Pressure does strange things to elite athletes. For Charley Hull, it does the opposite. It settles her.

Hull climbed onto a treadmill and ran a 10-kilometer race before stepping onto the course to face world No. 1 Nelly Korda in a Sunday singles match at the 2024 Solheim Cup. 

It was not part of any team directive. It was simply how Hull prepared for one of the biggest matches of her career. What makes the story even more striking is that no one stopped her.

Hull’s close friend and an assistant captain on the European team, Mel Reid, said, “You just let her be on a certain schedule of her own. Make her feel like she’s in control of what she’s doing, because that’s where she thrives.”

The result was a 6-and-4 victory over Korda, the largest winning margin of Hull’s Solheim Cup career, surpassing her 5-and-4 singles win over Paula Creamer in 2013.

And it wasn't the only time Hull pushed herself with running. Earlier this year, when preparing for the Ford Championship, Hull pushed herself hard on the treadmill, bleeding through her sock and shoe to finish a 10 km run in 53 minutes. "No pain, no gain," she wrote on her Instagram story.

And Charley Hull keeps that same intensity with her workouts

Well, Hull has set a running target. She wants to bring down her 5 km run target to below 20 minutes. And that's just one part of her workout.

Charley Hull's physical training includes various exercises such as dumbbell full moons, Russian twists, and cable rotations. Besides, her vertical force production drills are tailored to enhance both her power and stability.

Hull’s approach may look unconventional for a pro golfer, but she has to make it to manage her ADHD. As Hull puts it, “I smash the gym to help me.”

Written by

Dolly Bhamrick

Edited by

Siddharth Shirwadkar