Golfsmith has opened a golf fitness training store in its online offerings. I wonder if—when all is said and done—the most important thing Tiger Woods will have done for golf is to dispel the image of professional golfers as fat non-athletes. While Gary Player was extolling virtues of fitness as far back as the 1960s, his message didn’t seem to resonate. Tiger seems to have convinced a great many golfers—pros and weekenders—that they need to get stronger and more flexible.

Friend of the Golf Blogger Phil Lawrence has an informative blog post on his workout with the K Vest and TPI Swing Process. Phil is a golf instructor, so its interesting to see his take on these swing improvement programs.

Amazon is running a sale with deep discounts on fitness gear. This just might be the trick if you’re trying to improve your conditioning and lose weight for the upcoming golf season. I have a stationary bike in the basement and have been faithfully using it every morning for a couple of months. I think it’s doing some good. At the very least, my back is not as stiff as it once was.

Researchers are reporting that when treating cases of sleep apnea, golfers have reported as much as a three stroke improvement in their game.

Golfers with the nighttime breathing disorder obstructive sleep apnea can improve their scores by treating their problem, according to study findings presented this week at the CHEST 2009 meeting in San Diego, California. After a few months of using a night-time device that provides nasal positive airway pressure (NPAP)—a treatment that has been shown effective for curbing sleep apnea—a dozen golfers saw their average handicap fall significantly from 12.4 to 11.0. The effect was even more pronounced in better golfers (handicap <12), whose average handicap dropped from 9.2 to 6.3.

G2 Fit Self-Guiding Golf Stretch Fitness Mat for Men

Grade: A

In an effort to stay in “golf shape,” I have over the past several winters undertaken an offseason program of yoga and stretching. I began with Katharine Roberts’ DVD Yoga for Golfers, and later worked in parts of the Mike Pedersen stretching program.

Both of these were effective in keeping me limber and I felt much less awkward and stiff during the early season. But sticking to the programs was a problem. Without playing the DVDs, I can’t remember what to do. And the DVDs take me through portions of the programs that I’d rather not try. (Every time Katharine Roberts says “and if there’s for you ...” while exhorting me to ever-greater twists, I cringe.)

G2 Fitness solves this problem with head-slapping simplicity. Printed on their high quality, comfortable exercise mats are clear images of various poses, along with the time required to hold the position. Now, rather than digging out the DVD and turning on the television, I just need to consult the mat itself. The golf mat has twenty nine exercises, all of which I recognize and use.

The stretching exercises are mostly self-explanatory (especially if you’ve ever done a stretching program before), but videos also are available on their website.

G2 makes a variety of mats for different sports and individuals. The company sent me a golf-oriented mat to try, but they also make yoga mats, pilates, general stretch, back stretch and maternity mats. Mrs. GolfBlogger, the labor-and-delivery nurse, would appreciate this last.They should market these to institutions such as hospitals and women’s centers that offer maternity classes.

The mats are advertised as eco-friendly, but that to me that aspect matters not. More important is that it is well constructed of a dense foam, with a durable printed surface on the top. It should last for many years. Another great aspect of the design is that it folds up, not rolls. I’ve had roll-up mats in the past, and the problem with those it that they never quite lay flat when you are using them. The kit also comes with a transport bag that has other stretches printed on it. The bag is made of the same sort of material as those recyclable shopping bags that are so much the vogue.

I really like this mat, and now keep it in my office for stretching in the morning before classes, or after school before a round.

Another product made by G2 is designed to solve a similar problem. A fitness-nut friend of mine has long suggested that I could increase my distance by doing core exercises with an exercise ball. He demonstrated a few for me, and I bought a ball. But I never tried it out because—for the life of me—I can’t remember what I’m supposed to do (and I’m to embarrassed to ask again; I hope Bubba isn’t reading this—he’d give me that “coach’s look” he has honed to perfection). The G2 Core ball has exercise instructions printed right on the unit.

I’m going to have to get one of those.

As the leaves turn and the snow is not all that far off, The New York Times has an article showing a variety of exercises that you can do to help you get off to a good start next spring.

Heres’ a neat article on a special golf cart that allows players normally bound to a wheelchair to get out and enjoy the greatest game ever invented.