💪 Getting in shape doesn’t work for golf 

Good afternoon my fellow golf and fitness enthusiast! It’s a scorching day here in St. Louis (113∞ with the heat index), so it’s a beautiful time to be in the climate-controlled gym. 

Today, we’re going to turn the fitness world on it’s head. And set the record straight. This is going to sound a little crazy, but stick with me… 

“Getting in shape” doesn’t work for golf (or any other sport). 

Yes, you read that correctly.  

Somewhere along the way, jogging, biking, long cardio, etc. is how we are supposed to get in shape. Listen the next time you’re out and about, and you will hear multiple people rave about how great their Peloton bike is. And what a great 60-min ride they had yesterday. 

Even Rory and some of the PGA Tour players went heavy on the Peloton training during the lockdowns. 

But here’s the thing: Using our common sense (which seems to be a dying activity these days), does jogging or biking long distances at a slow or moderate pace have anything to do with improving your game? 

In Mike Boyle’s book Functional Training for Sports he says,  

“Steady-state or long-distance training to improve the fitness or aerobic capacity of fast and explosive athletes often detracts from the physiological qualities that make these athletes special.” 

Golf is an explosive sport.  Sure, you might walk 7 miles during your 4-hour round if you’re not carting, but that is less than 2mph! 

I’ve seen some crazy rituals on the course, but I have yet to see any golfer jog or ride a bike between shots. So, the question becomes Why would you choose either of those as your primary choice of “getting in shape”? 

You wouldn’t.  

Instead, let’s lean into it. Golf is a sport that physically requires: 

A well-moving body…  

Repetitious strength and speed…  

With tactical precision…  

And mental focus. 

So, the next time you decide you’re going to refocus, want to play your best golf, and get into shape…trade your jogging shoes and bike for a set of dumbbells. 

You’ve got this. 

Your #1 Fan, 

Jeff Pelizzaro 

PS – If you love jogging, biking or whatever long-cardio you’re into, by all means, please continue to do it. All I’m saying is that when you want your fitness to throw gasoline on your golf fire, strength training is the answer. 

If you need a step-by-step program, I would check out the 18STRONG App – you’ll get free access for 7 days, so you’ve got nothing to lose.