“Become a better golfer in just 12 weeks.” This offer comes from personal training app Forme, whose recently released golf-specific program “drastically increases flexibility, range of motion, and power.” ” is committed to connecting users with Titleist Performance Institute certified trainers.
The 12-week program includes eight in-person streaming sessions with trainers, who also post challenges in the form of pre-recorded video workouts with other instructors (like a 20-minute yoga recovery routine Everything from pain-inducing strength training (building sessions), or customized workouts made up of individual exercises.
Forme sells two versions of the interactive mirror It works with apps. The Home Gym ($6,495) has his two arms attached to cables to provide strength training. Meanwhile, the Home Studio ($2,495) lets you watch your technique with a life-size view of the instructor. Neither program requires participation and costs $799 for 12 weeks.
Did a 12-week test run of the program work? It's too early to tell if my golf “got better,” but my flexibility and strength improved, as did my independently measured swing speed. did.
This virtual training program uses an app and a personal trainer to improve your golf game in just 12 weeks. It may take a little longer to see noticeable improvements, but Forme Golf Fitness has helped me with flexibility, strength, and swing speed.
Sign up to download the app and set up your account. You will be assigned a trainer (which you can request in advance or ask to be changed if needed). We will send you an email to set up a time for your first session. Gary B. has earned his TPI certifications in “Power” (Level III) and “Fitness” (Level II), and when you tap the screen at the designated time, he comes to life on the screen.
Gary reviews my golf history, level of game, etc., and asks about my fitness history, which includes some limiting injuries (chronic shoulder issues, lingering tennis elbow). He is confident that we can overcome and avoid them. Most of his clients, he points out, are men over 40 who have persistent pain and gradual limitations and want to maintain or regain their swing. He also wants to know what equipment I have (I don't need any, but will work with what is available).
We then complete a fitness assessment that includes 16 movements that reveal weaknesses, inflexibilities, and imbalances. Most of the assessments involved are simple, even if they require awkward placement of props and limbs.
Gary breaks down the results into three areas. Green light (good). Yellow light (needs work). They say they design programs that aim to show red flags (a hint of rigor mortis) and turn yellows to green and reds to yellow.
The first video routine, “Bodyweight Strength Training – Intermediate”, is a classic example of the remaining movements. The event is hosted by Breezy J, an incredibly fit instructor with thick brown hair that cascades over his forehead. After a short intro, Breezy leads a warm-up, clearly explaining the two movements he will perform and demonstrating them. A series of dots appear in rows on the screen, each dot representing a set you complete during your workout. After completing the first set of stretches, the first dot will be filled in. A countdown clock tells you how long to hold each pose, but since it's impossible to look at the clock while doing stretches, he usually lets Breezy count down.
The core of the workout consists of three movements: a bridge march, a bear crawl, and a reverse lunge, performed for 30 seconds each, with 15 seconds of rest in between. Again, she demos each one and adds tips as she goes. Place her feet here, extend her arms straight, inhale and exhale. The workout progresses to another set of her three exercises, followed by a warm-down and concludes. Intense but reasonably short.
Over the course of several weeks, Gary assigned three golf-specific videos hosted by the even more intimidating Andrea D. Andrea D once trained with the British Open champion and claims he started each round with three shots of tequila. She's unconfirmed, but she's clearly a golfer, as she talks about the game during her workouts and explains how the exercises she's putting herself through affect her play. . In fact, many of them involve using a golf club or taking a golf stance.
On days when Gary's hand-picked workouts are scheduled, they appear on your screen as a list of activities, similar to a pre-recorded video. Some warm-ups, his two groups of three exercises each done as one set, and a warm-down. . When you press “Start” you will see a video of the instructor performing the movements. A block of text in the bottom corner indicates the number of repetitions or time allotted for a particular exercise. In timed sections, a short countdown clock replaces the timer.
The idea is to watch what the person on the screen is doing and recreate their movements. When you're done exercising, swipe up to start playing the next video. There are rest areas built in along the way. The biggest difference between these workouts and videos is that they specifically target areas for improvement. My body is good at repeating what it's asked to do over and over again, but many of these movements are new and hit areas that I've missed in my workouts, so they pay off right away.
At the next Gary field, questions about technique popped up and I took notes on which exercises made my injury worse. He was willing to obtain information to help us work around problem areas as we progressed.
Similar to Andrea D., Gary explained how our session related to golf, but again, made it specific to my situation. His right leg and hip are strengthened and are weaker than his left leg, giving him less stability on the backswing and limiting his ability to punch the ball through the downswing. These hip exercises and stretches not only increase hip rotation, but also promote separation between the lower and upper body. This is another key to power and probably the biggest difference between the pros and the average amateur.
Due to timing issues in the story, tweaking my left hip flexor, I only participated in the Forme program for 8 weeks instead of 12. Despite the obstacles, repeating the 16-point rating showed that Forme was lowering the bar. Fitness handicap went from 32 to 28, improving in multiple areas, replacing 5 yellows with greens and 3 reds with yellows for a total of 10 greens, 4 yellows, and 2 reds .
More importantly, before and after starting the Forme program, I went to my local PGA Tour Superstore and hit 10 driver and 10 6-iron shots on the Trackman simulator. I didn't play any rounds between sessions, but I did hit about 150 balls during a trial run with the launch monitor. bushnell launch pro. Good news. My swing speed increased by about 2 miles per hour with the driver and about 3 miles per hour with the 6-iron. Not so good news? My warm-up included an unusual number of clunkers (near the shank and low, thin screamers), but the distance was about the same.
Experts operating Trackman explained that this is a common outcome. When golfers train intensively or gain or lose weight significantly, their swing changes subtly and the quality of their contact decreases.
To prove his point, he showed him his smash factor data — a measure of how consistently he hit the ball near the center of the clubface — and it was down. He said he will adjust as he continues to play with his new, faster swing and his smash factor will return to its previous level, at which point his distance will increase.
The individual exercise demonstrations in the custom workouts Gary provided did not include audio instructions, so I had to scrutinize the trainer in the video to spot subtleties. In an exercise called the “Bird Dog,” a previous trainer explained that keeping the shoulders and hips level is one of the keys, but his custom demo leaves the details up to the user. It is left for you to understand. When watching a trainer's demo of “Kickstand Her Dumbbell Her Raise,” you can tell if she is lifting the dumbbell straight up or if it is moving toward her hips as it rises. It's difficult. Adding an audio component that clarifies the finer points improves the experience.
Also, the custom video, as promised, avoided exercises that would tweak my injury, whereas the pre-recorded video sessions sometimes included such movements. Gary tried to choose something that would minimize those instances, but there was a limit to what he could do.
Finally, Gary took some rest days, but other than that he posted things for me to do every day, sometimes 7 days a week. He said I needed to set my own pace. That way, he usually has time for his 4 out of 5 workouts a week and is able to work hard. But seeing apps, workout icons with no checkmarks, and the word “done” always made me feel not only wasted, but also delinquent and lazy. This practice created pressure to do more and somewhat diminished the positive vibe of the whole experience.
Progress was gradual, but progress nonetheless. Even better, the program provided a series of new exercises that addressed known weaknesses. That should give you more profits. If this number increases or persists, I will consider another 12 week run with Gary next winter as I think there is still a chance to increase it.
Beyond golf, research on aging shows that systemic atrophy and muscle imbalances contribute to increased frailty and injury. This is because it not only causes falls, but also promotes loss of smooth muscle movement, coordination, and strength needed for daily tasks. In that sense, by regaining flexibility and strength, your health will improve and you will feel more youthful.
