Wilkins - Foundation to Fairways: the Everymans Guide to Golf Through Fitness & Strategic Performance

ISBN: 9781483504179

Foundation the basis or groundwork of anything; the act of setting up or establishing.

First and foremost, ALL golfers can learn something from this book. From the high handicapper who only plays a few rounds a year down to the scratch golfer who plays a few rounds per week. This book will help any golfer get into better shape to physically and strategically perform better in each round of golf that they play.

I can without a doubt say that I love both fitness as well as the game of golf. Ive always enjoyed fitness throughout my life but it did not become a passion until much later in life. On the other hand, golf was not even on my radar until I was in my mid-thirties. Yes I had heard of it and knew a few of the rules but I had little or no interest in playing it.

Through my foray into the fitness industry Ive gotten to know some great people who have been gracious enough to share with me their love and insights into the game of golf. I quickly became intrigued and began learning everything that I could about the game. This constant appetite has led me to write this book that I believe can assist all golfers in forming their golfing and fitness foundations. Once that foundation is established you will be on your way to becoming more fit and efficient physically and mentally during each and every round of golf that you play.

In my lifetime Ive played quite a few sports from football to basketball to baseball and a few in between. But none as devilishly challenging as golf. Ive always known that in order to become better at most sports that I need to push harder and exert more energy in order to be more successful or simply win. But the game of golf is much more mentally taxing than any sport that Ive ever played. Golf is also one of the most counter intuitive activities that I have ever taken part in. You swing easier to make the ball go further. You hit down on the ball to make it go up. And lastly, the lower your score the better you are playing.

In another respect, I believe that building interest in playing golf from any age is quite difficult. You cannot go out and simply pick up a club and ball, gather your friends and get a game started as you could with baseball. You cannot just grab a ball and start making a few shots just like the professionals do as you can during a game of basketball. Also, if you are able to become slightly proficient at swinging a golf club, practicing is such a solitary event that the average person simply cant stand it over a long period of time. The amount of practice time that is needed to become an above average golfer becomes an investment that most golfers cannot or will not make.

Lastly, golf is the only major sport where the equipment changes significantly on a yearly basis. From clubs to balls to shoes, as soon as you buy something just make sure that you understand that a newer/better version of it is soon to follow. Also understand that the same new equipment WILL make you better or at least think you are better. Remember when it comes to determining what to change to improve your gameIts not the bullets, its usually the shooter.

Since I cannot change the fact that it seems like golf equipment changes faster than the stock market I plan on giving you a solid fitness and strategic foundation that you can continuously build upon. This doesnt mean that fitness and golfing strategies do not change, but what you will learn within these pages will lead you on a path to becoming a better and well rounded golfer with much improved fitness for not only golf but life.

The following few pages will delve into some of the most important aspects of the game of golf from the fitness point of view. The sporting world has long since looked to fitness as a way to improve and maintain athletic performance. But it seems as if golf did not really catch on to the importance of fitness until about 15 or so years ago. It used to be looked upon as a bad idea to try to strength train and build muscle while attempting to improve your golf game. It was believed that doing so would inevitably alter your swing in some irreparable way. The belief was that there could not possibly be a way to strength train to become a top notch golfer without looking like a bodybuilder.

But now we are much wiser thanks in large part to many of the younger golfers who have come onto the scene and shown just how beneficial strength training can be. You now see golfers in large numbers touting how adding strength training and conditioning to their daily routines has renewed or extended their golf careers. There is no magic pill that they are using, just simple adherence to a health and fitness protocol on a regular basis. Now it is your turn to find your golf fitness fountain of youth.

The four key ingredients of fitness from a golfing perspective that you NEED to focus on are:

• Flexibility / Mobility
• Balance
• Core Strength
• Endurance

Focusing on the aforementioned elements in a consistent manner will have you well on your way to developing a fitness foundation that can last the rest of your life.

Defined: the capacity of a joint or muscle to move through its full range of motion

If I had to choose the most important of the four key ingredients of fitness then flexibility/mobility would be number one. Your ability to move in some parts of your body as well as your ability to stabilize other parts will determine how well you are capable of performing as a golfer. Keep in mind that some golfers are simply blessed with great mobility and flexibility while most golfers will have to work to keep or create it. The following illustration outlines how the human body is set up in an alternate mobility/stability continuum based on its major joints.

The first thing most golfers think of when they hear flexibility or mobility is their ability to turn during their backswing. Although you will need to have good mobility in your thoracic spine in order to make a big turn, you will just as importantly need to have mobility in your hips and ankles to use that big turn effectively.

There are many ways to either maintain or increase your mobility/flexibility. The first method is static stretching which most of us are familiar with from most of the other sports that weve played in our lives. You get into a stretched position and hold it for 20-30 seconds and then move on to the other side or another body part.

The second method is dynamic stretching. This is similar to static stretching but in dynamic stretching you are continuously moving. There is never a time where you will hold a stretch for more than a second or two and then you move on. In dynamic stretching you will also count repetitions where as static stretching is usually done once and then you are finished with that body part. Also, dynamic stretching will work on raising your core temperature as well as waking your central nervous system up. This is all in an effort to get ready for the movements of your intended sport.

The final method is done on a foam roller or a roller of any semi-hard material. The technical term for what you are doing is Self-Myofascial Release or SMR. You are using a foam roller to apply pressure with your own body weight. You simply apply pressure to places that are tender and release the muscle fascia from its tightened state. It is often referred to as the poor mans massage and can be done before physical activity or even as a recovery from your sport.