What a round of golf asks of your body
What eighteen holes asks of you:
- Walking somewhere between 6 and 11 km, a lot of it on slopes and uneven ground.
- Between about 11,000 and 16,600 steps, depending on the course and the study.
- Bending down to tee up, read a putt and fish the ball out of the hole, over and over.
- Turning hard and fast through the swing, then doing it again on the next tee.
- Holding all of that together on the back nine, four hours after you parked the car.
If something on that list is the reason you play nine holes instead of eighteen, or once a fortnight instead of twice a week, that is a training problem, and training can deal with it. That is what golf fitness in Poole at Ocean Fitness is for.
Golf fitness in Poole starts with what a round actually involves
In 2017 James Luscombe and colleagues at the University of Edinburgh reviewed 19 studies of physical activity during golf. Most put an 18-hole round at between 8.7 and 11.25 km walked, and the studies that counted steps reported between about 11,000 and 16,600. Half of the intensity readings fell in the moderate range. Riding a buggy cut the distance walked to about 3 km.
So golf is a decent amount of walking, done in bursts of standing still, bending and swinging hard. Your legs, hips and back do the walking and the swinging, and they get tired doing both.
Why golfers want to keep playing
In 2017 Andrew Murray and colleagues reviewed the research on golf and health for the British Journal of Sports Medicine. They found golf associated with better cardiovascular, respiratory and metabolic health. A Swedish study of 300,818 golfers found a 40% lower death rate than the general population. That is an association, and the authors say so: it does not prove golf was the cause.
The same review says golf may help balance and muscle endurance in older players. It also found the lower back is the area golfers injure most.
Put simply, playing more golf looks like a good habit to keep. The aim of training is to make sure your body lets you keep it.
What strength training does for your golf
In 2020 Alex Ehlert reviewed 25 studies that compared golfers doing strength and conditioning with golfers who did not. Most programmes mixed strength training, jumping and throwing work, stretching and trunk exercises. Where the studies found a significant improvement, clubhead speed, ball speed and distance went up by an average of 4 to 6.4%. Three studies found better accuracy or consistency. Results varied from study to study, and I would rather tell you that now than promise you thirty extra yards.
How I train golfers at Ocean Fitness Poole
I am TPI certified. We start with how you move: your hips, your upper back, your balance on one leg and how well you can turn one part of you while the rest stays still. I wrote about that first session in what a movement screen tells you.
Then we train the jobs a round of golf gives you. You lift from the floor, carry, push, pull, rotate and move fast, and the loads go up as you get stronger. It is the same transferable strength I use with every client, pointed at the course. Fix the weak links before they become injuries, and the back nine stops being the part you dread.
I train the physical side. I do not replace your golf coach.
The studio is private, at 1 Victoria Road in Poole, BH12, a short drive from Parkstone and Broadstone. One trainer, one client. Book a free consultation and tell me how often you would like to play.
Golf fitness in Poole: common questions
Do I need to be a good golfer to train for golf?
No. The training is about how your body moves and copes with a round, not your handicap. Beginners and low handicappers both benefit from moving better, getting stronger and lasting the full eighteen holes.
Will strength training add distance to my drives?
It can. A 2020 review of 25 studies found that where strength and conditioning made a significant difference, clubhead speed, ball speed and distance rose by an average of 4 to 6.4%. Results varied between studies.
How far do you walk in a round of golf?
A 2017 review of 19 studies found most estimates for 18 holes between 8.7 and 11.25 km, with step counts between about 11,000 and 16,600. Riding a buggy cut the walking to about 3 km.
Does golf fitness training replace my golf coach?
No. Dom Meacher is TPI certified and trains the physical side: mobility, strength, balance and power. Your golf coach teaches the swing. The two work well together.
References
- Ehlert A. The effects of strength and conditioning interventions on golf performance: a systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2020;38(23):2720-2731.
- Luscombe J, Murray AD, Jenkins E, Archibald D. A rapid review to identify physical activity accrued while playing golf. BMJ Open. 2017;7(11):e018993.
- Murray AD, Daines L, Archibald D, et al. The relationships between golf and health: a scoping review. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017;51(1):12-19.