According to Men’s Journal the following exercises are part of workout routines used by PGA tour golfers:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Clean and jerks
As well as, the following medicine ball exercises:
- Side to side rotational velocity slams
- Reverse pivot slams
These exercises will help you to hit the ball further, and with less effort.
It’s not necessary to put on a lot of muscle, as you will notice that top golfers have pretty standard physiques. And don’t look like bodybuilders or anything.
In fact Jason Day, the former number one ranked golfer in the world, says that being too big in the upper body makes you lose power in your swing. And that you should aim to be strong in both your upper body and your lower body.
Here’s how to do each of the exercises:
Squats
As you may be aware squats are a compound exercise that works all of the muscles in the legs.
To do a squat you stand shoulder width apart, with your back straight, and then bend down to where it feels comfortable and extend back to the standing position.
You want to avoid locking out your knees because it will take tension off the muscles, and you’ll have to perform more reps.
Here’s a good video from Jeremy Either which shows the common mistakes people make when doing squats
You can perform squats anywhere without weight. To get the same intensity perform the squats very slowly.
Believe me, you’ll be feeling the burn within 10 or so reps.
Deadlift
This exercise does require the use of a barbell. However, you can replace it with pistol squats if you want to do some in a park, or at home.
The same form applies to both men and women
Pistol squat alternative
The pistol squat is where you keep one leg out in front of you and bend down all the way to the ground. To additionally strengthen your back and shoulders is to hold your arms out straight in front of you.
However, you can also cross your arms over your chest. When I first tried the exercise I didn’t have the leg strength or the knee and ankle flexibility so I had to work up to it.
Here’s a great video that shows how to work up to doing pistol squats:
Medicine Ball Rotation Exercises
There’s a few different variations of medicine ball rotation exercises you can do. You will need a medicine ball to do this exercise, and you need a solid floor. Such as outside on the grass, or on a concrete floor.
I wouldn’t recommend doing these on wooden floors because of the weight of the medicine ball and the force with which you throw it into the ground. If you do it can weaken the floor and can lead to issues.
Reverse Pivot Slams
This improves both your speed and your power and will enable your golf swing to feel easier and more effortless.
To do this exercise you start by holding the medicine ball in front of you with two hands, at about belly height.
You then lift it in a half circle until you’re holding the medicine ball above your head, you then throw the ball down in front you so that it lands in front of your feet.
Side To Side Rotational Velocity Slams
A reverse pivot slam is similar to the reverse pivot slam, however you slam the ball to your side rather than straight down in front of you.
Here’s a video from Dr. John Rusin that shows how to do a side to side rotational velocity slam:
These exercise can help you improve your coordination, strength, and dexterity to dramatically improve your golf swing.
Good luck with your training
