Fatigue is a physical and mental state of exhaustion that stops an athlete, or any person in general, to perform their tasks in an able manner. Fatigue is a result of prolonged physical or mental strain that affects the body and mind, and exhausts both from performing any action. Fatigue can also come from lack of sleep, emotional stress and even cognitive overload. Such a state of body and mind also leads to decline of strength, concentration, endurance, and overall function in general.

Fatigue plays a very important role in deteriorating of a golfer’s performance during his game. In a game like golf, where precision and consistency are very important, fatigue of body and mind leads to a breakdown of technique. This happens as a result of prolonged practice, or after a long round.

Muscles like core, legs and shoulders are the most important areas for a golfer’s performance. These muscles are exhausted the most and start to lose strength after strenuous practices or long rounds, gradually resulting in the loss of power while making a swing in the game of golf.

Apart from affecting golf swings, fatigue of body can lead to limiting the range of motion in a game of golf. When a golfer is fatigued, he or she finds it very difficult to make a proper full backswing or a follow-through. This leads to shortened swings and less accurate ball strikes.

A fatigued body also impacts the body posture in the game of golf, as golfers fail to maintain a stable spine angle, and proper alignment, and this affects the set up and execution of the game.

Here are a few ways to deal with fatigue, so that it does not affect a golfer’s game, particularly his swings, on which the fortune of his game or round, stands:

1. Proper Nutrition: It is important for a golfer to keep fuelled with energy while playing his or her round. This is possible only when the golfer is consuming nutritious food before and during the round. The food consumed necessarily should not be heavy, but should be nutritious, to keep up with the exhaustion, that one encounters during a game.
2. Proper Hydration: A golfer should keep hydrating himself or herself from time to time to stop fatigue and strength and drain out of energy.
3. Strength and Conditioning: It is very important for a golfer to maintain a golf specific routine on a regular basis. A regular practice of swings and backswings and follow-throughs ensures long hours of endurance during a rigorous training session or a long round. Such a regular practice also ensures strong core muscles, legs, and shoulders.
4. Importance of Recovery: It is not a very wise thing to start playing or practising while one is injured or still recovering from an injury. Overstraining during an injury can prove to be a harmful practice. So, the focus should be laid on recovery of the injuries. Foam Rolling, Stretching and other recovery techniques come handy during such moments.
5. Mental Strength: Mental Strength is perhaps the most important factor for a good game of golf. Mindfulness, breathing techniques etc prove to be helpful in reducing mental fatigue.

Apart from these, one needs to be very careful about his swing techniques, and keep oneself paced.