No rest for the wicked

On the ropes. Graeme McDowell works on in the gym. 

Darren Clarke and Graeme McDowell are especially determined to come out looking lean and hungry for their assault on 2014.

@mitchsadowsky: Great end to the week w @Graeme_McDowell Kettle bells, sand bag trainer, battle ropes #grind #week1done #teamgmac pic.twitter.com/gABIiZG73W

McDowell has been in the gym with strength and conditioning coach Mitch Sadowsky in Orlando - cheek out the video below - while Clarke has reportedly lost two and a half stone in his latest fitness drive.

@mitchsadowsky

Last few seconds of the first off season week of training w @Graeme_McDowell #battleropes #grind… instagram.com/p/iJsjxtLMRK/

Clarke, 45, will take up his full card on the PGA Tour again next year and he's also targeting a place in Paul McGinley's European team for the Ryder Cup matches at Gleneagles., writes James Nursey in The Mirror:

Darren Clarke claims a new internet fitness regime has made him stronger than ever as he targets a Ryder Cup place.

The 2011 Open champion has endured a winless year.

But the Ulsterman revealed he has since been in his gym five days a week to lose weight and build muscle.

He uses FaceTime on an iPad at home to link with trainer Jamie Myerscough at Educogym in Dublin.

And Clarke, 45, whose agent is Andrew ‘Chubby’ Chandler, has shed two and a half stone.

“I met Jamie recently and was closing in on the size of Chubby at that stage,” said Clarke.

“I decided I’d better do something.

"I’m twice as strong as I’ve ever been and because I’m not as heavy, it’s easier to swing and get the club into positions I want.”

Darren Clarke is the new global ambassador and attached professional at The Astbury – which is located in the heart of the Severn Valley, Shropshire. It is the home of the first golf course designed by KK Downing, founding member of British heavy metal band Judas Priest.

McDowell continues to search for small performance gains across the board and hopes to be "stronger and leaner" in 2014.

Speaking at Tiger Woods' Northwestern Mutual Challenge two weeks ago, McDowell spoke about the areas of his game he wants to strengthen in his search for greater consistency, especially with the driver:

“My hybrids improved a lot this year but I’ve just been inconsistent with the driver. I’ve had weeks when I drove it well and weeks when I didn’t drive it well.

“I have some work to do in the gym too, just to get a little leaner, a little fitter, a little stronger so I can get my ball speed up a little bit. I work hard on my short game and look at everything to see where I can improve without changing things. I am just excited for the off season to see where I can improve in the eight weeks that I have before I come back out again for the Pebble Beach Pro-Am. 

“I want to improve my driving of the ball generally but everything can get better - my putting, my iron play, my chipping and bunker play. The key area of my bag at the start of the year was three-wood, five wood, hybrid. I got that sorted this year but my driver could improve pretty substantially.