ABSTRACT
Strength and conditioning (S&C) training is a critical component of most athletes’ training programmes. With S&C training, it is possible to change the body structure (decrease fat, increase muscle mass and strengthen bones and connective tissues), improve the neuromuscular capacity (strength, power, balance and coordination), increase energy-giving capacities (anaerobic/muscular endurance and aerobic/cardiovascular endurance) and increase range of motion (ROM). However, as late as the mid-1980s, physical conditioning was not a priority among golf professionals (Jobe et al., 1994). S&C training became more popular when the number 1 ranked players Annika Sörenstam and Tiger Woods used it as a key part of their training. Visible evidence of the need for S&C training in golf is the presence of fitness trailers on the professional tours today. Many elite players use physical training as a complement to golf training to stay injury-free and to improve their performance on the course (McMaster et al., 2001). Experts around them have different approaches. Physiotherapists often focus on slow movements with low loads, and athletic trainers may emphasise faster movements with higher loads (Chettle & Neal, 2001). There can also be a progression if the training is periodised (Ratamess et al., 2009). Furthermore, golf instructors check players’ technical shortcomings and thus need to understand what techniques a player’s physique allows them to do before giving them training advice. Therefore, S&C training is nowadays one important piece in the training puzzle for golfers (Hellström, 2009).
