| |
| |
|
Free Golf Tips | Sponsored by GreatGolfGizmos.com - Click Here to Shop for Great Golf Gizmos | Article List |
|
|
|
Becoming an Ageless Golfer
It happens to all of us, even though we do not want to admit it. The reality is we all get older. Some of you may already know what I am talking about, and others may have yet to experience the phenomenon of aging. Those of you who are reading this article and are no longer "spring chickens" get my drift. Even if you are one of the lucky ones, still young, let me fill you in on what happens as the body gets a few miles on it. Probably the biggest thing that we all dislike when we creep into our thirties and forties is the extra poundage (i.e. weight) we tend to put on. (It is also a lot harder to take off when we get older.) Unfortunately, because our metabolism slows down, we are unable to pound down a burger, fries, and a couple of cokes without the bathroom scale hitting "tilt" a few days later. In my mind, that probably is the most difficult adjustment we have to make: an adjustment in our nutrition intake as we age. The second most noticeable difference as we age, especially for the more active individual, is it becomes a little more difficult to get out of bed. The back is a little sore, the knees are a little creaky, and, if you workout, the soreness does not go away as quickly. This is a result of a few things that happen to our bodies when we get older. Number one is we lose a percentage of our muscle mass on a yearly basis. After the age of 25 (don't quote me on the specifics, but I believe) about 1% of your muscle mass is lost per year. Makes sense now why we get a little sorer and getting out of bed is more difficult. We simply do not have as much muscle to do the work. I could go on and on with the depressing facts of aging, but let us look at just one more before moving on. As you get older you become less flexible. It takes you a lot longer to "limber up" for any sporting activity: golf, tennis, or a pick up game of basketball. Less flexibility predisposes you to experience more difficulty with certain movements: touching your toes, rotating during a golf swing, or even reaching down to pick something up off the ground. Why does this occur? Our bodies, as a result of wear and tear, become more "tight" and "wound up" as we get older. So there you have it! Some of the great things to look forward to as you get older (kidding of course). So if you're in your twenties and you're reading this article, "enjoy it while it lasts," because the road gets a little more difficult to travel as you get older. But, if you're beyond your twenties, I am sure you can relate to the general results of aging in relation to your golf game. Quite simply, extra pounds decrease your stamina (and may affect your swing plane). Less muscle equals less distance off the tee, and decreased flexibility tends to make the turn in the golf swing much harder to perform. An unfortunate situation, but the good news is that we can slow down the aging process and limit the effects of aging on your golf game. Slowing Down the Aging Process for the Golf Swing I have given you a little "carrot of information" that we can slow down the aging process. How do we do it? It is actually quite simple and only requires a little time out of each day (15-20 minutes) and a little discipline. Sounds pretty easy when you think of all the benefits you stand to gain. What we are going to do is provide you some answers on how to slow down the aging process. Remember we can't stop the aging process, but we can sure slow it down. The benefits of slowing down the aging process are evident when you see guys in their 50's winning tour events. It just takes a little time, some knowledge, and discipline. If you are saying, "I don't have the time," let me ask you one question: How would you like to feel 10 years younger right now and hit the ball farther then you did in your twenties? I imagine the answer to both of those questions would be a resounding yes! Let us start with the first topic that we described when you get older, the additional pounds. Unfortunately, as you age your metabolism slows down. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the word metabolism, think of it as your own internal furnace. It is the rate at which you burn fuel (food is fuel to the human body). When we are younger we tend have faster metabolisms, and as we get older they slow down. (I know it is a bummer.) Well, let me tell you, there are activities to speed that metabolism back up. The way to do it is by performing some fitness activities. If you are active and participate in some type of structured activity your body will burn more fuel and elevate its metabolism during this time. In addition, if these activities are resistance-training activities (i.e. weights, tubing, light dumbbells, body weight), then over time you will build some muscle. The great thing about that is the more muscle you have the higher your metabolism will be all the time (translation: you will burn more fuel all day and night). A secondary benefit of such activities will be greater stamina on the course. So rather than "spraying your shots" around on the back nine because you're tired, you can have pinpoint accuracy going into the 18th. Moving on to our second point, the loss of muscle mass as you age, this one is a tough one to swallow. Just think, we actually LOSE muscle as we age. Pretty depressing. The good news is it can be limited or stopped. Before I give you the solution, let's look at how this affects your golf swing. Essentially, in the golf swing you create club head speed. That club head speed is the result of creating rotational power, which we define as torque. To create torque, the muscles of the body have to be flexible, strong, and powerful. Now guess what? If you have less muscle, what do you think is going to happen to your power outputs and club head speed? The answer is they will decrease. No wonder they make senior shafts with a lot of flex. This is the golf manufacturers' attempt to deal with this problem. It helps to a point, but we have a better solution. How about putting something in your bag that makes you stronger, improves your power, and gets back that lost distance? Sounds good? Well, it can be done if you implement a golf-specific strength-training program. You can get back that lost muscle mass, get back that power, and improve your driving distance. This is what we call the development of "golf strength," and it can be done with a program that takes a total of 15 minutes a day! Finally, moving on to the flexibility issue, our bodies lose flexibility as we age. Flexibility is a must when it comes to the golf swing. Here is what happens when you do not "work" on your flexibility. A loss of flexibility in the golf swing limits the ability of the body to perform the correct actions to create the proper swing. Essentially, your body won't allow you to take the club back and through on the correct swing path. This leads to miss hits, slices, hooks, and a whole bunch of other shots that are very unpleasant. So how do we fix this problem or not allow it to become a problem? The answer is to implement a golf-specific flexibility program. This again requires a daily commitment, but the time frame is very little (say 5 minutes a day). So again, ask yourself: Is it worth spending 5 minutes a day on flexibility to have the golf swing you would like? I bet most of you would answer yes. The Magic Pill Well, there you have the pleasures, displeasure, joys, and sorrows of the aging process. We all get older, but there are things we can do to prevent the displeasures and sorrows. If we take a little time every day and perform the proper exercises and activities, we can reduce the effects of aging and have a great swing for as long as we like. That's the only magic pill we know of. If you would like more information on this subject and how to go about improving your golf fitness, take a look at our web site at www.bioforcegolf.com Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, on BioForceGolf.com To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.
MORE RESOURCES:
Golf - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Basics Of Golf Swing Instruction - Go With Exercises Golf swing instruction starts with an understanding of the different segments of the golf swing. Understanding the golf swing segments will give anybody a firm foundation to learn all the tricks of the trade from others and thus be able to understand any golf swing instruction aimed at helping them improve their game. Fitness Ball Training for Golf There are many training tools available to help achieve better balance in your golf swing. The most effective way to improve balance is by training the core musculature. How Different Courses Can Help You Become a Good Golf Player Golf is an fulfilling and absorbing sport but, even so, there is a risk that you may become stale or bored if you do not change the place where you play. This makes golf different from other games, but the reason for this is the very nature of golf. The Impact of Golf Specific Exercise Golf specific exercises are part and parcel of the modern day golf game. Yet many people associate golf specific exercises with exercises used in other sports and by other athletes involved in more rigorous sporting activities. Sit Up Straight! It Will Help Your Game What does it take to reproduce the perfect golf swing? Precise coordination of muscle contraction and relaxation, muscle balance and body awareness are all required to recreate a good swing. A prerequisite to these necessary components is good posture. Golf Core Exercises For More Power Golf core exercises. You hear that phrase quite often on the television by the commentators referring to the area a lot of the touring pros focus on to improve their power output and prevent low back injuries. All Time Greatest Club Breaking Events in History? and the Winner is?.. Two both famous and infamous golfers known for their tempers and club throwing exploits on the golf course, were battling head to head and coming into the final round of the tournament. The entire golfing world was looking on. Perform Better Golf Right In Your Home To perform better golf, you need to take a different approach. I have seen and heard time after time how much money golfers will spend in hopes to perform better golf. Golf Elbow Or Tennis Elbow - The Tell Tale Signs Many athletes suffer from pain in their elbow that is generally attributed to repetitive stress. Golfers and tennis players are susceptible to conditions that are very similar to each other; they are called golf elbow and tennis elbow. 5 Easy Steps to Cleaning Your Golf Clubs and Improving Your Game How can you lower your scores by simply cleaning your golf clubs you ask? It's actually very simple. If you have clean golf clubs you can make better contact with the ball. Golf Fitness Training Equals Better Golf If you've watched any golf on the television you've no doubt heard the commentator's mention golf fitness training. It's no secret that 95 percent of professional golfers are doing some for of golf fitness training. Reluctant to Try Golf Instruction? Maybe you or a friend had a negative experience with an instructor. It could have been a personality conflict or some other problem. Myrtle Beach Golf Vacations and Hurricanes - How to Weather the Storm Hurricane season in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina runs from June through November each year. The peak months for hurricane activity are August and September. Golf Swing Mechanics Can Be Improved Very Quickly If you're like most golfers, you're always trying to duplicate that "perfect" golf swing. I know I am. Junior Golf Is Becoming More Competitive?Why? How do you get the edge when you're playing junior golf? To keep up with the top junior golfer's means getting stronger both physically and mentally; and almost perfecting your golf swing. That's how competitive it's become. Online Golf Instructions Are Cheap But Effective The number of online golf instruction programs on the net has grown tremendously in recent times. And yet they still continue to grow in leaps and bounds. Taking A Golf Lesson Isnt Always The Answer Golfers will do anything they can in hopes to play better golf and hit the LONG ball. Am I right? Are you in this category? If so, I'm quite confident to say you've taken a golf lesson or two. Why in the World Do You Want to Make Your Own Golf Clubs? A better question might be, why would you not want to build your own golf clubs. If you have shopped for a new driver lately, you know that the cost of top "brand name" clubs has skyrocketed. How A Golf Exercise DVD Can Save You Time And Improve Your Game Using a golf exercise dvd is a great alternative to going to a gym or just relying on yourself for motivation and consistency. Golfers are now finally realizing that exercise dvds aren't just for the ladies anymore. Ice Golf - Could You Stay Cool When The Heat Is On? Ice Golf - only the coolest need apply!Want to try the ultimate golf challenge on a course where you'll have no trouble staying cool over even the most testing putt? You should consider taking up Ice Golf - the most amazing development that the golf world has seen for decades.Every year thirty six golfers (or lunatics, depending on your viewpoint) gather in Greenland to play in the World Ice Golf championship.
|
| home | site map | Sponsored by GreatGolfGizmos.com - Click Here to Shop for Great Golf Gizmos |
| © 2006 |
