What muscles make you drive the ball further?

[dak4n6]

I think we are all in agreement here.

1. No one is saying muscles don't matter re distance and swing speed.

2. Technique > muscles

3. For most male amateur hackers, we give too much attention to SS and muscle, and would do much more to increase distance by concentrating on technique, timing, and center contact.

The Dead Horse has been kicked.

[midwestswing]

I would say muscles only matter to the extent that they help you coil.  The farther you take the club back, the more distance to accelerate the club coming down. Distance is a result of speed + quality of clubface contact. Think speed, not power.

[rehmwa]

Originally Posted by dak4n6

I think we are all in agreement here.

1. No one is saying muscles don't matter re distance and swing speed.

2. Technique > muscles

3. For most male amateur hackers, we give too much attention to SS and muscle, and would do much more to increase distance by concentrating on technique, timing, and center contact.

The Dead Horse has been kicked.

But it keeps getting kicked.

- Strength and fitness always improves performance.

- it's not a matter of Technique vs muscles.  That's a strawman.  If you have good technique, muscles will help you get more from it.  If you have good strength, technique will help you get more from it

the assumption that adding strength automatically means loss of technique is stupid - yet it's implied in every other post in this thread

the assumption that adding muscle equates to a body builder physique is silly.

I'll even go out on a limb and state that fitness will help in PUTTING too.  Better coordination, control and confidence.  More stable base.  Better feel and feedback.

Look at Tiger, look at Rory, look at Dustin, look at Adam Scott.  Silly pros - they keep working out and trying to be as fit as possible (with a few fat and ludicrous exceptions that people will throw out there).  I guess they are wasting their time.

The statement that the good pros aren't muscled, but instead are "long and lean" is goofy.  That lean look IS muscle and good fitness and nutrition habits.

To those that talk about being better now (while sedentary and flabby) vs their younger/fitter self (or their kid).  I'd invite them to imagine that if they had their skill and experience now,, AND that younger fitter body, wouldn't they play better?

(to the OP - I'd say OVERALL strength and flexibility are key for golf.  Though the activity is nowhere near athletic by itself, maximum performance is enhanced if you are fit, so general fitness is important.  I'd say the big focus is core, legs and back.  then arms and neck.  You can't play golf to get fit, but if you are fit, you'll play better golf.)

[460CompMark]

i would suggest a good workout for stamina.  that is what matters the most.

[tmf9]

I'd say abs, and legs have a lot to do with it.  Look at a guy like Dustin Johnson, he has a ton of core strength (can do a full swing on a balance ball) as well as leg strength (does one legged squats, and can dunk the hell out of a basketball)  While you don't have to be have to be strong to hit the golf ball far,  it definitely helps.  Look at the long drive competitions, 90% of those guys are JACKED.

[onephenom]

I'd say abs, and legs have a lot to do with it.  Look at a guy like Dustin Johnson, he has a ton of core strength (can do a full swing on a balance ball) as well as leg strength (does one legged squats, and can dunk the hell out of a basketball)  While you don't have to be have to be strong to hit the golf ball far,  it definitely helps.  Look at the long drive competitions, 90% of those guys are JACKED.

Or fat :) just gotta know how to throw it around!

[460CompMark]

Originally Posted by onephenom

Or fat :) just gotta know how to throw it around!

and use a 60" driver

[dak4n6]

Originally Posted by rehmwa

But it keeps getting kicked.

- Strength and fitness always improves performance.

- it's not a matter of Technique vs muscles.  That's a strawman.  If you have good technique, muscles will help you get more from it.  If you have good strength, technique will help you get more from it

the assumption that adding strength automatically means loss of technique is stupid - yet it's implied in every other post in this thread

the assumption that adding muscle equates to a body builder physique is silly.

No one here said VERSUS. That is indeed a strawman. And no one implied that strength cancels technique. What IS being said and implied is that the OP is looking to his muscles to drive the ball further, when in fact it is very very very likely he could gain A LOT more distacne A LOT easier by working on technique and quality contact rather than hitting the gym. That's all.

Like I said before, I work out. For a 53 yr old, I am fairly well built. I AM NOT SAYING DON'T WORK OUT.

[joekelly]

Of course not muscles, but the longest drivers all have testicles.

[jmcgolf1212]

muscles don't matter.  im skinny at 5'9, 140lbs and can hit the ball 300+ often.  everyone i play with cannot understand how i can hit it that far.  it's about how you move through the ball at contact.  i drive my hips and legs through the ball very well.  it helps to be limber also.  i've seen jacked guys that can't hit the ball 250.  and even at that, they are slicing the ball like 100 yards off the fairway.

Wow 5'9 and 140 and u consistently hit is 300 plus!! That would be something I have to see. Do U live in Colorado at elevation or west texas on a runway? I agree that u don't hav to be strong and its a combination of a good swing, SOLID hit and athletic ability.

[460CompMark]

Originally Posted by jmcgolf1212

Wow 5'9 and 140 and u consistently hit is 300 plus!! That would be something I have to see. Do U live in Colorado at elevation or west texas on a runway? I agree that u don't hav to be strong and its a combination of a good swing, SOLID hit and athletic ability.

i can't explain it myself.  i've always been able to hit it pretty far.  if i go out to the range sometime, i will post a video or something.  played this past sunday and had a few over 300, and my swing felt jacked up since i haven't played much in the last year.  im in the DFW area.

[clutchshot]

Totally possible... Bud Cauley is 5,9 140 lbs and bombs it.

[johnclayton1982]

Let me start off by saying, the question, "I have no idea".

That said, I've, over the past 1.5-2 years added approximately 40 yards.  I did it through a combination of:

1.  Working out with tension bands every day following this book:

http://www.amazon.com/Fix-Your-Body-Swing-Revolutionary/dp/B0058M5K0A

I just do the "dirty dozen" every day.  Saw a huge difference after about 90 days.

2.  Got the tape that you put on your driver and hit balls in a net four times a week concentrating on hitting in the middle.

3.  Got fitted for a modern driver.

I'm not sure which of those mattered the most, but they all helped alot.

I'm not sure strength makes your best hits or longest drives longer, but it certainly adds more "headroom" - what I mean by this is that you can swing "slower" in your head/feeling but the ball goes far.  When I was weaker I had to swing out of my shoes on every shot so once in a while I would hit a huge bomb but not often.  Getting stronger made my "bad" shots better - i can hit it off-center and still get 260 or so carry.  Before the training with strength my "bad" shtos would be 225-230 carry.  However, the "perfect" drive didn't change much before and after the strength training program.  I could hit it about 295 with a perfect shot before working out and I hit it about that long on a perfect shot after working out.  However, my average drive after getting alot stronger is probably about 270 where my average drive before was probably about 230.

Not sure if that makes sense but that is my experience.  Getting stronger didn't make my "longest" drive longer, but it made it much more effortless and consistent to hit 275 yard drives.  My longest ever, 317, was before i started getting stronger, but the next one probably went 220.  To me, strenght doesn't make you "longer" in the sense that your longest drive out of 100 drives doesn't change much but your average drive gets WAY longer if your stronger.

Note I don't lift iron just work with tension bands and a small medicine ball.

EDIT: If someone can explain why this is I am all ears.  The strength didn't make my longest drive longer, but made my average and bad drives MUCH longer.