Try to get as much golf in as possible this summer while keeping your body in shape to play well, writes fitness expert and personal trainer Shawn O’Neil
The golf season is now well underway and hopefully we’re enjoying some good weather as you read this.
In my last column – which you can read on the Northern Golfer website along with all my previous ones – I wrote about how to maintain what you had worked hard to achieve through the winter while maximising the benefits on the golf course.
Building on that column, here are three tips to help you stay on top of your fitness while playing more golf this summer.
First, create a 5-10-minute mobility routine you can do daily. I discussed the benefits of doing this last time as we looked at maintaining what we had gained over the off-season. As we move into summer, I would recommend using the same principles in a warm up and cool down every time you practise or play. As we look to play golf around everything else going on in our lives, it’s really helpful if we can find some consistency in how our bodies move and feel daily. This also helps a lot when trying to ingrain what we’re developing through swing drills, and when we’re trying to perform consistently.
Second, make some left-handed swings (or right-handed ones if you play lefty). I know this sounds mad, and it will feel very strange at first, but you will get used to it. Adding 20 swings on the opposite side at the end of every range session is enough. A repetitive, one way rotational pattern can take a toll on your body over time, and some work balancing that out is helpful as we play more golf. You might even see a little increase in clubhead speed too.
Finally, prioritise practising and playing while doing small, light and regular training. I’ll continue to bang the drum that the worst thing to do is stopping training completely during the season, and I explained how to maintain what you’ve gained in a fraction of the time in the last edition.
The majority of your time available for golf should be spent hitting balls and playing as it’s important to make the most of the good weather. Little and often is all you need. From there, I hope you enjoy your golf this summer.
