When I coach women in golf, one of the most important — and often overlooked — parts of performance is the menstrual cycle. From age 10 to 90, the body goes through phases that can directly impact energy, focus, strength, and recovery. I always want my golfers to understand that their cycle isn’t a barrier to training — it’s a blueprint. When we work with it, not against it, performance improve
🌱 Ages 10–18: Foundations & First Cycles
At this age, golf is about building fundamentals and confidence. When periods first start, energy can feel unpredictable. I encourage young players to listen to their bodies — some days will call for mobility and technique drills, others for lighter sessions. Nutrition and hydration are especially important in this stage. Early education helps normalize the conversation, so golf never feels “off-limits” because of a period.
💪 Ages 18–40: Peak Training & Performance
This is the window when female golfers can truly maximize strength, endurance, and speed. I break training around the cycle:
- Follicular phase (day 1–14): Higher estrogen means more energy, strength, and better recovery. This is the time I push power and conditioning.
- Luteal phase (day 15–28): Progesterone rises, which can increase body temperature, change hydration needs, and sometimes affect focus. Here, we emphasize mobility, recovery, and mental strategies while still maintaining performance.
Research now shows tailoring training to these hormonal shifts can help women gain strength, reduce injury risk, and manage fatigue.
🌸 Ages 40–55: Perimenopause & Menopause
This is a big transition, but it doesn’t mean slowing down. Shifting hormones can affect bone density, muscle mass, and recovery. Weight training, golf-specific conditioning, and nutrition to support bone health (calcium, vitamin D, protein) become non-negotiables. I also work closely with women on sleep, hydration, and stress management, since these directly affect swing mechanics and focus.
🌟 Ages 55–90: Longevity & Enjoyment
In this stage, golf is about movement, resilience, and joy. Training focuses on stability, mobility, and injury prevention, keeping the body strong enough to swing freely and walk the course. Even here, I remind women that post-menopause the body still has rhythms. Nutrition and recovery remain just as important. Regular training helps maintain not only their game, but independence and quality of life.
When I talk to my female golfers, I tell them this: your cycle is part of your golf story. Whether you’re just starting, playing competitively, or enjoying the game into your eighties, understanding your body gives you freedom. Golf is not just about clubs and courses — it’s about the whole person. And when women train with that awareness, their game — and their confidence — reaches a whole new level.
My Perspective: Women’s Golf Training & the Menstrual Cycle (with TPI Level 2 + Recent Research)
When I work with my female golfers, I always bring in what I learned from my TPI Fitness Level 2 training, especially the chapter on Training the Female Golfer — it covers menstrual cycle variables, how anatomy (like Q-angle, hypermobility, quad dominance) interacts with hormonal phases, and how we, as coaches, should adapt strength & conditioning programs.
From ages ~10 through menopause and onwards (10-90 yrs), understanding your cycle isn’t just about “that time of the month” — it’s about maximizing your performance, reducing injury risk, improving recovery, and keeping consistency across swings, power, and focus.
🔬 What Recent Research Adds & How I Use It
- A 2025 Strength & Conditioning Journal article proposed menstrual cycle phase-based training models. It says that performance and recovery adapt best when training stress is aligned with hormonal fluctuations rather than trying to force the same workload every week. Meaning: pushing strength or high-intensity sessions during times your body is more hormonally primed, easing intensity when symptoms or hormonal levels suggest recovery or mobility focus.
- The “Evidence for Periodizing Strength and/or Endurance Training According to Menstrual Cycle Phases” review (2022) suggests that strength and endurance responses do vary slightly across phases, especially when accounting for estrogen and progesterone levels. For example, during the luteal phase there tends to be more metabolic “cost” for the same work (higher body temperature, more perceived effort), so recovery and hydration become more important.
- Research into Relative Energy Deficiency in Sport (RED-S) shows that low energy availability (not eating enough for your training + body’s needs) can lead to menstrual irregularities, bone density loss, immune issues — all of which affect long-term golf performance (injuries, fatigue, strength loss). I always screen for this, especially in younger women or high training loads.
- A recent study (2024) called IMPACT is testing whether training aligned with specific cycle phases (follicular vs luteal) gives better outcomes in endurance, strength, and recovery. We don’t have final results yet, but it confirms this is where the evidence is heading.
How I Structure Training & Recovery for You (Based on Cycle + Age)
Here’s generally how I build your plan, adjusting by age and where you are in your cycle. Of course, we’ll personalize you specifically, because everyone’s cycle & symptoms differ.
| Age / Stage | What I Focus On | How We Adapt by Cycle Phases |
| 10-18 yrs (puberty / first cycles) | Building movement quality, mobility, strength, body awareness. Avoid overtraining, ensure nutrition is enough. | During menses / early follicular: lighter technical work, focus on flexibility + mobility. Later follicular: build strength, power. Luteal: taper intensity, focus recovery, mobility, mental focus. |
| 18-40 yrs (peak years) | Power, strength, endurance, recovery. Managing workload + mental stress. | Follicular (post-menses → ovulation): heavy strength, explosive drills. Ovulation peak: possibly best for power & speed work. Luteal: moderate intensity, more recovery, attention to hydration, possibly reduce volume or shift toward mobility, technique. Pre-menstrual: adjust for symptoms (fatigue, mood, soreness). |
| 40-55 yrs (perimenopause / menopause transition) | Bone health, maintaining muscle mass, managing hormonal changes, joint health. Sleep & recovery become even more critical. | Same phase-based approach, but be more conservative: stronger emphasis on recovery, mobility, less volume. Monitor symptoms (hot flashes, sleep disruption) and adjust training around them. Possibly more frequent smaller doses of strength rather than large loads. |
| 55-90 yrs (post-menopause / senior) | Longevity, consistency, injury prevention, mobility, balance. Keeping quality of life & swing mechanics. | Hormonal variation less (but still relevant via past history, residual hormone therapy etc.). Plan strength & conditioning to preserve muscle mass, bone density. High priority: warm-ups, mobility, active recovery. On bad days, lighter work or focus on technique, mental game. |
✅ What I Tell You (Client) to Do: Actionable Steps
- Track your cycle (dates + symptoms) so we can plan around it. After a few months, you’ll see patterns.
- Use nutrition to support all phases: enough protein, enough energy, support hydration especially in luteal, enough sleep always.
- Adjust training: heavy work when you feel strongest, taper / recovery or mobility when more sensitive.
- Use screening for energy deficiency / RED-S (low energy, missed periods, low bone density) — if there are risk signs, slow down & revisit nutrition + rest.
- Recover intentionally: mobility, foam rolling, sleep, maybe light cross-training, especially in phases where symptoms are worse.
When we train together, I bring in all this research + my TPI knowledge + your feedback so that your program isn’t just strong — it’s smart. You’re not just another golfer — your cycle, age, history appropriate. You’ll swing better, recover faster, feel more confident every round.