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Questions for Your Golf Fitness Coach Bill Hartman
What is your background?
Well, let’s see. I’ve been involved in most training aspects of the fitness industry since 1988, and I rehabilitated my first golfer in 1990. My education includes degrees in Movement and Sports Science and Physical Therapy. Over the past 12 years or so, I’ve accumulated several certifications including NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist and USA Weightlifting Sports Performance Coach. I’m also a Level 2 Active Release Techniques (ART) Practitioner. ART is a rather cutting-edge soft tissue treatment technique that frees-up scar tissue and adhesions which often times cause pain or limit physical performance. Many times I have been able to relieve a clients pain and demonstrate improved function in just one or two treatments. Over the years, I’ve also taken advanced training in shoulder, knee, and spine rehabilitation as well as many methods and applications of strength, power, and speed training.
Why the specialty with golf?
In my experiences in working with a variety of athletes, there are several groups of athletes which tend to remain in the “Dark Ages” when it comes to their physical preparation. Wrestlers, boxers and martial artists tend to rely on old ineffective methods of conditioning, but they are making progress in that area. However, for most golfers at all levels, strength and conditioning programs are almost non-existent. Those golfers that do follow some form of golf conditioning program are oftentimes unaware that the exercises and activities they are performing will actually do nothing to improve their golf game. Some exercises can actually decrease golf performance. I’ve seen this happen with my own golf clients. They have been exercising for years and may have even worked with a trainer before, but after several weeks on my conditioning program, they experience dramatic changes in their capabilities. If they were doing the correct exercises before, that shouldn’t happen.
Each golfer will present with their own individual needs that must be met to improve their game. No two golfers will respond exactly the same way to the same program. By not individualizing the program, the application of the training means becomes random and so do the results. In other words, a lot of golfers are simply doing the wrong things to improve their game and wasting valuable time that they could be using to play or practice their golf game. A great many golfers are making progress IN SPITE OF their conditioning programs, not because of them. I’d like to change that.
What are some of the biggest mistakes golfers make?
WOW! Where do I start? Probably the biggest mistake they make is thinking that a golf conditioning is not necessary. I can’t really blame them too much. On any golf course, on any day, you could see a 78-year-old man, a 35-year-old woman, and a 4-year-old kid playing essentially the same game. The thinking is that if such a wide variety of people can play the same game, how physically demanding can it be.
What most golfers don’t realize is that improving the underlying abilities of playing golf – dynamic flexibility, speed-strength, short-term endurance – makes a golfer more teachable. The more teachable a golfer becomes, the greater his or her skill level. Then, rather than trying to create a compensation in his or her golf swing, they are able to perform optimally and consistently with a reduced risk of injury.
How should golfers condition themselves for golf?
That’s a tough question. As I said before, each golfer presents with their own specific needs. A lot of what determines how a golfer should prepare is the results of some specific tests which expose their golf-specific weak points.
Let me give you an example. I have a golf client who spends most of his training sessions working on exercises to improve his golf-related flexibility. I have another client who does no flexibility work at all. Now if they were to be put on the same program, neither client would achieve their “PR Performance” on the golf course.
Golfers need to prepare themselves based on their golf-related weakness. As those weakness become strengths, LOOK OUT! That’s when scores start to drop and golf gets a heck of a lot more fun.
What’s new on the horizon for Golfers?
To say that I’m excited about the developments here at Your Golf Fitness Coach.com would be an understatement. The biggest challenge I’m facing right now is the creation of my new internet/home program for golfers who I can’t work with directly. It’s kind of tough to create because some of the things I do based on my physical therapy and performance coaching experience is difficult to communicate to a layman. Regardless, it’s coming along nicely and it will certainly be the next best thing to working directly with me. Of course, anyone involved with any of my programs has almost unlimited access to me via the Internet and also by phone consultation.
I’m also working on my newest seminar based on my latest programming developments, and a great new injury treatment and prevention program specifically for golf-related injuries. These will probably be available in the coming months.
Do you have a question for "Your Golf Fitness Coach"? Just send an email to: BillHartman@yourgolffitnesscoach.com.
