Golf, like any sport, requires a certain level of physical fitness in order to get the most out of your playing experience.  Though golf is not nearly as rigorous as some sports you still need to focus on a few muscle groups in order to play well.  Most of the successful golfers will tell you that muscle memory is one of the most important aspects of a consistent golf game.  Being able to reproduce shots will shave significant strokes off your round.  Repetitious movements train your muscles to react in a way that gives you better directional results.  For the novice golfer this is very important.

A good golf swing begins with a solid base from which to pivot your body through the entire range of motion.  By maintaining a singular pivot point from which to rotate, the club will follow the same arc time after time.  The best way to get this consistency is to select a safe location where you can swing a club and begin methodically rotating your core around an imaginary center line keeping your center mass as steady as possible.  The key is to begin slowly.  This allows your muscles to control the movement.

Patience at the beginning will pay dividends as you go through the process.  Limit your movements to just those that are absolutely essential.  Start small.  The smaller and the less movement involved, the greater the control.  The power of a golf swing comes from the proper rotation of the hips.  Swinging with just your arms will cause undesirable results.  Focus on the pivot point keeping your core centered on the imaginary line going through the center of your body.  Again, start small in order to get your muscles learning the path they need to take for when you ultimately hit the course.  The rotation should be steady but relaxed.  Having the proper balance, coupled with a comfortable swing, will be more productive that just gripping and ripping the club.  It doesn’t matter how hard you hit the ball if it doesn’t go where you want it to.

Stretching your major muscle groups will help in getting the comfortable easy swing necessary for a good round of golf.  Practice using progressively larger ranges of motion in order to gain the flexibility required.  Your game will improve exponentially and you will have less of a risk of injury.  Making sure your golf swing is properly aligned is important because failure to do so can result in chronic back and knee problems.  As you repeat your swing hundreds, if not thousands of times, always staying controlled, the club speed will improve naturally and in a more confident way.  Golf is as mentally challenging as it is physically.  Thinking about the muscle control upfront will allow you to focus more readily on the ball strike once you take to the course.

Vern Marker writes on behalf of a Golf College and frequently blogs about tips and techniques.  When Vern is not blogging or writing, he is an avid golfer who loves to travel the world.  Follow him on Twitter@VernMarker.

Technorati Tags: golf, golf college, golf instruction, golf jobs, golf school, golf shape