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By Mike Pedersen Golf Fitness Expert
Founder of Golf-Trainer.com

Has your handicap gone down lately? If so, by how much? If not, do you know the reason why? If you’re like most golfers – you’re on the constant lookout for the newest, latest, greatest driver or golf ball. Well, have you found your magic bullet? I’m guessing not. If you have then more power to you. When you saw the first two words above where thinking baseball? I’ll bet you were. The topic as you know is golf. But I’m glad I have your attention. What I wanted to talk about this month was the importance of improving your strength and flexibility specific to golf even if you are playing. I’ve worked with a lot of golfers who say they will wait until the “off season” to start. Why? If you’re experiencing weaknesses or restrictions that aren’t allowing to perform optimal swing mechanics – why would you put it off? That doesn’t make any sense. Some of these deficiencies can be improved within one or two sessions. The results are immediate. The next time you go out to play you will feel and see the improvement.

With that in mind – don’t put it off. Right now it is springtime. The weather hasn’t gotten that hot – but golf is getting more reasonable for most of us “normal” folk. I’m referring to greens fees that is. But just like in any sport (and golf is a sport), you have to prepare your body physically for optimal performance. If you don’t, you can expect the same results as last year or maybe even worse. Not a pleasant thought I know.

Now what do you do? That’s the six million dollar question, right? You have several options. Go to the bookstore and look up golf fitness books. Be sure to look through them to see the exercises. If they show golfers on machines in the gym – it’s NOT golf-specific fitness. It’s general fitness disguised as fitness for golf. I know there are some of those books out there for sure.

Next hire a local trainer. But make sure that trainer understands golf and plays it himself (or herself). This is really the only way he/she can apply the biomechanics of the swing to exercises that will improve your deficiencies. Just like sports movements are very different – the golf swing is very unique and a lot of attention needs to be brought to the “core” or middle of your body and your lower back. This is the most vulnerable area for most golfers and needs to be addressed.

You can also talk to your teaching pro. He/she might have some knowledge of key areas you need to work on. Just make sure they practice what they preach. I think that’s pretty self-explanatory. I know we are talking about an investment of time and money – but don’t begin to tell me you don’t have hundreds of dollars of training aids and gimmicks you’ve bought just sitting in your garage gathering dust.

This is your body we are talking about. The most important training aid and piece of equipment you can work on. Not only for golf but quality of life as you get older. I just played with a guy the other day that was 75 years old. He exercises every day and played from the blue tees with us young guys. If I can only dream of being in the kind of shape he was in when I’m 75 - life would be good. Really good. So get moving and don’t put it off. The longer you put it off – the bigger the delay in playing better golf.