How Does a Professional Golfer Train?

Understanding the Swing

The way the golfer swings the club is his signature in the game of golf. A pro golfer needs to be aware of every aspect of his swing. This is done by the feel of the swing and also by studying videotape. A golfer must go to the driving range and hit hundreds of balls in order to perfect his swing. Every shot requires subtle differences in the swing. The golfer has to feel comfortable with his tee shot, fairway shot, bunker shot, approach shot, and putt. Once the swing feels comfortable, the player needs to look at videotape of his swing to observe any flaws or any aspect of the swing that could be improved.
The golfer may feel that his swing is comfortable, but he may notice that his takeaway angle is incorrect. That may be costing distance. Watching the videotape can help the player correct the flaw.

The only way for a professional golfer to prove that he can handle the mental strain of a tournament is to play through the 72 holes. He should do it often enough to gain the confidence that his play is strong enough to contend most weeks. There is no substitute for playing under pressure, but a golfer can simulate pressure during practice. The golfer can gain the confidence to play his best golf in a tournament setting by mastering the fundamentals and coming to the conclusion that there is not a shot in the book that he can't master. If a player has this mindset, he will be at his best under pressure. However, if the player doubts his own ability to be successful on a particular shot, he will almost certainly fail. So, in order to succeed under pressure, a player must master all the shots that he will face in a tournament setting. Once this happens, a player will relish playing in pressure situations.

Golf is not a game that depends on speed, strength or athleticism. Throughout the decades, there have been many golfers who have been successful despite a lack of conditioning. However, if a golfer keeps himself in shape and increases core strength, that can only help him be more successful on the golf course. Most professional golfers realize that they can help themselves on the course by increasing flexibility, strength and quickness. As a result, golfers are more likely to spend time in the gym then ever before. Being in an athletic condition is not a substitute for an excellent swing, but adding hand strength, for example, to a strong swing will help a player add distance to a shot. Rotating hips into and through the ball should increase accuracy and distance. Conditioning through strength training and cardiovascular activity will help a good golfer improve.