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After my great result on Monday I’m obviously going to keep doing the flexibility exercises I did in the last 4 weeks. But I don’t think for a second that if I kept doing them I’d get another 17 mph increase in swing speed. There are limits to how much increased flexibility is going to help a person hit the ball further.
However, I do think that by continuing to do flexibility exercises I will gain a little bit more clubhead speed. But I don’t think it will be huge gains again solely by doing flexibility. So next on my agenda is to get stronger.
I haven’t lifted weights in probably about a year, so I’m very weak. My plan to get stronger is to simply lift weights 3 times a week. Now I’m not going to do any funny sort of exercises. Just the normal bench press, leg extension type of weight lifting exercises.
I will however be lifting very quickly. I won’t be trying to do each exercise slowly and with perfect form.
Why?
Because if you want to swing fast you need to train fast…to a certain degree (more on that in later posts).
Also, I will NOT be doing a lot of lifts to gain strength. For example, I will NOT be doing 3 sets of 15 when doing a bench press. If you want to hit the golf ball further lifting like that is crazy. 3 sets of 15 is helping to build up endurance and the golf swing is NOT an endurance activity. It’s a powerful movement that lasts less than 2 seconds!
So I’m going to be training in the 6-8 rep range.
From experience and research that’s a good range to improve general strength.
My first strength workout was last night and it felt good. It’s going to be interesting to see how much doing flexibility exercises and improving my strength is going to increase my clubhead speed.
The next golf swing speed test is scheduled on the 25th of February 2008.
Tags: flexibility, golf swing
January 30th, 2008 at 2:56 am
Hi
Thanks for sharing. This is very interesting.
January 30th, 2008 at 3:53 am
Hi Nick. I have been doing the Mike Pedersen golf fitness program – advanced level. His routines are all golf stance specific but they do 3 sets of 12 reps. Are you familiar with his program? His site is PerformBetterGolf.com. Would appreciate your advice to increase club head speed. Thanks.
Jim Wilson
Toronto Canada
416 756-3474
January 30th, 2008 at 6:19 am
Hi Jim,
I know of Mike Pedersen but I haven’t seen the program you’re doing.
On the subject of repetitions, here is what Neil Wolkodoff — author of Physical Golf says about 8 – 12 Repetitions…”Although the range of 8 to 12 repetitions will build some strength, too much emphasis here will develop “bulk” that might interfere with flexibility for golf.”
Here is what Neil says about 6-8 Repetitions…”Golfers who are beginning a resistance program should aim for this range to develop power in selected exercises.”
From my past experience of lifting weights that is very sound advice.
-Nick
February 10th, 2008 at 1:46 am
Nick – couldn’t agree more…this was the fix I followed to correct a very bad slice I had, but as you say, until one can see the effect of going the opposite way to fix the slice- people are hard to change their thoughts on this- good directions, but lots of guys find it hard to believe…