Swimming vs. Golf
Recently, I have taken up golf, and I can’t help but notice the
similarities between learning golf and learning swimming. Both
are finesse sports that require large amounts of concentration
and practice to get right, and it is unnecessary (and
ill-advised) to gain great amounts of strength to make major
improvements in either sport. Let’s look at some specific ways
golf is like swimming:
1.It Starts with Head Position. In golf, you must keep your head
still and look straight at the ball while you swing in order to
make contact. In swimming, you must keep your head still and
look straight down at the bottom of the pool while you rotate in
order to get the most out of your stroke.
2.Concentration is Key. The moment you start thinking about more
than one thing when you are about to hit the ball is the moment
that something goes wrong. If I get 2 tips on my golf swing and
I think about both of them the next time I tee up, I tend to
have an underwhelming result! The same goes for doing the
swimming drills. As a coach, if I give a swimmer several things
to think about, inevitably, nothing will go right. The idea is
to concentrate on one aspect, practice it, master it, and move
on.
3.The Fewer Strokes, The Better. When improving your score in
golf, you want to take fewer strokes to get the ball in the
hole. To improve your swim (especially open water), you want to
take fewer strokes per length, in order to utilize your energy
for the entire swim or triathlon.
4.Follow Through is Important. When you hit the ball, it is
important that you follow through all the way with your club. In
freestyle swimming, to get the most out of your stroke, you must
extend your arm and glide.
5.Power Comes from the Core. Your arms and legs themselves do
not need to be incredibly powerful to have success in either
sport. With both sports, the power comes from the core-
abdominal muscles, lower back, and hips. Legs are used more for
stabilization than to propel you forward in swimming. Legs in
golf are also used more for stabilization, rather than for more
powerful strokes.
Both sports can also be frustrating, but with practice,
patience, and persistence, swimming and golf can both present
you with a meditative-like form of exercise that I have found to
be both fulfilling and fun!
