Mark Long Wins Another Pro Golf Tournament

Congratulations Mark!

In addition to consistently working hard on all aspects of his golf game, Mark understands how vitally important it is to be in the best physical condition possible.  Mark currently trains 5 - 6 days per week.  He uses circuit training to efficiently improve strength and endurance.  Mark does a variety of movements involving kettlebells, sandbags, plyo boxes, TRX suspension system and his own body weight.  Mark will tell you that his conditioning regimen allows him to practice longer and with better focus while doing so.  In Mark's recent tournament win he birdied 15, 17 & 18.  Mark's conditioning allowed him to maintain focus without having to deal with fatigue. 



Strength Training Summit - Columbus, OH

The following represent some of my key takeaway's from the summit...

For optimum sports performance you must improve both physiological AND psychological

Focus on Dynamic Correspondence.  How well does the training effect performance on the court, field, etc.

Many top basketball dunkers never perform squats.  Their focus in on movement efficiency.

2 types of Jumpers.  Quad Dominant (rely on power) & Hip Extender (elastic reactive).  Optimize the jumpers preference first, then improve overall jumping efficiency.

Focus on Dampening Efficiency.  Minimize ground contact time.  How well we land determines how well we take off.

Sport Functional Strength is a culmination of biomechanical efficiency & neuromuscular efficiency

Power Continuum (very few sports fall into one category):

·         Speed: ability to achieve a very high velocity of an unloaded or lightly loaded limb (tennis, golf, kicking, punching, throwing a ball)

·         Speed – Strength: ability to accelerate the body and achieve a high velocity in a horizontal fashion unencumbered by opponents (sprinting, speed skating)

·         Explosive Power: ability to generate power in a vertical direction (jumping)

·         Strength – Speed: ability to move a heavier implement or opponent (wrestling, football line play, shot put)

·         Strength: movement against maximum or near maximum resistance (power lifting, Olympic lifting)

When testing vertical jump, test max and static.  Ideally, there will be greater than 15% difference in the two.  Less than 15% difference shows that eccentric strength is inadequate.

Plyometric Objectives:

·         Increase concentric power production capability

·         Develop eccentric strength needed to tolerate extreme power absorption

·         Develop reactive strength needed to rapidly recoil subsequent action

Most athletes train only the “taking off” or concentric movement.  You must improve your ability to absorb shock.  Without this training the athlete won’t be able to change direction quickly, because they can’t stabilize the negative forces.

·         Perform Depth Jumps

·         Perform Altitude Drops

Don’t use agility like cardio.  Agility should be treated like weight training reps.  Include adequate rest so max effort is able to be exerted.  Do plyo work before agility work

In Season training is important.  Use high intensity, but low volume.

Quickness is determined by reactive ability.  This takes strength & stability.

Speed / Power training should be done at 90% effort.  Rest between sets should be > 3 minutes.  Don’t succumb to parents who expect you to kick their kid’s butts.  Often times parents think that making kids sore and on the verge of puking every workout is what they are paying for.  Fact is, they should be paying you to improve athletic performance. 

Don’t mix metabolic training with speed & power.  You want to stimulate the athlete, not annihilate the athlete.  Ideally, training should not induce soreness.