So You Think You Belong on the PGA Tour

By Gabriel Lopez

Yes, the PGA is filled with fame, fortune and all the prestige that goes with being a PGA tour professional golfer. What most people don’t get to see is the hours of preparation and practice that go into building a golf swing that wins tournaments. In working with Vijay Singh, I experience the daily regimen of a top professional golfer. Here is a breakdown of our weekly schedule for tournament play.

Monday (Get to the gym at 8 a.m.)
This is our heavy day and the longest workout of the week. All of our workouts start with 10-15 minutes on a stationary bike. This warms up Vijay’s knees and internal core temperature. This is followed by my total body foam roller routine. The foam roller basically gives Vijay a deep tissue massage every day. The foam roller decreases the density of Vijay’s muscles to allow for greater mobility and flexibility throughout his body. The foam roller workout is done every day, with no exceptions. We do a total body workout on this day that is comprised of heavy compound lifts. We only train heavy one day per week and always start our workouts with training Vijay’s core first. After training the core, we superset the largest muscle groups first followed by his smaller muscle groups. For example, Chest and Back, Quads and Hams, Biceps and Triceps. This workout usually takes about 2 hours to complete. Vijay’s workouts are always followed by a deep total body stretch and a protein shake immediately following his workout. Next, he leaves for TPC Sawgrass to hit balls and practice for the next 6 hours. He is usually finished practicing by 6 p.m. If we are already on tour at our destination, it is an early morning workout followed by 2 hours on the practice range and a 5-mile walk over 18 holes of golf. Vijay finishes his day of practice at 6 p.m. In the evening, I may stretch Vijay again and perform any therapy that needs to be done. Vijay will ice at night as needed.

Tuesday
This is the day we usually travel to our next tournament. After spending most of Monday packing, dropping off and picking up dry cleaning, picking up the necessary essentials for the trip, going to the gym, the grocery store, buying more supplements, getting a hair cut, doing laundry, plus taking my girlfriend out to dinner, I rise to my alarm clock at 4:30 a.m. to shower and get ready to drive to Vijay’s house which is about 45 minutes away. At 6:45 a.m., we board Vijay’s private chartered aircraft bound to our next destination for a 7 a.m. flight. If we are already on tour, it is an early morning total body workout consisting of dumbbells, medicine balls, fitness bands and golf specific movements. Vijay’s workout is always followed by a deep total body stretch. After our workout, we head to the course for 2 hours on the practice range and a 5-mile walk over 18 holes of golf. Vijay’s finishes his day at 6 p.m. In the evening, I may stretch Vijay again and perform any therapy that needs to be done. Vijay will ice at night as needed.

Wednesday
This is the day that Vijay plays a Pro-Am. Vijay meets me in the gym for a 6 a.m. workout. We perform a light total body workout consisting of core and golf specific movements that I have designed to improve his golf game. This workout is always followed by a deep total body stretch. I get to the course about 3 p.m. after he is finished with the Pro-Am. I am on the range with him until we leave around 6 P.M. Tonight, we will make sure that his body is ready for tournament play tomorrow. If there is no Pro-Am, it is a normal practice day by getting to the gym around 6 a.m., followed by a 2-hour practice on the range and 18 holes of golf covering over 5 miles. Vijay finishes his day at 6 p.m. In the evening, I may stretch Vijay again and perform any therapy that needs to be done. Vijay will ice at night as needed.

Thursday - Sunday
Our day starts off with a morning workout. We will train and then stretch as early as 4:30 a.m. if he has a 7:30 a.m. tee time. From Thursday to Sunday, we perform 1-2 sets per muscle group and focus on golf specific movements to get him ready for his round. Vijay will either have an early tee time (between 8-9 a.m.) or later (12-1 p.m.). His tee time determines what time our day starts. I train him for 60-75 minutes in the morning and then it is back up to my room for a quick shower, get dressed and go with him to the course to help him prepare and follow him throughout his 18 hole round covering over 5 miles. It is a full day of preparation, practice and play. Vijay finishes his day at 6 p.m. In the evening, I may stretch Vijay again and perform any therapy that needs to be done. Vijay will ice at night as needed.

I have a lot of respect for golfers. It is a physically and mentally grueling sport. The mental focus and physical endurance needed for tournament play is exhausting. The game requires so much concentration as well as physical endurance. You are walking 30-35 miles per week up hills, through cold wind and rain as well as 90+ degree heat. For Vijay, it is a 10-12 hour, day in and day out process of practice and play. In order to be good at this game for a long time, you have to really love the game and the preparation that goes with it. Most PGA tour professionals don’t go through what Vijay does on a daily basis. Vijay Singh is 46 years young and getting better every day. He puts in more time at his age than most golfers on the PGA tour 20 years younger. It would be safe to say that he dedicates more time to his sport than anybody else in ANY sport. PERIOD. The man absolutely loves the game of golf. Vijay is a big kid and is in his domain on the course crafting his skill to prepare for center stage. It is a blessing to be a part of the ride and experience the athlete who just happens to play golf.