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Saturday 4 December 2010

Five Things You May Not Know About Golf

By Danielle Russell


Have you seen your golfing handicap decrease in spite of (or sometimes because) of the hard work you put into improving your game? Are your drives falling miserably short as the game of golf stresses you out instead of relaxing you? You may also be falling into a pit of quicksand as one missed putt leads to another. If you are plagued with problems like these then it is time to give your golf game a boost. The five aspects of golfing you need to work on are your flexibility, strength, endurance, nutrition, and mental toughness, and here's some interesting information on each of them.

Improving Flexibility

Is your golfing swing awkward due to the fact that you may be rushing things too much and being too eager-beaver in your actions? Be proactive when getting your muscles ready for the game - don't wait till the last minute to stretch. Avoid that stiff and awkward feeling with regular stretching. As a result, you could gain more flexibility. You only need a small investment of your time in order to see significant gains in your range of motion.

Improving Strength

When exercising away from the golf course, is strength training part of your routine? A lot of golfers make the mistake of hitting the ball as hard as they could when swinging their club. Beware, though, of the side effects of this practice. Swinging the golf club is an unnatural action, and forcing your body to do this repeatedly could cause injury. Increasing strength will enable your body to tackle the demands of the golf swing and prepare it for the action ahead.

How To Boost Endurance

Do you lose your intensity or feel tired after a few holes? If so, then focus on your endurance. For the uninitiated, golf doesn't appear to be a very strenuous game that requires a lot of endurance. Here's an interesting fact - an 18-hole course could spread out about five miles, which is a lot of walking. Incorporate some cardio into your exercise routine, about 20 to 45 minutes and 3-5 days a week.

Nutrition

Your body needs the proper fuel to work efficiently. And of course you wouldn't want to nosh on junk food before the game. What exactly is the proper sports diet? Athletes in any sport need to include the following foods - carbohydrates, white meat, fruits, green vegetables and at least eight glasses of water.

Building Mental Toughness

Do you get bothered at the second hole thinking about that botched drive on the first hole? You're effectively killing your golf game this way by letting one bad thing lead to another. Before swinging that golf ball, try thinking some positive thoughts instead. And that includes not being discouraged over goof-ups on the previous holes. Think of a good shot instead of fearing you might miss the next shot as well.

These are five things to take note of if you wish to see positive results in your game. It will take some time to make these activities a habit, but will be well worth the effort.


















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