Lifting Weights

[GolfDash]

How many of you lift weights to help your golf fitness? I tried it last year and absolutely wrecked my swing. I am doing much more yoga and stretching and it has helped immensely. Just cannot fathom Tiger and others lifting. The golf swing is such a precise motion.

Doug

 

[DaveE]

I use a weight machine but no heavy weights. I do a low weight, slow motion, high fatigue routine once or twice a week and it's helped me. Keep in mind that I'm 51 and if I didn't work out I'd be losing muscle at my age.

Other than that I run three days a week and do some back excercises.

 

[parfect]

lifting weights has been completely opposite, its helped my swing alot
most people beleive that lifitng weights ruins your flexibility, but i think its opposite. A muscle that isnt healthy is not flexible, which is why alot of senior players swings are not as flexible and powerful as they were when they were younger

 

[Bravo]

I work out also...

1) Cardiovascular on stairmaster on level 7 for 20 minutes.

2) Various weight machines - but I have not increased my weights in several months- deliberately.

One of the factors that can affect whether weightlifting will affect your golf game is your body type. Somebody explained that there are three types...skinny, medium and heavy....

If you think about it, somebody with a really skinny body type will never beef-up no matter how much weight they lift.

Somebody with a medium body type will beef up pretty decently.

And a heavy body type will get big muscles.

I think that if somebody who looks like John Daly did a lot of weightlifting - it would really hurt his game. Whereas somebody like Jim Furyk could probably lift quite a bit and it would likely help him. Tiger has a slender-to-medium build and from what I have read - he lifts A LOT and it has really muscled him and helped his game....

 

[VtDivot]

Bravo - you're opening this up to another "Tiger is on the juice" threadjack

 

[tom]

I think overall fitness is much more important than weightlifting. Anyone can lift weights and get bigger muscles, but even if you do that it doesnt mean you have the stamina and overall fitness to last a full 4 hour round and more. If you dont have that fitness you get tired and then start to lose concentration, then start making mistakes. I don't think you will ever see a bigger person like westwood or clarke in tigers postition, because frankly he's fitter than them. just my £2.

 

[GolfDash]

Bravo, hi.

You know I never really thought about it that way. I am a fairly solid build (5'9", 185) so I am not certainly skinny and every time I lift I get muscular FAST and it seriously messes up my timing and feel. Thanks for the insight.

 

[caddyshackgolf]

I should start to work-out, because I have a skinner build and it would help in other sports, I have a weight machine, I dont know why I dont use it.

 

[Loop]

Build up your strength, and not your muscle mass, you'll hit it longer.
If you don't trust me, you can still ask Annika...

 

[Youngun5]

lots of reps of lower weights, pretty much like a hundred curls with a 10 lb dumbell, pushups, situps, squats, eating large pizzas, its all in the works

 

[Maverick]

I run about 3-4 every other day which has helped me tons becasue I walk the course and has give me more energy. As far as weightlifting I only use my body weight, push-ups, sit-ups.

 

[Dave Ireland]

Build up your strength, and not your muscle mass, you'll hit it longer.
If you don't trust me, you can still ask Annika...

Hit it right on the head Loop .... I use a powerball gyro for wrists & forearms, read an article about how it improved Harrington's length and gave it a try, only cost £15 so it's no loss if it didn't work.

I have a number of free weights at home but they've taken a back seat. Other remarkable fact about the powerball is that the guy who is in the guinness book of records longest drive (408 yards on the fly) uses it. Can you imagine him big muscle bound young fella - naw !!! he's a 50 something year old guy, plays on the Senior Tour and looks no more than 160 pounds, but my you should see the sinewy muscles he's got in his forearms !!

 

[Kilted Arab]

I've got a pretty decent weight to lift, but i generally have to go in the bushes to do it.

 

[DaveE]

Build up your strength, and not your muscle mass, you'll hit it longer.
If you don't trust me, you can still ask Annika...

Exactly! I can't think of a single situation in golf or any other activity where stronger is not better. Even if you don't hit the ball any farther you'll take longer to wear down and play more consistantly.

 

[MyGolfDomain.com]

I think about doing this every now and then. I have never lifted weights or done any training at all.

My lowest handicap (3.9) was at the end of nearly a year of unemployment. My weight was under 170 which was the lowest it had been in a very long time. This was 2 years ago. I weigh 190 now and have a 9 handicap.

Training would definately help with the golf game. I just doubt that I could get into a routine, especially working with weights that I would stick with. I stick with things that are fun like racquetball once I get started with a routine.