April 29, 2009

Roger King writes about golfing, CrossFit and getting in ship shape.
I may not be the world’s greatest golf pro. I may not even be the world’s greatest golf pro who works on a cruise ship. But I am pretty sure that no one can touch me on this: I am most likely the world’s only — and therefore greatest — golf pro who works on a cruise ship and is a CrossFitter who hits his drives a whopping ten percent further than he did a year before. If you think that’s a long and winding mouthful, wait until you hear about my journey, a booze, broads and broken-hearts odyssey of golf and fatness and fitness that has taken me around the world on various vessels with names such as Carnival, Holland America, Celebrity, Princess and P&0 for about a decade now, with no end in sight.
After doing CrossFit for a year, learning all the moves, doing the best I can in WODs and just getting generally, non-specifically more fit, it hit me like a ton of bricks one day: I have been golfing all over the Caribbean for over nine years and played these golf courses many, many times, but have never played like this before. On every course, I knew exactly where my ball would end up after my drives, but I suddenly started hitting the ball in places I have never been.
All this affected the way I teach golf now, converting everything to a functional movement pattern. I don’t know if anyone else teaches this way, but they should. My students sure seem happy. (For a free lesson on how I teach now, see the video links included.)
I’m pretty happy, too. Improving as a coach and as an athlete is a huge boost, no matter where and how you live. How long I can maintain this lifestyle, I don’t know. But I do know that I love golf and I love CrossFit. And if I ever decide to return to terra firma for good, I know exactly what I want to be doing for a living.

5 Comments on “Ship Shape”
1
wrote …
Yeah Roger!!!!
Keep swinging those clubs!!
Karin
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2
wrote …
awsome i'm a merchant marine college student from antwerp
when at sea i try to do crossfit
thx for this great article
grts
j
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3
wrote …
roger, that's the first time in a long time I've thought it might be fun to learn how to hit a golf ball well. Thanks, Paul
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4
wrote …
I had a Berklee guitar teacher once tell me to get better at guitar, you should learn how to play golf. I think I got better at golf by learning how to Olympic lift.
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5
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I love Crossfit! In the 7 months I've been doing it, my golf game is better than it was when I played at the collegiate level. The increased strength, flexibility, body control, and understanding of functional movements all equate to a better swing. Great article!
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