A Holistic Approach to Improve Your Golf Game

Like any other sport, physical fitness, practice and etiquette play an important role. This article will cover a more holistic view of playing golf and improving your game.

Fitness:
- You’ll never be a great golfer unless you keep you body and mind it shape. I know the truth hurts. But all the great players will devote a good portion of their schedule at the gym. Besides the obvious health benefits, you’ll be able to enjoy the game long after you retire.

- Eat right. Stay away from high fat and sugar loaded foods. Don’t have that doughnut and coffee in the morning. Have a glass of juice with some high fiber cereal. If you must have coffee, try to drink it black. The antioxidants and mild caffeine in coffee have been shown to be beneficial to your health. Avoid loading your coffee with creamers and sugar. Also avoid artificial sweeteners.

- Exercise regularly. Include a cardiovascular regimen to help you get around the course and it’s great for your heart. Walking, jogging, biking, take your pick. Swimming is also a great way to improve your breathing and overall body fitness since it targets all your muscle groups. Add weight training to improve your power strokes.

- Exercise your mind. Crossword puzzles, reading golf magazines, and reading the newspaper with your black coffee are all excellent mental exercises. Mental fitness requires a daily regimen as well. Meditation, Tai Chi, spending time with family and friends all help reduce stress and will improve your game. Don’t underestimate this important step.

Practice:
- You need to develop a practice routine that is consistent and regular. Just playing the game is not enough. Try out new techniques, new clubs or improve on existing techniques. Your brain will develop new pathways and muscle memory that will carry over into your game. A rule of thumb is to practice twice as much as you play.

- Take classes or sign up for a lesson or two with a more advanced player. You’ll always learn something new and will level up your golf skills. Do this at least once per year. It takes dedication to become a better player and to improve year after year.

Etiquette
- Golf is a gentlemen’s game. Become familiar with the rules of conduct and practice them in your head and on the course. Being a great player doesn’t always mean having the lowest score. Being able to enjoy golf with other players, whether on your team or just on the course, is just as important as the game itself.