Junior Golfers Get a Jump Start on Fitness at International Junior Golf Academy

As golfers begin to develop at younger and younger ages, the golf fitness program - Fitness for Golf – is partnering with the International Junior Golf Academy (IJGA) to develop the next generation of champions.

According to Fitness for Golf’s founder Susan Hill, a golf fitness trainer and sports performance nutrition specialist, the driving force behind the partnership is the misinformation about when and how junior golfers should begin training.

“Our goal is to teach junior golfers good habits and good form and function at an early age,” said Hill. “Fitness for Golf’s program incorporates all aspects of golf and tailors it to each player so they can achieve optimal results in the shortest period of time while protecting players from injuries.”

Gary Gilchrist, Director of Golf at the Hilton Head, South Carolina based IJGA, said that the biggest limitations he sees with his students are stability, strength and flexibility. “We have students from all over the world ranging in age from 10 to 24 and each has limitations that are very specific,” said Gilchrist. “With Fitness for Golf, we have an opportunity to give each student an individual program. It accelerates the learning process dramatically.”

According to Gilchrist, the training that Fitness for Golf provides can help students reach their core potential in four to six years instead of taking eight to ten years. As Fitness for Golf is online, it allows students access to a personalized web site to focus on their particular needs. Fitness for Golf’s member’s only web site is dedicated to the improvement of golfers worldwide and offers the exercises, stretches and training methods used by top golf professionals playing on the tour today.

The area of golf fitness is a relatively new field, according to Hill. The top players in the world are all on exercise programs to improve their games and give them that extra edge over their opponents.

“With golf becoming increasingly competitive, it’s all about having an edge,” said Gilchrist. “If you have an edge, it will produce confidence.”

Fitness for Golf will also be sponsoring an International Junior Golf Tour event on the West coast as part of the alliance. By combining the highest level of information on golf nutrition, biomechanics, and sport-specific exercises and stretches from Fitness for Golf with the high quality swing instruction offered through the International Junior Golf Academy, this alliance will now offer tools and resources to develop and prepare the next generation of golf champions.

Founded in 2004 by Susan Hill, a golf fitness trainer and certified biomechanic, www.fitnessforgolf.com is a new resource available to avid golfers who want to improve their game. The site is filled with the most advanced and comprehensive golf fitness information available on the web today, incorporating golf nutrition, physical assessments and golf biomechanics, along with more than 150 golf-specific exercises and stretches, motivation and mental strategies, as well as advice and contributing articles from top-level golf professionals. Hill has earned national certifications as a fitness trainer with several organizations including the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the International Sports Science Association, the American Council on Exercise and the Chek Institute. She was nominated Trainer of the Year in 2003.

The International Junior Golf Academy began in 1995 with a commitment to accomplishing a single goal: to prepare junior golfers for success in tournament golf, academics, and life. The IJGA offers a combined program of golf instruction and academic studies. Gary Gilchrist has a long history of coaching talented junior golfers who have won virtually every major junior championship in the United States. Some of his former students include Michelle Wie, Paula Creamer, David Gossett, Aree and Naree Song, Casey Wittenberg, Ty Tryon and Sean O’Hair to name a few. To schedule a visit to the campus, please contact the admissions team at 843-686-1500 or visit www.IJGA.com