[...]...2 Fit for Golf Tiger Woods (Photo by Darren Carroll/DCfoto) Tommy Armour, Brad Fabel, and Tim Herron While working with me, five of them were ranked among the top twenty golfers in the world Although working out is great for the pros, it may do even more for the amateur golfer By following a well-designed fitness and nutrition program like the ones in this... start on a regular fitness regimen and makes you a better golfer as well as a healthier person 11 2 The Key Goal of Working Out If you pick up another golf fitness book or stop by a local gym where they offer a golf- training program, you’ll probably see and hear the term golf muscles thrown around Everybody’s always going on about the training that’s going to develop your specific golf muscles,” by... through marathon four-hour meetings at the office or mowing 7 8 Fit for Golf Vijay Singh the lawn You’ll have that same sense of doing more with less effort, which makes everything more enjoyable Working out can do wonders for your state of mind as well As you start to feel stronger and lose weight, you’ll feel better about yourself, more confident Golf is a game of confidence, and the boost in self-esteem... (quadriceps) 25 26 Fit for Golf Next, check your elbows They should be slightly bent and the line should run right through the center of the shoulder If the shoulders roll forward, you need to stretch the chest muscles and strengthen the upper back And don’t forget the head The line should pass right through the middle of the ear and the chin should be basically flat If your head hangs forward, you need... (back upper arm) Biceps (front upper arm) Forearm flexors and extensors (forearm) The truth is that these golf muscles” are crucial to the swing, but no more crucial than any of the other muscles are It’s just that those particular muscles are less frequently used and often underdeveloped, so they offer an easy and obvious target for anyone trying to sell a golf The Key Goal of Working Out workout... be noticeable to the untrained eye, but over time it can cause performance difficulties and even injury—if not to the joint itself, then to other muscles and joints that have been recruited to compensate for the original problem For instance, if you work at a desk typing all day, you’re forced into a position where your shoulders roll forward Over a long period of time this causes the chest muscles... because they are always forced into that position Meanwhile, the muscles of your upper back, which are attached to the back of your shoulder, stretch and lengthen As a result, eventually you will assume a posture with your shoulders rolled forward even when you’re not at the desk typing This posture can lead to a number of conditions, from impingement syndrome to bursi- 15 16 Fit for Golf tis, especially... Once your upper legs are parallel with the floor, stop, and return to the starting position Use the chart on page 22 to rate your performance If you have a below-average score, add an extra set of work for the front and back of your thighs and your hips 21 22 Fit for Golf Sit-Ups Age Under 20 20–29 30–39 40–49 50–59 60–69 40ϩ 34–39 Ͻ34 35ϩ 30–34 Ͻ30 30ϩ 25–29 Ͻ25 25ϩ 20–24 Ͻ20 20ϩ 15–19 Ͻ15 17ϩ 12–16... Click here for terms of use 14 Fit for Golf button Although the swing obviously involves many muscles, exactly which ones play what part has been a matter of debate in the past But various researchers using electromyography (EMG), a process that determines muscle activity by tracing electrical impulses, have uncovered surprising answers to those questions As expected, they learned that the golf swing... strokes For a lot of guys, getting in shape and getting stronger is one way to try to close that gap Q: So is strength the goal? JP: Not just strength, but if you look at the top players in the game today, they’re strong guys Vijay [Singh] and Ernie [Els] are big guys, and Duval really got big—his shoulders are so wide And of course Tiger is massive; he’s like a defensive back 27 28 Fit for Golf Q: For . adding physical fitness to my golf routine has certainly worked out for me. I’m sure it can help you, too. Vijay Singh viii Fit for GolfForeword ix Acknowledgments I’d.