Adding heavy resistance to your swing. Injury risk or competitive edge?

Everyone’s looking for an edge.

Focusing on throwing heavy medicine balls around might seem like a given then.

Or adding resistance to your rotation / swing path through using 2 clubs, a fan type swing resistance club or anything else in that category.

Because: if it mimics the golf swing, it’s gotta be good right? It has to be adding years and yards to my game?

And because: golf specific training means training the swing with weights, medicine balls or heavy cable exercises, right?

However here’s what I want raise awareness of:

the risks of acute and chronic overuse injuries associated with weighted medicine ball programs (adding resistance to rotational movements/ training TOO golf specific) much outweigh the benefits.

This is especially true (yet not limited) for high to mid recreative amateur golfers and juniors.

Yes, it can be successful IF it’s not the primary element in your golf strength & conditioning training program.

Success rates of greater speed and power development also increase with the supervision (and monitoring) of an expert.

Compliance, decreased chances of overuse injuries, optimal kinematic sequencing, transfer and success also improve through:

developing a buffer zone of excellent movement capacity demonstrated in mobility, stability & breathing

While making sure there is attention for your unique situation, goals and body.

To bring this into perspective one more time..

Just to name a few, an efficient golfswing already requires a minimal baseline of:

• A peak compressive load on the lumbar spine at impact (+-8x body weight)

• 45° internal & external hip rotation

• Ability to anteriorly & posteriorly pelvic tilt

• 90° of external shoulder rotation

Now adding increased load (weighted balls or clubs) on top of the above is a recipe for disaster. Especially IF you sit for over 40 hours a week behind a desk (recreative amateurs), lack the control of being able to monitor the nervous system (PTSD, burn out etc) , or if there are still open growth plates present in the skeletal system (juniors).

As a final reminder I want to add:

There’s no way around of putting in the physical work if you want to compete & win at the highest level.

It’s a matter of deciding to PRIORITISE athletic potential & longevity over a narrow & old-fashioned swing technique focused approach.

I believe in training the body for golf.

I believe in lifting weights. I also believe in yoga.

Yet we can’t just replicate exercises from the internet.

Every situation is unique. Every body is different.

And too specific golf training might do more damage than good.

That’s why I wish for you to take inspired yet smart action after reading this or seeing this.

Because the exercises we see online are usually completely out of context.

Tailoring various training programs that are suited for one’s individual goals & situation is my expertise. I’m here to expand your results on & off the course to the next level. And this is your chance: The 1:1 High Performance Program is looking to add 3 new highly driven golfers.

Ready to break par? To brake free?

Time to stop injuries from occurring in the first place?

Want that competitive edge?

Feel free to send me a dm with your concerns about your training plan. I’ll come back to you soon. Or apply directly for the High Performance Program.

References:

Lim YT, Chow JW, Chae WS. Lumbar spinal loads and muscle activity during a golf swing. Sports Biomech. 2012 Jun;11(2):197-211. doi: 10.1080/14763141.2012.670662. PMID: 22900401.

Zaremski JL. Weighted Ball Velocity Throwing Programs Are Effective. Are the Benefits Worth the Risk? Clin J Sport Med. 2020 Mar 11. doi: 10.1097/JSM.0000000000000822. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 33914497.

Caldwell JE, Alexander FJ, Ahmad CS. Weighted-Ball Velocity Enhancement Programs for Baseball Pitchers: A Systematic Review. Orthop J Sports Med. 2019 Feb 12;7(2):2325967118825469. doi: 10.1177/2325967118825469. PMID: 30800693; PMCID: PMC6378453.

Melugin HP, Smart A, Verhoeven M, Dines JS, Camp CL. The Evidence Behind Weighted Ball Throwing Programs for the Baseball Player: Do They Work and Are They Safe? Curr Rev Musculoskelet Med. 2021 Feb;14(1):88-94. doi: 10.1007/s12178-020-09686-0. Epub 2021 Jan 6. PMID: 33403626; PMCID: PMC7930148.