Preparing For Next Years Golf Season

It has begun. In my area of the country the golf season is starting to wind down with the weather getting colder and the days getting shorter. Another sign is the number of patients I have seen recently with back pain from golfing.

Hopefully you had a great season and made it through without any nagging injuries. Now is the time to start preparing for next year. Like any great athlete knows, it is a lot easier to maintain a good fitness level then try to build one.

So where do we start? If you have any nagging injuries you need to address them before they become too serious. The most common areas I see injured in golfers are the back and the shoulders. Often just having a few weeks off from golfing is enough to recover from these nagging overuse injuries. If after three weeks off you still have not improved then it is time to seek medical help.

Training wise the first thing we need to do is stop any rotational training for three to four weeks to rest the tissues. If you have not been training during the season then now is the time to get a jump start on your competition for next year.

I am a big fan of circuit training so I am going to go through an example of a program you can use to get started. The next three months are ideal for preparing for the more intense training you will do the few months before the season kicks off.

Getting started. Here is a good basic program for the first 2-3 weeks.

Squats. 3-4 sets of 10-20 times. Keep your back flat and try to get low enough so your upper thigh is parallel to the floor without letting your spine flex at all.

Push-ups. 3-4 sets of as many as you can. Keep your body flat. Lower slowly then explode up.

Pull-up, Lat pull or row. Essential for shoulder health. 3-4 sets of 10-15 times. Do not bend your spine and keep your stomach lightly braced.

Bird Dog. Start on your hands and knees with your stomach lightly tensed. Kick one leg out straight while reaching the other arm out in front of you. You must not let your spine bend. Hold the position for six seconds and repeat ten times. Do both side for 3 sets of 10.

Side Bridge. Lay on your side with your legs straight but your top foot resting on the floor just in front of your bottom foot. Your upper body is resting on your forearm. Tighten your stomach lightly as if someone is going to punch you. Lift your hips off the floor so your body is straight and all your weight is on your forearm and feet. Hold 6 seconds and try to do 10 times. Do both sides for 3 sets.