GOLF FITNESS: DO's and DONT's

When we look at our golf training and golf fitness, there are many things that we should be doing that will pay dividends into the future...

Things that will help us build resilience and strength!

Things that will help us move better, feel better, and look better.

Things that will help us get out of pain or avoid future pain!

... And then there are things that won't contribute as much to our athletic abilities that we need to AVOID.

I have 3 DOs and 3 DON'Ts for everybody pursuing GOLF FITNESS.

Let's dive in.

DO... Be consistent.

Probably THE most important characteristic of a golf training plan is consistency.

It takes time to develop adaptations and build resilience.

It takes time to become a better mover and witness that growth transfer to the golf course.

Sorry, it's going to take more than a 1 week commitment.

DO... Find your limits, and push them.

Probably EQUALLY as important as consistency is the intensity that you are training with.

We need to find our limits in training, and then push against them.

We need to stress the body to the point that it's going to create adaptations.

There's a saying that goes around the strength and conditioning community pretty often - "Stimulate don't annihilate"

I 100% agree with the notion of this statement.

We need to apply stress but OF COURSE it is possible to apply too much.

We don't want to annihilate our bodies leaving us sore, beat down and constantly fatigued.

However, I think many golfers fail to even hit the first part of that notion.

They don't even STIMULATE.

Train at an intensity that's both consistently attainable and impactful enough to promote adaptation!

DO... Always prioritize health.

Our health underlies everything that we do.

It contributes to our performance on the golf course.

It contributes to avoiding injuries and moving pain-free.

IT'S THE MOST IMPORTANT ASPECT OF "GOLF FITNESS"... but yet, so many overlook it.

What do I mean by health?

• Nutrition

• Hydration

• Sleep and recovery

• Mental and emotional health

• Psychosocial well-being and maintaining healthy relationships with others

These characteristics are the underpinnings of who we are as humans, let alone golfers.

Be a healthier human.

Watch everything level up.

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Now for the DON'Ts

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DON'T... Train the golfer within you.

Train the ATHLETE within you.

Train the HUMAN within you.

Our focus in training isn't golf.

It's to level up who we are as athletes and human beings.

If a coach is simply focusing on "golf specific" training, they are missing the bigger picture.

They're missing things that would truly help the human and athlete that underlies the golfer they're working with.

This is something that frustrates me in "golf fitness"...

X coach showing an athlete an exercise to "improve the loading of their backswing," meanwhile, the athlete hates their job, eats pizza 4 times a week, can't complete three push-ups, and is going through a divorce.

But yeah, your "loading" exercise will be the difference maker.

Step back and look at the human you are working with... not the golfer.

Level up who are you are as a human.

Level up your athleticism.

The golfer within you will follow suit.

DON'T... Let training get in the way of golfing.

Golf is priority number 1.

And I am not even talking about the 'enjoyment' factor.

I am saying, if golf performance is the goal, GOLF IS PRIORITY NUMBER 1.

Ideally we are making time for both golf and training, but if truly limited (which I doubt you are, I wrote about the classic "I don't have time" excuse HERE), go to the golf course before the gym.

The best golfers are the most skillful ones.

This skill is developed on the course!

Not in the weight room.

To truly maximize our potential, we need both golf skill and the physical motor output to express it, but... Prioritize the golf side and don't let any coach tell you otherwise!

DON'T... Compare yourself to others.

One of the best parts about golf is that ANYBODY can play.

Whether you are a 20 handicap or a +3, you can enjoy the beautiful game.

However, this also naturally leads to comparing ourselves to others and wishing we had the game they have.

Everybody is at different stages of their golf journey.

The ole saying - "don't compare your chapter 1 to somebody else's chapter 100."

The same can apply to the training setting.

Some have spent their lives training.

Some are just beginning their journey.

There is a spot for everyone in the gym.

There is a spot for everybody at SCRATCH.

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Let's go low.

Carter Schmitz

Founder: SCRATCHGolfTraining.com