Is there benefit in strength training BEFORE playing?
It depends.
Generally: when we strengthen an area, a contraction of the tissues occurs, reducing range of motion. So before going after large dynamic rotary movements (like the golf swing) after lifting weights, it’s wise to lengthen the area a little.
Think about adding this stretch (click on the image below) to help create that range of motion.
Is there a benefit in doing yoga BEFORE playing?
It depends.
Generally: after long static poses, stress to the tissues occurred, making the body longer & bit fragile. It’s wise to activate & engage the area back up before a lot of dynamic stress will happen (the golf swing).
Adding for example this routine (click on the image below) would be helpful.
What's better: lifting or yoga?
It Depends.
There are other factors to take into consideration whether full yoga session, lifting or crossfit WOD is going to help you play better, reduce chances of injuries and score lower. I've compiled the most important ones in the image below. And although this refers to warming up variables, the activity (lifting or yoga) before playing also falls under that category.
Start to Move before Swinging
The important thing to remember is that you start moving the body before swinging a club in a way that doesn't make you feel depleted, exhausted or unstable. You want to have energy left in the tank for those big drives, crucial puts and master chips that require precise coordination, concentration and mobility.
The golf swing is an explosive rotary one-sided movement pattern which you’re looking to execute in a repeatable streamlined fashion for up to 2 to 4, sometimes even 5 hours while being under somewhat (or big) mental pressure. If you can prioritise some time to get moving BEFORE swinging in a way that ENHANCES your game performance and helps you to avoid common misses, your body will thank you for it and your scores will tell. So, this is your reminder to NEVER SKIP YOUR WARM UP, but also to STOP doubting your warming up. Preparing your joints, increasing blood flow to your muscles and gradually activating the CNS (central nervous system) is essential to preventing injury in the long run and even can help manage current aches and pains from golf. Remember that my 5minute driving range warm up is available FOR FREE here: https://bit.ly/freegolfvideo
To find your own flow and knowledge of what works best for YOU does require experimenting and tons of practice and it might not even be the same for every day. My online training plans - Full Body Freedom - and - Fundamental Routines - all incorporate the elements outlined above through bodyweight exercises. The sessions are there for you to get going depending on how YOU feel on any given day. They will help you to stop feeling fearful of movements or routines.
From what our community has shared with me and from a decade of coaching golfers (from professionals to recreational golfers, of all ages, abilities and gender) these routines are the ones practices MOST BEFORE playing:
- Full Body Freedom >> Supple Shoulders
- Fundamental Routines >> Start Your Day + Warming Up
Individual programming
When I program individual warm up routines and the off season training plan for my athletes of team high performance, all of these elements are taken into account. However, I always encourage my athletes to be mindful of what they are feeling. To never rely on a program or even a coach and to be independent. I help them cultivate being in a resourceful state. This gives them the bandwidth to discover (and empower themselves) while I keep safety in place. And I think that if they can take advantage of that, like some of my brilliant alumni have already done, it makes them super powerful athletes. There's limited availability on Team High Performance but if you think you're ready for a big leap feel very welcome to reach out or send in your application.
I hope you found some value in this article about the concept of training before playing. What is your experience with training before playing? And maybe - hopefully - there’s a way that the information from this article could make your experience even better? Let me know. You're welcome to slide into my dm's.
