It’s great to find a single exercise that targets a lot of the key muscles we use in the golf swing. The clean and press is a great example.
Averee Dovsek is once again reporting from Xymogym in Orlando, Florida, this time with Golfweek‘s Director of Instruction Steve Scott to demonstrate the clean and press and she explains why it’s a great addition to any golfer’s workout routine.
“This is a great overall exercise for strength in the legs, the shoulder, lots of mobility, engaging the core. All good things,” she said in the video above.
Trying to start your golf fitness journey? These items may help
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Balance is an underrated yet incredibly important component of your golf game.
Averee Dovsek, Golfweek’s fitness guru, is once again reporting from Xymogym in Orlando, Florida, with an exercise that will help you with your game, adding a little core strength that will help with your balance.
She’s joined by our Director of Instruction Steve Scott in a medicine ball toss — all on one foot.
Do you want to hit bombs? Do you want to step up to the tee with confidence you can outdrive everyone in you’re group?
Of course, you do.
Well, this week, Averee Dovsek, Golfweek’s fitness guru, is once again reporting from Xymogym in Orlando, Florida, with an exercise to strengthen your back.
Not only does a stronger back allow you to hit longer drives, but it can help stabilize your swing to make your action more consistent.
I was hesitant because the workout was only supposed to be 20 minutes long and didn’t involve any weights.
You’ve likely heard about electro muscle stimulation — EMS, for short — but you’re probably asking for a little clarification on it, and wondering how, or if, it applies to golf.
Not ready to try it just yet? No problem — I did, and here’s a full breakdown of my experience, the benefits it offers and how it can be used for golf-specific exercises.
I went to see trainer Jeff Drier of One Pulse in North Palm Beach, Florida, to see what all the hype was regarding EMS training. The miha bodytec was invented in Germany and is designed for full-body strength training. Those who back miha claim the electro pulses can activate up to 98% of your muscles simultaneously and can achieve a two-hour full-body workout in just 20 minutes.
Drier designed a workout plan that was specific to the golf swing. I was hesitant because the workout was only supposed to be 20 minutes long and didn’t involve any weights.
My workouts are typically focused on strength training and last an hour or longer, so when Jeff told me the plan I was skeptical how anything could get accomplished in just 20 minutes.
Drier first gave me a pair of shorts and a top to change into. Once I returned, I was given a dripping wet vest, armbands, leg bands and a glute band that were all fastened tight to my body. My first reaction was … “ew!” and “I look like Kim Possible.”
Averee in miha body tee suit
The water activates the electrostimulation when plugged into the machine, and when it was fully on and I started moving, I couldn’t feel it at all. Every exercise was conducted at four seconds on and four seconds off.
We started with some cardio as a warm-up, progressed to the lower body, and worked our way to the top. Some exercises included lunges, lateral raises, explosive movements, Romanian deadlifts and hip mobility movements. The EMS training is great because it challenges the body and contracts the muscles without adding the stress of heavy weights on the joints. The workout was challenging, and the electro pulses definitely had me working hard through the exercises. The main goal for golf-specific goals with the miha bodytec technology is to strengthen and stabilize the body.
Below is a short video of my training session with Drier.
Takeaways: I enjoyed the experience and was shocked — pun intended — how much the workout was done without weights. I think this is great for those going through physical rehabilitation programs that maybe can’t put a ton of weight on their body. The machine works your entire body without being overly strenuous on the muscles and joints. It is a great option if you are tight on time for the week with workouts only being 20 minutes.
If you are interested in learning more or trying the miha bodytec technology out for yourself you can visit www.ems-training.us.
The MyTaylorMade+ program aspires to make your entire golf experience more interconnected and better.
Tiger Woods’ use of TaylorMade’s Stealth Plus+ driver at the recent PNC Championship and the club’s subsequent release Jan. 4 created a lot of buzz for the Carlsbad, California-based company. As one of the leaders in metalwood (and now carbonwood) development, TaylorMade’s drivers always garner a lot of attention, as do the company’s fairway woods, hybrids, irons, wedges, putters and balls.
But in the not-too-distant future, TaylorMade might look back on today, when the MyTaylorMade+ program officially launches, as one of the most important dates in the brand’s history.
The MyTaylorMade+ program aspires to set up the company as the Apple of the golf world, a brand that creates an ecosystem in which hardware blends seamlessly with software and services to make the experience of being a golfer better.
That may sound like a lot of “corporate speak,” but with the help of several partners, MyTaylorMade+ tries to replicate the teams elite golfers rely on to help them play at their best.
For example, someone such as Collin Morikawa benefits from having equipment technicians, a personal trainer, a swing coach and a statistics expert who can help make sense of ShotLink analytics and data. MyTaylorMade+ aspires to bring all that to recreational golfers.
At the heart of MyTaylorMade+ is shot tracking, which can be done manually using TaylorMade’s MyRoundPro system or passively using Arccos, a shot-tracking system that TaylorMade has partnered with for the last two years. Both systems utilize GPS to help determine where you hit each shot during your round and gather club information to create detailed statistical reports on your performance.
Tracking your shots and performances using MyTaylorMade+ provides insights into your game and lets the system provide instruction based on your needs. (TaylorMade)
MyTaylorMade+ processes such information to help players understand the strengths and weaknesses of their games, and reveal how they compare to players at other handicap levels. For instance, if you are a 15 handicap and aspire to be a 10, the system may reveal that you lose 1.5 shots to a 10-handicap player in putting while your driving is already at a 10-handicap golfer’s level, so it will encourage you to practice putting instead of working more with your driver.
MyTaylorMade+ also has a continuously updated repository of instruction content from people such as Rick Sessinghaus (Collin Morikawa’s coach), Chris Ryan or Me and My Golf. However, the key is the instructional articles and videos the system recommends will be based on your specific stats and performances. So, if you are putting well but struggling on approach shots, you will be encouraged to watch a video on hitting solid irons instead of improving your lag putting . As your game evolves, the recommendations change automatically.
MyTaylorMade+ also allows golfers to utilize a try-then-buy equipment program that makes any TaylorMade club available for two weeks with customized shafts and grips. If the player likes the club, he or she can pay for it and keep it. If the club does not work out, he or she can simply send it back at no cost.
Golfers also can schedule either a virtual or in-person custom fitting session and gain early access to in-demand products and exclusive, member-only swag. Some of that swag will include “Tour Trash,” equipment made for tour players that was given back, like a driver originally made for Tommy Fleetwood or a prototype wedge for Harry Higgs.
Inside MyTaylorMade+, users will gain early access to equipment and have a chance to obtain special gear. (TaylorMade)
Finally, MyTaylorMade+ has member-only content that includes interviews with staff players, behind-the-scenes videos and more.
There are three levels of MyTaylorMade+: a free version, Tier I ($9.99 per month for one year or $12.99 per month) and Tier II ($19.99 per month annually or $24.99 per month).
The pay-to-use levels of MyTaylorMade+ unlock a feature powered by another partner, Swing Index. It is a two-way coaching platform called My TaylorMade Coach that allows golfers to upload down-the-line and face-on videos of their swing and send them to a coach. After watching the videos, the coach will send feedback and a roadmap of drills to help the player achieve his or her goals. Each plan is broken down into segments, and after you complete the recommended tasks, you are encouraged to upload a new video so the coach can see your progress and recommend a new set of drills to keep you moving in the right direction.
It is important to note that you do not need to use TaylorMade equipment to make MyTaylorMade+ work. The shot-tracking systems at the heart of MyTaylorMade+ can gather data for the system using any club and ball.
The goal for the company is to make MyTaylorMade+ the hub of your golf world, a place where you go to learn about your game, keep track of your progress, find instruction, watch exclusive content and buy equipment. The company also hopes to use data and insights on golfers collected in the MyTaylorMade+ environment to help it develop new equipment.
Have you ever felt tight on the first tee? Feel like you can’t complete a full backswing? Reach for the lower back after topping one in front of your buddies?
Of course you have — we’ve all done it!
This week, Golfweek‘s very own Averee Dovsek is back, once again reporting from Central Park in the middle of New York City with a great drill for those who need a little more mobility in their golf swing.
“I don’t want you leaning forward. I don’t want you leaning back. Keep a good strong core, bring it down for a mobile, and stable golf swing.”
Hitting bombs isn’t just working at the range. It’s putting in some time on your biceps, too. But a gym isn’t always available or feasible.
How do you handle that?
This week, our fitness guru Averee Dovsek is in Central Park in the heart of New York City, to show you a quick and easy exercise to strengthen your arms — and all it takes is a simple band. It’s easy enough to do anywhere but will net tremendous results.
Many amateur golfers aren’t fully aware how important getting in the gym on a consistent basis is to their game. Building critical muscle groups can be the difference between reaching goals within golf, and falling short of them.
This week, Averee Dovsek is in Central Park in the heart of New York City, to show you a great exercise to strengthen your core.
A stronger abdominal area not only allows for a faster swing, it also adds a significant amount of stability throughout your action.
Staying hydrated and fueled up on the golf course usually goes overlooked with most amateur golfers. Then by the middle of the back nine, they wonder why they’re running out of energy.
In this week’s lesson with Averee, our fitness guru reviews what you should and shouldn’t eat out on the golf course to make sure you’re getting everything out of your body that you need during the course of 18 holes.
And what should you bring? That’s your preference, but even chicken makes sense.
