Water- Your Golf Balls' Worst Enemy, Your Best Friend

By Damon Goddard, CPT, PES, CGFI-3

Water- The Golf Balls Worst Enemy, Yet Your Best Friend

Summer is upon us, and more and more of my golf-athletes are creating strategies to avoid a lapse mentally and physically on the course. What could be your golf balls’ worst enemy is your best friend- water. Did you know that your body is composed of 25% solid matter and 75% water? Also, did you know that your brain is made up of 85% of water and if dehydration sets in you can have decreased amounts of blood flow to the brain causing a serious lapse in the mental game? Water is paramount for a preventative measure for low back pain and chronic joint pain. Water is the lubricating agent for our body, so why deprive the body of what is so essential?

The old adage of drinking 8 glasses of water simply doesn’t cut it. That could actually cause over-hydration for one and an insufficient amount for another. Here is an equation for realizing the optimal amount of water intake as it pertains to your weight: Drink half of your body weight (pounds) in ounces per day. For example, I weigh 180 pounds. The optimal amount of water intake for me is 90 ounces per day. I recommend that everyone starts their day with 25% of water intake. So when I wake up, I make sure by the time I get to the office I have had at least 22 ounces of water. The remainder of the day I will consume 68 ounces more water. If I am playing on the course (especially) on a hot day, I will ensure that during my round I will consume at least 45% of my water intake for the day in order to avoid dehydration. A key note to make is that other fluids do not count towards my daily intake. For example: tea, coffee, juices, soda, sports drinks. Most of these types of fluids act as a dehydrating agent as it is difficult to assimilate in the body.

Stay on top of your game by one simple move, drink water! It truly amazes me how dehydrated our society is because of our lack of consumption of one of the most abundant resources. Drink water to enhance your game mentally and physically, you will be amazed how your body will respond. Cheers!