I’ve taken up golf recently, and I’ve really noticed the similarities between golf and swimming. Both sports require finesse, concentration, and practice to get right. Further, neither sport requires you to train excessively to build up muscle strength to make any major improvements. Here are some specific ways that swimming is like golf:
1. Head Position
In swimming, you have to look straight down at the bottom of the pool and keep your head still to get the most out of your stroke. In golf, you have to keep your head still and look straight at the ball while you swing, in order to hit it.
2. Concentration
You must focus on what you’re doing, because the second you start thinking about something other than hitting the ball is when you’re going to miss. The same goes for swimming. If I give a swimmer more than one thing to think about, invariably, nothing will go right. For both sports, you must concentrate on one aspect to practice it, master it, and then move on to the next aspect.
3. Fewer Strokes
In both golf and swimming, the fewer strokes you take, the better. When you want to improve your score in golf, you need to take fewer strokes to get the ball into the hole. To improve your swim time, especially in open water races, you need to take fewer strokes per length so that you can save your energy for the entire swim or triathlon.
4. Follow Through
In golf, you must follow through all the way with your club after you hit the ball. To get the most out of your stoke in freestyle swimming, you have to extend your arm and glide.
5. Your Core has the Power
Arm and leg strength is not as important in either sport as having core strength. In both golf and swimming, your power comes from your core (abdominal muscles, hips, and low back). In both sports, your legs are used more for stabilization rather than forward propulsion in the water or more powerful strokes of the club.
Both sports can be incredibly frustrating at times, but with the three Ps (practice, patience, and persistence), golf and swimming can be meditative , fulfilling, and fun!