Fitness is for life not just for golf

Carl Pettersson’s recent surge in form, including winning the RBC Heritage by five strokes and a tied tenth in the Players’, has shed new light on the question of fitness in golf.

The American-Swede has been very vocal about how he is happy to be heavy. Two years ago Pettersson said “I thought, well, I’ll get fit....I actually lost 30 pounds, and my game completely left me”.

“I guess the timing of the swing and everything was thrown out,” he added, “and I really struggled in ’09.”

The media certainly think there is an interest in fitness from the average handicapper. Mens Health has a section regarding specifically golf fitness on their website and the Golf Channel has a show dedicated to it.

On top of that, the major national magazines are constantly publishing articles on ‘how to increase your flexibility’ or ‘gain distance with weights’.  

But, maybe golf could have a role beyond this, in the much wider issue of health in general. Getting fit is what’s important, but it is not easy. Maybe golf can be your reason to avoid seconds or go for a run.

While Tiger has been credited with fuelling the move towards the golf athlete in the modern era, he wasn’t the first.

In order to find an answer in any subject it’s always best to go to an expert.

And in the area of fitness for the golf fan there is none more qualified than 76 year old South African legend, Gary Player.

He was advocating hitting the gym to improve his golf game long before Woods. Nicknamed ‘Mr Fitness’, Player is still adamant that being healthy is key.

Mr Player’s diet and exercise regiment was surely a key factor in his incredible success and his current ability to shoot well under his age. However, his passion for a healthy lifestyle stretches beyond golf. What the nine time major champion’s focus is on is being fit, not just golf-fit.

When I sat down with Mr. Player recently his passion for a healthy lifestyle for all walks of life was clear.

Player said ‘spreading the message of fitness for the youth is one of the most important things in my life’ and that tackling the unhealthy lifestyle is ‘the most serious thing that is facing us at the moment’, ‘we’ve got to talk across the board about what we can do’. 

However the Black Knight, was also keen to stress that doing so is an uphill struggle saying that ‘People don’t want to hear it’.

‘We need to try and think of something...to try and get this message through’

Maybe this is where golf’s role lies. The focus should not be getting fit for golf, but golfing to get fit. If your motivation for being healthier is to shave a few strokes then brilliant.

So it’s a win-win, fitness will not only be good for your game, but more importantly it will be good for you.

Related article: PGA Health for Handicap

Nick Gamble is a passionate golf writer & fledgling sports journolist who you can follow on Twitter via @NMGamble or visit his blog at http://threeofthetee.blogspot.co.uk/