On Course with Rob Bernard
Get
fit to play your best
It wasn’t
too long ago that golf was considered a passive, non-athletic sport that could
be played with ease (at some level) and was not considered exercise. A lot has
changed in the last 10 years with the world’s best players considered among the
world’s class athletes and the rest of the field clamouring to get into the best
physical shape of their lives in order to compete. While it may make sense to
devote a portion of your life to fitness when your livelihood depends on it, why
should a casual, or even a local tournament golfer bother with a fitness
program?
The short answer to that question is overall health and quality of life, but it
goes much deeper than that. Whether you realise it or not, golf is a very
demanding sport, both physically and mentally. Your body must recruit specific
muscle groups to fire in a pre-determined sequence in order to produce the
desired result, while other muscle groups stabilise and guide the swing, during
which time your brain makes thousands of decisions and calculations to tell your
muscles how to react during your round. When your muscles fatigue and dehydrate,
they don’t work efficiently and make adjustments contrary to what they are told
to do, resulting in poorly executed shots. On the same line, when your body
becomes de-hydrated and fatigued, your brain doesn’t make good decisions and the
results can be disastrous.
When playing golf, you are in direct competition with yourself and the golf
course. We all want to play better and no matter what your scoring goals are,
your physical conditioning, flexibility, and the ability to make good decisions
for the full 18 holes has a great deal to do with the final outcome. I know
golfers want to improve because I’m very busy with swing lessons and clinics
covering all aspects of the game; but fitness and nutrition are more than often
overlooked. Play your best, feel your best, and look your best. A moderate
exercise program will go a long way to improve your golfing experience, no
matter what level you are.
Rob Bernard is head pro at Belvedere Golf & CC,
Charlottetown, PEI
