I.
Which determines
how far you hit
it: Strength, Flexibility
or Both?
The "facts" of
aging are:
1.
strength and flexibility
decrease with age
2. endurance
and stamina decrease with
age
3. score increases with
age
4. distance decreases with
age
5. golfers peak in their
early 30s
So
in a fitness
program,
what is the most important:
Strength or Flexibility?
C.J. Thompson of the
University of Kansas
conducted a study in
2001 entitled, "Effect
of
Muscle Strength and Flexibility
on Club-Head Speed in
Older Golfer." Almost
half of North America's
golfers are over 50.
Thompson's study focused
on this group with an
average age of 65 years.
All the subjects of the
study
were given performance
measures of muscle strength,
range of motion and club
head speed testing.
From
his study, Thompson
concluded the following:
1. 46%
of the variance in
club head speed can
be explained
by fitness thus older
golfers cannot expect
fitness improvement
alone to hit it farther.
2. Strength
parameters such as
chest press, leg press,
lat pulldown, shoulder
press, bicep curl &
seated row all demonstrated
a significant relationship
with club head speed.
3. Trunk
rotation was the only
significantly related
flexibility parameter
to club head speed.
4. Muscle
strength may be more
important than flexibility
to increase club head
speed.
If you'd
like some more details
about this study, send
me an email.
The study was published
in Science
and Golf IV. View it here.
It is
clear from this study
and many others that
physical fitness is
an important aspect
to one playing golf
well.
If you are looking to improve
your game and feel you
need to improve your flexibility
and strength specific to
golf, I strongly recommend
that you visit the "Golf Gym." The fitness guru, , has a great golf fitness program and The most effective golf-specific fitness products you can buy. Click
here to go there now.
I highly recommend it.
©Probable Golf
Instruction, Ken Tannar 2001-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Langley, B.C. V2Y 2G4 Canada
Phone: 604-309-7030 FAX: to fax, email an attachment
probablegolf@yahoo.ca or golfexpert@probablegolfinstruction.com
