How To Improve Your Golf Fitness | Key Exercises
With 11 golf courses in Glynn County, this is one of the best places in the U.S. to get a round in! Today I have some great exercises for you to improve your golf game and knock a few strokes off.
Three keys to success in golf are balance, core strength, and power. Here are 7 great exercises to maximize your game.
Without proper balance, it’s impossible to maximize your swing potential. Here are 3 exercises to improve your balance.
Swiss Ball Pushup Progression is an amazing exercise for your chest and abdomen. Using a Swiss ball, move into a push up position and lay on the ball with your hips centered over the ball. Do 5 pushups, making sure to keep your body tight through the entire movement. Once you complete the first 5, walk your hands out so the ball is on your thighs and complete 5 more pushups. Finally, walk your hands out to where your knees are and perform a final set of 5 pushups. As you progress in strength, you can begin to walk your hands out further and even walk your hands back to the starting position.
Hips and shoulder strength are key to a strong drive. The Arnold Press and Split Squat is a great exercise that will strengthen these two muscle groups while working on balance. Begin in a full lunge position with your left leg is forward and your right leg is back. Your hips should be squarely supported between your knees and feet. Hold a dumbbell in your right hand and perform an Arnold Press driving the weight straight up. Complete 8 repetitions and switch arms and leg positions. As you become more skilled, lower your hips into a split squat and hold the movement right there with your knee hovering just above the ground. You’ll feel your entire body working to stabilize!
One final balance exercise is the Leg Swings Holding a Swiss Ball. Take your Swiss Ball in your hands and lean up against a wall with plenty of room on your left and right. Balancing on one leg, swing your leg as far out as you can and then back past your support leg. Do 10 leg swings and then swap legs. This activates the core muscles and works on range of movement in your hip joints, perfect for balancing a golf swing!
A strong core is vital to any sport. Here are 2 exercises to give you a stronger back and better rotation on your swing.
Don’t let the name intimidate you, because the Barbarian Squat is an amazing exercise! Since I don’t have a Hindu Mace, I’m going to use my 5, 6, and 7 irons in its place. I have wrapped the top of the clubs at the hosel with some twine to make sure they do not come loose while I perform the exercise. Stand with the clubs behind your back. Lower your body into a squatting position while simultaneously bringing the clubs to the front with your arms straight and parallel with the floor. Return to your starting position while bringing the clubs behind your head again. Your core, shoulders, and back are once again all activated! You can begin with one club and move up in weight. Perform 3 to 4 sets of 8 to 10 reps.
One of the biggest challenges amateur golfer have is a sore lower back. This comes from week muscles in the erector spinae group as well as the sitting that our modern jobs make us do. The Prone Leg Extensions is a great way to strengthen these muscles and create a solid spine. Lay flat on the floor on your chest and rest your upper torso. Engaging your back muscles, lift your thighs off the ground, bending at the hips. Hold for a half second and return your legs to the ground. Complete 10 total movements for 3 sets.
Many clients cannot perform this exercise the first time, so to modify we can get in the same position and lift one leg at a time as high as you can. Alternate left and right legs and do 10 repetitions total.
With our balance and core work, we can begin to add power! A golf swing is a movement that must have explosive power. Here are two exercises that will generate some power in your game!
Using a medicine ball in place of your club, the Medicine Ball Swing allows you to go through your full range of motion for your swing while creating resistance for you to work against. Take a medicine ball, typically 6 to 8 pounds at first, and hold it in both hands. Take a golf stance like you would on a drive with the medicine ball taking the place of a club. Go into a full swing and as you come forward throw the ball to your training partner. You can do 10 on your swing side and 10 on your non-swinging side to work both sides of your body. As you increase in ability, increase your throwing distance or weight!
Another great power exercise for the shoulders is the Power Drop. With a partner, sit on the floor with your legs out and a tall spine. Out stretch your arms with palms up ready to catch with your partner will standing behind you. You training partner will drop the ball into your hands, catch and try not to let the ball hit the ground. With tight abs and back, swing the ball back up to your partner! Complete 10 repetitions for 3 sets. Once again, as you gain more strength you can increase weight and throwing height.
These are just a few great exercises you can use today to supercharge your golf game! If you would like to set up a golf strength and conditioning program, call us at 912-268-2594 and we can get you set up for your exclusively private training session at Live Oak Fitness!
