Getting into the swing of a new season

A conversation with golf and fitness expert Brandon Gaydorus.

It’s that time of year where spring has sprung along with an opportunity for golf enthusiasts to hit the links once again. Golf and fitness expert Brandon Gaydorus has spent the last eight years working with golfers of all ages and experience.  He is a certified strength and conditioning specialist, PGA Class A professional, PGM (profession golf management) graduate of Methodist University in Fayetteville, North Carolina, and has a master’s in exercise science from Concordia University, St. Paul in Minnesota.  I met Brandon several years ago and he has been a colleague of mine ever since.  For this month’s feature article, I asked him to share some of his extensive knowledge with the readers:

What is your main focus when training golfers?

“Whether they are high-level competitive golfers or just looking to play with their friends in their weekly game, the goal is to keep them on the course moving well, feeling well and playing to their potential.

“First, I focus on building a strong foundation for golfers through functional strength training and mobility/stability work based on their needs.  I take golfers through a functional movement screen and then if needed, we will go through a golf-specific movement screen, and then a power testing screen to see where the golfer needs to focus more to gain distance.  A strong foundation is an important and essential step for long-term speed changes and to help ensure that golfers stay healthy while training.

“After the foundation is built, I then focus on trying to make golfers better athletes, through more dynamic movements, various coordination exercises and then by, of course, bumping up their strength-training work.

“Look at someone like Brooks Koepka, on top of golf he probably could have played football and baseball at very high levels.

“Once those two key elements are set (foundation and athlete), then I focus on golf-specific exercises. This could depend on their goals, what their golf pro wants and what they are physically capable of doing.  This is a very fun phase, but should not be rushed into.” 

What is the best advice you can give for golf prep and pre-round exercises?

“There are many different exercises that can benefit golfers.  To simplify things, the body moves in three different planes of motion, which are the sagittal plane (forward/backward), transverse plane (rotation) and frontal plane (side to side). When warming up, try to pick exercises that make sure the body is moving smoothly in all three planes of motion.” 

Why is it so important to have a team when trying to be a better golfer?

“Well, golf has three main components: the game itself, the mental game and your physical health. It’s important to find professionals who can help you in those fields. Who you pick is up to you. 

“When looking for someone to help you play better golf, I recommend finding a teaching professional who teaches 20 hours or more a week or a PGA professional who teaches 10 hours or more a week. It’s important to find someone who has seen and worked with a lot of golfers. The golf professional should be able to help with various parts of your game, including the mental game.

“When looking for someone to help your mental game, look for someone who understands golf and the ups and downs that golfers face.  Books are a good resource for improving your mental game if you can’t find someone locally.

“When looking for someone to help out your physical health, I recommend finding a trainer who is TPI (Titleist Performance Institute)-certified and has his CSCS (Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist) or a degree in exercise science.

“When looking for someone to help out with nutrition, I recommend finding a Precision Nutrition-certified professional or reading the book “Hole-In-One Nutrition” by Robert Yang.  

“When looking for a medical professional (chiropractor or physical therapist), I’d recommend finding someone who is SFMA (Selective Functional Movement Screen)-certified.”

Where can people find you?

“I do in-person personal training in Greenwich.  You can also find my book, “The Ultimate In-Home Golf Fitness Program,” on Amazon.” 

For more, visit bggolfandfitness.com.

Reach Giovanni on Twitter and at his website, GiovanniRoselli.com.

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