Keegan Bradley is an American professional golfer who has achieved great success in his career. He began playing professionally in 2009 and made a huge splash on the PGA Tour in 2011 when he won the PGA Championship in his debut appearance, becoming the first player to win a major title in their debut since Ben Curtis in 2003. Bradley went on to win 3 more PGA Tour titles over the next few years.
However, as Bradley aged into his 30s, his weight began creeping up. By 2021 when Bradley was 35, he had gained nearly 30 pounds and found that the extra weight was impacting his energy levels and flexibility, which negatively affected his golf game. Bradley made the decision to take action and embarked on a focused weight loss journey over the following months.
With significant changes to his diet, new workout routines, and the help of a personal trainer, Bradley succeeded in shedding 30 pounds in just a few months. As he dropped weight, Bradley saw noticeable improvements in his golf game. This article will explore Bradley’s successful weight loss journey in more detail.
Bradley’s Early Success
Keegan Bradley burst onto the PGA Tour scene with a remarkable rookie season in 2011. He won the PGA Championship in his very first major appearance, defeating Jason Dufner in a playoff. At just 25 years old, Bradley became the third youngest player to win the PGA Championship. His impressive performance and maiden major victory earned Bradley the PGA Tour Rookie of the Year award for 2011. Bradley’s rookie season was a clear sign of great things to come.
Weight Gain Impacts Performance
After his successful rookie season in 2011 where Bradley won PGA Championship, he gained over 30 pounds in the offseason. The sudden weight gain negatively impacted his game in the following years.
Bradley struggled with driving distance and accuracy as his weight increased. Statistics show his driving accuracy percentage dropped from 60.71% in 2011 to 58.49% in the 2021-2022 season. His average driving distance also fell from 294 yards to 290 yards over the same time period The extra weight made it more difficult for Bradley to rotate properly during his swing, reducing his power and control.
Decision to Lose Weight
After a few years of gaining weight, Bradley realized it was negatively impacting his flexibility, endurance, and mobility on the golf course. He knew he needed to make a change if he wanted to continue competing at a high level. In 2019, Bradley decided to focus on losing weight in order to improve his golf game.
Realizing he needed help and expertise beyond his own knowledge, Bradley hired a personal trainer to assist him with both diet and exercise. With guidance on nutrition and training, Bradley was able to structure an effective weight loss program tailored to his specific needs and goals as a professional golfer.
Details of His Training Routine
Keegan Bradley significantly increased his physical activity and training to lose weight. According to the article, Bradley worked with a personal trainer and focused his routine on flexibility, stability, and endurance exercises.
His new training regimen involved cardio workouts like stationary biking and using the elliptical machine. Bradley also increased his golf training, hitting balls and playing more rounds to build his endurance for walking 18 holes. This increased activity level, along with dietary changes, helped Bradley lose 30 pounds in under 5 months.
The combination of flexibility training, cardio, and golf practice improved Bradley’s mobility and stamina. This allowed him to expend more energy and calories on the course while also strengthening the muscles needed for an efficient, repeatable golf swing. His trainer incorporated exercises to stabilize Bradley’s core and prevent lower back injuries, which can occur from the twisting motion of the swing. The focus on whole-body functional fitness gave Bradley the endurance to compete at a high level despite increased tournament schedules.
Diet Changes
Keegan Bradley decided to overhaul his diet in order to lose weight quickly. He cut out all junk food and alcohol and emphasized lean proteins and vegetables. Bradley limited his diet to meat and fruit, avoiding breads, pastas, dairy, and other carbohydrates. This restrictive diet allowed him to drop 30 pounds in just a few months. Bradley ate lean meats like chicken, fish, and bison paired with vegetables and some fruit.
By focusing on high protein foods and eliminating empty calories, he was able to lose weight rapidly while still getting the nutrients he needed. Cutting out alcohol also reduced excess calories. Sticking to this strict diet plan was challenging but ultimately allowed Bradley to transform his physique and improve his golf game.
Seeing Results
Keegan Bradley saw tremendous results from his training routine and diet changes over the offseason. According to reporting by Golf Monthly, Bradley lost over 30 pounds in just a few months of dedicated training.
This weight loss had a direct impact on Bradley’s golf game. Most notably, he increased his driving distance back to the levels he saw as a rookie on the PGA Tour. Golf Digest reported that Bradley’s peak swing speed reached 129 mph by the end of training, which was the fastest he had swung since 2011.
Bradley was thrilled with the progress and said the increase in swing speed and distance was a major motivation to transform his physique. After years of declining driving distance, Bradley proved he could turn back the clock and regain his power off the tee through dedicated training.
Impact on Golf Game
After losing weight, Bradley saw noticeable improvements in his golf game. Most notably, in 2022 he won his first PGA Tour event in over 4 years when he captured the BMW Championship. Bradley credits his weight loss and improved fitness for allowing him to maintain focus and consistency throughout 4 rounds of tournament golf.
He said “I’m way more mentally focused now, my brain works better, and I feel way more mentally focused and sharp”. The weight loss seems to have translated into a revitalized golf game for Bradley.
Advice for Other Golfers
Getting in shape can have a big impact on a golfer’s performance. For other golfers looking to improve their game, Keegan Bradley offers the following tips:
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Make gradual changes to your diet. Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Slowly cut out unhealthy foods and replace them with more fruits, vegetables, lean proteins, and healthy fats.
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Add strength training 2-3 days per week in addition to cardio. Focus on full-body movements like squats, deadlifts, rows, push-ups, etc. Building overall strength helps generate power.
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Don’t neglect flexibility and mobility work. Regular stretching and foam rolling improves range of motion and prevents injury. Yoga and pilates are great options.
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Monitor portion sizes and alcohol intake which are easy ways to consume excess calories.
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Get plenty of sleep and drink lots of water to aid recovery.
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Seek advice from trainers and nutritionists to develop customized plans. What works for one golfer may not work for another.
With dedication and consistency over time, golfers can achieve significant fitness improvements and perform their best on the course.
Conclusion
Keegan Bradley’s weight loss journey demonstrates how losing weight and getting in shape can revitalize a professional athlete’s career. After gaining weight and seeing his performance decline, Bradley committed to losing over 40 pounds through improved diet and increased exercise. This not only helped Bradley regain his flexibility and stamina, but also added yards to his drives and sharpened his short game.
The weight loss gave Bradley renewed confidence and energy on the course, leading to his first PGA tour win in four years at the 2022 Zozo Championship. Bradley’s story serves as inspiration for all athletes and shows that hard work and dedication to fitness goals can help maximize potential at any age.
The key is making incremental changes through smarter nutritional choices and integrating exercise into your lifestyle. Bradley’s perseverance through this process has reinvigorated his career and proves that it’s never too late to get back in shape.
