One of the highest-paid sports currently is golf. Its elegance and sophistication can be seen in every move and swing that pro golfers make while on the course. Though many have regarded golf as less of a sport due to the lack of “physical” engagement, the truth might surprise many as professional golf players are going through tremendous effort while preparing for the upcoming season. We summed up some useful tips on how pro golfers stay in maximum shape in the text below.
Weight lifting
Something you probably would never associate with golf players is heavy lifting, or weight lifting for more strength, stamina, and a better swing at the course. Interestingly enough, several professional golf players, such as Brooks Koeppe, Jordan Speith, and Dustin Johnson have shared their stories on social media proving how pro golf players spend hours hitting the gym and working on their strength. Cardio excessive training has shown to be the secret key to their success, from 400-pound deadlifts to kettlebell exercises and bench presses to running. Of course, talent and practice play a major role, however, the fact that golf players are regularly visiting the gym opposes our accepted notion of the sport being not “sporty” enough. Spending hours playing, keeping your concentration, and having to put some serious strength in your swing requires you to be active and in shape. Deadlifts and bench presses are giving you balance and strength in the upper part and shoulders as well as the abdomen and lower back. These body components are critical in producing a real hit since you use these muscle groups more than the others with every swing. It might seem easy, yet, swinging a club at full speed and with ferocity takes a lot of muscle strength.
Practicing often
This one goes without saying, as professional players spend most of their time on the golf course practicing for hours while trying to reach their desired goal. Of course, their love for golf started on the course, therefore, it is no wonder they feel the most natural while hitting the grass. One piece of advice most professional players would give you is to pay attention to the way you swing, as incorrect posture and poor swing technique can only put stress on your muscles and take away from the effectiveness of the swing. By simply putting some effort into correcting your golf swing faults, you can achieve much better results while practicing. Topping the ball, which occurs when you only hit part of the ball, the skulled golf shot, which can put a lot of pressure on you because you have to transition from hitting the ball with full force to get it as far as possible to close distance shots that require more precision, and the infamous shanks, which are known to be quite embarrassing to most players are some of the common mistakes. However, professionals can make mistakes, and even after many years spent on the golf terrain, a mistake can occur. The recipe for success is in practicing, analyzing your movements, and doing them over and over again until perfect.
Additionally, incorporating golf games for the course into your practice routine can make your training sessions more enjoyable and effective. These games often simulate real on-course situations and help you improve your decision-making, shot accuracy, and overall performance in a fun and engaging way.
Balanced diet
Yes, you’ll need a well-balanced diet and the common misconception of golfers being less athletic could not be farther from the truth. Golfers, especially professionals, do need to take great care of their bodies in terms of having a proper diet and sleeping schedule. A well-balanced diet, as Joey Diovisalvi (pro golf trainer) states, is one of the most crucial components in maintaining proper health and performance. Having a high nutritional intake in combination with a lot of training gives your body the needed drive and stamina to keep on playing and practicing. On the other hand, a poor diet can have the opposite effect, putting additional stress on the whole body and consequently on the way you perform. Therefore, we highly advise taking care of the diet first, and making sure you get enough sleep.
Getting enough rest
Rest, not only sleep, might be marked as the last thing on the list since, together with a suitable diet, exercise, and practice, it is equally crucial in reaching a higher performance. Rest in the sense of taking breaks and allowing the muscles and body, in general, to rejuvenate and recuperate from the stress. It is more than necessary mentally, as a lack of rest and adequate regeneration may have a negative impact on the mental well-being of course players, undermining their performance. Practicing to the point of exhaustion can only be counter-productive.
In every sport, sticking to a plan and going by the instructions is what distinguishes a good from an extraordinary player. Therefore, to achieve some results, you’ll have to put additional effort into following all of the advice above.