5 exercises guaranteed to improve your golf game
Golfers, who wouldn’t like a bit
of extra distance off the tee? A more powerful swing?
No matter what level you play at,
you can always improve your physical performance—and not just by crunching
weights in the gym, either.
We caught up with golf strength and conditioning coach Jamie Greaves to talk through a handful of exercises that are guaranteed to improve your golf game.
And it turns out you needn’t even leave the comfort of your own home—who knew?
5 exercises to improve your golf game
Bear sit rotation
This is one of Greaves’ favourite simple mobility
exercises.
Golf is a rotational sport, but many golfers lack
rotation through the hips and thoracic spine. However, this exercise will help
you overcome this and get your hips moving.
Start by sitting in the ‘bear sit position’ (see
the video below for reference), with your knees bent and heels pressed into the
ground. Ensure your torso is upright.
What you’re trying to do is gently rotate the hips
internally so that the knees come together and then externally so that the
knees split apart.
“You should perform this nice and slowly,” says Greaves. “Be sure you’re feeling the movement in the hips and not in the knees.
“Although the knees move, the motion is created
from the hips. If you’re feeling it more in the knees, it won’t be helping.”
Greaves recommends performing around 10 repetitions
and holding for a second or two at the “end ranges”.
“Internal rotation of the hips is crucial in golf, yet when I assess golfers, it’s one of the things they struggle with the most,” Greaves adds.
“Our lifestyle contributes to that. We’re designed
to move. The hip joint is amazing, but we tend not to move it.”
Put your backside up against the back of the sofa
and give it a go.
Watch how to perform a bear sit rotation in the
video below.
Half kneeling rotation with side bend
This is another great exercise to
help improve your mobility and work the thoracic spine.
To perform this exercise, start
in a half-kneeling position (see the video below for reference), with your
fingertips behind your head.
Next, rotate as far as you can in
the direction of the front knee. From there, side bend to each side, staying in
your rotated position.
After the side bends, take a deep breath out and rotate ever further—and repeat the process three times.
Many golfers, especially seniors, tend to hunch over the ball, which “kills their rotation”, so Greaves is a big fan of this exercise.
“As well as encouraging rotation
and side bend, it also encourages extension, or what I call staying tall
through the torso”, he says.
Make sure the lower body stays as
stable as possible throughout the entire motion and repeat the process on the
other side.
Watch how to perform the half kneeling
rotation with side bend here.
Goblet squat
Lower body strength and clubhead
speed are intrinsically linked. The stronger someone is through the legs, the
faster they can swing a club.
For this exercise, start by standing, holding a weight in the goblet position (see the video below for reference), and screw your feet into the ground.
Next, lower down through your
maximum range of motion, making sure you stay tall through the torso and drive
up with intent.
Be careful not to round
excessively through the torso as you move, and make sure you feel your heels
flat to the floor. As you move, the knees should track out slightly to create
space for the hips.
If you’re apprehensive about
starting with a weight, don’t worry. “Start by holding onto something, then
squat with just your own weight, and finally progress to hold a weight in front
of you,” says Greaves.
“This is a super strength move to
work on, regardless of whether you play golf or not.”
Elevated push-up
Now it’s time for some press-ups
to work the upper body. But fear not; you can work your way up in terms of
difficulty.
You should use something to
elevate the hands, such as a bench (see the video below for reference). Imagine
screwing your hands into the bench to stabilise the shoulders, and let the
elbows track nicely.
You want to lower down and press up in a controlled manner through a full range of motion. It’s also important for the elbows to track at around 45 degrees, and you mustn’t round or extend excessively as you move.
“You could start on the stairs—maybe
three steps up,” says Greaves. “As you get better, put your hands on the second
step and then onto the ground. This is important, particularly for senior
golfers who tend to lose upper body strength.”
Watch how to perform an elevated
push-up here.
Squat jumps
Squat jumps may strike fear into
some people, but, as Greaves stresses, you need only do as many as five to
start off with.
“It’s a speed power-based
exercise, and you should be trying to jump as high as you can,” he explains.
“As we get older, we lose muscle mass and strength, plus we lose the ability to generate force quickly. However, this exercise gets things moving a little faster.”
Start in a standing posture, then
drop into a quarter squat position and explode up. Focus on landing softly in
that same quarter squat position and ensure you don’t land with the legs
straight or in a deep squat position.
“Depending on your age, you can
make it easier, so you don’t even have to leave the floor,” adds Greaves. “You
can go up and down fast but not leave the floor, or you can hold onto something
so you feel safe—which is very important.
“Just moving that little bit
faster is going to make a considerable difference to your golf game.”
Watch how to perform a squat jump
here.
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