Adding distance by exercising
 

I'm about 5'7" and 110 lbs and hit 5 iron about 150 yds. I recently hired a personal trainer and am wondering which muscles or exercises in particular would help to add the most distance to my game. I definitely plan to put on 20 lbs eventually, but which muscles in particular are most crucial to adding distance to your golf shot.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

core strength is important as well as the muscles in your shoulders and arms.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

This GUIDE
looks like it has some good info.

Make sure you work on your flexibility as well as gaining weight. You're sure to hit it further than you do now just by gaining 20 pounds, but you WILL NOT reach your full potential without working hard on your flexibility, IMO. (Unless of course you're already a rubber-band or something)

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

"Get yourself in golf shape : year-round drills to build a strong, flexible swing" covers this pretty well.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

[ QUOTE ]
This GUIDE
looks like it has some good info.

Make sure you work on your flexibility as well as gaining weight. You're sure to hit it further than you do now just by gaining 20 pounds, but you WILL NOT reach your full potential without working hard on your flexibility, IMO. (Unless of course you're already a rubber-band or something)

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I am trying to imagine someone at 5'7" and 110 lbs NOT being flexible????

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This GUIDE
looks like it has some good info.

Make sure you work on your flexibility as well as gaining weight. You're sure to hit it further than you do now just by gaining 20 pounds, but you WILL NOT reach your full potential without working hard on your flexibility, IMO. (Unless of course you're already a rubber-band or something)

[/ QUOTE ]

I am trying to imagine someone at 5'7" and 110 lbs NOT being flexible????

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What does height and weight have to do with flexibility?

Not being fat doesn't = flexible. It's pretty hard to be as flexible as I'm describing without doing regular stretching routines.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

I don't think extreme flexibility necessarily helps a swing...in fact, I think it mostly hurts it since the best swings tend to be relatively compact. Mostly, I think that you are fine as long as you're not inflexible...as long as you're 'normal', there are more important things to focus on.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

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I don't think extreme flexibility necessarily helps a swing...in fact, I think it mostly hurts it since the best swings tend to be relatively compact. Mostly, I think that you are fine as long as you're not inflexible...as long as you're 'normal', there are more important things to focus on.

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Look at a tour players golf swing in slow motion. Vijay, Tiger, etc. and tell me flexibility isn't important. If anything it prevents injury from making a full swing thousands of times.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

I suggest waking up.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

I said "extreme" flexibility...as in I don't think you have to 'work hard on your flexibility' so long as you're 'normally' flexible (there are tests for this). You only really need to be as flexible as your swing requires...not the other way around. So I'm saying to make sure that you don't go gumby and fit your swing to that...you should seek more flexibility if your swing requires it.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

[ QUOTE ]
I don't think extreme flexibility necessarily helps a swing...in fact, I think it mostly hurts it since the best swings tend to be relatively compact. Mostly, I think that you are fine as long as you're not inflexible...as long as you're 'normal', there are more important things to focus on.

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PGA Tour players on average are much more flexible than the average person as tested by a seating excercise where one twists their upper body around as much as possible. (John Daley is extrememly flexible) I believe length comes from speed (core srength) and not muscle strength. Compact swings from good players usually are full shoulder turns with short arm swings. Swings from hacks that look long are usually poor turns accompanied by a lifting of the arms.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

For your size I'd do a normal workout and just remember to stretch and practice your swing between workouts.

I'd also like to add as a general golf-fitness comment for everybody, I've found pilates and regularly swinging a baseball bat has helped me immensely. When I say swinging a baseball bat, I mean I alternatively take 20 swings righty and lefty until i hit about 100 each.

btw, i know the pilates thing sounds, well, not masculine, but I'd recommend it for everybody!

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

Ditto on the Pilates or something like it. Correct function, i.e moving from the core and firing the muscles in the correct sequence is more important than anything in golf, for power and control.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
This GUIDE
looks like it has some good info.

Make sure you work on your flexibility as well as gaining weight. You're sure to hit it further than you do now just by gaining 20 pounds, but you WILL NOT reach your full potential without working hard on your flexibility, IMO. (Unless of course you're already a rubber-band or something)

[/ QUOTE ]

I am trying to imagine someone at 5'7" and 110 lbs NOT being flexible????

[/ QUOTE ]

What does height and weight have to do with flexibility?

Not being fat doesn't = flexible. It's pretty hard to be as flexible as I'm describing without doing regular stretching routines.

[/ QUOTE ]

I never said not being fat = flixible, and I'm not debating your point on the importance of stretching and exercise. That said, I think you will agree that certain weight/height/body types lend themselves to being more flexible than others. Of course there are exceptions. John Daly is much more flexible than the vast majority of people with his build/weight/height.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

Understanding the kinetic chain and improving your swing mechanics will be infinitely more beneficial than adding lean body mass.

That said, a strong body is a healthy one. You should focus on core strength and functional flexibility.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

core strength/flexibility, as it has been stated is huge. also, i experienced a nice boost by strengthening my legs, mainly quads/hamstrings; led to improved stability, g/l

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

Whitelime I believe strength training will have minimal impact on the distance you hit the ball. I think you will gain a little distance, but nothing crazy. If you take the example of Tiger, he's now pretty beefed up and yet hits the ball the same distance he did when he was in college and a skinny runt. Some people will say he hits it further with his driver now - and he does - but that's just due to the modern technology.

Working on your swing will cause the greatest gain in distance. Increasing your flexibility and hip / shoulder rotation in your backswing will be far more beneficial imo (distance wise). The reason modern golfers tend to work out so much is for longetivity, but also to handle the deep rough at US opens and the tougher courses.

John Daly does not do any strength training and yet is one of the longest hitters on the tour. He also does no flexibility training. I guess what I'm saying is natural ability is the primary determinent of the length someone can hit the ball. But there's nothing wrong with aspiring to improve. But sadly I think you'll only be adding 10 yards no matter what you do unless you fundamentally alter your swing.

As Greg Norman would say, the belt buckles of most great players will have rotated 90 degrees by the completion of the backswing. The greater rotation creates the extra clubhead speed, and presto, you're hitting the ball 10-15% further.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

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As Greg Norman would say, the belt buckles of most great players will have rotated 90 degrees by the completion of the backswing. The greater rotation creates the extra clubhead speed, and presto, you're hitting the ball 10-15% further.


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I've never heard this before.
Most all instruction i've seen says the hips (beltbuckle) should turn app. 45*.

The shoulder turn is around 90*.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
As Greg Norman would say, the belt buckles of most great players will have rotated 90 degrees by the completion of the backswing. The greater rotation creates the extra clubhead speed, and presto, you're hitting the ball 10-15% further.


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I've never heard this before.
Most all instruction i've seen says the hips (beltbuckle) should turn app. 45*.

The shoulder turn is around 90*.

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Try it for yourself...the belt buckle will actually face 90* away...though the left HIP is not 90*, it's more like 45-50* (which is what I think you're thinking of).

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

I remember reading an article that stated the common denominator among the biggest hitters was the shoulder turn compared to the hips. IE their shoulder turn made it so that at the top of the swing the shoulders were perpendicular to the hips and this is were all the important torque was.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

You need to train the big muscles in your back, shoulders and legs, as these are the ones that gives you the power to "rip it"

Your arm muscles have no real impact on your swing(if you swing correct) and sometimes people who start to work out, start to hit it even shorter, cause the tighten up too much.

You need your body to control the power of the swing, and let the club control the speed of the clubface.

Strong body and have flexibility is a key to hitting it far, arm muscles not,and wose be carefull not to "cramp up"

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

Man there is tons of bad advice in this thread.

If you want to hit it further work on proper swing mechanics, i.e., the energy that is getting used to swing the club is not being wasted with energy sapping movements.

Work on your flexibility so that you can swing the club freely.

Women who are your size can hit it further then you and it's not because they worked on their core strength.

Buffing your core while not fixing poor swing mechanics and flexibility is a waste of your time.

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

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Man there is tons of bad advice in this thread.

If you want to hit it further work on proper swing mechanics, i.e., the energy that is getting used to swing the club is not being wasted with energy sapping movements.

Work on your flexibility so that you can swing the club freely.

Women who are your size can hit it further then you and it's not because they worked on their core strength.

Buffing your core while not fixing poor swing mechanics and flexibility is a waste of your time.

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QFT!

Re: Adding distance by exercising
 

[ QUOTE ]
I remember reading an article that stated the common denominator among the biggest hitters was the shoulder turn compared to the hips. IE their shoulder turn made it so that at the top of the swing the shoulders were perpendicular to the hips and this is were all the important torque was.

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Yes, if you search X factor you'll find lots on this.