When Golfers Hit the Track | IMG Academy Cross-Sport Training

Golf might seem like a sedentary sport. You stand in place, aim with your club, and swing. However, those who play understand that there’s a lot more skill beneath the surface. In a recent cross-training session, several of IMG’s golf student-athletes learned a few lessons to improve both physical and mental strength while running sprints on the track.

“What I want you guys to do is to be open-minded,” says Sprint Coach Dwight Thomas. “Try to understand what you’re learning today and what you can take to bring over to your sport.”

The session began with seemingly simple warm-ups—planks. However, these planks quickly became more strenuous as Coach Thomas instructed the student-athletes to lean onto one elbow and point their free arm high in the air.

“Our warm-ups start with a little bit of core activation,” Coach Thomas explains,” We all use our core no matter what sport we’re doing.” While the golfers extend their limbs, they start to feel the importance of the exercise and how having a strong back and abs improves their posture—both in general and on the golf course.
 

Then the sprinting began. These now-limber student-athletes were instructed to sprint 100 meters, rest for 15 seconds, and then sprint back. As Coach Thomas reminds them, this drill is more about mental strength than physical prowess. “Stay in there. Use your arms. We use our arms when we get fatigued. Your arms will carry your legs.”

Watch the video to see how well these student-athletes adapt to a new sport. To sign up for a golf camp or a track camp, explore our boarding school programs, or to see all of our available youth programs, check out the links below.