Thanks to Annika Sorenstam and even Julie Inkster, golf conditioning for women golfers has hit full steam. No longer are women golfers afraid to hit the weights in order to get stronger for golf.
It's quite obvious, the stronger you are specific to your sport, the better you will perform. So if that's true, why don't more women golfers strength train for golf?
It used to be fear of getting big muscles. That won't happen. Unless you're in the gym for three hours a day, lifting heavy weights, your muscles will not get big.
But how about the flipside of that? Here's the picture. Being fitter, stronger, more toned and hitting your longest drives consistently. Does that sound better? It should.
So what should female golfers interested in strength straining for golf focus on? First and foremost, the "core." Yes - female golfers, too, need to work the abs, low-back and hamstrings to play their best golf.
When you think of working your core for golf, you've got to think of rotary movements with resistance. The golf swing is a turn back and a turn through. That's pure rotation!
So doing movements like a seated twist holding a dumbbell straight out in front of you would be a good start.
The amount of weight used doesn't have to be large. Remember, the golf club weighs less than a pound. Something like a 3- or 5-pound dumbbell will work great.
Increasing core strength can help any woman golfer - not just Annika Sorenstam - dramatically increase her driving distance.
About Mike Pedersen
Mike Pedersen is the founder of the Web's only online golf performance program for women golfers at www.fitgolfforwomen.com. Pedersen, a nationally recognized golf fitness expert, is also founder of Golf-Trainer.com. Mike has published four e-books about golf fitness and is a frequent contributor to golf publications.
