Pre round performance enhancers

[zarro]

Ok, as per the live chat here is a listing of things I believe will assist you in creating a good neural state pre round. All of these suggestions are assuming that you are healthy enough to perform this activity and you are sufficiently warmed up.

Swing a light club, concentrating on making it move as fast as you can
Do 3 sets of 3 vertical jumps, trying to get maximum high
Train heavy (1-5 rep range) before you go out golfing, but watch your fatigue level
Clap pushups

There are also a whole host of herbs and compounds that can assist in creating this enviroment, but you have to figure out your own tolerance etc. This is not a complete listing, but is definately a good starting point. Just remember that in addition to doing this stuff, strength training will always help you go farther. Finding a good trainer/coach is hard, but here's a piece of advice, if most of your workout is not in the squat rack (unless you have to rehab an injury) then that trainer is not going to help you much.

 

[Leek]

How do I find out about chats?

 

[Chris Sturgess]

I like the idea of this. But lifiting heavy before playing? That would really fire up your nervous system which may be good for crushing a drive but would probably make you twitchy with the touch shots and putts. I agree you don't want to be asleep out there but I also think getting too hyped up could be a bad idea.

 

[puttmad]

I thought it had already been proved that heavy training is not that good for your golf swing and the preferred mode was fast repetitions?....

Your program above would kill most of the social golfers I know...

 

[aaron_lohan]

I thought it had already been proved that heavy training is not that good for your golf swing and the preferred mode was fast repetitions?.

A person's maximum speed is determined by their strength. "a weak athlete is a slow one"- joe defranco (i think) a famous strength coach

 

[Bill Miracle]

I think he is ....

talking about pre-round activity. I can see where a set of heavy weight (4-5 reps) could be of benefit. Get those big muscles waking up and working.

Looks like his pre-round is.
1. waking up small, fast twitch muscles and engaging core
2. waking up and engaging hips (vs. waist) and fast twitch muscles in legs
3. same with big muscles in core and arms - I visualized a bench press here. Do you mean do squats at heavy weight? If so, include waking up and engaging big muscles in core, lower back and legs.
4. same with big muscles in back.

What is the list of herbs, vitamins, etc... that can be used??? I find, when I take a multi-vitamin before a round that I a negatively effected.

I usually like a good bowl of oatmeal, a couple of eggs, some milk and coffee. Maybe an apple with that (like eaten on the ride to the course). I eat trail mix during the round.

 

[MrMichael]

Most golfers I know warmup with 12 oz curls followed by 3 oz shots

 

[zarro]

I like the idea of this. But lifiting heavy before playing? That would really fire up your nervous system which may be good for crushing a drive but would probably make you twitchy with the touch shots and putts. I agree you don't want to be asleep out there but I also think getting too hyped up could be a bad idea.

Chris,

Actually the reason I'd reccomend this kind of stuff over say, a caffiene tab is because you won't get a twitchy side effect. I have trained before playing many times and felt all aspects of my game did improve. I think partly because I was slightly fatigued, so I was able to relax some, but I also felt that I was able control the smaller movements more effectively.

 

[zarro]

A person's maximum speed is determined by their strength. "a weak athlete is a slow one"- joe defranco (i think) a famous strength coach

Good quote, Joe Defranco is a really good coach. I'd love to see what he'd come up with for a golfer. I'm curious what kind of program Alwyn Cosgrove, Jim Wendler, Travis Mash and the rest of the elitefts team would come up with.

 

[zarro]

talking about pre-round activity. I can see where a set of heavy weight (4-5 reps) could be of benefit. Get those big muscles waking up and working.

Looks like his pre-round is.
1. waking up small, fast twitch muscles and engaging core
2. waking up and engaging hips (vs. waist) and fast twitch muscles in legs
3. same with big muscles in core and arms - I visualized a bench press here. Do you mean do squats at heavy weight? If so, include waking up and engaging big muscles in core, lower back and legs.
4. same with big muscles in back.

What is the list of herbs, vitamins, etc... that can be used??? I find, when I take a multi-vitamin before a round that I a negatively effected.

I usually like a good bowl of oatmeal, a couple of eggs, some milk and coffee. Maybe an apple with that (like eaten on the ride to the course). I eat trail mix during the round.

Actually, that meal pre golf sounds pretty good. I'd be suprised if you even needed the trail mix till late in the round. Your analysis of the warm up exercises is good. I'd say that people can do any or all of them, you just have to find what works best for you. As far as supplements that help potentiate the nervous system, there is a long list. Here's a short, but definately not complete list of stuff

DMAE
Caffeine
L-Tyrosine
B-Vitamins
Green Tea Extract
GABA

Products that contain some of this stuff:
Biotest Powerdrive
Biotest Spike
Designer Supplements Basic Cuts
Anabolic Xtreme Stimulant X

I've tried the first 3 and have heard that Stimulant X is really powerful. Of course if you are going to try this stuff you have to assess your own tolerance. Like I said, this list is not complete and there are tons of products that have ingridients that potentiate the nervous system, it's just finding ones that work just enough, but not to much.

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Personally i wouldn't reccomend lifting heavy before any sport. Lifting heavy and in short reps greatly fatigues the muscles (which is why it is so good for powerlifting). Also, due to the heavy breakdown of the muscles and the amount of blood you are sending to them, you are going to tigthen up.

If you are going to lift or workout before golf, the majority of your routine should include some heavy stretching, some light cardio, and probably the same amount of reps as Zarro suggested but with light weight.

The idea is that you want to have your body READY to play that round of golf, not fatigued.

 

[birdie_man]

I agree man.........I ain't a personal trainer or anything.....but you go too hard and you'll be done before you hit the course. All stiff and sore. That's no good.....

Good amount of stretching etc........"warming up".......I don't get why you'd want to go anymore than that before a round.

 

[FloydPT38]

The supplement list

OK my secret list because I'm just eccentric enough to have a secret golf supplement list

L-Tyrosine (powdered form -about a tsp)
DMAE 300-800 mg
Piracetam ( a nootrophic)
Rhodiola rosea 1000 mg
L-Theanine- emphasize this! (again powdered it's cheaper 800-1000mg)
Gotu kola
Magnesium

If you're OK with Caffeine only from green tea or Yerba Mate - no tablets and can't total over 100 mg

Also possibly Fish oil

Washed down with strong Ginger Ale which rumor is Hogan thought gave him "thin hands" -although Brian and some others might know if he really did this.

Once you are on the course no stretch should last over 2 seconds as it will slow you down. You should have a personalized stretch routine - some quick heavy lifts are fine as long as you don't feel tired- you should feel energized.
Remember the average swing is about 1.2- 1.5 seconds certainly under 2 seconds.

 

[birdie_man]

Hey Floyd are u the physiotherapist?? Someone on here is....

What's "thin hands"?

No stretching for over 2 secs b4 the round???

A swing may only last 2 seconds....but it has to be done well...yes?

Let me know what you think.

 

[FloydPT38]

Yeah, I'm the PT

What are Thin hands?- Don't really know other than I know I read that somewhere years ago (about 25 years ago) . That Hogan drank Ginger Ale and he felt it had an effect on his kidneys that gave him "Thin hands"- felt like he had more control with his hands, a better feel of the clubhead perhaps??-Anyway, it got to be a habit/superstition with me. I bet someone on this forum knows where that came from.

Anyway with the stretches - you want to think more of waking the muscles up, getting them ready for action. If you really stretch and hold (like many golfers do) then you slow down that muscle for about 15 min. So when you are on the course or just about to play - quick stretches - not bouncing but almost- Things to wake up the muscles- get the blood flowing but not slow you down. Sure you have to do the swing well but that's the point- The more that all of your muscles are ready to make a 1.2 second swing with usually about 90% of your maximum strength then you're good to go. The golf swing is more like a punch or a martial arts activity than a marathon (we tend to look at golf as an event which lasts 4 1/2 hours but it's made up of 1.2 second swings then resting for 3-5 minutes.)

When you are away from the course then stretch and hold for 20-30 seconds the areas that need stretching.

 

[Chris Sturgess]

Floyd, thank you for divulging your super secret golf supplement list. What are the effects should be seen from this mysterious stack?

Chris,

Actually the reason I'd reccomend this kind of stuff over say, a caffiene tab is because you won't get a twitchy side effect. I have trained before playing many times and felt all aspects of my game did improve. I think partly because I was slightly fatigued, so I was able to relax some, but I also felt that I was able control the smaller movements more effectively.

Really? That's surprising. Maybe we have different definitions of what heavy is, what percentage of your max are you using?

Personally i wouldn't reccomend lifting heavy before any sport. Lifting heavy and in short reps greatly fatigues the muscles (which is why it is so good for powerlifting). Also, due to the heavy breakdown of the muscles and the amount of blood you are sending to them, you are going to tigthen up.

Actually that's not true at all. Lifting heavy for low reps mainly excites and eventually fatigues the nervous system. Lifting light for high reps is what fatigues muscles.

 

[FloydPT38]

The effects are more birdies less bogeys-

More focus, easier concentration-
Good energy feel without the caffeine jitters (and I like caffeine)
Easier ability to get into the zone (alpha mental state- calm, relaxed, energized)


That's the plan anyway

Oh, and Thin hands

 

[blehnhard]

Believe the "Thin Hands" statement was in "Five Fundamentals" if not, "Power Golf". I made reference to it in answer to a post not long ago.

Bruce

 

[Jim Kobylinski]

Actually that's not true at all. Lifting heavy for low reps mainly excites and eventually fatigues the nervous system. Lifting light for high reps is what fatigues muscles.

Then why do almost all power lifters do it (including me) and we gain a lot more strength faster than those who use lighter weights and more reps?

Curious to know if there is any reasoning behind it.

 

[protagonist]

If you 'really stretch' you slow down the muscle for 15 min? I never knew that. Could help explain a lot of things I work on.
BTW, when I 'really stretch' I stretch for about 30 seconds because it seems to work far, far better than the 10 seconds a lot of people talk about.

I've tried a lot of things for a pre-round preparation, and the worst was just to practice with a 5 iron. It just never worked, and I always played badly. Some of my best rounds have been with no preparation at all, except to birdie the first hole. That always worked, and I always played very well after that.

Yeah, I'm the PT

What are Thin hands?- Don't really know other than I know I read that somewhere years ago (about 25 years ago) . That Hogan drank Ginger Ale and he felt it had an effect on his kidneys that gave him "Thin hands"- felt like he had more control with his hands, a better feel of the clubhead perhaps??-Anyway, it got to be a habit/superstition with me. I bet someone on this forum knows where that came from.

Anyway with the stretches - you want to think more of waking the muscles up, getting them ready for action. If you really stretch and hold (like many golfers do) then you slow down that muscle for about 15 min. So when you are on the course or just about to play - quick stretches - not bouncing but almost- Things to wake up the muscles- get the blood flowing but not slow you down. Sure you have to do the swing well but that's the point- The more that all of your muscles are ready to make a 1.2 second swing with usually about 90% of your maximum strength then you're good to go. The golf swing is more like a punch or a martial arts activity than a marathon (we tend to look at golf as an event which lasts 4 1/2 hours but it's made up of 1.2 second swings then resting for 3-5 minutes.)

When you are away from the course then stretch and hold for 20-30 seconds the areas that need stretching.