MEMBER’S FAQ

Do I do the same workout every week:

No. Every two weeks you will receive an updated workout. Basically, 10 exercises will change every 10 weeks. We found that if we changed too few exercises people felt like the workout didn’t change at all. On the other hand, if we changed too many exercises people found it overwhelming. Some where in the 5 – 12 range seems to be best for people.

What are slow twitch and fast twitch muscle fibers?

Our muscles are made up of bundles of individual muscle fibers. These fibers can be broken down into two main types: slow twitch and fast twitch. Slow twitch muscles are more efficient at using oxygen to generate more fuel and can go for a long time before they fatigue. Therefore, slow twitch fibers are great at helping golfers play a long day. Fast twitch fibers are better at generating short bursts of strength. Therefore, fast twitch fibers are great at hitting that long drive.

Why does the weight and pace change in week 5?

In weeks 1 – 4 the program focuses on slow twitch muscle fibers. In weeks 5 – 8 the program focuses on fast twitch muscle fibers. The slow twitch muscles provide us endurance and the fast twitch provide us power.

During weeks 1- 4 I am to use LOW resistance and HIGH resistance in weeks 5 – 8. What does this mean?

In weeks 1 – 4 you will perform 30 – 35 reps of each exercise. You will want to use enough weight or resistance so that at the 27th or 30th rep your muscle starts to get tired. If you get tired sooner, well, you are using too much weight. If after 35 reps you are not tired, you need more weight.

In weeks 5 – 8 you will perform 10 – 12 reps of each exercise. You will want to use enough weight or resistance so that at the 8th or 10th rep your muscle starts to get tired. If you get tired sooner, well, you are using too much weight. If after 12 reps you are not tired, you need more weight.

When I workout what should I make sure I do to have good form?

Make sure your feet are pointed forward. That you stand up nice and tall. Engage your core by pulling the belly button in. Don’t arch or hyper-extend your back. Don’t let your neck fall forward.

To protect your knees, when you are sitting make sure your feet are in front of your knees. Also, don’t rest your arms on feet on your knees.

I have a question on how to do a particular exercise?

The fitness videos show me giving a personal training session and step by step details on how to do each exercise correctly. If you have more questions, you can email us at any time at support@begolffit.com. We are here to help.

How do I watch the videos online?

You can view your videos online by accessing the members area using your username and password:

Member’s Area

How do I get the videos to play “Full Screen” in the members area?

Just use your mouse and select the icon on the far right side of the control bar.

GOLF PHYSICS and GOLF FITNESS FAQ

What will I gain by using the golf physics and golf fitness product?

Knowledge is power and the first step to improving your golf game. Understanding golf physics will give you a solid understanding of the flight of your golf ball. By understanding how your body delivers these golf physics and how you can improve your body’s ability to produce the ideal swing will allow you to make the changes you need to transform your golf game.

What is the golf physics and golf fitness product?

The golf physics and golf fitness product is a live recording of a presentation I give to corporations, golf associations and country clubs. The video outlines the fundamentals of golf physics and how golf fitness can improve your execution of golf physics. In addition, to the video, the product includes a corresponding booklet that includes a copy of the presentation.

Who is this product designed for?

Like all our products this product can be used by all levels. Beginners as well as golf professionals and everything in between will gain insight into the physics of golf and golf fitness.

GOLF FIT ASSESSMENT FAQ

What will I gain from the Golf Fit Assessment product?

This product will allow you to quickly better understand your body and your muscle imbalances so that you can quickly address your unique needs. A detailed fitness report will outline in an easy to read format what exercises you need focus on to quickly improve your body, your swing plane, and your golf game.

What is the golf fit assessment product?

The golf fit Assessment product includes a sophisticated software application that presents a set of simple and easy to questions to quickly assess your muscle imbalances and what exercises you should perform to rid your body of these imbalances.

What are muscle imbalances and how do they it affect my golf game?

Life in general, as well as the game of golf, creates imbalances in our body. For example, for most of us, the right side will be the strong side.

What are the system requirements for the software application?

The software will work with any internet browser.

EXERCISE EQUIPMENT FAQ

What equipment comes in the bundle?

The bundle includes everything you need to perform these exercises.

• Professional Grade Foam Roller
• Pair of Balance Pods
• A 4lb and a 8lb Medicine Ball
• Balance Disk
• Heavy duty Exercise Ball built to support 600lbs
• 2 Resistance Bands with cushioned handles. One with light resistance and one with heavy.
• 2 Resistance bands. One with light and one with medium resistance
• 2 Resistance bands loops: One with medium and one with Super Heavy resistance

What size exercise ball do I need and what is an exercise ball?

The size of the exercise ball needed depends on your height. We suggest your ball size base on the following height chart:

• 45cm: 4’7″ – 5′
• 55cm: 5’1″ – 5’6″
• 65cm: 5’7″ – 6’1″
• 75cm: 6’2″ – 6’8″

How big should I blow my exercise ball?

Ideally you want your hips to be 0 – 2 inches higher than your knees when you sit on the ball.

Why does the fitness equipment bundle come with different size medicine balls and different strength resistance bands and tubing?

You will require a variety of resistance equipment. The exercises progress from week one to week eight, so the weight and resistance that you need will vary as well.

For example, in week one you will be using the lower resistance bands and doing more repetitions of each exercise. In week eight, you will be using a higher resistance band and doing less repetitions of each exercise.

The medicine balls are labeled with their weight; 4lbs and 8lbs. The resistance bands are labeled light, medium, heavy and extra heavy resistance.

What is a foam roller?

The best way to eliminate and prevent muscle knots is the foam roller.

The foam roller is a firm foam log that is six inches in diameter. Use the roller against the muscle knots with your own body weight to generate the direct pressure. Stretching is very beneficial and cannot be neglected. But in the case of muscle knots, stretching alone is not enough. When stretching a muscle with knots, you are only stretching the healthy muscle tissue. The knot remains a knot, laughing in the face of the stretch.

What type of foam roller does the bundle include?

Unlike most dealers, we include a closed-cell, heat molded foam technology foam roller. This roller is built for professional use and can withstand the heaviest of usage.

The round roller is 36” long by 6” in diameter. To clean, use a mild soap and water mixture or Isopropyl (Rubbing) Alcohol. DO NOT use bleach solutions, oils or other chemicals as they can cause softening, discoloration and distortion or shape.

Both my husband and I are purchasing the golf fitness program. Do we need to order 2 equipment bundles?

No, you will be able to share the equipment. However, the bundle comes with only one exercise fitness ball. I suggest you purchase a size that will fit one of you and purchase a second exercise ball for the other at a local sports store.

How is the product shipped and how long will it take the product to get here?

The fitness equipment will be shipped via Fed Ex. Depending on where you live, you should receive the equipment in less than 5 business days. The equipment will come in 2 – 3 separate boxes.

What if my products are damaged during shipping?

If such an unfortunate event should occur, please contact us immediately at support@FitnessGolf.org.

Please provide the following information: First and Last name, Order #, Your Address, what item was damaged, any details about that damage, and any details about the packaging it arrived in. We will provide you with a return label so that you return the damaged product and we can quickly send you a replacement.

GOLF FITNESS FAQ

What improvements can I expect in my golf game?

Every player is different so results will vary, however, research studies have found that the average player can achieve the following:

What is the difference between Be Golf Fit and the workout that I do now?

A golf-specific program will help condition your body for the physical demands of the game. Many people I know lift weights to improve their game but they do not address flexibility. Lifting weights only can actually decrease flexibility and hurt a player’s swing and ultimately their game. Worse, training improperly can increase the risk of injury.

Be Golf Fit addresses strength, flexibility, cardio, power, endurance, and balance. A Workout that does not address all these physical elements will not help you achieve the results you desire

Who can do the Golf Fitness program?

A golfer at any level will see improvements to his game. We have had all levels benefit from the program. From first time golfers to professionals touring and every level in between. The program can also be enjoyed by young and old. We have had kids as young as 11 and adults as old as 90 participate in the program.

How does my body affect my golf game?

For players at every level, the golf swing is one of most difficult skills to execute consistently because it requires a high degree of spatial awareness for the ever-changing conditions of play. A round of golf requires strength, flexibility, power, and balance. Remember, it is your body swinging those new clubs and the body dictates your golfing ability and the outcome of your game.

How often do I need to do the Be Golf Fit workout?

The workout takes about 50 minutes. We recommend that you perform the workouts 2 times a week during your playing season and 3 – 4 times a week during your off season.

Do I need special equipment to perform the Be Golf Fit workout?

To perform the Be Golf Fit Workout all you need is resistance tubing, resistance bands, a medicine ball, a foam roller, an instability pad, and instability pods. This equipment can be purchased at your local sports retail store or you can purchase it online at our website.

We have arranged special group pricing that will save you time and money versus what you would have to spend if you had to purchase this products individually. We did this so that you could save money and enjoy the convenience of having it delivered to your door.

Can I do this workout in my home gym or at my health club?

Yes, you can. The workout handouts were designed to take to your workout facility so that you could easily remember and perform the Be Golf Fit fitness program.

I understand the product comes with a video series that I can view online. How many times can I view this video?

This video is available for you to view 24/7 as often as you like. In addition, you will soon be able to purchase a DVD version of the product.

What do I get with the 8-week Be Golf Fit Program?:

The 8-week program includes a video series, instructional handouts, weekly online coaching and 24/7 support.

The DVD series contains clips from several of my personal training sessions. Thru these videos you will better understand how to perform each exercise correctly. In addition, you will understand any changes that are made to the exercises week to week.

To complement the videos we have put together an instructional document that includes an overview of the workout for each week. Each handout includes a picture of the starting and ending position of each exercise. This handout is perfect to take with you to the gym or country club

Our weekly coaching is designed to motivate you to keep with it and to further educate you on the Be Golf Fit program. Twice a week we will send you motivational messages and information on what results you should expect.

GENERAL FAQ

1. What are the Physical Requirements of Golf and why?

Golf requires strength, flexibility, cardio, power, endurance, and balance. Here are a few ways these requirements effect your game:

Endurance: Endurance will help to maintain focus throughout a round. When our muscles get tired we begin to compensate our movements using the wrong muscles to produce movement. And that is not good for your golf swing plane.

2. Do you provide golf lessons?

We do not provide golf lessons. We condition your body for the golf swing. Golf lessons will help you develop your golf skills. We will help you hit the ball harder, with more consistency and play with less injury.

3. I did not receive the Digital Videos (the digital version of the DVDs).

Our digital content is held on our private member’s area. Login with your email address and the password you selected the first time you logged in.

Member’s Area

4. What if I want the actual DVD’s sent to me (the physical product)?

We are in the process of developing the DVD’s now, and will announce when they are available.

Fellow Golfers,

Ready to change your golf game once and for all?

Ready for the improvement you’ve been seeking for years with no success?

Here at Be Golf Fit, we want to help you reach your golfing goals whatever they may be.

Want to hit the ball farther?

Want to beat your friends?

Want to play without pain?

Want to play 3-5 days in a row with no stiffness or soreness and really take advantage of that golf vacation you’ve booked?

With our golf fitness products you can – take a look.

Be Golf Fit: The golf fitness product golfers everywhere are raving about. In 8 short weeks you can be hitting the ball further, playing more golf, scoring lower and playing without pain. Find out why we are getting endorsements hand over fist with this revolutionary and scientific golf workout plan designed just for golfers.

Golf Fitness Equipment: Our hand selected package of golf fitness equipment to complement our Be Golf Fit program. Now you can do your golf workout in the privacy of your own home, convenient to your schedule, and have everything you need in high performance exercise equipment to improve your game.

Golf Fitness Assessment: Now you can know your exact trouble spots and exactly what muscles you need to work on or what muscle imbalances you need to correct for a better game. Save yourself hundreds of dollars with our golf fitness assessment. A trainer easily charges $200 for these if you can even find one. Now in 15 minutes you can know exactly what your body needs to make you a better player.

Golf Physics And Golf Fitness: Do you know why your golf ball takes off like a wounded bird and almost kills the foursome on the adjacent fairway? Why does your ball look so pretty right after taking off then either turn into a duck hook or a banana slice? Do you understand golf physics? It’s a critical part of golf knowledge that will make you a better player. When you understand spin and how you can use it to control your shots you will become a better golfer. Get this live presentation and begin to truly understand the game.

Discover What Golf Fitness
Can Do For Your Game

Welcome to the Golf Fitness Article Library.

We will be adding to this section often.

Current Golf Fitness Articles:

Golf Fitness And Spine and Joint Friendly Exercises: Suffer pain while playing golf? How about nagging injuries or a bad lower back? Learn why spine and joint friendly exercises should be an important consideration in any golf fitness plan or golf workout.

Golf Fitness For Avoiding Injury: Did you know that with a proper golf fitness program you can lessen your chance for injury? The caveat is that your golf workout program must be golf specific, strengthening the actual muscles and muscle groups you use to play the game – find out more.

Golf Fitness For More Focused Play: Do you fade on the back nine? Grow a little body weary and brain weary? Make bad decisions, blow up your score the last 5 holes? Discover how golf fitness can make you a strong finisher.

Wrists Of Steel With Golf Fitness: Strong wrists are crucial to the game. Without strength in your wrists, shots from deep grass or sand bunkers become difficult. Deceleration occurs and you leave shots short or can’t power through the tough lies. You also risk serious injury. Learn more…

Golf Fitness For Picture Perfect Par Posture: Feeling fatigued? Shots going astray? Coming out of your swing? Check your posture! Your address position is one of the most basic, fundamental and important things in all of golf. How’s yours? Find out more….

Golf Fitness With Plyometrics For Power And Speed: Want to hit the ball further? You need to convert strength to speed for maximum club head speed and plyometrics is your answer. Using Plyometric golf fitness training, you can develop the explosiveness needed to drive your ball as much as 40 yards further without necessarily gaining any strength. Since power is determined by how long it takes for strength to be converted to speed, training your muscles to convert strength to speed in a very short time allows for athletic movements beyond what raw strength will allow. Want to increase your power? Find out more..

With Golf Fitness You Can Develop The Balance Of A Ballerina: Balance is key to everything in golf, from proper setup to proper weight shift and follow through. Balance is not a gift, balance is developed and learned. Just like a ballerina or a gymnast on a balance beam. They were not born with great balance, they developed great balance. So can you with our revolutionary golf fitness program. Learn more…

Golf Fitness To Eliminate Back Pain: Unfortunately, Golf and Bad Backs go together like nuts and bolts, a hammer and nails or peanut butter and jelly. One of the main reasons for this is poor conditioning of the muscles used for golf which cause other muscles to pick up the slack. This in turn leads to back injuries. With proper golf fitness back pain can be eliminated giving you a pain free round. Do you want to play golf pain free? Read and learn how…

Is Your Workout Actually Hurting Your Golf Game?: Are you huffing and puffing at the gym, pumping iron to gain strength? Did you know you may be actually hurting your golf game? Lifting weights makes your muscles shorter and robs you of flexibility. Your Golf Fitness plan should be especially designed to address all the muscles and movements you experience on the course as a golfer. Find out how your current workout plan may actually be damaging to your game. Learn more…

Arleen Cauchi, NASM CPT (National Academy Sports Medicine, Certified Personal Trainer)

Founder of Boomer Fitness and Creator of Be Golf Fit

Arleen began her love of sports at the age of 9 when she began playing golf.

She learned the game of golf from the legendary Harold “Jug” McSpaden. Jug McSpaden and Byron Nelson were referred to as the “Gold Dust Twins” during their heyday of legendary golf duels in the 1940′s.

In 1945, when Nelson set the record for 11 wins in a row and 18 for the entire season, Jug set the record for second place finishes with 13. Were it not for Byron Nelson, Jug McSpaden would be one of the most well known golfers in the world.

While Arleen was learning her swing from Jug, his wife Betsy taught her the rules of the game. Arleen played golf throughout her school years and competed in the Junior PGA.

Arleen acquired her business acumen during her 20-year career in high-tech. During these years she launched over 25 products.

Arleen became passionate about sports conditioning as a track coach. She began to see the lack of knowledge with so many athletes concerning the connection between proper conditioning and actual performance. She also took notice that her father, who was a runner and avid athlete, was seeing his golf game suffer in spite of his good conditioning.

It was then she decided to do something about it and Boomer Fitness was born.

With her extensive training in sports conditioning, personal training, flexibility training, and pilates she developed specialized training for the active aging market, but quickly realized her methods and her clients successful results crossed all age barriers.

Clients from ages 11-90 have used her programs and have achieved incredible results with her revolutionary style of sports specific and joint friendly fitness training.

Using her expertise as a Certified Personal Trainer through the National Academy of Sports Medicine, Arleen enlisted the aid of the following experts in designing a scientific approach to sports specific fitness training in order to avoid injury as well as condition the specific muscles and muscle groups used in each athletic endeavor.

Joining Arleen in her effort to revolutionize fitness training were:

Michael J. Mullin, ATC, PTA

Adviser for Athletic Performance and Injury Prevention

Michael brings in-depth knowledge of athletic training and athletic performance therapy. With more than 14 years of experience in sports medicine, he has worked providing athletic therapy, training, and conditioning services for numerous sports and athletic activities including the US Ski Team, and the World Pro Ski Tour, Lawrence Pech Dance Company, Smuin Ballets of San Francisco, The Marin Ballet, The Portland Ballet, University of New England Sports Medicine program, the national champion Old Blues Rugby Club, the U.S. Windsurfing Association National Championships and local and regional high schools and running clubs.

He has developed an injury prevention and performance enhancement program called AcCeL which seeks to educate individuals and groups on training and biomechanical awareness. Michael has co-authored a book titled “Comprehensive Approach to Sports Injury Management” and a chapter in “Knee Ligament Rehabilitation” called “New Techniques in Cartilage Repair and Replacement”. He has been a sports medicine and fitness consultant for numerous publications such as Shape, Women’s Sports & Fitness, Women’s Sports Connection, Men’s Fitness, Skiing, and Windsurfing magazines. He is a clinic adviser for the American Running & Fitness Association; he also serves on the Editorial Board for Aspen Publications’ Sports Medicine and Athletic Training Patient Education Manual.

Patty Kunse, PT

Adviser for Spine and Joint Friendly Development

Patty brings an in-depth knowledge of exercise, the body and physical therapy. With over 25 years of experience working as a physical therapist specializing in orthopedic patients, Patty is passionate about body mechanics, protecting the spine and injury recovery. She has taught courses in trunk stabilization and emphasizing core muscles development. Patty is also an athlete and lover of the great outdoors.

Scott Mason

Adviser for Golf Mechanics

Scott brings an in-depth knowledge of the game of golf and its mechanics. With over 25 years of competitive playing experience, Scott has many accomplishments as an amateur golfer at the state, collegiate, and national levels. He currently holds the course record at Falcon Lakes Golf Course. As an instructor for all levels of play he focuses on the fundamentals of the game. Scott has personally seen the benefits of golf conditioning. He is a true advocate for the game and golf fitness. Today, Scott continues to enjoy a successful competitive game.

The success her clients have achieved with her revolutionary fitness programs has led to the development of Arleen’s first consumer oriented product, Be Golf Fit. This program has been designed to be widely available to the consumer market and features golf specific fitness training in an 8 week program guaranteed to produce results.

Arleen also provides corporate seminars on golf conditioning and writes articles on golf conditioning for country clubs, associations, and magazines.

When she is not working at Boomer Fitness or playing with her 11-year old son, she enjoys golf, running, biking, skiing and also coaches girl’s volleyball.

Okay,I hope you now understand the importance of a golf-specific fitness program to improve your golf game. But what if the last time you tried a workout program your back started killing you?  Or you injured yourself and could not play golf for 3 weeks! Or what if you can’t kneel because you have a bad knee?

Injury prevention is very, very important. And that includes in the gym as well.

This is just one of the reasons that our Be Golf Fit golf fitness program with our spine and joint friendly exercises is so vital to the health of your golf game.

What does spine and joint friendly really mean?

Well, it is a term created to describe a workout that includes exercises that are gentle on the spine and the joints while building the muscles that support the spine in order to prevent injury, provide more flexibility and improve your golf game – all at the same time.

Many people suffer injuries in the gym that prevent them from doing what they intended in the first place.

How ironic! Imagine, you go to the gym in order to get in shape to be able to do something you love, and end up injured and not being able to participate because you hurt yourself working out. Bummer…

By leveraging the expertise and advice of several physical therapists we created a golf fitness program that avoids exercises that put stress on the back or neck, or ones that are known to cause joint pain, or exercises that can be hard to perform correctly.

Back Pain Alert

It is critical that you do not ignore pain. If you feel sharp pain or increased pain, your body is talking to you, trying to tell you something. Look for an alternative exercise that will work the appropriate muscle pain free. There is almost always another exercise available. I always recommend clients seek the advice of their doctor or physical therapist if they have a known condition that could be aggravated by exercise.

Golf and Your Spine

One of the key components of your golf swing is your spine and the spine angle at address. Your entire golf swing rotates around your spine, if it is tight, out of alignment or sore, it only makes sense that your golf game is going to be impacted dramatically – either in higher scores or in not being able to play at all.

Want to enjoy golf for a lifetime? Then you must keep your spine injury and pain free.

Your spine is an intricate and impressive column of vertebrae, intervertebral discs, nerves, and the spinal cord. The spine, or backbone, is made of 33 individual bony vertebrae. This spinal column provides the main support for your entire body, allowing you to stand upright, bend, and twist, while protecting the spinal cord from injury. A healthy spine provides strength, is flexible, and allows movement in several planes.

The spine is a column of small bones called vertebrae that support the entire upper body. The column is grouped into sections, listed here from top to bottom:

* 7 cervical vertebrae that support the neck
* 12 thoracic vertebrae that connect to the rib cage
* 5 lumbar vertebrae that make up the lower back
* the sacrum, a shield-shaped bony structure that connects with the pelvis
* the coccyx, or “tail bone”, consisting of four, tiny partially-fused vertebrae

Each of the 24 moveable vertebrae in your spine are separated and cushioned by an intervertebral disc. This keeps the vertebrae from rubbing together. Because the lumbar area of the spine supports most of the body’s weight and stress, it is a common location for back pain.

The two main muscle groups that affect the spine are extensors and flexors. The extensor muscles enable us to stand up and lift objects. The extensors are attached to the back of the spine. The flexor muscles are in the front and include the abdominal muscles. These muscles enable us to flex, or bend forward, and are important in lifting and controlling the arch in the lower back.

These back muscles stabilize your spine. Something as common as poor muscle tone or a large belly can pull your entire body out of alignment. Misalignment puts incredible strain on the spine and obviously, on your ability to play golf.

Back pain affects 60-80% of American adults at some time during their lives, and it is estimated that up to 50% have back pain within any given year.

Yikes!

Costs for low back pain and disability exceed an estimated $55 billion annually.

In our comfortable lifestyle, we rarely sit but slouch into comfortable positions on deeply cushioned sofas or our favorite chair. The common element in all these is that they place our spine in a concave curve that eventually weakens the spine.

It turns out that lack of regular exercise is one of the most common causes of back pain.  Research has proven this.  In one study, only 47% of persons suffering from low-back pain exercised regularly, whereas 86% of people without back pain exercised regularly (Cox JM, et al. 1987). A study from Denmark revealed that middle-age people who exercise for at least 3 hrs per week have a reduced risk of low-back pain (Harreby M, et al. 1997).

In a small Swedish study, patients who had had low back pain for 6 weeks or longer were treated with strength training of the abdominal and lumbar areas, or with manual therapy (stretching, traction). Assessments at 3 months and 12 months showed that the patients who participated in strength training improved more than the manual therapy group. In addition, the strength training group required less treatment for recurrent back pain than the manual therapy group (Rassmussen-Barr E, et al. 2003).

A few things to remember when exercising. Keep your spine in good alignment. Do not hyperextend or curl your back. Do not slouch or hang your head or shoulders forward. Keep your feet and knees pointed forward and engage your core by pulling the belly button in towards the spine. I highly recommend you exercise in front of a mirror. Often times you are positioned differently than you feel.

Try these spine and joint friendly exercises for yourself:

Dumbbell Row: This is an exercise that I see many guys do at the gym. They typically set themselves up in a squat position and pull the barbell up. To make it spine and joint friendly. use a single dumbbell and exercise each side separately. For example, if you are going to exercise your left side, first place your right hand and right knee on a bench (your left foot is on the ground). Now, your spine is supported like a table with 3 legs.

Chest Press: Most folks will lie back on the bench with their feet on the floor. One foot on each side.  This tends to hyperextend the back. Instead you want to put one foot up on the bench so that the spine can lay flat on the bench.

Avoid This Exercise:

Dead Lifts: If you are looking for the single exercise with the highest likelihood of producing a back injury, then this is it. Don’t do it!

Want to participate in a golf fitness program specifically designed to strengthen your spine without injury or pain?

Get Be Golf Fit, designed so you can play better golf, more golf, and play golf pain free.

A typical round of golf will have you hitting the ball from all sorts of angles and unstable footing. The ability to maintain your balance and center of gravity during the movement of the swing is essential.

Here’s a juicy golf tidbit for you. The average golfer can balance on 1 foot for only 7 seconds while the average professional golfer can balance on 1 foot for 25 seconds. Thus it only stands to reason exercises that focus on balance and core strength will greatly improve your balance and power.

Balance or Proprioception is an automatic sensitivity mechanism in the body that sends messages through the central nervous system. The central nervous system then relays information to rest of the body about how to react and with what amount of tension. Proprioception is unconscious initially, but can be enhanced with training. As an example, think about the female gymnastic athletes that balance and do back flips on that 4 inch wide piece of wood called the balance beam. Do you think they were born with that kind of balance? Of course not, it evolves from training. So it’s not surprising that balance can be learned, challenged, and improved with proprioceptive feedback.

Think about the golf swing and the constant motion. And yet with the constant motion, it is critical to keep your head still and your eye on the golf ball. As all your body parts are moving it is imperative you keep your body in balance while maintaining your spine angle and that oh-so-sweet swing plane.

Your body is the pendulum in the swing plane and if you are out of balance, then your pendulum is swinging back and forth in smaller increments while you’re trying to swing a golf club. Even if the body gets balance, the club will not be in the position it started, so it’s anyone’s guess what will happen when the club gets back to the ball.

We can train our bodies to improve the proprioception within the muscles, just by creating balance challenges for ourselves. Balance training is a facet of golf fitness where you will notice rapid improvements. I get excited about balance training because my students achieve rapid improvements and that excites them, just as it will excite you.

Similar to strength training, golf fitness balance training should be progressive and cyclical. Start with the basics and systematically progress in difficulty. After 8 weeks cycle back to the basics and make sure you have been maintaining good form. Examine your improvements. Can you hold your balance longer? Is it taking less effort? Is it easier to balance on one foot versus the other?

Balance is crucial for playing your best golf. If you are out of balance when you set up to the  ball, your body will start trying to re-balance itself as soon as you start your backswing. This throws off your golf swing by changing your distance to the ball as your body redirects your muscles away from the golf swing in order to maintain balance. This in turn causes mishits of all types and persuasions. Additionally, the slight deviations in terrain we encounter as golfers require slight adjustments of balance to avoid injury.

Specialized sensory receptors in the muscles, joints and connective tissues enable the body to process information from a variety of stimuli, and turn that information into action. The skin, palms of the hands, soles of the feet and other senses collaborate to communicate with the brain about muscle tension, weight shifts, load and range of motion.   Your core muscles and hips keeps you in balance. Balance is extremely important for accuracy in golf. You must be able to maintain a stable and balanced body position even while swinging the club to maintain your target line and avoid mishits.

We all know golf is a game of degrees. A 2 degree mishit can translate into 20 yards off the target line 200 yards down the fairway.

By making golf fitness balance training a part of your golf conditioning program, you will be able to much more easily maintain a proper stance and balance throughout your entire golf swing without moving off the ball.

Want great balance, want to stay in every shot? Get Be Golf Fit, the scientifically proven program designed to cut strokes from your game.

Ouch! Is back pain limiting your golf swing?

There is no doubt back pain can come between you and a good round of golf. Even the most minor back pain can be enough of a distraction to not only wreak havoc with a player’s swing, but make for a round of golf you will want to soon forget.

How about you? Are you experiencing back pain when you play or after a round? Do you experience a severe tightening of the back muscles during or after your round?

Here is what is happening to you.

Golf requires you to maintain a spine angle that compromises the back. One of the biggest things you could do to prevent back pain or to prevent injury from occurring in the first place, is to build strong core muscles. A strong core will help you maintain that position pain free.  And just as importantly, a strong core will help you maintain that steady spine angle swing after swing after swing for a consistent swing and a more consistent game.  Furthermore, a lack of core development can result in a predisposition for back injury.

It should now be very apparent to you that core training is critical for any golf fitness program.

Back pain is endemic: It affects 8 out of every 10 people at one point in their lives. Americans spent some $86 billion in 2005 on doctor’s visits, surgery, imaging, and drugs to treat back and neck pain—and costs continue to rise each year. One of the best ways to stay out of the doctor’s office for back pain is to build a strong core with a proper golf fitness conditioning program.

What Muscles Make Up The “Core”?

The core muscles are the muscles that support our trunk. This includes our stomach muscles (traverse Abdominas, external Obliques, Internal Obliques and Rectus Abdominals), our glutes, our hips, and our erector spinae (The muscles that lie in the groove to the side of your vertebral column). These muscle groups make up what is commonly referred to as the “core”, and it’s this entire group of muscles that are addressed in our golf fitness program and that you should be addressing in order to see the game improvement you are looking for.

Now the question becomes, what can I do to improve the condition of my core, and what exercises must be included in a golf fitness program to address those?

I can already hear your screams.

“I hate sit ups or crunches!”

Well, I am here to tell you “you don’t have to do a single crunch to build a stong core.!” In fact, if your core training consists solely of sit ups and crunches, you are not working the entire core. It is important to work all the stomach muscles and all the muscles that make up the core. To accomplish that at least 30% of your golf fitness workout should include core training. Fortunately, there are many great core exercises for you to enjoy and I think you will be pleasantly surprised by the results that can be achieved without the exercises you typically think of for core fitness.

Is back pain keeping you from enjoying a round a golf right now?

Sometimes rest is the answer, however, many people often immobilize the injured back for too long. This sustained immobilization causes reduced range of motion and reduced strength. So, unfortunately, when you go back out on the course, you now have less range of motion and strength, which is bad for your golf game and sets you up for another injury.

Benefiting From Core Conditioning With Your Golf Fitness Program

When a core is strong it can hold the spine in the correct position for the golf swing. This allows you to make a correct swing, properly balanced and executed.

When the core isn’t strong enough, the back muscles step in to help.  This causes strain on the back muscles and back pain.  This also causes inefficient body movements or an inefficient golf swing. These inefficient and unnatural moves not only create an inconsistent swing and an inconsistent golf shot, but again, increase the odds of a spinal injury or back pain.

Do you want to improve your game, be more consistent and play golf back pain free? If so, you need to strengthen your core, and the best and fastest way to accomplish this is with our Be Golf Fit Golf Fitness Program.