Why is it that the vast majority of golfers will never have a handicap lower than 18? Mostly it is because that the vast majority of golfers are not fit for golf.

Generally it is not because these golfers have a swing defect or some other fault in their game as they spend a lot of money on things like swing training aids grip training aids and alignment aids.

There is an area of golf that the majority completely ignores and that is getting fit for golf. Training for golf doesnt mean using the aforementioned training aids it means getting in shape so that you can play better golf.

Specifically to take your golf to the next level you have to work your golf specific muscles. Unless you are a professional golfer you have to get as much distance of the tee as possible.

Why? For the casual golfer the closer you are to the green the more chance you will have of landing your ball on the green near the hole. Then you will have more chance of making a par or better.

If you only hit your drives 200 yards or less you will always be faced with a long iron into the green. Now I dont know about you but I find it difficult to consistently get long irons anywhere near the hole. I would much rather be faced with a 7 iron and above for my second shot on a par 4.

So you need more distance of the tee therefore you need more power. Most casual golfers equate more power to trying to hit the ball as hard as they can. This generally results in wild shots going every which direction except straight down the fairway.

More distance equals a faster swing which comes from being able to exert more (controllable and effortless) power. More power can only come from having worked your golf specific muscles; you have to train for golf as you would have to train for any sport.

So lets see how you can improve your game by training for golf. There are three types of training which a lot of people ask about and this article will discuss the three areas of training that you can do depending on your physical makeup.

Fitness Training For Golf

This is the most common type of training that is suitable for nearly all types of golfers. It can be done by casual golfers seniors athletes women beginners and fit men. Now you might be an athlete or a fit man but that doesnt necessarily make you fit for golf.

Fitness training for golf implies working on your golf specific muscles and flexibility. By concentrating on the muscles that you use in the golf swing you will have more power to increase your swing speed and therefore your distance.

One type of training that you can do is resistance and flexibility training which is a complete portable golf gym that uses resistance bands. You can carry out every imaginable golf specific exercise: full power swing power turn wrist extension and wrist flexion power drive and a lot more. The above exercises will strengthen your golf muscles and also improve your flexibility.

Another device that does the same is a weighted golf club. As it is a hittable club you can practice your swing as with a normal club. The difference is that because of the extra weight in the club head you are guaranteed to be working all your golf specific muscles. Also it greatly increases your flexibility - use it just before a round of golf to loosen up and you will see a big difference in your distance of the tee.

Strength Training For Golf

You might find that your golf muscles are generally well developed but that you have for example weak wrists. You could use strength training for golf exercises to work on just your wrists to give them more mass.

There are some golf training devices that you can find that concentrate on specific areas of the body like the wrists. Another option is to go to your local gym and explain to the instructor what area you want to focus on and let them help you with a strength training program.

Weight Training For Golf

This final type of training program could be misinterpreted as body building to achieve a Rambo type body. This is not the case though; the goal of weight training for golf is to increase your muscle mass a little bit. This is useful for golfers that are on the scrawny side and dont have enough strength to hit their drives even 150 yards.

What you should be after is a well toned body with defined muscles. Again it would be advisable to go to your local gym and get good instruction. They will also be able to recommend a good diet with lots of protein for building up muscle.

With the weight and strength training exercises under way you should then focus on the fitness training exercises. Like I said even athletic types need to focus on golf specific muscles to improve their game and distance.