I love teaching golf and I especially love teaching golf to students who are willing to put in the time to practice.  I stress this to all of my students but especially for students who purchase lesson packages and plan to have a lesson on a weekly basis.  I make the commitment to my students and I expect my students to make the commitment to practice what they have learned in the lesson.  Why?  I don't like to see people waste money. 

If a week goes by and my student has not practiced, it is very unlikely that we are going to make much progress in the next lesson.  I want my students to improve in their skills and their game.  That progression happens during a student's practice time when neural pathways are created.

Neural pathways are formed whenever we start a new behavior.  Golf can be a new behavior for a beginner student or it can be an existing behavior that needs to be altered for an amateur golfer​.  Either way it takes time for your brain to impress the new behavior into your memory.  Just like riding a bike, once you have learned you do not need to learn again.  

Golf skills, however, require more practice because learning how to swing a golf club is only the beginning.  The physics of the golf swing will take you on a journey of varying emotions as you play the course.  It is not something that you will master after one lesson without practice.  For this reason, I do not recommend taking a lesson just before your tee time. 

If you want to progress, make the time to practice.  If life gets in the way and you cannot practice; reschedule your lesson. 

Each week during my Homeschool Group Golf Classes I focus on one or more of the First Tee 9 Core Values.  I firmly believe that junior golfers become people of character as they learn them and actually apply them in their everyday lives.  That belief allows me to look forward to the future with hope. 

While some junior golfers take the initiative to learn and apply, most need a helping hand or a gentle push from a parent, mentor or even an older sibling.  It is my hope that the discussion questions that follow will be used as conversation starters in the car, during dinner or casual walk.  Try one soon and let me know how it goes.  Remember, these are not one-time conversations.  

Water is essential to life and makes up 60% of our bodies. It has many different roles in the body that can be affected by how much water we have available. Considering a hydration strategy when golfing is important but when golfing in the heat, it becomes essential. 
We lose water through respiration, perspiration and urination. Any type of exercise or sport activity done in the heat, such as golf, speeds up the rate of water loss making it more important to not only hydrate with water but to also replace electrolytes. 
Water’s many roles include transporting nutrients to the cells, carries waste products away from cells, lubricates the joints, regulates the body’s temperature and supplies minerals to the body. Some of those minerals are electrolytes.
Electrolytes help regulate muscle contractions (your heart is a muscle) as well as help keep you hydrated, help balance pH levels and control the central nervous system. We lose electrolytes with the water that comes out of our body; replacing them can be critical not only for health but also for golf performance. ​

We know why water is important but how do we go about hydrating properly? Fluid balance or proper hydration is similar to energy balance (food intake vs output). It is important to avoid fluid imbalance for health as well as sport performance. These four easy steps will help you to hydrate daily before and after your practice or round.​

1. Determine how much water you need to drink on a daily basis by using this equation:
One of the easiest way to determine how much water you need is by body weight. This would be the basic amount you need daily without exercise.
*Yes, you’ll need to find a metric converter like this one to do the math.
Water Needs: 30 – 40 mL of water per 1 kg of bodyweight (*this is a base number - additional water will be needed for activity as well).  Example: if you weigh 50 kg (110 lb), you would need 1.5 L – 2 L of water per day.
2. Pre-hydration - Drinking about 2 cups of water BEFORE intense exercise begins ensures adequate hydration to start.
3.  During Exercise – 1 cup (8 ounces) of water mixed with electrolytes (about 3/4 water to 1/4 electrolyte) every 15 minutes approximately. Examples of electrolytes include Gatorade, Powerade, coconut water, Electromix, or Nuun (there are many others to choose from as well. It’s important to read labels and choose a product based on your own personal needs.)
4. After Exercise – Fluid intake is required to assist in recovery. Recovering with a mix of water, protein and carbs is a great idea in addition to electrolytes if needed.
Formula: Approximately 15g of protein, 30g of carbs, electrolytes and water.​

I hope this information is helpful. Special thanks to my personal trainer who took the time to explain the specifics so I can share them. 

I shared some information about the importance of fitness in golf and that has led to questions about specific exercises or workout routines. As a result I am providing a few ideas that you can include in your fitness routine for golf:

Push Ups + Pull Ups (or bodyweight rows) – The push/pull aspect is huge in the golf swing. Conditioning both chest and back is essential not only for balance of opposing muscle groups but because you need both push and pull in the swing.

Balance + Stability – Work on an uneven surface can help improve balance. Example: Squats with one foot slightly higher or on a boss ball. Now, if you’re not sure what a squat is or you don’t know if you have good form, please go get evaluated by a professional.

Separation – Movements that require your upper body to move separately from your lower body may help improve separation in the golf swing. Example: Wood Chops​​

Speed + Power – Sprints + Plyometrics like jump squats and burpees. Golf is a game of power (and control) so where will that power come from if you don’t include it in your workouts?

Flexibility – You need flexibility for power and range of motion. Static stretching is done only after you’re warm. Dynamic flexibility can be done as a warm up. Another great way to warm up and promote flexibility is foam rolling.

It’s important to note that each body is different and has different physical needs including any issues with injury or imbalance. If you have specific needs or postural issues, please consult with a personal trainer. It’s always recommended to check with your physician before beginning any new physical fitness program. 

Check out PGA Tour Active for specific information ​about how individual PGA Tour Players approach fitness. ​​

Golf is a tough sport. It’s both mentally and physically taxing. That means having both a sharp mind and a properly conditioned body is important to play your best golf. Years ago, golf wasn’t looked at as a true athletic sport. It was viewed as more of a leisure activity that requires a lot of skill. While it does require a lot of skill, golf also requires quite a bit of power and that power is derived from your physical strength, balance, mobility and more. 

Golfers like Tiger Woods, Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka were among the first to introduce detailed training regimens and nutrition plans into their daily schedules which ultimately led to other golfers paying attention to the importance of both fitness and nutrition for golf. 

Amateur golfers achieve approximately 90% of their peak muscle activity when driving a golf ball. This is the same intensity as a 4 rep max (the ability to pick up a weight heavy enough that it can only be lifted 4 times before total fatigue). That’s intense! So the need for a specific golf fitness program is important. 

Playing a round of golf is physically taxing from the standpoints of both strength as well as endurance. It takes around four hours to play a round of golf so you’ve got to endure a fairly long time frame to complete your round.

The golf swing is so complex because it is performed in all of the planes of motion in a very short amount of time. Getting the most out of your swing and your full round of golf requires a complex mix of fitness related qualities which include:

• Strength
• Power
• Stability & Balance
• Core Strength
• Flexibility & Range of Motion
• Endurance

So if you are striving to be a better golfer, think about incorporating a fitness program into your schedule.