In talking with athletes of varying ages, there are two areas that need to be addressed when trying to take their bodies and their golf games to the next level. The first is having a plan, based off an assessment or an evaluation of what you’d like to improve, that can be trusted to progress the athlete at the appropriate times in their development. The second is simply sticking to that plan consistently. The question, however, is what happens when everything doesn’t go according to plan? It tests our ability to adapt!
Adaptability, believe it or not, has shown to be the most common trait among successful professionals. Without the willingness to adapt, get creative, and find solutions instead of problems you will not find the success in reaching your goals that you may have originally hoped! Strength training falls under the same light as your golf goals. If you find yourself travelling this off season and struggle to find the same fully equipped gym you would normally have access to at home, it’s time to improvise! Below are a few ideas that may help you adapt and stay on track while you are on the road:
- Do some recon ahead of time – Prior planning! If you know where you’ll be staying do a quick search for some local parks, playgrounds, or school athletic fields. If you have some open space that you can use safely, this is a great area to dedicate to continuing your workouts on the road.
- But what about equipment? If you are travelling through the air and do not have the ability to bring a set of dumbbells (as you may if you were driving) throw a band or two in your golf bag. Bands are a great tool to use for active stretching, strength, and power training. They’re versatile and that’s huge when you’re not at home.
- How do I make my workout harder? We understand you won’t have the same weight or resistance that you might in your gym at home. To increase the difficulty of the exercises in your workout change the tempo! This doesn’t always mean do the exercise faster. Slowing it down, and really focusing on activating the appropriate muscle groups and controlling the movement slowly is often even harder!
