It wasn’t long ago that people thought golfers weren’t athletes. Ditto the outdated notion that all caddies are slackers, smokers and scofflaws. Get real. The men and women in smocks today are more essential to the pro game than ever. Part stats nerd, part guru, part pack mule and therapist, a typical looper is both at the center of the action and a side player. What follows this week (and in the Jan./Feb. pages of GOLF Magazine) is a snapshot of the life — and loads of intel for your game.
ICYMI: 9 essential lessons every caddie learns, according to a pro caddie
ICYMI: 10 things a pro caddie would tell you about YOUR game
ICYMI: Joe LaCava opens up on what it takes to carry the bag for the game’s greats
ICYMI: 3 drills to improve your game, according to pro caddies
ICYMI: 3 essential travel tips from 3 well-traveled pro caddies
Schlepping a 40-pound staff bag up and down hills for eight miles a round, never mind to and from the courtesy car, requires serious conditioning. If, after 10 pages of inspiring caddie talk, you’re thinking, Hmm, looping! build your way up to three sets of 12 to 15 of these exercises.
1. Legs: Goblet squats
Doing these squats with a kettlebell or a dumbbell not only builds muscle but also the endurance for long rounds day after day.
2. Shoulders: Standing bicep curl to shoulder press
Lifting a bag time and again taxes the shoulders and biceps. This double-whammy exercise makes the movement much easier.
3. Core: Anti-rotation with cable
Hoofing that staff bag will stress your posture. This exercise mimics that stress and works the entire core.
4. Conditioning: Treadmill with weighted vest
This mimics the job to a tee. Set the treadmill to a good pace and, if desired, change the incline to simulate walking a course as hilly as Augusta National.
5. Ice baths
Take care of your body with ice baths, use a foam roller for your legs (especially those calves) and remember to stay hydrated. As for the old caddie wisdom of “Show up, keep up, shut up,” let’s add, “Pump up!”
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