My Grandpa Val played on the USA Men’s Soccer Team, was a D1, D3, and high school soccer coach for as long as I could remember, and one of my heroes.
The number of lessons he taught me are too many to list in a single email, however one has always really stuck out to me.
HUSTLE.
If you work your tail off, the rest will take care of itself.
Our work rate is one of the few things we can control.
Golf is no different.
Control what we can control.
We CAN control how we prepare for our next round – whether it’s later today or a in a week.
Here’s what we NEED to control:
- Warm-Up
- Hydration
- Pre-shot routine
- Mental game
- Nutrition
Yesterday, we talked about warming up (if you missed it, I included a list of exercises).
Today, we’re talking about staying hydrated.
Here’s why:
Performance and concentration – Dehydration leads to fatigue, reduced focus, and diminished motor skills.
Temperature regulation – It’s friggin’ hot this time of year.
Sweating is our natural mechanism that cool our bodies, but obviously results in fluid loss.
Dehydration robs your body of the ability to cool itself, which makes you hot, miserable, and can be dangerous.
Injury-prevention – Have I mentioned this before:)
Dehydration is commonly associated with cramps, but is also a top culprit for muscle strains as well as joint injuries.
A little science: when we are dehydrated, the muscles and tissues become less pliable, ergo more prone to injury.
Now, you’ve got a few options to stay hydrated…
For me, I drink a ton of water and take my daily vitamins, so that usually does the trick, unless it’s really hot and I’m sweating like a pig.
For days like that, I highly recommend an electrolyte replacement drink.
And I know it’s super convenient, but do your best to stay away from Gatorade, Powerade or most of those mainstream sports drinks – they have a ton of unnecessary sugar (and don’t get me started on the dyes they use).
Instead, I’ll add the 1stPhorm hydration sticks to my water before I play.
And in a perfect world, I’d remember to keep one in my bag to drink during the round.
Alright, I’ve got some golfers to train, and some water that needs drinkin’.
STAY STRONG,
Jeff
PS – I can only speak for myself and my palette, but I think the mango flavor of the hydration sticks is the best.
If you don’t like them, just send them back (and don’t tell them it was me who recommended mango:)