TRAIN TO COMPETE
The Train to Compete phase of long term athletic development (LATD) covers the ages of 17 - 23 for young women and 18 - 23 for young men. It's focused on tournament play, continued physical development, and preparation for college or the professional tours.
The "to-do" list includes:
- Playing 3 - 4 rounds per week with about 60% playing time with competition accounting for about 40% effort.
- Training for strength and power.
- A customized fitness program should be adjusted to each player's needs and compliment coaching.
- Focus on proper nutrition and rest/recovery techniques.
- Advanced functional testing for swing biomechanics evaluation should be done at least 4 times per year.
- Clubs should be checked and club fitting re-evaluated quarterly.
- Develop a strategy for success for both collegiate golf and campus golf.
A window of opportunity, Stamina 2, is a major focus of this phase. Endurance: learning how to combat fatigue and dehydration is an important factor in making and executing good decisions especially late in a tournament round. A combination of high intensity training and long duration low intensity training is established for each player. (Windows of Opportunity illustration, courtesy of Greg Rose, TPI)
Players work on strength training and learning to develop the explosive power needed for golf.