How Can Exercise & Diet Improve Your Golf?

With 30 years under his belt as a professional (25 of those in the World’s top 50) 6 Majors and 54 European & PGA Tour wins, Phil Mickelson has entertained crowds the world over!

Known by many as ‘Phil the Thrill’, Mickelson has produced some of the greatest golfing moments in history; such as hit battle with Henrik Stenson on the final day of The Open Championship in 2016 at Royal Troon, or that unbelieveable shot out of the trees at Augusta in 2013.

Phil’s greatest moment by his own admission is winning the 2021 PGA Championship at Kiawah Island. At the age of 50 Phil became the oldest Major winner in golf history, a testament to his physcial and mental strength in addition to the phenomenal golf shots he has in his locker!

Mickelson will be looking for a 4th Green Jacket

COFFEE WAS THE TURNING POINT

Mickelson has nothing to prove to anybody, but over the past couple of seasons, he had a lot to prove to himself. Overweight for a large spell of his playing career it was back in 2010 after a minor health issue that he first knew he had to change his ways but ultimately in 2019 was when Phil had what he called, “a hard reset”

Mickelson lost 15 pounds by going on a 6 day fasting diet, fuelled only by drinking a blend of coffee and water. This would later become ‘Coffee for Wellness’, a health brand owned and run by Phil and world-class performance coach Dave Phillips.

They say:

“Coffee for Wellness is an exceptionally high-quality coffee blend: ethically sourced and roasted to preserve coffee’s natural antioxidants. When combined with ‘The Good Stuff’ – Phil and Dave’s tried and tested combination of adaptogens, nootropics, and superfoods – you get the best tasting and best performing cup of infused coffee in the business. So, you can be a better you, every single day.”

Sticking to a strict diet and gym routine has changed Phil’s life.

TAKING ACCOUNT FOR YOUR OWN HEALTH

In September 2020, just before the US Open, Phil took to social media once again to highlight that taking account for his own health and well-being was something that he could proud of and offered fans an insight of his fitness journey.

He said in an interview that he wasn’t honest or educated and didn’t really care or know what he was eating, not thinking about the consequences it would have.

“I wasn’t educated, I either wasn’t aware or didn’t want to know the things I was putting in my body, whether it was diet soda and how toxic that is, or whether it was the amount of sugar and how much inflammation it causes, or whether it was the quantity; all of those things, I just kind of shut my eyes to.”

Mickelson made dramatic changes to his diet.

Now coffee wasn’t the sole reason for Phil’s dramatic weight loss, he also put himself on a strict workout regime, in the gym, evident from his physique nowadays, particularly his impressive calves! This is partly due to the distance he will have covered over the years walking on the course, however he takes his gym work very seriously too.

Nobody is exactly sure of Phil’s daily workout regime, but he has used his social media accounts often to share clips of exercises with his millions of fans, which offers an insight into his home gym and the sessions he puts himself through.

Working out at home with some impressive calves.

EXERCISES TO HELP IMPROVE YOUR GOLF

Now, of course not everyone has access to the type of experts Phil will have, but here’s 5 exercises you can try at home to help improve your golf game!

Push-ups

Push-ups are essentially a moving plank, making sure that you are using your full range of motion, your chest and hips should touch the floor on the way down. Make sure your arms and legs are straight, feet shoulder width apart. Then, lower your body, pause and push yourself back up, then repeat. Push-ups are an extremely effective exercise that can benefit your overall strength and add power to your swing.

Split Squat

A lower-body exercise that concentrates on your strength, stability & mobility. A narrow stance will reduce your base of support and challenge your stability. With this, you are working the front of your leg, so keep the majority of your weight centred over the middle of your front foot.

Deadbugs

These will really help you strengthen your core. You need strength in your mid to be able to really transfer power from your lower body to your upper body within your golf swing. Keeping your lower back flat against the ground is vital to ensure that you are really working those abs.

Mickelson working out in his own gym.

Body-Turns

A golf club is really handy to use when you try this, it allows you to twist further than you normally would. Body-turns really help to improve your rotation, especially in the backswing and your flexibility. You’ll feel it most around your ribs, back and shoulders. You normally see the pro’s do this on the practice ground or sometimes on the first tee before they get going

Hip Rotations

This is an excellent exercise to improve your rotation in the backswing and the flexibility of your trail shoulder. Using a golf club will assist your turn and help you go further than you would otherwise. You should feel a big stretch around the ribcage, mid-back and shoulders during this exercise. This is also a great exercise to do before you play a round or hit the range.