The Surge and DJ discuss what to eat and NOT to eat during a round.
The Surge: Another big part of playing good golf is that it involves physical activity. So you need to be physically fit. I mean today even when DJ was young we weren't into lifting weights and all that other stuff, like you are today, and there is nothing wrong with that. If you want to do it and physical conditioning, cardio and running is good because you have to walk a long way.
But the other thing is diet and nutrition. I am not an expert on it but fortunately my wife, DJs mother, is an RN, so she knows a lot more about it than I do, but I studied a little bit of it. I was always big on doing good things, like when you go to the golf course and eat a good breakfast that has carbs and protein in it. The big thing is that you eat enough so that you do not have to eat anything big during the round.
You don't want to at the turn wolf down a hamburger or a turkey sandwich or a hot dog or whatever. You want to eat snacks. You want to keep snacks in your bag. I have been told by a leading diet and nutrition expert eating almonds is one of the best things. Eating peanut or cheese crackers at the turn is good. Never, ever eat anything or drink anything with sugar. Like candy bars are a no, no. Ice tea and soda are no-no's. I taught DJ that at the turn we drink water and/or, it is really good in super heat, that you drink some of the Gatorade type drinks because you need to put back the electrolytes and a lot of chemicals into your body that you sweated out, that water doesn't give you. So you need to drink those and eat the crackers.
I will never forget. We were at a tournament and it was at Mid Pines and we were at the half way house at the 10th hole and he is playing with three other guys and he started with a 1 or 2 shot lead and things were still fairly tight. We get over there and the other three young boys had their mothers with them and I was with him. I go and get him his Gatorade and his crackers and he is sitting down eating them and all the others are sitting over the side over there and all of a sudden he goes, 'Dad, Dad, come over here.' So I come over and he goes 'Dad, look at them, they are all eating candy bars and drinking cokes.' He says, 'I got them, they are mine.'
Sure enough about two holes later you could see it all of a sudden these nice calm cool kids swing are getting jerky and every one of them ends up going bogie, bogie, double bogie and he ends up winning by about 8 or 9 shots. It is because they ate and drank the wrong things at the turn. It is amazing that how many people do not know that sugar and anything with sugar in it is like suicide.
I had a man say to me one day, 'Man, I played the front nine good and I always blow up the back nine.' I asked him what he had for breakfast. He said, 'I don't eat breakfast, just a cup of coffee.' Well high tess or low tess? He said, 'Caffeinated, absolutely. I've got to get going.'
I said so you eat dinner the night before at 6 or 7 o'clock, you tee off at 8, you make the turn at about 10. So now you have been 14 hours without anything to eat and you wonder why you are falling apart on the back side.
So the same goes that what you eat is important and that you eat is important. So it goes both ways whether you are an adult or a kid and probably even more for a kid because they have a lot higher metabolism than we do. So start studying and learning what you are suppose to do with good diet and nutrition. I mean you follow that to a tee now, right?
DJ: Absolutely, even to this day I eat and snack on the golf course every day. I make sure that I drink plenty
of fluids. It is important to keep your energy levels up. If your energy levels are up, your focus is up. More importantly you don't want to be shaking and you don't want to feel nauseous out there, but at the same time you can't focus and concentrate at the proper level if you haven't eaten and drank enough and kept your body full of fluids and full of energy. It is imperative. You can't give up that edge. That is one edge that you have total control over.
Some days you don't have control over your swing. Some days you don't have control over your mind. Sometimes you are just not thinking clearly on the golf course, but you always can have control over making sure you eat and drink properly on the golf course. It is just a simple decision to be made and to do every day on the golf course. Nutrition is imperative. You need to take care of it. You need to watch it closely, because you can control it, every single day.
It will always help you play better golf if you are doing the right things with eating and drinking while on the golf course.
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Tuition: $599. (IC Members receive 20% discount)
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Curriculum & Dates:
Long Game – May 3, 5,10, 12; June 7, 9, 21, 23; July 5, 7,19, 21
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Instruction: 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. Includes lunch and 9 holes of golf following instruction.
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Recommended accommodations: Hilton Garden Inn (3 minutes from course).
1575 Fording Island Road (U.S. 278), Hilton Head Island, SC 1-877-782-9444. Ask for PPGS discount.
Airports: Savannah International Airport (45 minutes), Hilton Head Island Airport (15 minutes)
Comments
Cardio exercises are good
Cardio exercises are good idea for getting the fitness and improving the stamina for the play golf or any other sport. Running, jogging, and swimming are more effective for improving the physical fitness. Along with these exercises you should also take healthy and balanced foods, avoid more fat and fast foods.