Golf Strength Exercises

Golf strength exercises are an important part of any practice routine. Strength provides your swing power, balance and core stability.

Golfers are Athletes

Not long ago, golfers came in all fitness levels. As long as the pro, for example, could walk the course—caddy and clubs in tow—s/he could participate in any tournament. Many a day is long gone where the golf athlete does nothing but play to improve their game.

Yes, today the bar has been raised. Incorporating strength training into your daily, weekly and monthly golf fitness routine is imperative to improving your golf game. If you are a golfer, then you are an athlete too. 

Unlike stretching, which is more muscle-specific, strength training for golf should be golf-specific. In other words, your golf strength-training exercises should center on those muscles where power, balance, and stability are derived.

This is not to say you should be swinging 50 lbs. weights around in order to have a more powerful swing. It does imply, however, that you must imitate the game into your strength training routine.

Remember, too, the sum of the parts equals the whole. This is to say that parts of your golf strength exercises should be similar to segments of your golf swing.

Golf Strength: The Core

One of the most athletic and demanding parts of golf is the drive. This part of the game, moreover, requires the most centered power. Additionally, it requires a vigorous rotational power from a standing position. The power to deliver the ball, then, comes from the core.

Core muscles are the abdominals, upper- and lower-back, oblique, hips and so forth. Additionally, there is significant stress on these and other muscles. Essentially, these work together in one fluid motion to deliver the club to the ball, from windup to follow through.

Just as you’ve invested so much money in clubs, wardrobe and memberships, you must also invest in strength exercises to enhance the main component to any golf game—your body!

Golf Strength Exercises: Power

Power in the game of golf, again, comes from the body’s core muscles. These muscles are centrally located in the mid-section of any person. The main reason to work the core muscles is to add power, endurance and overall strength to your golf game.

The only way to have maximum power in your golf game—especially late in the game when you need it most—is to strength train.

This cannot be reiterated enough. Core strength is best built slowly, from the ground up, with proper golf strength exercises. This means you must build a base, especially in endurance sports. Long-lasting muscles are not necessarily bigger muscles. And, strength is not necessarily found only in muscular persons.

If a given player has properly trained and strengthened core muscles, it won’t matter how big or small he or she is. This said person would be able to deliver the ball consistently farther no matter what.

Golf Strength: Balance

You make think that balance is an innate ability: Some people are born with it and others are not. Though this mode of thinking may hold true for coordination, balance is a learned characteristic. And balance is so important to golf because of the importance of maintaining consistent drives and swings.

Balance enables you to hold a true form consistently—and golf relies entirely on consistency.

Balance leads to better self-awareness. You can almost feel when something goes performed wrong—this or that stroke just felt off, perhaps you’ve said to yourself one time or another. At any rate, in order to improve balance, you must practice.

Golf is a standing sport. So, you must execute strength-training exercises that improve balance in a standing position. Routinely completing your training on exercise balls or resistance equipment is a couple examples to get you thinking (more on this in other articles).

Golf Strength: Stability

If balance is the body’s equilibrium, then stability is the body’s ability to endure this balanced state. The ability to restore the body’s equilibrium (balance) is the act of being stable. A ball, for example, placed in a bowl is stable, staying in one place.

The same ball, however, placed on top of the bowl turned upside down is not stable, rolling off one side or another. If you flick the ball in the bowl, then it will always return to the same stable position. This is what you want in your swing.

Essentially, you’ll want stability in order to train your body to consistently do the same correct movements over and over again. 

Power is derived through golf strength exercises that promote stronger core muscles, power, balance and stability. The closer you can mimic the standing, rotational golf swing in your strength training, the more you'll improve. 

Golf strength exercises and more golf fitness tips.