Twenty years ago, the words “golf and fitness” might have never been used in the same sentence especially when the majority of golfers were beer-bellied guys riding in carts. Many did not even view golf as a sport, but a game played by non-athletes too old or out of shape to play more strenuous sports. This belief changed after Tiger Woods began dominating the world of golf. Through fitness Tiger Woods completing changed his body and swing. He went from being a thin teenager with a loose unreliable swing to having a body of an elite athlete with a controlled powerful swing that has changed the game of golf forever. Legendary golfer Gary Player with 9 major wins credits Woods for revolutionizing the game of golf. Player says that the Woods’ success has been noticed by the rest of the Tour and is making a big impact on how the game is perceived. “He raised the bar for those on Tour, “ Player said about Woods.

Ask any tour player today and most will tell you that they have had to either beef up their fitness routine or start a program all together just to keep from getting lapped by the top players in the world. Padraig Harrington who won two majors in the 2008 season-The British Open and the PGA Championship- said that Tiger Woods inspired him to work even harder. Many PGA Tour players are also thinking ahead to Senior PGA Tour, so they are adding fitness to their daily regimes to prevent injury and extend their playing careers. PGA Tour player Retief Goosen, winner of two US Open Championships, credits Woods for inspiring him to get into condition. “I was looking a myself in the mirror and thinking, ‘I look a bit out of shape’”, Goosen said after winning the Transitions Championship after turning 40. “I started to work hard in the gym. I feel better about myself and am a lot more consistent, I think the whole Tour has learned a lesson from Tiger.” Today, most tour players have incorporated some sort of fitness program into their lives.

But many golfers will still argue that technology and equipment has changed the game more in the last twenty years than fitness and will point out players such as John Daly and Brendon DeJonge as examples of out of shape golfers that still play that compete of tour. These golfers shrug off the importance of a pre-round warm up and opt for a hot dog and beer at the turn for energy while relying on their high tech drivers and forgiving irons as fixes for their serious swing flaws. These golfers still have the mind set that spending hours on the range beating balls and playing as much as possible with their new equipment, rather than spending some time working on their bodies, will eventually lead to improvement and lower scores. But as the professional ranks have increased their yardage off the tee and improved their control of the ball around the greens exponentially through high tech equipment and improved fitness, the national handicap –about 19- for the average golfer has not changed much at all, despite the advancements in equipment. The missing link for these underachieving golfers is fitness. What these golfers don’t understand is that even if they were to take lessons with a professional and get out on the course with their new clubs three times a week, if they have not addressed their physical deficiencies, their game may not improve to its potential and may actually weaken with each hole throughout a round due to fatigue.

Golf fitness is for players of all ages and of all levels.  You can make dramatic changes to your game no matter what shape your body is in or no matter what level of player you are.  Whether you are a low-handicap player that plays in high-level competitions or a weekend golfer with a wicked slice, golf fitness can always help improve your level of play.  Junior golfers can also benefit from incorporating golf fitness into their daily routines by building a foundation of good habits, like stretching and warming up before play, which will last a lifetime. (Excerpt from Golf Fitness by Karen Palacios-Jansen and Golf Fitness Magazine Contributors).

To read more about golf fitness check out my book available at Amazon.com.

Karen Palacios-Jansen is an LPGA Teaching Professional and Certified Personal Trainer.  She developed Cardiogolf, a golf-specific fitness system available at KPJgolf.com.