Tiger remains an ambassador of fitness Wednesday, August 15, 2007
After Tiger's recent win at the PGA Championship, his 13th major, he commented on how his fitness level was instrumental in withstanding the intense heat over the weekend. Tiger has been a huge proponent of exercise as a way to help keep him the top player in the world. It is no secret that most touring professionals workout regularly and use a golf fitness specialist. Tiger notes that the game has changed. Tour players are stronger, more fit and are hitting the ball further.
Tiger also recently unveiled his plans for a new golf course near Asheville, North Carolina. The interesting thing about his first U.S. course is, it is a walking-only course. He was quoted as saying "obesity is a huge problem" and "our cars have gotten bigger because we have gotten bigger. Walking a golf course is a beautiful thing". Yea Tiger!!!!!! So golfers - if you want to play Tigers new course, better start walking!
Posted by Mark @ 12:35 PM
Developing Power In Your Golf Swing Sunday, August 12, 2007
We know that golfers are always looking for ways to increase power in their golf swing, and therefore wanting to hit the ball farther. A powerful swing or good club head speed has been mechanically described as the process of cracking a whip. As you know, the force and speed generated at the end of the whip is very powerful. That speed is the result of the acceleration and then the quick deceleration of the arm & the whip.
3-D motion analysis, as used at the Titleist Performance Institute, shows a similar pattern in the golf swing, and is described as a kinematic sequence. This kinematic sequence of the golf swing is the process of creating a force, and controlling it during the downswing by a sequence of acceleration & deceleration of body parts. The result is maximum speed of the club head at impact. The golfer’s job is to generate this speed, and transfer it throughout the body out to the club head at the right time. If the swing is performed in the correct sequence it is then efficient and powerful.
The correct body sequence as shown on video is: lower body first, followed by the trunk, then the arms and the club. What actually happens is each segment of the chain slows down as the next segment begins to accelerate faster than the previous segment, so timing of acceleration & deceleration is the key factor in having an efficient and powerful swing.
All good ball strikers possess this efficient sequence and it is shown to be independent of the style of their swing. So a good ball striker may not have a smooth good looking swing like Ernie Els, but he will surely have a similar kinematic sequence.
From a physical fitness standpoint you can then understand how control & stability (deceleration) is of paramount importance during the swing. For example if you are unable to decelerate the trunk at the right time, then that speed & energy can’t be transferred to the arms so they can then accelerate when they need to. The result is loss of power in your swing.
Understanding this concept of transferring speed & energy is important when developing a golf fitness program and selecting exercises. You must have both flexibility & stability in the right places to ensure a good sequence in your golf swing. The only way to know that is to undergo a golf specific assessment. So make sure before you select golf fitness exercises that you have completed a thorough assessment with a golf fitness professional.
Posted by Mark @ 2:28 PM
