Building a Successful In-Season Fitness Routine

As we close out February, it’s important to keep in mind that all our hard work should continue through the season. Even though we all know the speed, mobility and mental training helps, it’s hard to find time to train and play golf.

For those who live in the sunbelt, they already experience this challenge. Some may have a proactive way of managing their time and others might need the same sort of education and inspiration our off-season golfers require. The solution to this time balancing question starts with a quick assessment of your time. Ask yourself these two questions:

There’s no doubt we all have daily items we’d like to give up and dedicate more time to improving our game. The question states what “can” you do away with? A quick time assessment will open your eyes. Start by going on your smartphone and checking the screen time app. How many minutes/hours do you spend swiping per day? As a PGA Coach, I start there because once my students see the report, they usually have found enough training time by just dropping the phone for an extra forty-five minutes a day.

Now that we have found some time, the next question is when to take advantage. Determine what day(s) of the week you plan on playing. Then look at the other days. Begin to design a training time on the non-golf days. Some of you might participate with a trainer and will need to consider that schedule as well. The quick point is, today is the best day to start figuring this all out.

Most look at this day-to-day challenge as a 10,000-piece jigsaw puzzle. It really is not. Building a schedule isn’t really the issue. You can work with a coach and come up with a plan. The real test becomes following through. No different than a golf swing. Right away as you write the plan, you will see certain training regimens may have to be put on hold until the golf season slows down again.

That’s okay. It’s important that you decide which items are the most fun and have a shorter recovery. Which of the workouts, mental or physical, have the most positive impact on your play? Those are the ones we place in our schedule. The reason is simple, because then we will be more likely to do them!

I mentioned starting today. That’s essentially the most important lesson in this coaching piece. Begin building a schedule right away. Don’t just design a plan, start using it. For some, the time you set aside for golf might not be possible yet. It’s still important to set aside that time on your routine.

Therefore, by the time the golf season really kicks in and all of this comes together, you’ll already be prepared to manage your time.