IN FULL SWING

Today, golfers across the world – from the wizards of the PGA Tour to low-handicap amateurs – are realising the importance of strength and conditioning, as they seek those marginal gains that might make the difference between a good round and a great one. And where once golf might have been seen as a game, rather than a sport, it’s now a pursuit that requires high levels of fitness.

“People may once have questioned whether golfers are athletes,” says Trevor Anderson, a leading physical conditioning coach who has been teaching golfers since 2004. “But for me, the golf swing is one of the most violent, deliberate and athletic movements in all sports.”

It’s hard to argue otherwise. Take a cursory look at the PGA Tour any given week and you’ll see the likes of Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau crashing the ball improbable distances, with swing speeds