Snowmageddon hit us hard in Southcentral Pennsylvania, and yesterday afternoon was spent shoveling snow.  As I’ve mentioned before, shoveling snow is a tremendous workout, assuming you are healthy enough to undertake this demanding work.  We’ve all read numerous stories of heart attacks occurring while shoveling snow, so do not attempt to shovel out from a storm like this unless you have a clean bill of health from your doctor.

What are the benefits of shoveling snow?  First, there is the calorie burn.  A little research online indicated that snow shoveling can burn 100 calories or more in 15 minutes.  Second, it is a great total body workout, as you are working the legs, core, arms and shoulders all in one exercise. 

Obviously, if done improperly, you can injure your back.  It is absolutely critical that you engage the legs, rather than do all of the work with the back.  Yes, you still have to bend at the waist, and that will put some pressure on the back.  But, if you engage the legs, you will simply get a good workout for the back.

Today, after 2 1/2 hours of shoveling 18 inches of snow from my driveway, I am modestly tender in the lower back, just as I would be in any muscle group the day after a good workout.  That 2 1/2 hours of shoveling also indicates that I burned over 1,000 calories!  So, not only did I get in a good strengthening workout for some key muscle groups, I contributed to my weight loss goal. 

This is just one common sense activity you can perform to contribute to your golf fitness.  There is no need to join a gym or buy any fancy equipment.  Take advantage of these opportunities when they come along!

Scott Cole

Nowadays, with the popularity of golf, even through a global recession, you can find a multitude of golf instruction and golf fitness sites on the internet. Golf fitness has come to the fore as PGA Tour pros have evolved into more fit athletes due to the domination of Tiger Woods. Tiger decided early on that he would train for his profession as a world class athlete. As a result, we see far fewer golfers on tour like Tim “Lumpy” Herron and John Daly, and a lot more athletic looking golfers such as Tiger, Adam Scott and Camillo Villegas. If you want to be the best, you have to train like the best!

Golf instruction is now evolving into a profession that involves far more than just giving a quick fix to a golfer, although that is still what some may want. Some instructors are content with providing this type of service, but the top instructors realize that they actually have far more to offer their students than just a tip or two on how to fix their golf swings.

Due to the increased focus by professional golfers on their fitness, the idea of golf fitness has become more credible. Professional golfers now often employ the services of a fitness instructor along with their golf instructor.

However, some fitness instructors erroneously suggest to the average golfer that the secret to longer tee shots and a more consistent golf swing is fitness alone. Golfers who have been frustrated by their own lack of improvement from golf lessons are easy prey for fitness trainers who want to sell them on a few fitness tips to improve their golf games.

Then there are the “golf instructors” online who will sell the average golfer on the idea that there is an “easy” way to swing the golf club, if you only sign up for their newsletter, or purchase their DVDs. However, all you have to do is get an understanding of how hard Tiger Woods works on his game, and his fitness, to realize that improving your golf swing requires hard work! Tiger works on his golf game and fitness 10 to 12 hours per day when he is gearing up for the majors! There are no shortcuts in golf!

The top golf instructors realize that they are in a position to better serve their students by being able to identify ways for a student to improve their golf swing through both golf instruction AND golf fitness training. Just like the evolution of today’s PGA Tour stars, the new generation of golf instructors understand that they need to be able offer both services in order to remain competitive in the field.

A golf instructor who practices the “hands on” teaching method of Hank Haney, Tiger Woods’ current instructor, can more easily identify the physical issues of a student. A golf instructor who also has significant experience in a variety of physical training methods can then suggest to a student how to achieve their golf swing goals through fitness training.

This type of instructor is extremely valuable to the golf student. In one location, the student can learn all they need to know about the golf swing, and how to address their own physical limitations to accomplish their goals. Compare that to the golf instructors who simply try to make a suggestion as to how to make a quick fix to a golf swing without ever moving the student through the swing. Or, compare the well-rounded instructor to the fitness trainer who really has no experience in golf instruction. They can offer a variety of gimmicky exercises, but they really do not have an understanding of what really drives the golf swing.

Unfortunately, there are not yet that many instructors out there who can offer this well-rounded instruction and training. However, this is the future of golf instruction, so consider seeking out those instructors who are on the cutting edge. Your golf game is sure to benefit!

Scott Cole

The PGA Tour had its first golfer test positive for performance enhancing drugs.  Details were not provided due to the tour’s privacy policy.  The player in question is Doug Barron, not a big name, and a player who has struggled with a variety of health issues over the years.  He played little on the tour this year.

Although Tiger Woods has elevated fitness in the minds of many tour players over the last decade, it is really not from the standpoint of hitting the ball further.  He was a very long hitter when he first arrived on tour, but decided to approach his profession as a professional athlete, and prepare accordingly.  This was to avoid injury more than anything else.  Golf can be pretty tough on the body, and we have seen many great players suffer from a variety of ailments over the years. 

Can performance enhancing drugs help your golf game?  Doubtful.  Can it help you hit the ball further?  Certainly, if you get a lot stronger.  Just look at many of the participants in the world long drive competitions these days.  Many are built like NFL safeties or small linebackers.  But, in 2008, the World Championship was won by a small Canadian weighing less than 165 pounds. 

However, steroids are not going to help your putting or your short game.  That is where you score.  And the fact is, you really do not need steroids to hit the ball further.  Most people need to become more flexible first, so they have a longer, more fluid golf swing.  Then a little strengthening and some core work can help add a bit more swing speed. 

So, stick with the more natural ways of gaining strength, and you will see a benefit to your golf game. 

Scott Cole