Golf fitness exercises can be beneficial for the woman golfer in terms of improving the foundation of the swing, rotation in the backswing, speed development in the downswing, and a consistent finish position. Learn how golf fitness exercises can benefit the woman golfer. Lowering scores and making the game more enjoyable.

It is well known in professional golf how integral golf fitness exercises are for success at the highest levels. Men on the PGA Tour and women on the LPGA Tour understand the benefits of golf fitness exercises in achieving success. Outside the circles of professional players many questions exist about golf fitness exercises. Questions such as; what are the best exercises to improve golf fitness levels, are flexibility exercises and stretches better than other forms of golf fitness exercises, and what are the benefits of golf fitness exercises for the woman golfer?

These and many questions surround the topic of golf fitness. This article is to provide some answers for you on the topic of golf fitness exercises for woman. It has been well documented in magazines and television how LPGA women such as Annika Sorenstam utilize fitness programs to benefit their play on the course. Is there a difference between the LPGA player and the amateur woman in relation to golf fitness training? The answer is no. Yes, the women on the LPGA Tour are the best women golfers in the world, but the physiology of the LPGA player and amateur are the same. The skeletal, muscular, and neural systems are the same. The professional player has the same number of muscles in their bodies as the amateur. The woman’s professional player has the same skeletal structure as the female amateur, and nervous system as well. Granted the LPGA player has more refined and efficient swing mechanics, but the body is the same.

As a result of the body being the same, the principles and structure of a golf fitness program for any woman is similar. Before discussing the specifics of a program for women it is necessary to understand a few important principles. The first principle to understand about a fitness program is sports specific. Sports specific is a term describing the type of training utilized in a golf fitness program. Sport specific training simply states the program utilized by the woman athlete is geared towards improving them in their chosen sport.

A second principle closely related to sports specific training is cross specificity training. Cross specificity training is the utilization of exercises to develop the woman golfer in the positions, movements, and actions incorporated in the golf swing. The goal of cross specificity training is a transfer of training effect to the field of competition. Simply stated, a transfer of training effect is the ability of exercises utilized to train the female golfer having a direct benefit on their performance on the course.

For example, golf flexibility exercises will attempt to improve the flexibility within the player. As the player improves their flexibility parameters in relation to the swing. She may be able to create a bigger shoulder turn, which may increase the distance of her drives. This benefit is an example of a transfer of training effect onto the golf course. In summary, the three principles that assist in the development of a golf fitness program for women are; sports specific, cross specificity training, and transfer of training effect. Many additional principles exist that are used as guidelines in the development of a fitness program, but these are three essential ones.

Outside of the guidelines governing the development of a golf fitness program for woman. Specific physical components within the body are needed within the body to execute the golf swing correctly. Remember, it is the body performing the biomechanics of the swing. In order for the swing to be executed correctly and efficiently certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power are required. These are the actual physical components within the golfer a fitness program looks to develop and enhance in relation to the golf swing.

The swing requires the body to move through a long range of motion for an efficient movement to occur. Much of this is contingent upon the ability of the core to coil and uncoil during the swing. In order for these two biomechanical actions to occur efficiently, the development of proper flexibility in the core is necessary.

We utilize flexibility exercises that are cross-specific to the movements in the swing to develop flexibility. The majority of these flexibility exercises are rotational and dynamic.

The swing is a dynamic movement, indicating that the body is in constant motion. It is crucial to develop a range of motion in a dynamic rather than a static (not moving) method. The goal of these exercises is to create a range of motion in the core for the golf swing. Flexibility is the first physical component requiring development within the woman golfer.

One needs to maintain, dynamically, a stable body throughout the entire swing. We have all hit balls at the range and know what happens when we do not stay balanced during the swing. Improving the balance and stabilization capabilities of the core translates into a better golf swing. Better Balance equals a Better Swing. Even subtle movements are consistency killers; thus we need to develop and maintain balance for a consistent swing.

Balance is connected to the efficiency of the nervous system and strength of the muscular system working together. The development of greater balance in the core and swing is the result of two types of specific exercise. The first challenges the nervous system creating greater efficiency. The second are exercises that create increased strength in the core. The combination of these two types of exercises permit for the body to maintain posture, promote efficient weight transfer, and create power in the swing. The result is a more consistent, accurate, and powerful swing. This is the second component included with a golf fitness program.

Remember that the golf swing is a repetitive movement. The mechanics of the swing repeat with each stroke. This process can be repeated hundreds of times in a round of golf. Ever go to the range and hit two buckets of balls? At some point the body starts to tire, and shots scatter.

Proper endurance training enables us to repeat a sound swing. We produce this through a series of exercises developing endurance in the entire body. This nets us a consistent swing through eighteen holes. Increasing endurance leads to lower scores. This is the third physical component of the golf fitness program for women.

Club head speed is a function of power. The more power generated by the body, the greater speed at which a club head impacts the ball. More power to the ball equals longer drives. Developing higher levels of power within the muscular system of the body is achieved through the implementation of power exercises. These types of exercise assist in creating higher power outputs of the muscles involved in the golf swing. Power training is the final component found in a golf fitness program for women.

In summary a golf fitness program for the LPGA or amateur woman golfer is relatively the same. Golf exercises for the woman golfer are sports specific. The exercises are cross-specific to the movements, positions, and requirements of the swing. The exercises within a woman’s golf fitness program induce a transfer of training effect onto the course. The swing requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power to execute correctly. A golf fitness program for women will look to enhance these physical components of the body. The end result is an improved swing equating to lower scores and more enjoyment on the course.

A good golfer is a golfer who is happy with their own game and willing to listen to advice from experience. A good temperament is needed to play golf, expect bad days it happens everyone from low handicappers to full professionals. Having a hot head will only cause you more problems.

It can be daunting when starting as there is so much to remember but take time to practice and go to the driving range to help improve teeing off. Looking around the golf course you will see some players and think “Will I ever get to that level”? Remember everybody is different and we are not all made to be professionals, you should go out to do your best and bring in the best possible score and most of all, take home the enjoyment of the day.

Teeing Off:

How many times have we seen the big hitters hit the ball out of sight, if you are thinking that way starting, think again. You should be thinking of placement and keeping the ball in play. Hitting the ball a long way is one think, keeping it in play and well placed for the next shot is the way to think. The driver can be a difficult club to use of the tee when starting but practice will make it easier. If you are using the oversized drivers like most are remember to tee the ball up higher than normal to avoid knocking the ball down. If you find the 3 or 5 wood easier to hit then hit that until your game improves. On a par 4 or 5 many people hit a low iron from the tee. Whatever you are comfortable with, use.

A good swing:

In golf timing is everything. By swinging faster and harder you will not hit the ball any further, and most possibly will end up hitting a horrible shot anyway. A slow backswing and a good steady hit will make all the difference, rushing in golf gets you nowhere. Keep a steady head and do not raise it too quickly to see where the ball has gone, if you do you may find yourself going hard right if you are using right hand clubs and vice versa if using left handed clubs. Feet position is important; align your feet correctly to avoid an unwanted right to left or left to right shot.

Clubbing from the fairway:

If you find that you are looking from the fairway to the green you need to choose your next club carefully, under clubbing will leave you short and possible in the bunker or water hazard, over clubbing will leave you long and possibly in similar danger. Overtime you will become aware of all the clubs in your bag and the distance you can hit each one comfortably. You find yourself between clubs, meaning the next shot for example is neither an 8 or 9 iron. In a case like this do not hit the 9iron and try to force the shot, hit the 8 and go slightly down the shaft allowing you total control over the shot.

Good Golf Gear and Clubs:

Like in most cases it depends on the budget you have. Golf clubs can range from a couple of hundred dollars to thousands. Are you brand orientated? As a keen golfer myself and off a handicap of four I play most of my golf in Ireland and in the US and from my travels I have seen beginners in both countries spending obscene money starting. We all want the best but the clubs will not do the work for you. You are not going to notice exceptional back spin or side spin starting so start with a sensible budget and build from there. It’s you who needs the practice to improve the overall play. Clubs worth $3,000 dollars will not help you starting anymore than clubs worth $400. If you have extra cash to spend put it into golf shoes or waterproof clothing or spend it on travelling to other golf courses to gain experience.

Reducing handicaps:

There is no magic stick here, practice is the only way to improve and by improving you will automatically reduce your handicap either by observation from the golfing committee you belong to or by winning a prise or two. Listen to others and learn, you need to have an open mind playing golf and be willing to try new shots, different stances and even new equipment as time goes by.

Like all you will reach your peak and the best you will get out of golf is the enjoyment of getting out but for the elite few that next level could be pro.

Electric Low Speed Vehicles (LSV’s) are becoming tremendously popular these days for a number of reasons. They are quiet, fun and relatively comfortable to drive, but more importantly, they do not use fossil fuel. New LSV’s like the GEM and others can be very expensive though and not a practical purchase for those who would only use them occasionally or on weekends. Welcome the “lease turn in”, out of warrantee, golf course Fleet Vehicles (golf carts) to the rescue. Three year old Club Car, EZ-Go and others show up by the thousands at auctions across the US every year. Some end up in neighborhood classified ads or used car lots after a quick cosmetic makeover. Many of them make their way to “chop shops” where they are stripped of their original golf paraphernalia, jacked up, fitted with showy wheels, carbon fiber dashboards, plush upholstery and satellite radios. They have paint themes ranging from your favorite adult beverage to your alma mater’s team and such. A $1400 golf cart is magically transformed into a $6,000 “pride ride” for some lucky consumer.

The one thing under the fabulous makeover these vehicles usually have in common is the old batteries and components. The other thing is; they typically are set up to operate at really slow speeds (12 mph or so). You guys that have rented golf carts at your local course know why they do that. To operate on public roads and be categorized as a LSV, many municipalities require the vehicle to go 20 mph, and must be equipped with lights, seat belts and a horn. The lights and belts are pretty easy to deal with but getting your cart to go 20 mph is another story. Even if you are not trying to make it street legal, most users want the extra speed capability just to add more usefulness and enjoyment. 12 mph is just too painfully slow for most users. If you think that 12 mph is fast enough, give it a few weeks.

OK, so you are ready to do whatever it takes to make that baby fly. Well maybe 20 mph isn’t exactly flying but it will sure feel like you were if you get dumped out at that speed. Safety belts are a good idea at any speed. The first thing to determine is how fast you really want to go and how are you going to use the vehicle? Is the terrain flat or hilly? Will you be hauling cargo of any substantial weight (No, I don’t mean your mother-in-law)? For hills and/or heavy loads, you will need to also increase the torque of the cart. This means a more powerful motor and probably an upgraded motor controller to handle the extra current demands of the motor. There are several vendors that can supply such upgrades, but they can get expensive. Be sure to do your homework and shop around. If you have just a standard cart and use it on basically flat ground, you have a few more options:

• Taller Tires – Increasing the diameter of the drive tires increases the distance they will roll for each revolution of the axle, thus increasing the speed your cart will go. You first need to know how fast you can go with the standard 18.5 inch tall tires. Most portable GPS units can be used as a speedometer to find that. If you don’t want to crunch the math, there are several free online calculators to help you determine how much speed you will gain with the new taller tires. A very good one is located the Digital Overdrive Systems website. Although increasing the tire size will increase you speed, the torque will suffer somewhat. That means you may have to leave your mother-in-law home! Tire size is also limited by the wheel opening. Most large tires require the cart be “lifted” which may not always be desirable and can be costly. The speed gain is relatively small (a couple of mph increase)

• High Speed Gear Set – In the differential housing or rear axle, resides a gear reduction system. The motor has a small gear that drives the axle’s larger gear. Typically the motor rotates about 12 times for every one revolution of the axle. This is how the relatively low-power motor gains a mechanical advantage to propel the cart. Like the gears on a bicycle, it is easier to pedal when the drive sprocket is on the small diameter one. To go faster, you need to advance to the larger drive sprocket. The bike goes faster, but it is harder to pedal. In a golf cart speed gear set, the ratio is similarly changed by increasing the drive gear diameter, and the cart runs faster. Like the bicycle though, the motor has to provide more force “torque” to the axle. This type of modification is great for speed but will sacrifice low-speed torque (your mother-in-law again) and is not recommended for hilly areas. Installation can be messy due to the gear lubricant and requires some skill and know how.

• Increase Motor RPM – Increasing the Revolutions per Minute or RPM’s of the motor is one of the most popular techniques for increasing a golf cart’s speed. This type of modification does not sacrifice low-end torque like the two previously mentioned ones. Golf cart electric motors are designed to operate at a certain maximum RPM (typically around 3600 RPM) at either 36 volts or 48 volts and provide a good balance between speed and torque of the end product. Aftermarket motors have their field and armature windings redesigned such that they achieve greater RPM than the stock ones. If the motor spins at twice the original RPM, a 12 mph cart could reach as much as 24 mph. The motors are safe and reliable but can require the addition of a high current Controller to operate at full potential. Aftermarket “speed motors” are available from a number of vendors but can be rather expensive due to all the copper wire in the windings. There is one vendor that provides a really simple and easy upgrade for Club Car IQ carts called a SpeedyLink, which increases the RPM of the stock motor by about 50% without any additional modifications.

Whichever method you use to increase the speed of you golf cart, be sure to use good judgment and utilize proper safety equipment. Carting can be fun and functional for everyone and has many applications. Be safe enjoying your fast golf cart. Watch for more articles about golf cart upgrades and maintenance.