Why You Need a Personalised Fitness Programme to Play Your Best Golf

The importance of golf fitness is well documented so it is surprising that so few seem to take the topic seriously.

All the modern-day pros work out regularly both during and between competitions. The huge distances they launch the ball and their ability to take the strain of repetitive swinging in practice and in play is not all down to natural ability and modern equipment.

They know if they are to get the edge over their opponents they must be honed like racehorses. That extra dimension can make the difference between winning and losing.

While most amateurs don’t have the kind of pressure faced by the top pros they too can reap the rewards from training and adding golf-specific exercise routines that will help produce improvements in their scoring.

For many golfers, the joy of playing the game is not about winning big prize money. They simply want to compete at as high a level as possible for as long as possible. Whether they are aspiring elite youngsters or older, more experienced players, the long-term goal is the same. They want to play better for longer.

If you are serious about your game then golf fitness training makes perfect sense.

Every golfer who wants to improve needs to focus on strength, mobility, stability and balance in key areas. 

Good strength is required throughout the body, particularly in the glutes, lats and core.

A repeatable and consistent swing also requires rotation through the hips, torso and shoulders along with good overall balance.

Yet we are all individuals and a one-sized training regime will not fit all. Each and every one of us will have differing needs as well as personal strengths, weaknesses and discrepancies.

I signed up for a six-week personal golf training course with Jon Hodgkinson, based in North Derbyshire, to see if he could make a difference to my fitness and ultimately, my game.

Jon is a Titleist Performance Institute certified personal trainer and Biomechanics Coach who specialises in golf specific fitness concentrating on improving flexibility, strength and balance.

He knows everybody is physically unique, so his programmes are individually tailored.

I have to confess I had set him a bit of a challenge. I’ve just turned 71 and having played various sports over the years and more than 55 years as a golfer of sorts, my body is no longer the temple I wish it was.

Over the coming weeks I will be explaining the processes involved, what exercises I performed, the progress I made, and more importantly for you, the Golfshake Community, I will be explaining just what such a programme of training can do for you. 

So how does fitness training translate on the golf course you may well ask?

The theory is that by targeting the key areas of your body that produce a swing that is consistent and powerful, then you are creating your best possible physical condition to make it happen. 

Combined with swing technique and practice, you are good to lower your score and able to play with lower risk of injury. It doesn’t happen overnight but consistent fitness training creates the ultimate environment for improvement. 

By being able to move better you can expect lower scores, greater distance and consistency. What more would you need? 

About Jon

Jon, who plays off a handicap of 6, has been coaching for more than 10 years and has helped scores of golfers improve their movement, reduce pain and get fit. 

He has his own YouTube Channel and other social media channels to stay in touch with golfers. He offers a free two minute golf warm up routine to help you get started, but the real key to improvement is to sign up to a bespoke training programme.

Those who do so are initially assessed at his studio in Dronfield, North Derbyshire, then given a custom-built training programme to be completed at home or the gym. My package included two check-in training sessions to ensure clients are doing the exercises correctly, prior to a reassessment at the end of the six weeks. 

He encourages collaboration with clients’ physiotherapists, sport therapists and golf coaches where appropriate.

“If you keep at it beyond the initial six weeks you will see continuing improvements in your range of movement. After 12 weeks on the programme you will see increased yardages on the course as well,” he says.

At the end of the initial package you can choose to remain with Jon as your personal trainer and visit his studio while working out daily at home or the gym, opt to carry on remotely through his app, or risk thinking you have reached sufficient self-knowledge to go it alone.

To learn more about Jon and how he can help you play better for longer, visit his website here: https://www.jonhodgkinson.com.

Coming next week….. the initial assessment!