David Keir of Sports Insight Australia Answers Your Fitness Questions.

Grateful for your clarification.

Hi John ...

(1) Yes, you are correct.  Enter 30 min. in the table if your ACTUAL walking time was 30min.

(2) RPE stands for rate of percceived exertion.  It's a self-assessment scale from 1 to 10, where "1" is sitting on the couch drinking beer and "10" is about as close to heart failure as you think is possible.  Most folks would say that an RPE of "5" equates to a good brisk walk.  You could still talk to a friend, but you are starting to feel short of breath. You would likely also be sweating lightly.

Hope these answers help!

David

My question, then, relates to how one can increase speed in the golf muscles (or any muscle for that matter).  I'm quite familiar with the principles of strength training.  For building muscle (and also for safety's sake), slow, smooth movements seem best.  However, I wonder if training in this way promotes swing speed, or, might it actually work against it?  Might it be desirable to add some faster movements with weights, or is simply swinging a golf club (maybe a weighted club) enough?

Good observations.  Good questions.  Explosive speed is important - provided it can be executed in a controlled, consistent way.  Tour players have this ability.  Motor recruitment patterns are so well developed that they can swing the club faster, with more force.  Bear in mind also that clubhead speed is developed via transfer of velocity to distal segments (torso - shoulder - arm - wrist - club) .  So if you grip the club too hard and try to swing harder, you often disrupt the kinematic chain of events.  This actually decreases clubhead speed.

You will find that smoother swings usually generate faster clubhead speed.  So the training goal is to develop a smooth swing that has more explosive power.

YES ... you can build explosive speed in golf swing by learning to swing your club faster.  Weighted clubs are also an excellent way to do this.  The only way to prove that you have increased clubhead speed is to measure it.  You can buy swing speed radars for about $100.  Check out www.golfaroundtheworld.com

The only benefit of faster clubhead speed is to hit the ball farther (potentially).  You still need the ball to strike the middle (sweet spot) of the clubface.  Most golfers will hit the ball farther if they work more on hitting the ball in the middle of the clubface, than by training for explosive power.

David

I have been playing golf for a few years and don't seem to be able to break 80. I have decided to put in some extra practice and training but I don't know where to begin. Will going to the gym and using light weights x low reps improve my upper body strength?

Hi Imelda,

The ability to break 80 would place you in the top 5% of golfers. This is certainly no easy task. At this level of skill, there are many elements that come into play. Let me speak first to the physical element. I am making the assumption that you are in good health and not injured. There are 2 core benefits of improving the srength and flexibility of your golf-specific muscles.

1) Improve your physical ability to maintain good posture through the golf swing.

2) Enhance the consistency of muscle recruitment (firing patterns) to execute a smooth, consistent, powerful swing.

The strength and stretch program on the Scigolf website is an excellent place to start. This will be significantly more effective than the general training option you suggest. And practice your short game!

Long-term, you need to make a commitment to reach this milestone. It will take hard work and persistence. My advice is to seek the counsel of a qualified golf professional who uses digital swing video analysis. In combination, seek the counsel of a golf-certified physical therapist to assess the capability of your body to make the swing improvements recommended by your golf professional. This action - together with lots of short game practice - will enable you to break 80. I have personally guided hundreds of golfers through the "80" barrier using this combined approach.

Best of luck,
David

My question is am I done with golf for the next 1-2 months, maybe 3, or is there a point during this time that I can start free swinging a club for exercise or resume the 8 week program exercises. The injury only hurts when I run or actually hit a golf ball. In fact, I rested for about 2 weeks and thought every thing was ok until I tried to hit some golf balls, which after about 10 swings I could feel the burning pain returning. Any advice you can offer is greatly appreciated.

Bryan ... Ouch! Sounds like you have strained your intercostal muscles. These little suckers sit between your ribs. They are important stabilizers of your ribcage and assist with breathing. When you get a "stitch", it's a spasm of your intercostals.

Blood supply to these muscles is not fabulous, so yes, healing can take some time. You do not want to swing a club until the muscle has had ample time to heal. For now, I recommend using heat and cold in combination. If you have a health club in the area, spend some time in the steam room/sauna/hot-tub ... followed by a cold shower (as cold as you can handle). A hot bath or shower, followed by cold is also OK. Repeat this daily if possible. As the rib starts feeling better, try some light swimming. Whatever stroke you prefer. Nice and easy. When you do not feel any pain, start swinging a club GENTLY at home. DO NOT hit balls yet. Work yourself up to a comfortable full swing (no ball) over the next 2 weeks. Then progress to hitting light wedge shots at the range in 3-4 weeks. Listen to your body. Use pain as a guide. Pain = stop. No pain = good. You will know when the time is right to grip it and rip it again!

Bottom line ... give it a good rest. You'll be back in the swing of things shortly!

David

I always play golf with my friends and cannot hit farther than they can. I think it is my strength. I am 12, 4-10 and 72 lbs.

Hi Zach ... I know it's frustrating when your friends hit it past you. Sure, your strength and size is an important part of the picture here. But, you're 12 ... so lots of time to grow! For now, modify your expectations of length. Work on your short game. Concentrate on hitting the ball hard - in the middle of the club. You will keep growing. And your distance will keep increasing.

For specific strength, I recommend you purchase a Resist-a-Ball and work on your "core strength". That is, increase the strength of your trunk muscles (stomach and low back). I also suggest strengthening your forearm and wrist muscles. Here's something you can do at home. Drill a hole in a 12" piece of broomstick. Attach a small weight to some light, but strong, rope. Then tie the rope to the broomstick. Roll your wrists to wind the weight up. Feel the burn in your forearms. Add more weight as you get stronger.

Good luck!
David

Please help.V Sincerely,
Helen.

Hi Helen ...

Sounds like you are certainly capable of swinging the golf club and scoring. 36 stableford points would equate to shooting your handicap. So 43 stableford points is outstanding! Stamina is often a combination of 3 things ... aerobic fitness, proper nutrition and hydration. Hydration is evidently the simplest - and cost-effective - solution. Just drink more water on the course! Water maintains your blood volume and ensures that your muscles and brain are receiving adequate oxygen and nutrients. The average golfer requires 1.5 - 2l of water during the course of a round. More in hot weather. Small sips every hole is best. Your system will take a little while to get used to more fluid. Don't be surprised if you need a few more pit-stops than usual.

For aerobic fitness, try to spend some time off the course to improve your stamina. Walking, swimming, water aerobics and cycling for 20+min continuously every other day are all excellent ways to improve your fitness and enhance concentration.

Nutrition does not need to be expensive. After all, we all need to eat. (Nutritional supplementation is not required for most people.) Just make better food choices ... eat fresh fruits and vegetables, lean cuts of meat and poultry, variety of grains and complex carbohydrate staples such as pasta/rice/potatoes, and limit fried foods and fatty pastries. Drink lots of water.

Please write back and share your results with us.

Thanks, Helen. Keep well. Happy golfing.

Being a golfer, I thought, I feel better, let's play. But the shoulder has continued to hurt and I need some golf specific advice on exercises to fully recover. After a few weeks of struggling, I have put the clubs away until april and I start PT monday. Got any suggestions?

This is a difficult one to diagnose without knowing more specifics of your accident (that is, how you hit the door frame, where on the shoulder, at what angle, how the shoulder reacted, etc.) Your visit to PT hopefully provided you with some direct answers AND some specific exercise recommendations. But here's some general advice.

Your rotator cuff is a group of muscles that function to rotate your shoulder forward (internally) and backward (externally). Both movements are important in the golf swing. (In fact, rotator cuff weakness and poor flexibility often contribute to common swing flaws such as the reverse pivot.)

To strengthen: use rubber tubing as resistance and have your PT demonstrate some internal/external rotation exercises. Strengthening of the muscles that support and stabilize your shoulder blade (scapula) is also important. Specifically, you can squeeze the bottom parts of your scapulae together to strengthen the rhomboid muscles in your back. Lifting a light weight directly overhead with one hand will strengthen your serratus anterior muscles. Your PT can assist you to develop an exercise program that supports your rehabilitation needs - and golf swing requirements.

David:

I am recovering from a golf related injury - a fracture of the hamate hook in my left, non dominent hand while hitting a driver. I have used an interlocking grip for 40 years. I wondered if changing to a 10 finger grip or making some other grip change might take some stress off of my left hand?

Fracture of the hook of hamate is an acute injury. Proper medical care and allowing enough time for proper healing is certainly key to your safe recovery. That may mean taking some time away from the course. So I'm making some assumptions here, based on your comments ...

If you are still playing, and experiencing pain (because the fracture has not yet healed), the style of grip you adopt (interlocking or 10 finger) will not impact on your recovery. That is, there will be little advantage recovery-wise to using one over the other. UNLESS one feels better than the other. Only you can be the judge.

You may find that, from a comfort perspective, increasing the SIZE of your grip (more papers) or wearing a more heavily padded glove will provide for greater shock absorption.

Avoid hitting off practice mats and consider playing a preferred lie when playing with friends to avoid hard impact with the ground.

David,

Can you give me a rehabilitation programme for a golfer with golfers elbow. It is for a project in college.

Thank you,
Esther

Esther

I'm sure that you want to gain the most academic insight you can on your project - so I will just give you some background information to direct your research. Golfer's elbow refers to an inflammation of the muscle tendons of the forearm. It's a form of tendinitis. Can also be spelt tendonitis. It is termed medical epicondylitis (inflammation of the flexor tendons), but also includes "tennis elbow" or lateral epicondylitis (inflammation of the extensor tendons).

In golfers, the condition is most prominently caused by chronic overuse, coupled with poor swing mechanics and weak/inflexible forearm extensor and flexor muscles. Treatment usually takes the form of rest, ice and over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication (such as Motrin or Advil), followed by heat, massage and rehabilitative exercise. Physical therapy and / or chiropractic therapy may be required. Occasionally, corticosteroid injections are prescribed by a treating physician.

You will have no trouble finding volumes of information on these 2 conditions ... on the web or in any sports medicine textbook. Good luck!

Tracy

Hi, Tracy

Certainly, the food types you mention (turkey, fish, chicken, tuna and dairy products) are all excellent sources of quality protein. If you eat a balanced diet that includes these food types (and other sources), your protein intake should be sufficient to support the extra nutritional requirements of your training without additional supplementation. Protein powders tend to also be expensive. However, to answer your question in anything but general terms would require a more detailed analysis of your training program and a specific nutrient analysis of your existing diet.

Candidly, there are many volumes of literature on the subject of nutrition. There is much debate about which diets create the best benefit. If your interest is a keen one, my advice is to research the topic on the Net and through the many medical journals and publications that are available.

Consulting a nutrition expert / dietician in your area may also be worthwhile. Eat well, train well and enjoy your golf.

Thank You,
Jim Halloran

Dear Jim:

If you have had recent surgery, it is essential that your physician approve your readiness to get back on the course. The exercises that you need to do are highly specific and require personal instruction. It's beyond the scope of this column to provide more direct advice. Your best course of action is to ask your physician for a referral to a physical therapist in your area. He/she can then make a functional assessment on our back strength and flexibility and advise the appropriate exercises for you to do.

For now, as a general rule, you should be avoiding any rapid twisting movements of the spine. Be aware of your posture. Contract your stomach muscles as often as you can while you are walking or sitting. Be sure to contract them when you bend over, say to tie your shoelaces. Also think of frequently squeezing your shoulder blade muscles together to ensure your upper body posture is well-supported. Do this by shrugging your shoulders in a backwards, circular motion. Then squeeze your shoulder blade muscles together and down to complete the movement. Hope this helps. Take care of your back. It's the only one you'll ever have!

Thanks for any recommendations.
Dennis

Dennis,

The answer to your question is almost identical to my last comment on the wrist pain (See below). Golfers elbow is also termed medical epicondylitis (the bony bit on the inside of the elbow). The cause is often overuse and irritation of the muscle tendons of the forearm flexors (inside of forearm) where they attach to the medical epicondyle. Postural issues can be a contributing factor, as can a forceful impact such as striking hard ground or hitting off range mats.

Poor flexibility is an issue, as is using clubs that are not properly fitted or well-suited (eg. wrong size, grip size, shaft type etc). Recommendations on previous answer apply in this instance. Best bet is to see the people that specialise in treating these type of injuries - namely a physical therapist who specialises in upper limb injuries.

Thank you very much,
Wayne

Wayne -

The first thing you need to do is make an appointment to see a hand specialist - either a physical therapist who specializes in hand injuries or a sports physician. They can then accurately diagnose your problem and assist you to take the necessary steps for recovery. Here's a little information for now ...

Many male golfers who spend a lot of time using a computer mouse (you wrote in, so I'm assuming you're an active web surfer) can actually end up with a form of tendonitis in the extensor muscles of your wrist. The repetition of using the mouse is the first problem - the second is often your posture. Weak muscles in your shoulder blade and upper back may not be effectively stabilizing your shoulder movements, which can result in referred pain into your wrist. If this is the case, the exercises you need to do are quite specific and will require proper instruction from a physical therapist. For now, try and use your mouse left-handed. Elevate your current seat by 1-2 inches.

On the golf course, make sure you play your shots from good lies only. Tee your ball up in the fairway. Where possible, avoid hard-pan, sand and heavy rough lies. If that means not playing in your weekly comp - well, that's what it means. Play with friends who understand that you are in pain and need to make these changes for the moment until things get better. Don't hit off practice mats.

Please go and see a specialist straight away.

Thanks again,
Bob Montell

Bob

Muscle has elastic properties. In fact, your muscle fibres are aligned as series elastic components (SEC). This lets them work much like a rubber band that's been stretched. In the golf swing, as muscles are stretched, elastic energy is generated in the series elastic components of the muscle fibre. Just like a slingshot.

But elastic energy is a form of kinetic energy, so it needs to be used quickly before it dissipates. Players like Tiger generate a considerable amount of elastic energy in the golf swing because he's very flexible and swings very quickly. Every golfer generates a certain amount of elastic energy during the simply by virtue of these elastic properties of muscles. It's not a "sequencing" thing. Tiger (and every other professional golfer) has a very well developed pattern of movement for reproducing the golf swing time and time again. This movement pattern is stored in the brain and is executed in a precise, kinesiological sequence.

Mere mortals (like us) don't have this same consistency. If you want to improve the "elastic energy" generated in your golf swing, work diligently with a PGA professional to "groove" a consistent swing. Combine your swing work with specific stretching for the shoulder, torso, hip and forearms. Hold each stretch for at least 15 seconds. Swinging a weighted club (easy swings) will also help.

No matter what your swing type, the muscles most responsible for power production (and therefore clubhead speed) in the swing are the rotational muscles of the torso and the hand/wrist and forearm muscles. Also, you need to ensure that your flexibility is good enough to increase the length and arc of your swing. Clubhead speed is the combination of strength and flexibility - plus good swing mechanics.

Use your Golf Gym to increase torso rotation strength. Use hand weights or squeeze a tennis ball to increase forearm and hand strength. Follow the stretching program to increase your flexibility. Small guys like Gary Player & Corey Pavin can still hit it pretty good. So take regular lessons from your local club pro to ensure you're hitting it out of the middle. Remember that straight is a pretty good compromise!

I seem to have torn some intercostal muscles in the chest - first the right side a couple of months ago, but now soreness on both sides, and around the back of the rib cage.

My addiction to golf has made it difficult to rest, even though I suspect that this is what I need! My research shows that some recommend stretching and strengthening exercises, others recommend complete rest for a month or so. What do you think?

Michael

Michael

There has been research into golfers hitting too many balls and actually tearing the muscles that sit on top of the ribs (called the serratus anterior at the front and serratus posterior at the back). In fact, rib stress fractures have resulted in some cases! Sounds like you have some tenderness in either the intercostal muscles (that sit between your ribs) or the serratus muscles (that sit on top of your ribs). Either way, rest is always the best first option.

Don't walk, go directly to your local physical therapist and ask for some professional advice before you start any strengthening or stretching program.

There's also a good chance your swing needs some attention from your PGA professional. Have him/her check out your swing mechanics once the pain goes away.

Is swimming good or bad for golf?

Swimming is an excellent activity to build aerobic endurance. Also, because it is a non-weight bearing activity, it's great for golfers that can't perform other activities like running or cycling because of discomfort or injury.

As a general rule, swimming will not harm your golf swing any more than running or cycling will. However, excessive use of one stroke (ie. freestyle) can aggravate shoulder injuries in susceptible people. Let common sense prevail. If you like swimming, then go ahead and swim. If you have an injury, consider the benefits of exercising in the supportive aquatic environment.Vary your strokes to avoid overuse of the shoulders.

And keep practicing your golf!

Sherrie

Dear Sherrie,

Jane Crafter is one of Australia's top female golfers. She shares your unique physical attributes and has adjusted her swing so that her arms move up (steeper) rather than across her chest (width). I understand that also wearing exercise tops, in addition to very supportive bras can "flatten" the chest somewhat and prevent any unwanted movement.

I'm sure any PGA Professional in your local area would be only too happy to help you adjust your swing accordingly!

Hope this helps.

Rich

Richard

Strength training can be performed in many different ways to achieve the same result. You are doing what is commonly known as a super-set ... that is, completing consecutive sets of two different exercises. As you have correctly identified, the workout takes you less time because there is less rest between the exercise sets. If you enjoy "super-setting", keep using the format. However, for some people, this method of training is too intense (they should stick to the "straight-rep" method outlined in the Scigolf program).

Your comment of heart rate is only partially correct. Strength training involves large compressive forces on your muscles that has a tendency to occlude (block) blood flow to the muscle group being worked. That's why your muscles start to hurt towards the end of the set - lactic acid has been produced as a byproduct of the exercise and can't escape because blood flow to the muscle is compromised. As soon as you stop the exercise (ie. rest) fresh blood can race into the area and carry away the lactic acid for use by other parts of your body. This creates an artificial increase in blood pressure and heart rate which is not the same as an "aerobic" training effect.

So, for instance, if you performed strength training for 20 minutes at an average heart rate of 120bpm vs cycling for 20 minutes at an average heart rate of 120bpm, there would be a greater aerobic conditioning benefit from cycling. There would, of course, be a greater strength benefit from the strength training. Trust this clears things up for you.

Thank you for your consideration,
Terry

Dear Terry,

What an excellent question! You may be surprised at the answer. Fitness benefits accumulate in much the same way as working on a project in regular intervals - provided you still perform the same volume of work (or exercise) during a given workout week, the derived benefit is roughly the same. However, there are a few conditions to bear in mind.

Performing your aerobic fitness workout before stretching warms-up the muscles and joints so they become more elastic and are more receptive to stretch. So if you do some stretching at a different time, be sure to take a hot shower or walk briskly around the house for a few minutes to make the muscles warm.

Also, any workout intervals should be at least 10 minutes in duration...for example, if your aim was to complete 30 minutes of cycling, you could complete 2 intervals of 15 minutes or 3 intervals of 10 minutes each.

Finally, the recovery period between workouts is very important. Try to ensure that there is adequate time (24-48 hrs) between more intense workouts to allow your muscles to recover.

Only strength training - because you are working a specific muscles group at a specific time - lends itself well to performance at any given time.

So take your Golf Gym to work and do a few exercises in your office when you need a break!

Best wishes and happy golfing,

Thank you,
Ray

Ray - you're not alone! There's an age-related loss of strength (about 1-1.5%) every year after about age 50. This is because your muscles and tendons begin to lose some of their elastic properties. Kind of like an old elastic band that's been sitting in the kitchen drawer for too long.

Fortunately, you can regain strength at any age. Studies have shown strength increases of well over 25% in men aged in their 80s and 90s! Strength training (lifting light weights, using rubber tubing, or even just moving your body weight against gravity) can reverse the muscle-ageing process.

Start with two training sessions per week - be sure to give 48-72 hours rest/recovery between each workout. Progress to three to four training sessions per week (on alternate days).

Follow the strength program contained on the SciGolf website - or contact your local physical therapist / athletic trainer for a specific program. Be sure to have your local GP certify your readiness for a program of physical activity.

Keep well.