3 Tips for Golfers Transitioning to SPRING
There are two things all golfers want...
Lower scores - Better performance
More longevity - Avoid injuries/pain
Our first tip today deals with the latter.
Our second deals with the former.
And our last is BOTH.
Let's dive in.
Injuries are impossible to predict.
Pain pops up.
Muscles strain.
Joints get achy.
BUT, there are some common themes that arise amongst injuries.
The most popular of these themes is LOAD MANAGEMENT.
What is Load Management?
Everything that you use your physical body for, produces stress on the body.
Whether that's playing golf, going to the range, working out, going for a walk, or even just moving around your house doing chores.
But this isn't a bad thing.
Stress creates physical adaptations.
We need stress to create gains.
But too much stress could produce a higher risk of injury, poor performance, or anything in-between.
The amount of stress you are placing on your body within these activities is dependent on three things:
The intensity of the activity
The volume of activity
The novelty of the activity
Intensity
Something like a max clubhead speed training session is going to be MORE STRESSFUL than a light wedge day at the range.
Intensity creates stress.
Volume
Hitting 150 balls at the range is more stressful than 50.
Volume creates stress.
Novelty
A new activity that you've never done before, or haven't done in a while, is going to be more stressful on the body.
Have you ever gotten into an intense pickup basketball game or volleyball game, only to wake up the next morning with sore muscles that you didn't even know existed?
Novelty creates stress.
Load management is the process of applying the correct amount of stress to our bodies.
We need to be aware of these three creators of stress - intensity, volume, and novelty - in order to stimulate a stress response that creates positive adaptations.
TIP #1 - LOAD MANAGING YOUR SPRING
Have you been swinging clubs all winter?
Have you been going to the range, dome, or sim shop?
If not, this tip is for you.
You haven't touched a golf club since last fall.
When spring rolls around, and you head to the range for the first time, be aware of these three creators of stress.
INTENSITY wise, don't try to max out your driver.
VOLUME wise, let's not grab the jumbo bucket.
NOVELTY wise, understand that the golf swing is a novel exercise for you at this moment in time (as you haven't swung a club since last fall!) Your body has de-adapted to any previous adaptations it made in the prior golf season.
Take it easy your first day at the range.
Grab the small bucket.
Be patient working your way up to the jumbo bucket, and higher intensities, over the first month of the season.
TIP #2 - Now is the time to speed train
This tip is primarily for those that have been training and working out hard this off-season!
As we transition into spring, it's now time to ramp up your speed training!
Start expressing all of those physical adaptations that you worked so hard to build this off-season.
Start applying them to your golf swing.
Swing fast, to swing faster.
I recommend speed training twice per week in the months leading up to the season.
Leave 48-72 hours between speed sessions.
Complete sessions in a relatively lower fatigue state.
Warm-up THOROUGHLY.
And when you think you're warmed up, warm up more.
Follow the format I used below if you'd like OR join the SCRATCH SPEED BLUEPRINT TODAY.
TIP #3 - Do NOT stop training
Whether you crushed some off-season training or not, KEEP TRAINING IN THE SPRING AND SEASON.
Training in-season will 1.) SUPPORT your long-term goals and 2.) PROMOTE short-term priming and readiness to maximize performance NOW.
However, your training SHOULD adjust slightly.
I recommend shorter, high intensity training sessions.
I recommend lesser volume in terms of the reps we are completing.
For example, during the off-season you may have been doing sets of 6-12 and now we should consider decreasing those working sets to 4-8 reps.
Find my 5 KEYS TO IN-SEASON TRAINING HERE.
USE THESE THREE TIPS TO HAVE AN ELITE SPRING AND START TO YOUR SEASON!
Carter Schmitz
Founder and Head Coach - SCRATCHGolfTraining.com
CSCS, TPI
Carter is a strength and conditioning coach out of the Milwaukee area working with athletes, in-person and virtually. Having helped hundreds of athletes, ranging from the middle school to the professional level and beyond, Carter brings a breadth of experience and knowledge to every athlete he works with. He launched SCRATCHGolfTraining.com in the summer of 2021 to help empower golfers to greater performance and longevity.
Carter believes ALL golfers are athletes, and they should be training accordingly.
Become a SCRATCH Athlete today, and start training like the ATHLETE you are!
