Building A Stronger Golf Swing

In this day and age, golfers competing at the professional level are bigger, stronger, and faster than the professionals of old. Increasing strength and stamina has obvious benefits for longevity in golf. A golfer walking and carrying his/her own bag burns about 1,400 calories in 18 holes of competitive golf! (golflink.com) Now imagine that you have to perform just as well at the 18th hole than you did at the 1st hole- how unfair is that?

Future College Golf Association advocates physically being fit- it is an advantage you can't go without at the highest level of golf. Our process for new students is building balance and cardiovascular stamina first- then working on developing lower body and upper body strength using Titleist Performance Institute approved exercises. College golfers are able to walk 36 holes in a single day- then get some practice in afterwards. As an incoming freshman on a competitive team, being physically prepared for collegiate golf is a huge asset.

Below is a video on the increase in fitness regimen on the Stanford Men's golf team.

World number one Dustin Johnson can dunk a basketball and hit his drives 300+ consistently. This athletic advantage allows him to have a shorter club into greens than the average Tour player.

Another tall and athletic golfer is Billy Horschel. According to PGA writer Brian Wacker, Billy Horschel's athletic swing alone isn't enough to compete- he uses a trainer now to develop his athleticism. It doesn’t sound like a lot, but that’s as much as a half a club sometimes, or the extra distance to carry a bunker,” Horschel said. “My swing speed is also up a few miles per hour to around 115 mph. (Working out) made me more explosive.”

The common denominator for competitive golfers either in mens or women's golf is the ability to compete and golf your ball from the second you step onto the golf course until you sink your last putt. Building a stronger body and a more balanced base is a wonderful first step in the direction of being physically fit.