Tweet

A recent study found that 62% of golfers will be injured while playing golf and that the most common injury is a back injury. This makes sense when you understand the mechanics of golf. Good golf comes not from pure strength but from proper mechanics and the ability to transfer force from your legs and core to the club. Are your mechanics poor? A few sessions with a golf pro will tell you if they are. But regardless of what you have learned, if you lack the strength and flexibility to perform the move correctly, your swing will still be lacking.
That is where a golf-specific strength training program comes in. It is not enough for you to do a general strength training program or to “wing it”. The first step is determining which muscles are weak and tight and how those impact your swing. This can be done with a simple posture alignment test and movement test and takes less than 10 minutes. Any Board Certified Personal Trainer has the ability to do this for you and it is a very important first step when you first start training. It allows the trainer to design your personal training program to be specific for what muscles you need to strengthen and stretch in order to improve.
Many golfers tend to overcompensate for weak and tight muscles in their hips, legs and core by overusing their arms. This results in your shots not going as far. It also puts strain not only on your back but also on your shoulders and elbows (and just like in tennis, there is a condition called golfer’s elbow which is pain normally caused by overuse due to poor mechanics)
Curiously, many golfers also lack basic overall conditioning. This can be seen if your back 9 is much worse than your front 9. Your body is failing you on the back 9 because it is tired. I say curiously because these are people that are out on the golf course walking for several hours (or are they?). If you spend a lot of time in the cart (due to you or the course) you could be not getting the workout that you think you are. So an overall conditioning workout may also be needed. Try to alternate walking and riding if your course allows it.
Don’t get all worried that I am telling you that you need hours in the gym. 2-3 strength training workouts a week which includes moves specific to your needs and to golf should do it for most people. That and a few cardio sessions every week and you will notice dramatic improvements not only in your game but how you feel during the game, after, and the next day (no more sore forearms and achy back).