What are the Best Exercises for Golfers?

The human brain craves simplicity: do this, not that. It’s no wonder that social media is filled with fitness tips claiming to have the “one exercise” to fix your golf game or eliminate back pain. While these bite-sized tips are catchy, they often fall short in delivering real results.

To truly understand the best exercises for golfers, it’s essential to distinguish between exercises that are “general” and those that are “specific” to your needs on the course.

The ‘Specificity Trap’

For years, trainers have fallen into the trap of picking exercises that look like a golf swing, assuming they must be effective. You’ve probably seen videos of people swinging weights or resistance bands in a way that mimics a golf swing. However, these exercises usually miss the mark—they aren’t as beneficial as just swinging a golf club with intent, and they aren’t challenging enough to create meaningful changes in your muscles or joints.

The best exercises for golfers are those that closely resemble the movements of a golf swing can be useful, but they should be the finishing touches, not the foundation of your training. A well-rounded golf fitness routine should focus first on building strength, speed, and power in a general sense, which will naturally carry over to your golf performance.

The ‘Complexity Trap’

Another pitfall is making exercises unnecessarily complex. For example, combining a split squat with a front raise might sound good on paper, but in practice, it waters down the benefits of both movements. The weight needed for the front raise will likely be too light to challenge your legs, and the instability of the combined movement means you won’t be moving fast or efficiently.

Golfers need exercises that enhance two critical physical qualities: force production and speed.

If an exercise compromises either of these by trying to do too much at once, it’s probably not worth your time.

Below are exercises scientifically backed for improving your golf game, split into two categories: those that build peak strength and those that build explosiveness.

Best Exercises for Golfers That Build Peak Strength

These exercises focus on developing maximum force output. Think of it like increasing the size of your engine, a Ferrari will always have more potential for speed than a Fiat!

Squatting Movements

1. Box Squat: Ideal for beginners, the box squat helps build leg strength while controlling depth, reducing knee pain risks.
2. Front Squat: This progression from the box squat allows for a larger range of motion. I typically get the golfers I train to use a ‘cross grip’ with this to reduce loading on the wrists.
3. Leg Press: A great alternative for those who feel less confident loading up squats. It provides a stable environment to push a lot of weight without fear of getting stuck under the bar.

Hip Hinging Movements

1. Kettlebell Deadlift: This foundational movement trains the hamstrings, glutes, and lower back, crucial for powerful hip extension during the swing.
2. Trap Bar Deadlift: Less stress on the lower back and more upright torso positioning make it a golfer-friendly variation.
3. Romanian Deadlift (RDL): Focusing predominantly on the hamstrings, this is a great exercise for helping develop the posterior chain strength vital for high swing speeds.

Horizontal Pushing Movements

1. Push-Up: Don’t be fooled into thinking that push ups are a beginner exercise. Whilst they are easy to learn, they also create a demand from top to toe to hold the position, and can be progressed beyond bodyweight with weighted and band resisted variations.
2. Dumbbell Bench Press: Allows independent arm movement, which can be helpful for finding comfortable upper arm positioning if you have shoulder issues.
3. Chest Press Machine: Provides a safe and stable way to build pressing strength, ideal for beginners or those lacking confidence with free weights.

Horizontal Pulling Movements

1. Chest Supported Row: By supporting the chest we not only reduce loading on the lower back, but also reduce the ability to ‘cheat’ the reps.
2. Single-Arm Dumbbell Row: Focuses on one side at a time, building unilateral strength and enhancing the ability to resist rotation through the core.
3. TRX Inverted Row: A bodyweight exercise that can be easily scaled for difficulty, making it accessible for home or gym workouts.

Best Exercises for Golfers That Build Explosiveness

To translate your newfound strength into speed, incorporate these explosive movements into your training. This is the equivalent of tuning your larger engine to be able to accelerate at greater speeds.

Jumping Power Movements

1. Box Jumps: Improve your ability to produce force rapidly, a key component in the downswing for clubhead speed.
2. Broad Jumps: Train explosive horizontal power, building the powerful hip extension seen in through impact.
3. Depth Jumps: These teach your body to absorb and rapidly redirect force, enhancing clubhead speed in the transition from backswing to downswing.

Hinging Power Movements

1. Kettlebell Swings: Build explosive hip drive, essential for fast and powerful hip rotation.
2. Single Arm Kettlebell Clean: Easier to learn than barbell cleans, these build your ability to transfer power from your upper-to-lower body.
3. Dumbbell Snatch: By focusing on one side at a time it’s easier to learn the technique versus barbell equivalents.

Throwing Power Movements

1. Medicine Ball Chest Pass: Develops upper body pushing power, strongly linked to faster clubhead speeds.
2. Overhead Medicine Ball Throw: Engages the entire body from legs to arms, enhancing your ability to whip the club aggressively through impact.
3. Medicine Ball Scoop Toss: A staple in most golfers exercise routines, by using a medicine ball that is heavier than a golf club we are working slightly more on ‘strength at speed’, often referred to as power or rate of force development.

Key Takeaways

• Aim to train in a ‘polar’ fashion. Either you’re moving heavy weight slowly, or you’re aiming to move a light weight quickly.
• While golf-specific movements have their place, focusing on building a solid foundation of general strength and speed will provide the most significant improvements on the course.
• Prioritise ‘stability’ when you’re lifting heavy, and try to avoid having one muscle group limit another in an exercise.