{"id":483,"date":"2011-07-25T18:11:33","date_gmt":"2011-07-25T18:11:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/jaystuller.com\/?p=483"},"modified":"2012-02-13T18:08:11","modified_gmt":"2012-02-13T18:08:11","slug":"golf-strong-building-an-extra-20-yards-and-more","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/theaposition.com\/jaystuller\/golf\/equipment\/483\/golf-strong-building-an-extra-20-yards-and-more","title":{"rendered":"Golf Strong: Building An Extra 20 Yards and More"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"<\/a>In a conversation about how professional golfers practice, J.C. Snead once told me that it was fundamental for a player to get \u201cgolf strong,\u201d before all else could come together.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s different from other kinds of strong, in that being golf strong makes if possible for you to hit balls on the range for hours, practicing different shots,\u201d explain the Virginia-born Snead, who had 15 wins on the PGA Tour, Champions Tour and in other events.\u00a0 \u201cIt\u2019s also the strength that gets you through the last round of a tournament.\u201d<\/p>\n

While golf is about the last sport to get a clue, it\u2019s now \u00a0well accepted that fitness generally improves performance, \u00a0the waistlines of Darren Clarke and Phil Mickelson notwithstanding.\u00a0 Yoga for flexibility, Pilates for core-building and cardiovascular exercise for endurance are standard training regimens for professionals and top-ranked amateurs.\u00a0 And now comes a weight machine, called The Extra 20 Yards<\/a>, meant to build the strength that increases clubhead speed and adds distance to drives and iron shots, reputedly with just a few minutes of at-home workouts per week.<\/p>\n

Developed in Edinburgh, Scotland, and on the European market for about a year, The Extra 20 Yards was recently introduced in the U.S., where it sells for $365, plus $30 for shipping.\u00a0 That\u2019s about the cost of the new driver, which is what most golfers buy in an often elusive \u00a0search of incremental distance. \u00a0And yet, the only certain ways to get better yardage off the tee is through instruction and better technique, custom fitted clubs and, perhaps most important, by\u00a0\u00a0developing strength and flexibility.<\/p>\n

\u201cI lack the motivation to go to a gym for an hour or 90 minutes three times a week so I can hit a golf ball farther,\u201d said Extra 20 Yards Inventor, Graeme Alexander. \u201cSo I came up with an exercise machine that is biomechanically specific to the golf swing.\u201d<\/p>\n

The weighted swivel pulley device has a handle that\u2019s like a golf grip, and the motion used mimics the golf swing, on a plane that\u2019s correct for both left and right-handed golfers. A weighted stack of plates, each 4.4 pounds, is designed to work the muscles of the swing without sacrificing flexibility.\u00a0 \u00a0It works on the body\u2019s core and, as Alexander notes, is golf-specific, unlike the weight machines in gyms.\u00a0 In addition, says the inventor, the system also builds muscle memory in the hands and arm, which helps hard-wire technique.<\/p>\n

(The machine is easily installed against a wall, and must presumably be anchored into a stud.\u00a0 More information, and a video, can be found at (www.extra-yards.com<\/a>).<\/p>\n

Washboard Abs and American Flab<\/strong><\/p>\n

Competitive athletes in any sport, from junior high upward, spend hours dailyon their chosen game or event.\u00a0 With each higher level, the demands of training and practice soar.\u00a0 Grownup amateur golfers with full-time jobs and families seldom have many discretionary hours for both the repetitive aspects of practicing a motor-skills sport and physical conditioning. \u00a0\u00a0And as Snead also suggests, the ability to endure several hours of work on a practice range takes not only mental strength, but an awfully stout constitution.<\/p>\n

The Extra 20 Yards – – which has attracted unsolicited endorsements from European professionals and golf instructors – – is an excellent option for putting in minimum time and getting good results from the physical side of golf training.\u00a0 Well, that so long as it\u2019s not left gathering dust like all of those tummy tightening machines found at garage sales across the Midwest and Southern U.S., where there is considerably more flab than ripped abs.<\/p>\n

In any event, of the four most important aspects of playing better golf – – which include instruction, equipment, practice and conditioning – – the physical aspects are probably as important as professional teaching.<\/p>\n

And then, if one gets Golf Strong like \u00a0J.C. Snead, the necessary practice can follow.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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