Should golfers lift weights ...?

Controversy Time.

You are probably aware of the Media v Golf Fitness battle that has flared at different times this year ...

Brandel Chamblee from the Golf Channel got involved in February ...

Rory McIlroy has been the main target of the negative comments ...

Brian O'Connor of the Irish Times shamed Rory for his dedication to fitness just before the Masters ...

Then Michael McCarthy of the Sporting News agreed with what Johnny Miller had said at the Open Championship that Rory's failure to win in 2016 was due to his obsession with "tight shirts" and too much time in the gym ...


Wowsers.

That's a lot of heat ...


Thankfully calm-headed Dr Greg Rose has responded with a highly sensible new article and video on the Titleist Performance Institute site ...

Read / Watch it here >> Why Golfers Lift Weights: Addressing Trepidation in the Media


In answer to my own subject line, Should golfers lift weights ...?, clearly, I give that a BIG YES.

And I'm just going to quickly summarise a few points from Dr Rose's article as to WHY I believe its important...


(Oh yeah, that's right Brandel, Brian, Johnny & Michael -- there is actually a well thought out WHY to Rory's workout program!!!!!

You may have missed this point ...

Not to mention the fact that not one of you has any background in performance coaching nor did you bother to interview anyone who does ...)


So here we go, some important reasons for golfers to lift weights ....

1- During the swing the average male recruits 30 pounds of muscle and uses nearly every joint in the body to create 2000 pounds of force in less than 0.2 seconds. Intense.

2- Most notably, a properly designed strength program will reduce injury risk and “ensure that you have a strong, stable musculo-skeletal system.”

3- Rory's example - he has a CRAZY amount of natural upper body to lower body separation / flexibility (20 degrees more than PGA Tour average) and INSANE natural hip speed (almost 200 degrees per second faster than PGA Tour Average).

4- Rory has always possessed these traits and with a small frame, he suffered some lower back pain when he was younger (which he doesn't suffer any longer).

5- Over the course of many years, that type of explosive movement is a potential recipe for disaster if the body does not have an adequate strength foundation.  Rory had to get stronger.

6- While it is possible to hurt yourself in the gym doing silly things, the comments from the Media suggest these injuries are common. The reality is that they aren't. (Especially when you add in a trained, experienced trainer...)

7- “The most obvious benefit of improved strength and power in the gym is an increase in club-head speed,” says Nick Buchan.

8- "Because you are stronger, each swing is relatively less stressful, and the likelihood of making a mistake – or a small movement pattern error – is less likely.”

9- A golfer's pelvis withstands up to 9G of force while hitting a driver. This is a real injury risk.

10- Strength isn't everything in the quest to improve but it is important ...
 

"...at its root, Buchan believes “being stronger than you were makes you a better athlete, and a better athlete is a better golfer. Everybody should be trying to get stronger, and at least part of their training should be focused to that end. How much of their training time or training year should be spent on that goal will however vary from golfer to golfer depending on their needs...”

There you have it. Some of the actual reasons WHY golfers would engage in a gym program ...

And why you should too ...

The article link again >> Why Golfers Lift Weights: Addressing Trepidation in the Media

And how you can get started:

Get Screened and a Safe Performance Program HERE: > Click here to request a complimentary Golf Fitness Consultation with Andrew. (In-person or via Skype. You choose.)


Cheers

Andrew "Stronger is better" Ransom, The Golf Fitness PT