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!

Kevin coaches masters and triathlete swimmers in San Diego, CA. He operates the website http://www.TriSwimCoach.com, a resource for future or current triathletes needing help with the swim. The site features a free email newsletter offering tips and articles on triathlon swimming. Kevin has also written an electronic book titled "The Complete Guide to Triathlon Swimming" which is sold on his website http://www.triswimcoach.com in downloadable form.

Related Articles:

Dallas Real Estate Market
With the changes in the market dynamics, the real estate market is currently undergoing a competitive stage. In most places around the country, many sellers and buyer are feeling the pressure. There is strain put on the buyers, who are looking for excellent deals, and the sellers, who are trying to get top dollar for their properties.

Freezing Mortgages or Freezing the Real Estate Market?
Eli Tene, the President of I Short Sale, Inc., a leading nationwide loss mitigation service provider, believes that the mortgage freeze plan is just another sign that the administration does not have the necessary tools to deal with a crisis. "If the goal is to help distressed homeowners, the mortgage rate freeze is missing the target," says Tene.

How to Have a Better Golf Swing
If you've been searching for how to have a better golf swing then Mike Pedersen's Ultimate Golf Fitness Guide is a must read. After reading Mike's book I was amazed at how much your fitness level directly impacts your ability to have a better golf swing. Mike's book is packed with his expert knowledge on golf fitness and he guarantees you'll add yards to your shots and shave strokes off your score. Take it from me, Mike's methods work and he has helped me shave strokes off my score within the first fee weeks of using his training methods.

Georgetown, Texas Real Estate Agent Educates Custom Home Buyers
Proactive real estate agent in Georgetown, Texas dedicates himself to the ever-growing market for custom homes.

Staying in Style in Four Seasons Hotel Las Vegas
This plush five-star hotel is situated right on top of the Mandalay which occupying its top four floors The privileges that the guests receive is second to none, and the most well known of which is the use of the award- winning water park at Mandalay Bay

Martin County, Florida Deploys MobileHWY's BlackBerry Mobile INSPECTOR?
Martin County, Florida deploys MobileHWY's BlackBerry Mobile INSPECTOR? Request for Service Module to improve customer service provided by its Code Enforcement Officers.

The End of Real Estate Buying and Selling As We Know It
Discount online real estate brokerage delivers service and perks that are anything but discounted.

Relationships And Golf
There is no other sport in the world that helps to build relationships like the game of golf. Whether you are trying to tie the knot to a business deal or looking to open a new course, you will need to form relationships. And with golf, this can be done in no time at all.

What Should I Know About Biomechanics of the Golf Swing?
If you've read some of my articles in the past, we focused a lot on training the body to help you provide more power, consistency and accuracy to your golf swing.Today, we are going to get a little more scientific.

Rank-Yourself.com Launches The First Self Paced Search Engine Optimization Tutorial for Real Estate Agents
Big Brush Media is proud to announce its latest service designed to help real estate agents achieve higher rankings in the search engines through a self paced online tutorial.