7 Workout Tricks To Reduce Soreness For Golf

“I’m worried about training too hard and being sore for my next round of golf.”

This was the exact concern a new client of mine — a local golf pro — brought up during our first session. He’d been working with a personal trainer before, a 22-year-old bodybuilding junkie who took pride in leaving clients broken on the gym floor after every workout. The result? Days of brutal soreness that absolutely wrecked his golf swing and left him questioning whether strength training was even worth it.

If you’ve ever walked onto the first tee with legs like concrete and a back so tight you felt like you’d been hit by a truck, you’re not alone. This is a common fear for golfers trying to balance fitness gains with peak performance on the course. So in these blog I’m going to cover 7 workout tricks to reduce soreness for golf.

Why Does Soreness Happen After Training?

That deep, aching muscle pain that sneaks up a day or two after your workout? That’s called delayed-onset muscle soreness — or DOMS for short. It’s your body’s way of adapting to new or intense training stress.

Reduce golf soreness

What’s Actually Happening Inside Your Muscles?

1️⃣ You stress your muscles during training, creating microscopic damage.

2️⃣ Your immune system responds by triggering inflammation to repair the tissue.

3️⃣ Next time you do that same workout, your body’s better prepared — meaning less soreness.

The bad news? Even after decades of research, science still hasn’t found a magic cure for DOMS. The good news? You don’t need to fear soreness if you train smart.

The Golf-Specific Approach: Train Hard Without Crushing Your Swing

My approach with golfers isn’t to eliminate soreness completely (a little soreness is part of progress), but to program with prevention in mind — especially if you have a tee time in the next 24–48 hours.

That means understanding what increases muscle damage, so you can dial back those factors when you want to feel fresh for a round.

What Makes Soreness Worse?

These are the 7 biggest culprits when it comes to post-workout soreness:

1️⃣ Eccentric Overload (The Stretch-Under-Load Effect)

• Muscles lengthening under tension (think lowering into a squat) cause more microtears than the lifting phase.

💡 Example: Lowering a deadlift slowly or controlling the descent of a bench press.

2️⃣ New or Unfamiliar Exercises

• Your body adapts to movements it knows. New exercises = new soreness.

💡 Example: Trying Bulgarian split squats for the first time will leave you limping.

3️⃣ High Volume (Too Many Sets & Reps)

• More total work equals more fatigue and breakdown.

💡 Example: Jumping from 3 sets to 6 sets of squats in a single session.

4️⃣ Slow Tempos (Increased Time Under Tension)

• Slower reps = more strain per rep = more damage.

💡 Example: 4-second eccentric curls vs. regular curls.

5️⃣ Stretching Muscles at Long Lengths Under Load

• Muscles are subjected to more damage when stretched under tension.

💡 Example: Deep deficit reverse lunges vs. shallow lunges.

6️⃣ Metabolic Stress (Burnout Sets, Short Rest Periods)

• Trapping metabolic waste in muscles increases soreness.

💡 Example: Drop sets, supersets, or blood flow restriction training.

7️⃣ Training to Failure (Especially Repeatedly)

• Pushing to the point where you can’t complete a rep magnifies muscle damage.

💡 Example: Going to absolute failure on leg presses.

The 7 Rules for Golf-Friendly Training That Won’t Destroy Your Swing

When you want to train hard without compromising your golf performance, flip the script. Here’s how I design low-soreness training for golfers:

1️⃣ Minimize Eccentric Overload

• Skip slow negatives or remove the lowering phase altogether.

✅ Best Options: Seated box jumps, barbell push presses, kettlebell swings.

 

2️⃣ Stick to Familiar Movements

• Repeating the same exercises allows your body to adapt, reducing soreness over time.

✅ Pro Tip: Stick with key movements for 8–16 weeks, focusing on progression instead of constant variety.

 

3️⃣ Cut Back on Volume

• More isn’t always better — focus on the minimal effective dose.

✅ What Works: 2 well-executed sets can deliver the same gains as 4, with much less soreness.

 

4️⃣ Use Faster Tempos

• Spend less time under tension to reduce muscle stress.

✅ Example: 1-second lowering on presses instead of a slow, controlled 4-second descent.

 

5️⃣ Reduce Loaded Stretching at Long Muscle Lengths

• Adjust range of motion or avoid holding heavy loads in stretched positions.

✅ Options: Partial range squats or box squats instead of full depth.

 

6️⃣ Skip the “Pump” Work

• Bodybuilding techniques (short rest, high reps) are soreness traps.

✅ Best Bet: Use low reps (2–6) with plenty of rest (2–4 minutes) between sets.

 

7️⃣ Stay Away from Failure

• Leave 2+ reps in the tank, especially on big compound lifts.

✅ Perfect Timing: This is especially useful for workouts the day before a round of golf.

Practical Example: Pre-Round Training Template

Here’s how I structure a golfer’s workout if they have a tournament or casual round within the next 48 hours:

✅ Power & Speed Focus (jumps, med ball throws)
✅ Lower Volume (2–3 sets per exercise)
✅ Familiar Movements (nothing brand new)
✅ Low Eccentric Stress (explosive lifts, faster eccentrics)
✅ Full Recovery Between Sets (2–3 minutes rest)
✅ No Training to Failure

You Don’t Have to Choose Between Gains and Your Golf Game

Too many golfers fear the gym because they associate lifting with crippling soreness — but that only happens when your training isn’t tailored to your sport.

But with these 7 workouts tricks to reduce soreness for golf, you can build the strength and speed you need to hit longer drives without stepping onto the course feeling like you’ve been steamrolled.