Personal trainer and fitness columnist Shawn O’Neil on what the future of golf training could look like
s the traditional formulas of the working and family day change, people are looking for increased flexibility in many aspects of their lives – and training is one of the areas we’re seeing change in.
At the moment, training for golf for most amateurs begins with an in-person assessment before you take part in either one-to-one or small group sessions with a Titleist Performance Institute-certified professional.
First, you will work on the limitations discovered in that assessment before progressing into strength training in order to protect from injuries and boost performance. Those performance boosts will come through increased clubhead speed as your move into speed and power training.
If you have decided that you would like to train your body in order to perform better and/or play injury-free, you’re already on the right path. I truly believe, having seen golfers of all abilities and ages work on fitness programmes, that neglecting this area restricts the level you can play to. The body swings the club, so the fewer limitations you have in your body, the more efficiently the club can be swung.
Most often, I come across two limiting factors that prevent golfers getting in the gym. Many amateur golfers have a family and a job, which makes finding a gap in their schedule, that happens to match the trainer’s schedule, challenging. On top of that, golfers tend to want to use their free time to get outside and play the game. They also have to weigh the financial impact. Setting aside the normal costs we all have, golfers also have membership fees; equipment costs; long game, short game and/or putting lessons; and everything else which goes into playing the game.
But, what if a modern take on golf training alleviates these factors?
I believe online programming is the solution. Using just your mobile phone, you can access industry-leading instruction, not just for your swing, but for your golf fitness as well. You can have a gym session sent to you with descriptions, videos and all the information you need on reps, sets and rest time – all programmed by a professional trainer around data gathered during your assessment.
The remote nature of this kind of training makes it incredibly flexible. You’re able to access, record and update sessions anytime, anywhere – at 6am in the gym or at 10pm at home.
Trainers can also programme multiple sessions in less time than it takes to run a single in-person session, making the overall programme considerably cheaper.
The future of golf training is more flexible and cheaper – which sounds like a great step forward to me.
Shawn O’Neil
Personal trainer and fitness columnist
