Personal trainer and fitness columnist Shawn O’Neil asks: Can you improve your fitness for golf at home this winter?
It’s that time of year again, the competition season is over, the days are growing shorter, and the weather feels very autumnal all of a sudden.
With many of us having less time to play midweek golf, it’s a great time to look into how we can get fitter and start spring in a better position to play well. If the gym isn’t the right option for you, for any reason, there’s still plenty you can do at home.
There are pros and cons when it comes to training at home. Being in your own home means you can train whenever you like – and you don’t have to travel, pay a membership or share equipment. However, the cons include a lack of equipment, particularly if you already have a good base of movement and strength.
When it comes to getting some fitness work done at home, the key thing is space to move. From there, a relatively small spend on some different strength bands and dumbbells in a couple of different weights is enough to create an effective programme. If you want to invest more, look into getting kettlebells, a bench, barbell and plates – but find your own level with bands and dumbbells first and make sure you’re getting something out of a small investment before going for anything else.
Once you have your equipment you need a programme, dedication and time.
To set a programme to get the most bang for your buck, get assessed by a Titleist Performance Institute-qualified fitness professional. I have written about this before and you can find out what this assessment entails over on the Fitness section of the Northern Golfer website. The assessment is a vital first step to ensure you understand where you are limited and how this is affecting your golf swing.
Most of the golfers I’ve met who want to improve their fitness don’t have a boatload of time, so working with a professional to create a programme will allow you to maximise the effectiveness of your training by working on what’s most important.
Remote or app-based training is a great, flexible option for many too. It provides the expert bit while leaving you to create the time to carry out the work. Please get in touch via the link at the bottom of my profile below if you’d like to look into this kind of training in more detail.
Use the dark nights to improve your fitness, and your body and scorecards will be in much better shape in 2025.
