I need advice what you think I would benefit from for more distance.

[Backspinalot]

Hi,

So let me start first by giving some info about myself: I am 14 years old, 120 lbs, 5'4 and I play golf very frequently. My drives on a good day average about 260 or so (at 4700 feet). My CHS is roughly 103 mph currently. This year I am moving up a division into 15-18 age group which means playing the tips in tournies. I am going to do what it takes to get as much more distance as possible because those long par 4's I need to reach in two.

if you could tell me like what lifts/stretches to do that optimize distance, if I could see an extra 15-20 yards off the tee, that would be ideal. I hear about all these golf workouts but I almost don't even know which ones to do because I know almost nothing about different muscle groups and how they affect your swing.

I would like to get some reccomendations on which excersizes to do, how many reps and sets, and which days to do this. What stretches can I do to improve like hip and shoulder flexibility and what I need flexible for extra distance. If you could tell me the best excersizes (flexibility and strength) to do at home with no weights (I don't have a gym) that would be ideal. I do pushups and stuff but i feel like I could use more rotational strength and lower body fire. I also plan on just practicing short game the days I am sore because I golf nearly everyday and it is kind of a setback to be sore the next day because I feel like i will not gain strength if I work my muscles golfing the day i am sore. So if you could tell me great excersizes that I could notice the most improvement on the golf course like whether it be squats, powercleans, bench press and all the in between. My bro has a pull-up bar on his door I use sometimes as well.

Thanks!!!

[Ben]

From my personal experience. I've gotten more from yoga and bike riding than anything. And I've tried a lot. I used a trainer for a year working on full body weight workouts, core strength and plyometrics. Honestly, I felt great, but didn't see much in distance gains.

Yoga; you're only 14 so I'd imagine your still pretty flexible naturally, but it can't hurt to stay that way. I take a class and the instructor asks for specific areas to work and I always ask to work hips and balance. You mention rotational strength and body fire, focus on the hips.

Biking; maybe its just me, but since I've been on a road bike I've definitely noticed distance gains. And I've only been at this for a little over two months now doing small-time rides. I can't wait to see what happens once I get into rides over 20miles. If biking may not be for you concentrate on squats and lunges, anything that works your hip flexors.

Hitting your drives 260, although may seem short to you, I'd be very happy with being 5'4" and 120lbs! I'd imagine you're still growing? Stay lanky, stay flexible. I would skip trying to bulk up. I see guys with muscles galore, that also know the golf swing, that can't hit the ball as far as the lanky guys.

[delav]

  Ben said:

Originally Posted by Ben

From my personal experience. I've gotten more from yoga and bike riding than anything. And I've tried a lot. I used a trainer for a year working on full body weight workouts, core strength and plyometrics. Honestly, I felt great, but didn't see much in distance gains.

Yoga; you're only 14 so I'd imagine your still pretty flexible naturally, but it can't hurt to stay that way. I take a class and the instructor asks for specific areas to work and I always ask to work hips and balance. You mention rotational strength and body fire, focus on the hips.

Biking; maybe its just me, but since I've been on a road bike I've definitely noticed distance gains. And I've only been at this for a little over two months now doing small-time rides. I can't wait to see what happens once I get into rides over 20miles. If biking may not be for you concentrate on squats and lunges, anything that works your hip flexors.

Hitting your drives 260, although may seem short to you, I'd be very happy with being 5'4" and 120lbs! I'd imagine you're still growing? Stay lanky, stay flexible. I would skip trying to bulk up. I see guys with muscles galore, that also know the golf swing, that can't hit the ball as far as the lanky guys.

This is excellent advice.  At 14 and 120lbs, you're working against mother nature in your quest for distance.  First things first, make sure you're making the most of your current swing with solid impact fundamentals.  At a 6.4 handicap, I'm sure your ball striking is fairly decent.

If you want to build the right type of body for distance, work on strengthening your core muscles, maintaining flexibility and improving your balance.  These aren't the sexiest things to work on as far as fitness goes, but they will help your build a swing that will reap big benefits as you begin to fill out in the next few years.

Also, I cannot attest to whether cycling adds distance, but I do know it's a ton of fun and huge part of my workout routine as well.  A good mix of cycling, running, yoga/stretching and core work should help you out.

[Shindig]

  Ben said:

Originally Posted by Ben

Biking; maybe its just me, but since I've been on a road bike I've definitely noticed distance gains. And I've only been at this for a little over two months now doing small-time rides. I can't wait to see what happens once I get into rides over 20miles. If biking may not be for you concentrate on squats and lunges, anything that works your hip flexors.

As someone more or less twice the age of OP, I'm glad to hear this.  My next job is such that I'll be doing a lot more bike riding.  Knowing that I might see some golf benefit from it too makes it all the better.

[Stretch]

Please don't take this as patronizing -- it's not meant to be -- but you're too young to be worrying about adding distance. The fact that you can already hit it as far as you do suggests that you have good technique and the extra yardage will come naturally as you get taller and stronger. I play regularly with a junior at our club who is about your age and in the last eight months or so he's gone from 15 yards behind the old guys in the fairway to maybe 10 yards out in front. We hear quite a lot of chirping about that now!

[Backspinalot]

Ok, I will work on flexibility. But can you tell me of stretches that stretch the muscles that i want more flexible for golf? I hardly know any stretches to be honest with you. I do crunches fairly regurarly and do them until I get a burn and then take a break and do that 2 more times but then I am not sore at all the next day, do you have to be sore to gain strength?

[imtomtomim]

As many posters above have stated, you've still got a lot of growth ahead of you, especially strength wise, that will just come from age.  I would suggest that you do not do any heavy lifting or strength based exercises.  I work with athletes from 9 to 22 and from experience, I have seen fellow coaches train the younger kids way too aggressively.  I have seen amazingly talented 12 year olds experience injuries that should not be surfacing until collegiate years, if that.  I have seen being overly strong for a growing body create several problems.

I'd say, body weight exercises are as far as you should go in strength development, push-ups, pull-ups, lots of core, and leg work.  Your legs and core can take much more abuse than your upper body can.  Also, you can go as heavy as you want on your cardiovascular training.  A strong heart never hurt anyone.

[Ben]

  Backspinalot said:

Originally Posted by Backspinalot

Ok, I will work on flexibility. But can you tell me of stretches that stretch the muscles that i want more flexible for golf? I hardly know any stretches to be honest with you. I do crunches fairly regurarly and do them until I get a burn and then take a break and do that 2 more times but then I am not sore at all the next day, do you have to be sore to gain strength?

I found these on amazon.com. They're flashcards with poses and more importantly, how to get in and out of them properly. If you can, take a class for a little bit so that you can become familiar with how you're supposed to be in these poses. There are a lot of little things to learn, like weight lifting, if you are doing the poses or lifts incorrectly, you won't be getting the full benefit. Plus, there's usually cure girls in yoga classes!

http://www.amazon.com/Stretch-Deck-50-Stretches/dp/0811833704/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid;=1304203363&sr;=8-7

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Deck-ebook/dp/B003VPWW0M/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid;=1304203363&sr;=8-8

http://www.amazon.com/Yoga-Deck-II-ebook/dp/B004089T6E/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid;=1304203363&sr;=8-16

[tmf9]

Core Strength is probably the main thing.  Last year i started doing about 150 situps a day and i gained 20 yards in about a month no joke.  Id say anything that strengthens your core and legs would probably be the best way to add distance but like the others said for a kid your size you knock it pretty good.  I hit it about the same distance at your age and now on a good swinging day i can knock it out there 300+ So you have nothing to worry about.

[saevel25]

Get the book, "The New Rules of Lifting for Abs"

Its a great insight into how your body works and how to become stronger in the core. It pretty much shoots crunches and situps because of the type of dynamics they create. All crunches do is make your ab muscles bigger and more defined. Also think about this, when do you ever perform the contraction of your ab muscles in real life like you do with a crunch. The answer, when your about to get hit in the stomach. Like if someone was going to punch you. Other than that, you never do a crunch in real life. So don't do crunches, do exercises that require you to maintain stability and balance. This will develop a more stable core. Rotation exercises are fine, as long as your not crunching. Also crunches have been known to cause back issues because we are compressing our spines.

Try this, next time you do a bench press, use dumbbells only. Make one side 5lbs lighter than the other. Try to make sure your perfectly still in the center. This requires alot of abdominal strength. Than just switch on the 2nd set to the other side. You just worked your abs and your chest. Then try that on a ball, you be surprised how hard that is.