the course. With ridiculously fast green speeds and firm tight fairways this course will put your short
Royal County Down, Newcastle, Co. Down Royal County Down will always be in the conversation when talking about the worlds greatest golf courses. The golf club is located in one of the most naturally stunning links settings. The course stretches along the coast of Dundrum Bay with a towering backdrop of the Mountains of Mourne. Each hole is surrounded by purple heather and golden gorse with a narrow strip of perfectly manicured fairway. The bunkers are famous for their over hanging lip making it a challenge for even the most
Pine Valley G.C. New Jersey, U.S.A The final course on this list is Pine Valley Golf Club. This golf course is usually in the top 3 of most golf course rankings and for good reason. Throughout the course Pine Valley has a nice combination of all three schools of golf, design, heroic and strategic times on each given hole. Unfortunately this course is the least accessible course on this list, however, the club does open its doors to the public once annually for the crumb cup. If the opportunity of playing a round at this golf course ever presents itself to you, don’t think twice. 5
GOLF FITNESS
WHAT IS CLUB HEAD SPEED AND WHY YOU NEED IT? green. A recent study showed that driving distance has a strong correlation with money earned on the Club head speed (CHS) can be defined as the velociPGA TOUR (see graph below). It is also no secret ty at which a golf club impacts with a golf ball that the lower your handicap in general the faster (Fradkin et al, 2004). It is estimated that every 1mph you club head speed will be. of club head speed will equate to 3 yards. In recent years many golfers have began working harder and How to improve it? harder to increase their club head speed to gain that There are many ways in which you can improve your competitive advantage out of the course. Ball speed club head speed. The first way is through strength is the speed in which the golf ball is moving at ditraining. This will serve as the foundation to allow rectly after impact. CHS has been shown to be a key you body to increase its speed without getting inindicator of golf performance due to the underjured. Mobility is another crucial element to instanding that CHS is the most influential factor crease club head speed as it will allow golfers to use affecting ball speed. more range of motion giving them more time to ac-
What is it?
Why is it important?
celerate the club head.
Simply put the further you can hit the ball off the tee the less distance you have coming into the
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How DeChambeau is changing the game of golf.
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ryson DeChambeau shocked the world of golf after gaining 30 pounds in the offseason which was also while the world was in lockdown. DeChambeau got a lot of negative attention surrounding this move however most of it being from older generations for the fear of Bryson changing the game. Along with the weight DeChambeau gained he also gained a considerable amount of speed and power. This was in 2019. Now in 2021 Bryson has been very active on social media posting about his training and diet..
So how did DeChambeau accomplish this transformation? Brysons diet consisted of 6000 calories and an alarming number of protein shakes!
The athlete recently posted a video with long drive champion Martin Borgmeier hitting a golf ball with 148mph of club head speed and a ball speed of 215! To put this into perspective the average club head speed on the PGA TOUR in 2021 was 114.6. Following his dominating performance at the Ryder Cup Bryson decided to compete in the World Long Drive Championships. Not only did he compete with the top long drive athletes he made it into the final 8 In the tournament. 7
GOLF FITNESS
10 ST RE TCHES TO IMPR AEROPLANE This is a great exercise for the golf swing as it opens up the hips, trunk and shoulders. It will also work the stability of the ankle, knee and hip joint on the standing leg. •
Start on one leg with one hand on the wall
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From here rotate your body so your hips open while keeping your foot grounded
HALF KNEELING SIDE BEND This exercise will help to open up and stretch the lat muscles which is important for depth in the back swing. •
This exercise can be done with a golf club or bar
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Starting in a half kneeling position with the bar over your head as shown
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From there you will rotate towards one side slowly and repeat on the other side
BANDED GOLF ROTATION Here we are aiming to replicate the posture of a golf swing and rotating as far as we can. This will benefit your posture and Improve rotation efficiency. •
Grip each end of the band and stretch across the chest
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Hinge over as you would in a golf swing
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Rotate as you would in a golf swing while keeping the band stretched across your chest
CAT DOGS The cat dog is a great way to get our spine mobile by putting it through its full range of motion. Given the load and stress the spine is put on during the golf swing it is crucial that we keep it mobile. •
Start in the all fours position
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Push your spine towards the ceiling followed by arching your back
STANDING HIP HURDLE This exercise is the standing hip hurdle and will help with stability and balance throughout the golf swing.
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One hand on the wall and raise one knee
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Maintain a gap between you and the wall
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Lift knee and rotate away form the wall www.golf.fitness.ie
GOLF FITNESS
OVE YOUR GOLF SWING WALL REACH THROUGH Most of us spend a lot of time seated so this will greatly help you open up the upper body. It will also get you to extend and rotate through your spine. •
Press one hand against the wall and let the other arm drop down
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Rotate that arm up to point at the ceiling
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Focus on keeping your hips steady throughout the movement
HALF KNEELING TRUNK ROTATION The golf swing requires a fair amount of trunk rotation making this exercise very beneficial . •
Start in a half kneeling position
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Place both arms in front of you
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Rotate away from the wall
DIAGONAL BAND PULLS Dynamic stretching is hugely beneficial prior to a round of golf. This exercise will help you improve the mobility and stability of the shoulders •
Stretch the band across your chest
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Rotate arms up and down
FROG STRETCH The frog stretch is a great way to get our spine mobile by putting it through its full range of motion. Given the load and stress the spine is put on during the golf swing it is crucial that we keep it mobile. •
Start in the all fours position
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Push weight into your hips and sit your weight back
HALF KNEELING HIP STRETCH This exercise will help to open up your hips and trunk which is important for depth in the back swing. •
Starting in a half kneeling position with one hand on the ground and one raised
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From there you will rotate towards one side slowly and repeat on the other side
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GOLF FITNESS
OVER 50? TOP NUTRITION TIPS TO MAINTAIN YOUR EDGE.
Medical Nutrition expert, Niamh Jones, shares 10 ways you can stay on top of your game for longer
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etting older doesn’t necessarily carry the same consequences for every golfer, as Phil Mickelson’s 2020 major win at 51years of age demonstrated. His secret? Overhauling his approach to his health and fitness, and eating less, but better quality to achieve the leaner, stronger frame that allowed him outplay his much younger competitors.
breakdown. When rates of muscle building and muscle breakdown are equal, which is the case in younger adults, muscle mass remains stable. As we age however, the rate of muscle building is blunted, and the net result is gradual loss.
Maintaining muscle mass gets harder, but not impossible Being lean yet having a good muscle mass with joint flexibility is key to being fit enough to play at your best as you age. The problem is that our muscles are constantly undergoing cycles of building and
Step two is to commit to eating a cleaner, simplified diet that supplies more protein and nutrients per mouthful than the usual diet of the average adult.
Step one is to cut out processed foods that are high in fat and salt.
Step three is to regularise mealtimes and watch portion sizes to avoid weight changes – either up or
Did you know Research shows that we need higher amounts of protein to maintain muscle mass as we age. Whereas a younger person can maintain their muscle mass with around 0.8g protein per kg per day, studies now show that older people need significantly more – between 1 and 1.2g/kg as a minimum – particularly if they are active in sport. 10
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GOLF FITNESS
TEN CHANGES TO ACHIEVE THE RIGHT BALANCE
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for gut health, which in turn is A word about vitamin B12. now understood to play a key role Essential for red blood and best sources include fish, in immune function, reducing sysDNA synthesis and nerve chicken, lean red meat, temic inflammation and metabolic function, vitamin B12 absorption dairy (lower fat and keep cheese health. is often reduced as we age. Takportions in check), pulses and ing medication that reduces stomnuts. Spread through the day to Boost dietary omega 3 ach acid increases risks of defioptimise opportunities for muscle fatty acids. Make sure ciency or reduced dietary intake protein building. to eat oily fish like salmon, of meat. Ask your doctor to check trout or herrings, twice a week. If your levels if you are eating less Include protein rich animal products, especially if you not, a suitable supplement with foods in meals and high levels of EPA and DHA – two are taking proton pump inhibitors snacks. Try porridge or very long chain fatty acids needed (ppis) or antacids. wholegrain cereal with added chia for eye and brain health, might be seeds or nuts for breakfast, Hydration is key. You can worth considering. If taking a fish scrambled eggs as a brunch, no longer rely on thirst to oil supplement, best to choose grilled salmon with salad for keep optimally hydrated, one providing a source of vitamin lunch, chicken or fish for dinner, since the thirst response is bluntE. and yoghurt with berries before ed as we age. And no, there is bed. Have a handful of nuts and little science behind the advice to .Look after your bone raisins out on the course. drink 2 litres of water per day health. Strength is not ( you get water from other drinks just related to muscle but and foods), but drink often, never Check your iron! Iron is to bone density, which reduces drink sugar containing drinks and essential for oxygen with age, particularly important go prepared when out on the transport and cardiovascufor women post menopause. A course. lar fitness as well as supporting slight increase in dairy will help immune and cognitive function. but taking a Vitamin D suppleLose weight only Whereas iron isn’t generally a ment daily is strongly advised – with great care once problem in healthy adults, intake another nutrient with an imyou are past 50. Just may become inadequate if you portant role in inflammation – the as overweight is a health problem, have switched to a plant-based enemy of the golfer. losing weight unintentionally such diet or have altered your diet to as in illness or as your appetite shed the extra pounds. .Get to know your levels. reduces, is often at the expense of Low levels of vitamin D are precious muscle. If you need to Ditch the processed common in older adults in lose the fat, consult a dietitian carbs and choose Ireland, so make sure to ask your and make sure to include strength GP to test vit D levels as part of wholegrains. Along training in your weight losing reyour regular blood panel screen – gime with a high protein diet, folwith plenty of fresh vegetables, fruits and berries, which aid iron the aim is to keep serum levels lowing all the principles outlined above 30ng/ml as a minimum. and zinc absorption. Different above. forms of dietary fibre are essential
Up the protein. Your
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GOLF FITNESS
Dye Course, French Lick Resort , Indiana, U.S.A
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