10 Golf Swing Exercises for More Powerful and Accurate Shots
Golf is one of the most technical sports, and it requires a great deal of muscular balance. An athlete’s motor skills need to be right on point and move harmoniously to facilitate the most efficient swing. With many golfers, the most common physical limitations with regard to muscle balance are lack of internal hip rotation and lack of external shoulder rotation. The following corrective golf swing exercises will help golfers perfect their swing and ultimately improve their game.
RELATED: 4 Simple Golf Core Exercises to Increase Your Driving Distance
1. Pelvic Rotations
This exercise helps correct internal and external hip rotation, which is a problem for most golfers. It can also be used as a warm-up exercise to help increase a golfer’s balance.
How to Perform:
- Stand on one leg holding a golf club or broom stick in front of you on the ground.
- Once you are stable, rotate your pelvis as far as possible in both directions in a slow and controlled motion around the leg you are standing on.
- Perform 20 to 30 rotations and repeat, standing on the other leg.
2. Windshield Wipers
Windshield Wipers also help correct limited internal hip rotation, which helps drive the forward portion of your swing.
How to Perform:
- Begin by lying on your back with your hips and knees bent at 90 degrees.
- With your legs up, place both of your clenched fists between your knees.
- Separate your feet as far as possible without allowing your knees or hands to lose contact with each other.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
3. Shoulder Wall Slides
This exercise helps correct upper-back and shoulder mobility restrictions, very important in allowing golfers to perform a fluid and effortless swing.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet about 6 to 12 inches away from a wall with your back to the wall.
- Put your head, shoulders and butt against the wall without arching your back.
- Put your forearms and elbows against the wall (or rotate them toward the wall as far as possible).
- Slide your arms up and down the wall in a slow and controlled motion.
- On the downward movement, pinch your shoulder blades together trying to get as much range as possible in both directions.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
4. Anti-Rotation Band/Tube Walk
This one is excellent for stabilizing the core, which is critical for golfers considering the amount of trunk rotation they perform during their swing.
How to Perform:
- Hold the handle of an anchored piece of tubing with your “wall side” hand on top.
- Hold straightened arms out in front of your body at chest height.
- Keeping your torso and arms from moving, begin to walk out away from the wall, one foot at a time.
- Continue out until the tension of the band can no longer be maintained, then walk in toward the wall, maintaining the same posture.
- Repeat on both sides.
5. Stability Ball Jackknife
Another great exercise for strengthening the core, hip flexors, shoulders and back.
How to Perform:
- In the push-up position, put a stability ball under your feet and ankles with your feet slightly apart.
- Maintaining a stable core, pull your knees in toward your chest in a slow and controlled motion.
- Angle your knees out to the sides as you pull the stability ball in.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions in both directions.
6. Sword Pulls
This exercise helps with shoulder external rotation and helps golfers keep the club on the correct plane at the top of their backswing.
How to Perform:
- Start in golf posture, holding a dumbbell in your right hand and placing your left hand behind your back.
- Internally rotate your shoulder so the thumb of your right hand points to your left hip.
- Simultaneously extend the weight away from your body and externally rotate at the shoulder so your thumb now points behind you.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions on each side.
7. Single-Leg Squat With Rotation
This is one of my favorite golf swing exercises. It can be done with a golf club, just your body weight or additional weight to improve balance and stabilization while resisting movement.
How to Perform:
- Standing on one leg, squat down as far as possible.
- Simultaneously rotate your torso to the standing leg side.
- For example, try to turn your left shoulder to line up over your right foot at the bottom of the motion.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.
8. Medicine Ball Multi-Directional Step
This exercise stimulates the golf swing with added weight to improve strength and rotational power.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet together holding a medicine ball in front of you (pointing towards the hole).
- Initiate the motion by swinging the ball back and immediately stepping forward.
- Your front foot should be down, and your weight should transfer to that side by the time the ball finishes its backswing movement.
- Swing your arms down and throw the ball out in front of you.
- Perform this motion at golf swing speed, throwing the ball as far and as hard as possible.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.
9. Cable Lawn Mower Pulls
This is a great exercise for learning how to create torque from the ground up, by not allowing your weight to shift.
How to Perform:
- Stand facing the weight stack in golf posture.
- Grab the handle of the low cable with your right hand.
- Start the motion with a push of the floor and a rotation of your hips to the right.
- Immediately follow with a pulling and rotating motion of your upper body and arm.
- This exercise should be done as fast and explosively as possible.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on both sides.
10. Cable Wood Chops
Wood chops mimic the motion of a golfer’s swing, helping to build strength and mobility in the core, shoulders and back.
How to Perform:
- Attach a handle to the top setting of an adjustable cable machine.
- Stand next to the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms up and grab the handle with both hands above one shoulder.
- With your arms fully extended, pull the handle down and across your body to your opposite side.
- This exercise should be done as fast and explosively as possible.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.
Reference
Shear, Ben. (2009). Performance Training for Golf, Part 2. http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/Performance-Training-for-Golf—Part-2-3240
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10 Golf Swing Exercises for More Powerful and Accurate Shots
Golf is one of the most technical sports, and it requires a great deal of muscular balance. An athlete’s motor skills need to be right on point and move harmoniously to facilitate the most efficient swing. With many golfers, the most common physical limitations with regard to muscle balance are lack of internal hip rotation and lack of external shoulder rotation. The following corrective golf swing exercises will help golfers perfect their swing and ultimately improve their game.
RELATED: 4 Simple Golf Core Exercises to Increase Your Driving Distance
1. Pelvic Rotations
This exercise helps correct internal and external hip rotation, which is a problem for most golfers. It can also be used as a warm-up exercise to help increase a golfer’s balance.
How to Perform:
- Stand on one leg holding a golf club or broom stick in front of you on the ground.
- Once you are stable, rotate your pelvis as far as possible in both directions in a slow and controlled motion around the leg you are standing on.
- Perform 20 to 30 rotations and repeat, standing on the other leg.
2. Windshield Wipers
Windshield Wipers also help correct limited internal hip rotation, which helps drive the forward portion of your swing.
How to Perform:
- Begin by lying on your back with your hips and knees bent at 90 degrees.
- With your legs up, place both of your clenched fists between your knees.
- Separate your feet as far as possible without allowing your knees or hands to lose contact with each other.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
3. Shoulder Wall Slides
This exercise helps correct upper-back and shoulder mobility restrictions, very important in allowing golfers to perform a fluid and effortless swing.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet about 6 to 12 inches away from a wall with your back to the wall.
- Put your head, shoulders and butt against the wall without arching your back.
- Put your forearms and elbows against the wall (or rotate them toward the wall as far as possible).
- Slide your arms up and down the wall in a slow and controlled motion.
- On the downward movement, pinch your shoulder blades together trying to get as much range as possible in both directions.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
4. Anti-Rotation Band/Tube Walk
This one is excellent for stabilizing the core, which is critical for golfers considering the amount of trunk rotation they perform during their swing.
How to Perform:
- Hold the handle of an anchored piece of tubing with your “wall side” hand on top.
- Hold straightened arms out in front of your body at chest height.
- Keeping your torso and arms from moving, begin to walk out away from the wall, one foot at a time.
- Continue out until the tension of the band can no longer be maintained, then walk in toward the wall, maintaining the same posture.
- Repeat on both sides.
5. Stability Ball Jackknife
Another great exercise for strengthening the core, hip flexors, shoulders and back.
How to Perform:
- In the push-up position, put a stability ball under your feet and ankles with your feet slightly apart.
- Maintaining a stable core, pull your knees in toward your chest in a slow and controlled motion.
- Angle your knees out to the sides as you pull the stability ball in.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions in both directions.
6. Sword Pulls
This exercise helps with shoulder external rotation and helps golfers keep the club on the correct plane at the top of their backswing.
How to Perform:
- Start in golf posture, holding a dumbbell in your right hand and placing your left hand behind your back.
- Internally rotate your shoulder so the thumb of your right hand points to your left hip.
- Simultaneously extend the weight away from your body and externally rotate at the shoulder so your thumb now points behind you.
- Perform 3 sets of 15 repetitions on each side.
7. Single-Leg Squat With Rotation
This is one of my favorite golf swing exercises. It can be done with a golf club, just your body weight or additional weight to improve balance and stabilization while resisting movement.
How to Perform:
- Standing on one leg, squat down as far as possible.
- Simultaneously rotate your torso to the standing leg side.
- For example, try to turn your left shoulder to line up over your right foot at the bottom of the motion.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.
8. Medicine Ball Multi-Directional Step
This exercise stimulates the golf swing with added weight to improve strength and rotational power.
How to Perform:
- Stand with your feet together holding a medicine ball in front of you (pointing towards the hole).
- Initiate the motion by swinging the ball back and immediately stepping forward.
- Your front foot should be down, and your weight should transfer to that side by the time the ball finishes its backswing movement.
- Swing your arms down and throw the ball out in front of you.
- Perform this motion at golf swing speed, throwing the ball as far and as hard as possible.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.
9. Cable Lawn Mower Pulls
This is a great exercise for learning how to create torque from the ground up, by not allowing your weight to shift.
How to Perform:
- Stand facing the weight stack in golf posture.
- Grab the handle of the low cable with your right hand.
- Start the motion with a push of the floor and a rotation of your hips to the right.
- Immediately follow with a pulling and rotating motion of your upper body and arm.
- This exercise should be done as fast and explosively as possible.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on both sides.
10. Cable Wood Chops
Wood chops mimic the motion of a golfer’s swing, helping to build strength and mobility in the core, shoulders and back.
How to Perform:
- Attach a handle to the top setting of an adjustable cable machine.
- Stand next to the machine with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Extend your arms up and grab the handle with both hands above one shoulder.
- With your arms fully extended, pull the handle down and across your body to your opposite side.
- This exercise should be done as fast and explosively as possible.
- Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions on each side.
Reference
Shear, Ben. (2009). Performance Training for Golf, Part 2. http://www.ptonthenet.com/articles/Performance-Training-for-Golf—Part-2-3240
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