The Golf Game That Changed Everything: A Story About Strength, Movement, and Second Chances

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A Painful Reminder

Margaret had been looking forward to this round for weeks. At 52, she’d finally carved out time in her busy schedule to return to golf—a passion that had taken a backseat during the whirlwind years of raising teenagers and climbing the corporate ladder.

But as she bent down to tee up her ball on the first hole, a familiar sharp pain shot through her lower back.

She winced, straightened slowly, and forced a smile at her playing partners.

“Just getting warmed up,” she joked, though inside she wondered if this was simply her new reality.

Was this what getting older meant? Trading the activities you love for the safety of the couch?

You're Not Alone

Margaret’s story isn’t unique.

Across golf courses everywhere, passionate players are facing a choice they never expected:Accept limitations—or find a smarter way forward.

The Coffee Shop Conversation

Recently, I was having coffee with a client—let’s call him David—who’d been struggling with similar challenges.

A lifelong golfer in his late forties, David had been dealing with persistent hip pain that was stealing the joy from his Saturday morning rounds.

“I’ve been doing the same stretches my physical therapist gave me three years ago,” he said, clearly frustrated. “Same routine, same resistance bands... but I’m not getting any better.”

I leaned forward and said,

“David, what if I told you that you could get strong enough to squat 250 pounds for multiple reps? I bet your hip pain would become a distant memory.”

The number sounded ridiculous to him—and that’s exactly why I chose it.

Sometimes, we need to see a mountain to realize we’ve been settling for molehills.

The Hidden Truth About “Tight” Muscles

Here’s what David (and maybe you) didn’t realize:

Most of the time, when we say our hips or hamstrings are "tight," they’re actually just weak.

Think of your body as a symphony. If some musicians (your muscles) are weak, others try to compensate.That’s when pain, breakdown, and dysfunction begin.

Your golf swing is no different.When key muscles lack strength, other areas take on stress they were never meant to handle—and that’s when the pain starts.

Real Strength = Real Freedom

Strength training isn’t about looking like a bodybuilder.It’s about being capable—on the course, and in life.

Exercises like squats, deadlifts, and overhead presses aren’t just gym moves.They mirror real-life tasks: carrying groceries, picking up golf bags, even playing with grandkids.

Train your movements. Not just your muscles.

With progressive overload—slowly increasing resistance over time—your body adapts.You grow stronger, more stable, and pain begins to fade.to produce neurotransmitters naturally and sustainably.

Movement That Matters

Strength alone isn’t enough.

Golf demands mobility—especially in your hips and thoracic spine (mid-back). These areas must move freely to allow that effortless rotation you admire in great players.

Picture a tree in a windstorm:The rigid one snaps. The flexible one bends and survives.

To build both strength and flexibility, use loaded mobility:

• Cossack squats for deep hip strength and range

• Dumbbell pullovers to open the thoracic spine while building muscle

Train Power—Not Just Strength

There’s a bridge between strength and performance: Power.This is your body’s ability to produce force quickly—the difference between a sluggish swing and an explosive one.

Use controlled tempo training:

• Lower the weight slowly

• Pause at the bottom

• Drive up with force

  
  

This teaches your nervous system to recruit muscle fibers faster, translating directly to faster, smoother golf swings.

Margaret’s Comeback

Six months later, Margaret was back on that first tee.

But this time, she moved with confidence.Her back was strong. Her mobility? Better than it had been in years.

“I never thought I’d feel this good again,” she said after her best round in years.“I thought aging meant accepting less. Now I know it just means training smarter.”

Margaret’s transformation shows what’s possible—at any age—with the right approach.

Your Next Steps

Whether you’re dealing with:

• nagging hip or back pain

• loss of swing speed

• or just want to enjoy golf for decades to come...

  
  

The principles are the same:

• Build real strength

• Improve mobility

• Train for power

  
  

This isn’t about changing who you are. It’s about becoming the best version of yourself—on and off the course.

The Choice Is Yours

Right now, you’re at a crossroads.

You can accept the pain and limitations...Or you can write a new story—just like Margaret did.

Stronger. More mobile. More confident.

If you’re ready, I’d love to help you build a plan that fits your life and goals.

Sometimes all it takes is the right guidance to make the impossible feel inevitable.

Your best golf—and strongest self—might be just around the corner.

Want support with this? Contact us at Beyond Fitness and let us help you build your system.