Focus on Fitness Keeps Norman in the Game

Getty Images
At the Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Greg Norman competed stroke-for-stroke with golfers twenty years his junior, even holding the 54-hole lead. The conditions were grueling. The pressure of an Open is trial enough, but the conditions were brutal. Thirty-five MPH winds buffeted the players all week, testing them physically as well as mentally. It was golf at its most fierce. Only golfers in top physical and mental shape could excel under conditions like those. At age 53, Norman relied on his fitness to keep him in contention until the very end.

The Shark has always been conscious of his health “I'm appalled by people who don't look after their bodies,” says the Shark. In fact, he was an advocate of fitness in golf long before it was fashionable. “When I was a kid, we were told that exercising was bad for your golf swing,” he says. “I was the one who first changed all that.” Now, fitness training among professional golfers is as common as a two-putt.

Norman even has fitness tips posted on his website, Shark.com, in which he covers flexibility, strength, cardio, and proper nutrition.

For endurance, an aspect of the Norman’s fitness that was so crucial to his performance at Royal Birkdale, he recommends 20-30 minutes of moderate activity, such as walking, jogging, biking, and stepping. The key is to raise the heart rate 60-70 beats per minute above the resting heart rate. Performed on a regular basis, this kind of exercise strengthens the heart, making it more proficient at circulating blood and oxygen to the rest of the body.

For flexibility, Norman does a series of stretches to work his hips, back, and hamstrings. He also discovered the importance of abdominal stretches and workouts as he has gotten older. “I've had problems with my back because in my 20s and early 30s I never worked on my abs or my back,” he said.

Strength training on a Nautilus machine helps Norman keep up with the young guns off the tee – he was rarely at a distance disadvantage in the Open. Norman works the big muscles in his legs with extensions, curls, and presses. He works his core with abdominal curls, rotary torsos, and chest crossovers. He also concentrates on the big muscles in his arms – biceps, triceps, and forearms – which are so important to the golf swing.

Finally, a proper diet helps the Shark stay in shape. He recommends following the Food Guide Pyramid, which emphasizes grains, vegetables and fruit, along with moderate intake of milk and meat, which combine for a low-fat diet that is high in nutrients. In addition to fruits and vegetables, fish, poultry, low-fat milk, olive and canola oils are all good choices.

There’s no denying his recent marriage to tennis champion Chris Evert brought him to the Open with the proper outlook and mental focus. Key to performing well in a casual game between friends or in a major championship is the ability to focus on the task at hand and keep the proper perspective. Norman was certainly in that frame of mind. A factor often overlooked, but one that played an equally large part in the Shark’s success at the Open, was the lack of pressure he placed upon himself, especially in the early going. He was striking the ball and performing as well as he ever had, and getting good results, absent the heightened expectations that often come with months of preparation. Both the happiness present in his life and absence of self-imposed pressure produced a memorable Open and quite possibly a resurgence in Norman’s career.

At the Open Championship, Greg Norman set an example for all golfers, in particular those over 50. Comprehensive fitness is as important to the game of golf as swing mechanics and equipment. When golfers stay in shape, they can enjoy the game to its fullest their whole lives.

Sources: Shark.Com; Men’s Health.com, “Norman Strengthens.”