The 7 Rules To Getting In Golf Shape

By: Cindy Reid
Posted: July 10, 2007

What is golf shape, and how does it differ from any other kind of shape?

To answer that, you have to rethink your concept of conditioning. Too many of us think that being in good condition is like being pregnant: Either you are or you’re not. This assumption is not true. As a golf instructor, I’ve had the opportunity to teach some fairly prominent athletes, including NFL Hall of Fame running back Marcus Allen and future NFL Hall of Fame running back Emmitt Smith. Those guys will tell you what I’ve known for years: being in Golf Shape is not the same as being in what we have traditionally thought of as good physical shape. A marathon runner isn’t, by default, in Golf Shape. Conversely, most golfers can’t finish a marathon. Marcus and Emmitt are great athletes who have kept themselves in good physical condition, but after a day or two on the driving range, they will be the first to admit they aren’t in great Golf Shape.

 The golf swing requires you to use muscles that you might not use in any other activity. Getting yourself in golf shape means training your muscles to move a certain way without having to think about it. You’ve also heard it referred to as muscle memory, a phrase widely accepted by most professional coaches and instructors. Granted, true memory resides only in the human brain. Muscle memory simply refers to training your muscles to perform a task, and repeat the task, until it becomes second nature. You don’t have to think about the mechanics of opening a jar of peanut butter. Your hands and wrist “Just do it.” You don’t have to concentrate on how hard to press the gas pedal to accelerate to the speed limit. You’ve stepped on the gas pedal enough that the motion is automatic. The same can be true of the golf swing, provided that you have trained golf-specific muscles. If your swing muscles put the club in the same positions (rightly or wrongly) over years of practice, your basic golf moves are now in muscle memory.

     Once your muscles commit a movement to memory, they will resist change. If you don’t believe this try and go up a set of stairs by stepping first with the opposite foot from the one you normally start with. Feels unnatural, doesn’t it? This is a classic muscle memory.

    How lucky we would all be if all the golf moves we engrained early on were fundamentally correct. Our muscle memories would know a great swing. New golfers are notorious for setting unreasonable expectations. An 8-handicapper who hasn’t practiced in 2 months wonders why he can’t break 80 in his first rounds of the season; an 18 handicapper who goes straight from the lesson tee to the first tee can’t figure out why she hasn’t shaved 5 strokes off her score; and a player who shanks his sand shots wonders why that short-game article he read on the train last week didn’t cure him of this dreaded malady.

     Golfers experience that same gap between expectations and reality in their fitness regiments, if they even have them. A golfer who doesn’t  stretch or strengthen golf-specific muscles and warm up properly wonders why he’s played three or four holes before he’s established any rhythm. Fatigue replaces focus, and the last several holes come unglued. Let’s get real. Before we can focus on the mechanics of the golf wing, you need to commit to your conditioning. Here are seven rules for getting in, and staying in, Golf Shape.

Rule # 1 Spend an equal or greater number of hours on golf-specific fitness and conditioning as you do on your golf swing.

Rule # 2 Never hit the first ball without stretching.

Rule # 3 Begin your practice sessions close to the hole and work your way out.

Rule # 4 Ease into a practice routine.

Rule # 5 Golf shouldn’t hurt; stop playing if it does.

Rule # 6 Save the adult beverages after the round.

Rule # 7 Everyday do something to improve your game.

It’s time to make a change and a new commitment to improve your golf game, your general health, and your life. No matter what your age, gender, body type, strength level, or workout history, you can get in better Golf Shape. Doing so will lower your scores. All it takes is commitment.

Cindy Reid is a PGA Class A Professional with more then 25 years of experience in the golf industry.  She is currently the Featured Instructor at the TOUR Academy at TPC Sawgrass and is opening a Golf Academy at Mission Hills Golf Club in Shenzhen, China.  She can be reached at creid@cindyreidgolf.com.