Instruction

A Transitional Mistake: Are you still training like it’s the off-season?

Published

10 years ago

Jun 27, 2014

Both off-season and in-season training share equal importance when it comes to building and maintaining swing speed, power, efficiency, recovery and consistent performance. There is a distinct difference, however, between how you should be training for both seasons.

Off-season training focuses on fundamental weaknesses within your body. For instance, poor hamstring strength will affect power transfer from the beginning to the end of your swing. Addressing this issue in the off-season allows two things to happen:

Improved strength
More efficient movement

Once golf season begins, golfers should enter the transitional phase. If you don’t change your training protocol, you are putting yourself at risk for overtraining. How does that affect your game? Let’s just say the correlation is an increased likelihood of chronic injury. The end result is you could end up like Tiger.

Whether you live in a cold or warm climate, golf seasons are invariably different. Some of us have the opportunity to play year round. In this case, it takes some planning to create a training protocol that staves off overtraining. Regardless, you must define your off-season.

During that time, you train specifically to improve your weaknesses. Being honest with yourself is crucial. Ask yourself, “What really needs improvement?” Then a strength coach can build you an 8-to-12 week program to improve your weak points.

After 12 weeks, it is absolutely imperative that you transition. You determine that transition based on the frequency and intensity of the golf you are playing. Do you play 3 or 6 days per week? Are you a competitive or recreational player? All of these aspects are important in determining your plan of attack.

You ultimately want to avoid losing all the work that you put into the off-season. Inevitably, you will lose some strength, power, etc. This loss correlates to the fact that you have likely decreased your strength training sessions by one or two per week. Maybe you trained 5 days a week with a focus on speed and power development. Fortunately, strength and power losses decrease at a significantly slower rate than cardiovascular losses. If you’re a walker, then this really doesn’t apply much to you since you continue to maintain a high level of cardiovascular endurance.

The only way that you can avoid losing strength, power, speed or agility is to train these energy systems at least twice a week. That can be difficult for the 5-to-7 day a week golfer, but it is necessary. Otherwise, you will begin to see a rapid decline in those aspects of your fitness. However, even at two sessions per week, you must watch for signs of overtraining. These can be poor sleep patterns, poor aspects of your mental game, decreased appetite, immediate decreases in strength and mood changes.

Fatigue is the largest factor. It not only affects your training, but it also affects the mental aspects of the game. Poor shot decisions, mishits and frustration are common issues with fatigue. You can avoid becoming fatigued in the gym by doing three things:

Decreasing intensity by 20 percent
Decreasing the frequency of your training
Decreasing the overall duration of your workout

Remember, you don’t need to change your entire routine. I’m simply saying that it will be in your best interest to decrease the load (weight) and increase the amount of repetitions. Maybe you were doing 225 pound back squats for 4-to-6 repetitions. What you’ll want to do is decreased the weight by 20 percent and add 4-to-6 reps. This will prevent the decline in strength significantly.

If you train each movement within a 4-to-6 set range, you’ll also want to drop that to three sets. That insures you won’t overreach and will recover more efficiently because there will be a lessened lactic acid build up. See, lactic acid is a byproduct of “work.” It’s what creates muscle soreness and prolongs time between training sessions.

As I mentioned earlier, you’ll also want to decrease the amount of times you train per week. If you train at a five-session protocol, you’ll need to address how you can efficiently train sport specific groups in two sessions. It may seem difficult, but it’s rather simple. Training Monday and Friday gives your body ample time to repair tissue, so you can basically train all of the golf specific muscle groups (i.e. core, legs, and back) in both sessions without much risk of overtraining.

Additionally, you’ll need to decrease your session duration. Finding a way to train efficiently combines 3 sets with 8-to-12 reps at 30-seconds to 1-minute rest intervals that total no more than 7-to-8 movements.

This protocol in a well-trained individual can be completed in about 30 minutes. You want your sessions to be no longer than 45 minutes.

Again, this all has to do with efficiency, fatigue control and the limiting of lactic acid build up. By transitioning your training correctly, you effectively decrease the risk of overtraining and injury. You also can maintain a level balance of the strength and power that you built during the off-season.

You have to be strict with yourself. Watch out for signs of overtraining and continue to have fun with it. Aside from practice, training is the only way to maintain a competitive edge.

Feel free to contact with me any questions or if you’d like me to build a program for your in-season or off-season training at [email protected]

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What do top teachers think about the current state of golf instruction?

Chris Costa

The reality is that the best athletes in the world have three attributes that set them apart from the rest. Supercompensation to physical abilities, like strength, or biomechanical adaptations, think an abnormal swing pattern, are what define some top tier athletes. As a multi-sport athlete, Chris was inspired by the notion of improving performance. Therefore, he sought to achieve immersive education. Chris possesses a Master's of Science in Applied Exercise Science with a significant focus on Strength & Conditioning. He's owner of www.assistperformance.com, which focuses on bringing you more success on the course. Follow him on twitter @gotopchedda

26 Comments

Patrick

Jun 29, 2014 at 5:21 am

I’m going to try and help you out Jack. You can really only peak twice per season./ year. If you are truly a fine golfer you’ll know that your peaking for your state/provincial championships and maybe a season ending tour type championship. You cannot humanly possible play 100% at your peak all the time.
My background is professional squash and training NHL players.
Off season we train players at very high loads and maybe up to 12 reps. Every player is different. During the season the teams take over their regimens. During the season most players are in the gym to warm up or cool off after the game. Everything is monitored expertly by the teams. Every players ice time is monitored precisely as is there injury history.
I’m a 6 handicap so not a great golfer but I play about 15 tournaments per season. The worst thing I can so is overtrain because this affects my central nervous system. Some will call it getting “stale” or overtraining.
This author has very good information. If you are anywhere near an elite athlete you will appreciate this viewpoint.

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Momo

Jun 27, 2014 at 5:38 pm

what is you play all year?

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- Momo
  
  Jun 27, 2014 at 5:38 pm
  
  what if
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Chris
    
    Jun 27, 2014 at 6:53 pm
    
    Start training using the on-season training whenever you can. As soon as winter hits start working out to build strength and power. Your game might have to be sacrificed for a few months. However if you can sacrifice your game for a few months, your golfing ability may get better for the next few years if you maintain your gains properly.
    
    Reply Report comment
- Chris Costa
  
  Jun 27, 2014 at 10:58 pm
  
  Momo,
  
  There should still be a “season” period. Just like the seasons of the year. Use the seasons accordingly to the way in which you’d like to tailor your golf season. Train as if you have a season. At some point, you have to taper to avoid overtraining or you have to find the right program that can be sustainable for the entire year without sacrificing gains (near impossible, even in the minimal sense).
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack
    
    Jun 28, 2014 at 9:22 am
    
    Which apparently you have no answer for… Not sure which part of that you think is past or present but timeline doesn’t change the explosive nature of the sport, nor the energy pathways used within it. It is comical to think dropping volume and intensity is going to keep your strength where it needs to be. Have fun making people weaker with that! (and more sore, as it goes)
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Chris Costa
      
      Jun 28, 2014 at 9:32 am
      
      Jack,
      
      Do you always insult those whom disagree with your opinion? I kindly ask you to give me the same respect thats been given to you.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Jack
        
        Jun 28, 2014 at 9:44 am
        
        Of course, but dodging a question doesn’t seem like you have too much confidence in your own opinion? You have no answer for what I proposed?
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Chris Costa
        
        Jun 28, 2014 at 10:09 am
        
        We all make choices, Jack….
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Jack
        
        Jun 28, 2014 at 10:13 am
        
        We do, and you choosing not to respond to valid points, doesn’t look like a good choice.
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Chris Costa
        
        Jun 28, 2014 at 10:16 am
        
        Yet challenging someone, just for the sake of continuing to argue is? Please take your banter elsewhere and leave the comments for those that don’t think they know it all.
        
        Reply Report comment
      - Jack
        
        Jun 28, 2014 at 10:19 am
        
        Absolutely not, I just wanted your opinion on what I suggested…
        
        Reply Report comment
    - Patrick
      
      Jun 29, 2014 at 5:35 am
      
      Jack I don’t know what your background is but, in performance sports like golf, no one can be expected to be at 100% power and strength all the time. It’s not humanly possible. Your body has to recover especially after a hard muscle tearing workout. This type of training during a golf season where your fine motor movements are critical (putting, chipping, even precisely working an iron or driver) and compromised if your large prime movers are preventing the smaller less flexible muscles from doing their job.
      Most of us are golfers not long drivers. If I can driver the ball consistently in the fairway without injury and I recover after two or three hard rounds, I know I’m fit.
      My background besides having represented my country is that of an exercise physiologist. The author writes good sound valuable information. Please respect his article.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Jack
        
        Jul 3, 2014 at 4:15 pm
        
        Patrick, while I do respect that the author has taken time to write this article using good grammar and punctuation, I also have to respect the fact that it is in large part, completely wrong. Talking about taxing workouts with “muscle tearing” qualities in season is a valid point, in the sense of it should in fact be limited in season when trying to maintain strength/power etc. However, the article talks in a contradictory fashion when speaking about rep ranges, of which these have very little whatsoever in training for power/strength (which, incidentally only needs to be trained once a week not “at least twice”), which if I am not mistaken is the point of the article and “in-season training”.
        
        I am not really sure what point you are actually making with regard to do with golf specific training, but playing golf itself isn’t very taxing on the nervous system and that needs to be trained to maintain strength and power. Also, not sure what point you were making about 12 reps and high loads for an ice hockey player? Relevance? Also the relevance of “making it through two or three rounds” without injury I don’t think is defining fitness for golf in any way shape or form.
        
        Reply Report comment
Jack

Jun 27, 2014 at 3:28 pm

Chris,

I am interested to hear how you think adding more reps and backing off intensity is going to elicit a lessened lactate training response? The rep ranges you have suggested would actually INCREASE lactate build up and diminish strength a lot quicker than a lower total volume and higher intensity

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- Chris Costa
  
  Jun 27, 2014 at 3:49 pm
  
  Hi Jack,
  
  Majority of lactate accumulation comes from highly intense movements. Off-season training assist in raising the threshold, as well as decreasing accumulation.
  
  If you drop intensity minimally (20%), decrease the duration of your workout (less time) that means you are cramming more movements into a shorter duration. Therefore, overall intensity wouldn’t drop off significantly.
  
  Hopefully, someone trained effectively in the off-season to allow LA and O2 to do their part in the energy systems.
  
  Thanks for your comment, Jack.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Jack
    
    Jun 27, 2014 at 4:57 pm
    
    My question is this, why wouldn’t you look to increase absolute intensity (rather than relative intensity) and lower total volume? This would be far more effective in maintaining power and strength from a motor recruitment perspective and a hormonal response (with regard to testosterone). Lactate and oxidative pathways are really irrelevant in a sport whereby a the movement takes less than a second with ample recovery time.
    
    Jack
    
    Reply Report comment
    - Jack
      
      Jun 27, 2014 at 4:58 pm
      
      *whereby the
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Chris Costa
        
        Jun 28, 2014 at 8:24 am
        
        We are clearly on different wavelengths here. That’s ok though. You’re speaking on past. I’m referencing the present. Thank you for your opinion.
        
        Reply Report comment
    - Nick Randall
      
      Jul 6, 2014 at 10:39 pm
      
      Jack has a really valid point here, it’s the policy of the Golf Australia S&C coaches (of which I am one) to reduce VOLUME (reps and sets) and not INTENSITY (bar speed and load) during tournament weeks in order to minimise the fatigue and soreness of the players. This is common practice across many sports, not just golf.
      
      Reply Report comment
      - Chris Costa
        
        Jul 7, 2014 at 7:34 am
        
        Hi Nick,
        
        While I appreciate your viewpoint, simply reducing volume and not intensity is not an optimal protocol. In fact during tournament weeks, loads should be considerable lighter (as mentioned in the article). In season is about MAINTENANCE or maintaining the gains/benefits that you achieved during the off-season. If your basic premise is to keep the 1RM load, but decrease frequency, then you what will happen to your maximal strength?
        
        However, it’s unfair for all of us to assume that “their way” is the ultimate best way. No one athlete is alike, so different stimuli need to be addressed.
        
        Reply Report comment
Chris Costa

Jun 27, 2014 at 2:47 pm

Hi R,

That could benefit you, but not necessarily from a performance factor.

Reply Report comment
R

Jun 27, 2014 at 11:46 am

I’m just training like I need to lose weight.

Reply Report comment
- Hieronymus
  
  Jul 1, 2014 at 1:49 pm
  
  P90X.
  
  Reply Report comment
  - Chris Costa
    
    Jul 1, 2014 at 6:21 pm
    
    Sure, but it wont guarantee game improvement.
    
    Reply Report comment

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Instruction

Clement: Laid-off or perfect fade? Across-the-line or perfect draw?

Published

3 weeks ago

Apr 24, 2024

Shawn Clement

Some call the image on the left laid off, but if you are hitting a fade, this could be a perfect backswing for it! Same for across the line for a draw! Stop racking your brain with perceived mistakes and simply match backswing to shot shape!

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Instruction

The Wedge Guy: The easiest-to-learn golf basic

Published

2 months ago

Mar 29, 2024

Terry Koehler

My golf learning began with this simple fact – if you don’t have a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, it is practically impossible for your body to execute a fundamentally sound golf swing. I’m still a big believer that the golf swing is much easier to execute if you begin with the proper hold on the club.

As you might imagine, I come into contact with hundreds of golfers of all skill levels. And it is very rare to see a good player with a bad hold on the golf club. There are some exceptions, for sure, but they are very few and very far between, and they typically have beat so many balls with their poor grip that they’ve found a way to work around it.

The reality of biophysics is that the body moves only in certain ways – and the particulars of the way you hold the golf club can totally prevent a sound swing motion that allows the club to release properly through the impact zone. The wonderful thing is that anyone can learn how to put a fundamentally sound hold on the golf club, and you can practice it anywhere your hands are not otherwise engaged, like watching TV or just sitting and relaxing.

Whether you prefer an overlap, interlock or full-finger (not baseball!) grip on the club, the same fundamentals apply. Here are the major grip faults I see most often, in the order of the frequency:

Mis-aligned hands

By this I mean that the palms of the two hands are not parallel to each other. Too many golfers have a weak left hand and strong right, or vice versa. The easiest way to learn how to hold the club with your palms aligned properly is to grip a plain wooden ruler or yardstick. It forces the hands to align properly and shows you how that feels. If you grip and re-grip a yardstick several times, then grip a club, you’ll see that the learning curve is almost immediate.

The position of the grip in the upper/left hand

I also observe many golfers who have the butt of the grip too far into the heel pad of the upper hand (the left hand for right-handed players). It’s amazing how much easier it is to release the club through the ball if even 1/4-1/2″ of the butt is beyond the left heel pad. Try this yourself to see what I mean. Swing the club freely with just your left hand and notice the difference in its release from when you hold it at the end of the grip, versus gripping down even a half inch.

To help you really understand how this works, go to the range and hit shots with your five-iron gripped down a full inch to make the club the same length as your seven-iron. You will probably see an amazing shot shape difference, and likely not see as much distance loss as you would expect.

Too much lower (right) hand on the club

It seems like almost all golfers of 8-10 handicap or higher have the club too far into the palm of the lower hand, because that feels “good” if you are trying to control the path of the clubhead to the ball. But the golf swing is not an effort to hit at the ball – it is a swing of the club. The proper hold on the club has the grip underneath the pad at the base of the fingers. This will likely feel “weak” to you — like you cannot control the club like that. EXACTLY. You should not be trying to control the club with your lower/master hand.

Gripping too tightly

Nearly all golfers hold the club too tightly, which tenses up the forearms and prevents a proper release of the club through impact. In order for the club to move back and through properly, you must feel that the club is controlled by the last three fingers of the upper hand, and the middle two fingers of the lower hand. If you engage your thumbs and forefingers in “holding” the club, the result will almost always be a grip that is too tight. Try this for yourself. Hold the club in your upper hand only, and squeeze firmly with just the last three fingers, with the forefinger and thumb off the club entirely. You have good control, but your forearms are not tense. Then begin to squeeze down with your thumb and forefinger and observe the tensing of the entire forearm. This is the way we are made, so the key to preventing tenseness in the arms is to hold the club very lightly with the “pinchers” — the thumbs and forefingers.

So, those are what I believe are the four fundamentals of a good grip. Anyone can learn them in their home or office very quickly. There is no easier way to improve your ball striking consistency and add distance than giving more attention to the way you hold the golf club.

Clement: Stop ripping off your swing with this drill!

Published

2 months ago

Mar 4, 2024

Shawn Clement

Not the dreaded headcover under the armpit drill! As if your body is defective and can’t function by itself! Have you seen how incredible the human machine is with all the incredible feats of agility all kinds of athletes are accomplishing? You think your body is so defective (the good Lord is laughing his head off at you) that it needs a headcover tucked under the armpit so you can swing like T-Rex?

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