FAMILY VALUES
Nelly Korda is currently the #1 ranked golfer on the LPGA tour. She is an American citizen with Czechoslovakian lineage. She has won her first five tournament starts in 2024. Only Annika Sorenstam and Nancy Lopez had done this before Nelly.
Nelly is the daughter of former Czech pro tennis players Petr Korda and Regina Rajchrtova. Petr was ranked #2 in the world in 1998 after winning the Australian Open. Regina was ranked as high as #26 in the world. Nelly’s sister Jessica also plays on the LPGA tour and has won six tournaments. Brother Sebastian Korda plays tennis on the pro tour and is ranked #15 in the world. Sebastian is a serve and volley player with a huge serve. He is known as Sebi.
I am not aware of a more athletic family anywhere, past or present. Nelly is shown below, second from the far right. Her boyfriend, Andreas Athanasiou is to her right. He is a professional ice hockey player for the Chicago Blackhawks. Sebi is at the far left, next to Jessica.
Nelly is the family’s most successful member, as #1 in the world, but she is constantly challenged by her siblings. The challenges come alongside close support for each other. Wherever Nelly, Jessica or Sebi are in the world, they stay in contact and encourage each other.
Nelly is 5’10”, at 150 pounds. She has a beautiful, balanced golf swing, considered the best among all golfers, men or women. Here it is.
Nelly plays TaylorMade clubs and generally hits these distances:
- Driver – 260 yards
- 3 wood – 232 yards
- 7 wood – 218 yards
- 5 hybrid – 200 yards
- 5 iron – 185 yards
- 6 iron – 169 yards
- 7 iron – 154 yards
- 8 iron – 144 yards
- 9 iron – 135 yards
- Pitching wedge – 124 years
- 50 degree wedge – 115 yards
The remainder of this post will examine Nelly’s fitness routines, including diet. I will end with relevant equipment links. After recently posting an article on the PGA success of Scottie Scheffler, (see it here), I wanted to do the same for the female #1 golfer.
TRAINING FOR GOLF
Nelly loosens up her muscles and perfects her timing before every match. She begins to practice one hour and five minutes before her tee time. She begins with pitch shots and works her way through her bag. Take a look.
She realizes that her eye-line on the greens changes every day. She sees the ball differently each day on the putting green. When she feels her alignment is dialed in with shorter practice putts, she moves on to longer putts.
Nelly advises against experimenting with lots of changes in the golf swing. She wants to stay consistent with her strokes and believes that all golfers do better by sticking with their routines. She practices 4-6 hours per day.
TRAINING HER BODY
Here are a few of the exercises Nelly uses to train for fitness and golf:
- Seated rotations – with a golf club held behind your back at the elbows, hold your torso to the right for two seconds without moving your hips, then to the left for two seconds. Back and forth for 10 reps per side. For rotational stability.
- Handwalks – standing up, place your hands on the ground with waist bent. With hands in a push-up position, walk them out, then walk from your toes to your hands with knees straight. This reduces the risk of shoulder injury.
- Standing Ys – see video. For shoulder mobility.
- 90/90 stretch – see video. For hip mobility.
- Lateral pillar bridge – see video. For strong foundation and prevention of back injury.
- Medicine ball parallel throw – see video. For swing speed and release of energy.
- Medicine ball perpendicular throw – see video. For core strength.
- Physioball push-up. See video. For strength and stability of shoulders and back.
- One arm dumbbell bench press – slowly press a dumbbell with one hand and the other on the bench. Do ten reps and then switch to the other side. For power.
- Glute bridge – see video. For hip and glute strength.
NELLY’S DIET AND SUPPLEMENTS
Nelly is very concerned with her nutrition and wants to make sure that she puts the right fuel into her body – whether on a golf course or otherwise.
On the course, she recommends the following:
- Hard boiled eggs – for protein
- Fresh fruit – apples, bananas, grapes – for fiber and potassium
- Nuts – cashews, walnuts, peanuts (see my prior post on nuts)
- Trail mix – dark chocolate chips, nuts, raisins
- Jerky – beef, turkey or chicken – for protein
- Peanut butter sandwich – protein, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals
- Also – hummus, popcorn, carrots, celery sticks, cucumber slices, protein bars, granola
She strongly recommends staying hydrated with water (not sports drinks because of the sugar)
Nelly has tips and rules for dieting when not on a gold course:
- Consume carbohydrates before going to the golf course – she expects to burn up to 2500 calories during a four hour day and needs the stored energy
- Eat protein before and after a round of golf – to maintain her muscles and prevent soreness afterwards
- Walk an hour each morning on an empty stomach. This will enable her to burn calories, fat and stored carbohydrates when she isn’t on a golf course.
On days when she is playing golf (which are most days), Nelly avoids fried foods, hot dogs, hamburgers, beer, pretzels, soft drinks, pancakes and coffee.
For bone and joint health, Nelly makes sure that she has enough calcium by eating dark green vegetables and dairy products such as milk, yogurt and cheese.
Nelly takes these supplements:
- Fish oil – for heart health and joint flexibility
- Vitamin D – for immune system boost
- Glucosamine -to avoid cartilage strain
AMAZON
As an Amazon associate, I am able to use their links within my posts as sources for relevant items. I may earn from activity on the links, which is affiliate marketing, by definition. Please check my upper menu – BECOME AN AFFILIATE MARKETER – for information on this.
As always, the links will show full information, pictures, prices and suggestions for similar items.
DICK’S SPORTING GOODS
In my opinion, Dick’s Sporting Goods has the best golf equipment available anywhere – clubs, bags, shoes, clothing, and accessories. i have bought all of the golf equipment I ever had from DSG, as well as all of the tennis goods. I am now an associate.
Please see the Dick’s Sporting Goods link at the side of my website and:
- Click on the red link
- See the question “What are you looking for?”
- Proceed from there
FINAL THOUGHTS
For all of her accomplishments, Nelly Korda has remained a very humble and respectful woman, especially when she meets people. Her meeting of Tiger Woods for the first time makes a beautiful video. Check it out. Note the Korda family closeness.
After learning more about Nelly, I have a complete understanding of how she is the #1 female golfer in the world. She is disciplined in every aspect of her life on or off the golf course. I get the impression that she is making check marks on a lengthy list of everything she might possibly do to insure her success.
The Korda family unit is just as impressive.
Please leave me any comments or questions in the “Comments” section below.
Be well and active!
