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Heavy weight lifting and golf

petefrias

petefrias

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Im a 15 handicap and i started to lift heavy weights the past 3 weeks. The issue is that i have completely lost my golf swing. The only club i can hit well is my driver. Im shanking my wedges and cannot even make contact with the ball with any of my irons. Im hitting a good 2 inches behind the ball which is something ive never done in the past. It is really frustrating because usually im great with irons. I just wanted to know if anyone else has had a similar experience or if there is any advice someone can give me.
 
Stretch frequently to stay flexible.

heavy lifting = muscle bulk = less flexible
 
Thanks alot guys. Ive been doing alot of stretching and i dont feel tight either. Im going to try and stick it out for a few more weeks. If i cant find it then ill have to pick one which i didnt want to do.
 
I lift weights daily and since I started seriously playing golf again about 2-3 months ago I have changed my workout regimen. Instead of doing 100% of my weight capacity at 8 reps, I have switched to 70% capacity at 12 reps. While I will not bulk this way, I can pretty much retain what I have and continue to define. I had sore wrists after heavy lifting and this change has definitely helped resolve that issue.
 
I've been through it before, and that is why I don't lift weights during the golf season. Seems silly, since I may play golf for 6 months of the year, but whatever.

I'd lower the weight and increase the reps. This will help define without blowing your golf swing. It should help increase stamina on the golf course.

Finally, along with good stretching, chances are your muscles are just tense from the intense workouts. With each swing, make sure posture and grip are correct. Take a deep breath and relax your muscles and SWING EASY. See if that helps, but i suspect your hosel rockets and pushing is a result of you muscles being too tense.
 
I lift heavy right now and my swing is awful, It hasn't been affected too much but I am going to do what these guys suggested to avoid soreness over summer.
 
if anyone is looking to build strength in there swing. avoid static exercises like bench press, seated row, shoulder press, latt pull down or in general exercises that limit your movement. try to go for dynamic exercises like wood chops on a cable machine or do push ups on a medicine ball where you alternate hand on the ball between each push up. trust me i have been strength training for the last 2 months and it has made the world of difference to my game. the cable machine is my new best friend lol.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h0vY46MTkBA&feature=feedlik i know this video is jiu jitsu but it has a lot of exercises that relate to golf
 
I work out five days per week at the gym and my muscle mass has increased somewhat. The gym has not hurt me and in fact my ball striking is getting better. My workouts are not structured for the huge muscle man type look. Hell I am 60 years old so any thoughts of that, is long been gone. I have no doubt that getting stronger with flexibility, is really going to help your golf game. Don't work out to be a brute, but workout to have good strength with good flexibility. I am hitting the ball further now than I have in several years.
 
Totally agree with the Yoga and Plyometrics, you have to remind your musles and fibers that you need them to fire as fast as they can, so after you do reps on a bench, stay on the bench and have someone throw a medicine ball at you and you lift it back up to them at a very rapid pace. After doing quats or leg lifts, jump rope really quickly or get a box not a high box and jump up to the top of it then back down as fast as you can. Big muscles will not move fast unless you train them to move that way, stretching is a must. Also try to add some resitance bands really rapid reps, train your fibers to know that when you call on them they need to be fast.
 
It sounds a bit to me that what you´re experiencing has more to do with a lack of weight shifting. Or putting far too much weight on your left side too early?

Lifting weight has done wonders for me this winter, I´ve been trying for fast movements and lesser weights last couple of weeks thou - to get some explosiveness back. Agree with Mustng5, you have to teach your muscles to be fast when you´re lifting heavy weights.
 
i try not to lift any upper body the day before rounds... weight training breaks down the muscle fibers, then they get rebuilt with rest and energy. if i play a round immediately after weight training arms or chest, etc., i feel stiff and sore and it feels like my swing suffers because of that... during the golf season, i also decrease weight and increase reps. i've recently mixed in yoga, plyo, more cardio, and a lot of stretching. this combo i feel can only help the golf swing. i feel like i have a lot more range of motion and flexibility, as opposed to when i just straight up terrorize my muscles with heavy weights and 5-8 reps. i've abandoned the size obsession i had in college for a more practical athletic approach to weight training and fitness.
 
Hey thanks alot! Im going to try that. Its tough because i really enjoy lifting heavy weights. Im only doing about 5 to 6 reps. I dont want to have to sacrifice one for the other. Im going to try your advice this week! Do you do heavy weight lifting?
 
I used to do a lot of heavy weight training in the 5-8 rep range (a lot of bench presses and squats, etc.), but have actually started up on the P90X bandwagon after some friends introduced me to it... i've seen excellent results, although i'm losing a little too much weight for my liking (i was already pretty slim and if i don't eat enough calories i feel i definitely run the risk of losing too much weight). i supplement the P90X program with extra cardio and some old school weight training every now and then. it definitely is a good change of pace from my regular weight training routine... and it introduced me to yoga, plyo, and extensive stretching.
 
I think it sort of depends on how serious you want to get with your weight training vs your golf game. I do some weight training but it is weight training that in the main is designed to help facilitate the gold swing.

I use the Tour Plus Swing Sock for example as that is as specific to the golf swing as it gets. Avoid weight training that will result in bulk. You really don't need bulk to play golf and if anything it is more likely to hurt than help.

I like the changes that I have made due to incorporating some weight training into my golf improvement plans but again I really have focused on weight work that should produce good results relative to the swing.
 
Check out the Russian Kettlebell programs that Dragon Door has: http://www.dragondoor.com/

I've been doing these for two years, and I have noticed a positive difference both in golf and hockey. The kettlebell program focuses on functional strength, not "beach muscles". It's a great program for athletes, and you'll find it plenty challenging. Your workout program should make you better at your sport(s), not worse or cause you to avoid sports. I started the RKC at home using their entry level book & DVD with the 35lb bell, but eventually found a local RKC trainer and have worked with him ever since.
 
Quetico said:
Check out the Russian Kettlebell programs that Dragon Door has: http://www.dragondoor.com/

I've been doing these for two years, and I have noticed a positive difference both in golf and hockey. The kettlebell program focuses on functional strength, not "beach muscles". It's a great program for athletes, and you'll find it plenty challenging. Your workout program should make you better at your sport(s), not worse or cause you to avoid sports. I started the RKC at home using their entry level book & DVD with the 35lb bell, but eventually found a local RKC trainer and have worked with him ever since.
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+1 on kettlebell workouts. Hard to beat the verstility. As intese as you want to make it, or just use it for a warm up. Kettlebells are GREAT!
 
Define your lifting heavy for 3 weeks...... that's not enough time to really put on a lot of muscle, lose flexibility, or really do anything but be sore. For all you know, it could be just a little setup change that happened to coincide with the lifting.

I'm a big fan of compound movements, squat, OHP, bench, DL, PC, but I agree they don't have a huge, direct carryover into golf. What they do is build up a very strong base to which you can apply a lot of explosive power with more stability. Getting too bulky only happens if you eat for it and when the weights get pretty high. Flexibility, well I laugh at that one, cuz when you're folding your body into a ball on a full heavy squat you're pretty flexible. I like the basic 3x5 or 5x5 workout until you've pretty much stalled on all the lifts and move into something else. By that point you'll know your strengths, weaknesses, and have a better idea of what you truly want.
 
When i say heavy weight lifting im talking compound movements. Only 6 to 8 reps. Im also taking pre workout n.o., creatine, and protein.
 
petefrias said:
Im a 15 handicap and i started to lift heavy weights the past 3 weeks. The issue is that i have completely lost my golf swing. The only club i can hit well is my driver. Im shanking my wedges and cannot even make contact with the ball with any of my irons. Im hitting a good 2 inches behind the ball which is something ive never done in the past. It is really frustrating because usually im great with irons. I just wanted to know if anyone else has had a similar experience or if there is any advice someone can give me.
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pete: I echo the responses from some to do some stretching and other techniques to keep you flexible and limber.

From a more practical standpoint, however, I will share a piece of advice I received while I was in college. I played NCAA soccer in college and, thus, was in good shape, but fairly thin. Prior to my junior year, however, our big man in the midfield was severely injured in the off-season and I was slated to replace him. This required me to do heavy lifting (and creatine, etc.). I bulked up quite quickly (particularly my upper body) and, as a result, my golf game suffered immensely. While I was playing a round with a tennis coach (who was alo scratch golfer), he gave me an incredible tip that I think is good for everyone, but especially for those who build up those pecs...

When you take your stance, your left arm (around the bicep) should be attached on the side/top of the pec. This will allow freer movement in the backswing and provide you the room on the downswing. Otherwise, you risk having to reroute the path on the backswing to get around your pec and then, having been detached, either coming over the top or coming in with your left hand over the right, leaving the face wide open and hitting fat.

The tip is pretty similar to what Padraig does when he puts his glove under his left armpit.
 
interlooper Thanks for that time im going to give it a try!!!
 
I lift heavy every weekday, and I find that as long as I have stretched properly, and I make sure to swing a lot afterwards, it increases my power, and has no detrimental effect on "touch" shots such as chipping.
 
I am 100% positive if weight training is causing you to lose flexibility it is because, like several people have mentioned, you are not stretching properly as part of your routine and you are not doing any fast training of your muscles, or you are focused too much on arm and shoulder strength (lots of presses, pulls, curls, but not much squatting, lunging, or deadlifts). There is no way muscle strength will make your golf swing worse. That makes no sense.
 
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