Golf Exercises That Actually Work

Do you have to exercise to play a golf game? If you can locate a VHS tape of the 1980s PGA tour, you’ll see that golfers were not concerned with physical fitness. Even seasoned golfers seldom worked out, and there weren’t many “buff” players strolling the fairway. There is a lot of info out there and that’s why we broke down the best golf exercises that actually work.

When Tiger Woods arrived on the scene, everything changed. He was a competitive golfer who relentlessly worked on his physique to become a better golf player. He altered the rules. Professional golfers now follow strict golf fitness training programs, and strength and conditioning experts are available to all collegiate golf teams. All of these sportsmen, including Rory McIlroy, Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, and Dustin Johnson, have worked out in the gym to keep them in proper form and enhance their ability to compete on the golf course.

Golf workouts can help you improve your game if they have helped the best players get better. The secret is to build functional strength and flexibility. What golf drills are the most effective for you? Are there certain golf workouts you can do to get a better swing? The following exercises can help you achieve that objective.

Weighted Golf Swings

You can attach a swing weight to the end of a golf club. An additional option is a weighted golf club. To warm up, adopt your regular stance and repeat your standard golf swing a few repetitions.

Swing your left arm only for 20 to 30 swings after the muscles are warmed up. Do the same number of repetitions with the right arm after that.

This is a fantastic workout to include in your warm-up routine before a round of golf. Seniors who use weighted swings can retain their maximum power and swing speed throughout the winter.

Your lower back, hips, shoulders, latissimus dorsi, oblique muscles, and forearms will benefit from this workout by being flexible and powerful.

Golf Swing Wall Stretch

This is one of my favorite golf exercises. Lean against a wall while holding up your right hand over your head. To replicate the top of your backswing, place your left hand lower than your right hand (for a right-handed golfer). Your left shoulder will be at a comfortable angle for your chin.

Until you have a substantial stretch, turn your left hip in. Twist to the left side and perform the same stretch after holding for 20 to 30 seconds.

Senior golfers can increase flexibility and swing speed by performing this hip stretch. This exercise can be part of a comprehensive warm-up program before practice sessions. Because the proper golf swing involves a lot of external rotation, it is important to warm up your hips and the rotator cuff before practicing or playing.

Tubing Around Ankles

Place any golf club or stick across your chest, grab a loop or resistance band, and wrap it around both ankles. Starting with your feet together, take a step back with your right foot. Shoulder breadth should be the distance between you.

Next, rotate as far away from your target as possible while shifting most of your body weight to the back leg to mimic your backswing. As you conclude the downswing by moving your load to your front leg, your right toe should lift off the ground. Return to your starting posture by bringing your feet together.

Senior golfers can use this exercise to strengthen their quadriceps, hamstrings, lumbar spine, calves, thoracic spine, and surrounding muscles. The increased strength will result in less hip and leg stiffness and more distance off the tee. You don’t need to be in a gym to perform this workout, which is a plus.

Prone Press Up

Lay on your stomach with your elbows supporting you. You can stretch out your lower back by pushing up through your elbows. Before returning to the starting position, hold the stretch at the top. To acquire some good spine movement, perform 10 reps.

Senior golfers who suffer from lower back pain, one of the most frequent problems in the game of golf, can benefit from this stretch. These golf flexibility exercises are crucial because the lower back is severely taxed throughout the golf swing.

Figure Four Stretch While Seated

Place your right foot on your left knee in a chair or golf cart. You can stretch your hip flexors by placing your hand on the side of your right knee and gently pressing down. Before moving on to the next leg, count to ten. Perform 3 reps on each leg.

Senior citizens can stretch their hip flexors by doing the figure-four. This will increase flexibility and make it possible for a backswing to be smoother.

Medicine Ball Side Twists

These golf exercises takes things to a whole new level. Legs raised in the air and slightly bent, sit on a yoga mat. Hold a small medicine ball or whichever weight you find comfortable with both hands.

Tap the ball on to the mat while swinging it to your right side. After that, turn around and touch the ball to the other side of the mat. Instead of keeping your heels in the air, place them on the floor if you have any lower back pain.

The oblique muscles, which are essential for the golf swing, are worked superbly by these easy exercises. Maintaining a strong core can increase your distance off the tee and reduce your risk of back problems.

Seated Lower Back Stretch

Sit comfortably on the chair’s edge (preferably with arms). Ensure that your knees and hips are pointing forward. Put your right hand against your left knee while rotating your torso toward your left leg.

Place your left hand on the chair’s arm for additional support and leverage to deepen the stretch. Repeat the stretch while rotating your right leg after 30 seconds of holding it.

The low back and oblique muscles can be stretched out by performing this exercise daily. Additionally, doing this before a round of golf is a good idea to avoid any muscle strains.

Hip Flexor Exercise With Chair

Put both hands on the seat of a chair by backing up about two feet. Make sure the chair is tall enough to reach your hips. Keep your feet shoulder-width apart.

As high as possible, lift your left knee. Raising it to the top of the chair is the objective but avoid extending yourself too far and becoming uncomfortable.

You can keep them slow and controlled by counting to three on the way up and down for each rep. Perform 8 to 15 repetitions on the left knee before switching to the right knee.

The hip flexor muscles, which are frequently engaged during the swing, become stronger and more flexible due to this exercise. Additionally, it aids in improved muscle imbalances, hip adequate mobility, and coordination—which are essential for a more fluid swing.

Push Ups

You’re probably aware of the push-up exercise, and while you might not think of it as a crucial component of a golf workout, it provides several advantages. One of the best golf exercises to improve upper body strength remains the straightforward push-up which can be done in the comfort of your own home.

Since you already know how to perform a push-up, I’ll give you a few tips to ensure your foundation is strong. Maintain a straight back that is parallel to the ground. Your abdominal muscles ought to remain tight. On your toes, support the weight of your lower body.

One-Legged Butt Lifts

The muscles which assist your hips throughout your swing and the 5–6 mile walk on the golf course are strengthened with single leg butt lifts, a crucial golf workout. This is one of the best golf exercises you can do to build strength.

Your knees should be slightly flexed as you lay on the floor with your legs flat on the floor. From here, raise your hips and butt until your knees, hips, and shoulders are straight without turning your spine. After a brief period of holding, lower your butt to the floor. Do three different sets of ten reps.

Dumbbell Bench Press

With the single-handed dumbbell bench press, your upper body and core strength are stabilized. A great golf exercise that involves two shots. With a dumbbell of the proper weight in one arm, you should lie on a bench for weightlifting or on the ground. Use this one arm to bench press. Perform three different sets of ten, then switch arms.

Bent Over Rows

Bent-over rows are great golf exercises to incorporate into your golf practice to build upper back strength. Although it sounds like a simple golf exercise, you could get tired soon when you first begin. You’ll exercise muscles that are frequently underused.

For this exercise, you’ll need a resistance band. The band should cover your feet’s bottoms. Formulating the band’s ends in your two hands, assuming a golf stance like a club. You must maintain your golf stance and spine angle throughout this exercise. As you stretch the band, bring your arms back and compress your shoulder blades.

Hand Walk Outs

The Hand Walks Out is a great golf exercise for stretching the upper muscles of your legs and lower back. It is crucial to concentrate on these areas since tension in this region can result in harm.

Straighten your feet as much as possible. As you “walk out” your hands until you are in a plank posture, lean forward until you are back in your neutral position. Try extending your stance if you have trouble putting your hands on the ground. You’ll undoubtedly feel the strain when you do these golf-strengthening exercises.

Squat With Medicine Ball Rotations

This fantastic all-around exercise will strengthen your core muscles and allow you to practice balance exercises. A medicine ball is required, and you should choose the weight that is best for you.

Place the medicine ball close to your right foot on the ground from a standing position. Hold the ball with both hands as you squat low. Lift the ball with your arms fully extended to the left of your hand while standing erect. To put the ball back where it belongs, squat. Make sure you perform both sides and as many reps as you feel comfortable.

Pelvic Tilt

You exert pressure on your lower back and pelvis muscles every time you swing a golf club. These places might become painful and sore if they are not treated properly. The Pelvic Tilt is a straightforward golf practice that will benefit your lower back and pelvis.

Your knees should be bent as you lay on your back with your feet flat. Put your hands in front of your head (this position is similar to the starting position of a Sit Up). Press the small of your back against the floor, and contract your abs, buttocks, and thighs. As you continue your golf workouts, strive to raise this amount of reps from the initial 10.

Single Leg Deadlift

The single-leg deadlift golf exercise can strengthen one’s lower back, hamstrings, and glutes. Regularly carrying out these exercises can improve one’s swing and shield one’s back from further harm.

Start while standing straight with a dumbbell in both hands and your feet shoulder-width apart. Your thighs should be in front of the dumbbells as they hang down. One leg should kick back behind you as you bow forward. Lower yourself until the dumbbells are as close to the floor as they will go while maintaining a straight back. Go back to where you were when you started. Try to complete three sets of 10 on each leg; as you get stronger, you can add more weight. Technique matters more than adding a lot of weight when performing these.

Final Thoughts on Golf Exercises

As you can see, there are a ton of great activities that will enhance both your golf game and general fitness. Set your goals upfront when it comes to increasing your golf fitness. For instance, do you want to gain muscle? Reduce weight? Amplify your adaptability? Or a mix of many objectives? Once you are certain of the outcome, begin slowly to prevent harm. Remember that just as Rome wasn’t built in a day, your new golf body will not appear overnight, so be patient and trust the process. Always remember that performing fewer reps with appropriate form is preferable to performing more reps with bad form, which could result in damage.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jim has been an avid golfer and golf fan for over 40 years. He started a YouTube channel called Golf Plus about a year ago and it has been wildly successful. It only made sense to expand and reach more golfers with this site and social media. You can learn more about Jim and Golf Plus Media Group by visiting our About Page.

Jim Krautkremer

Content Creator