CHAPTER 5
Strength for Fatigue-Free Golf
When we speak about strength in golf, we are talking about a complex, multifaceted concept. There is no definitive list of characteristics that identify the “strongest” golfers. We see many of today’s top golfers on a daily basis within the confines of the PGA Tour fitness trailers, and there is definitely a large range in their individual physical skill sets.
What is obvious, however, is that those players who are “golf strong” have higher than average performance in a number of individual fitness categories. These categories include balance, body awareness, stability, neuromuscular coordination, power, and endurance. When a golfer is below average in any one of these skill sets, the resultant functional weakness becomes apparent in the golf swing.
Golfers can be above average in strength in the gym while training with machines or free weights, but if they are not able to transfer that gym strength to the golf course, they are wasting the time they spend on their fitness. Traditional bodybuilding has little to no place in developing a strong body for golf. Bodybuilders are concerned about how much weight they can move during an exercise as well as the size of their individual muscles. As a golfer, you need to work your body through multiple planes of movement while concentrating on creating the proper sequencing of muscle activation (using the correct muscles in the correct order during each exercise). We are not saying that muscle strength does not matter, but if the individual muscles cannot communicate and work with each other, then that strength will be useless in your golf swing. For this reason, it is crucial to formulate your fitness routine with exercises that not only improve individual muscle strength but also improve the way muscles work together. This is what we mean by creating functional strength and not just raw strength (figure 5.1).
Figure 5.1 Functional strength requires muscles to communicate with each other throughout the swing.
To be truly golf strong, you need to have strength through the entire range of motion involved during your golf swing. A weakness at any joint through any section of the motion will create a breakdown in your golf swing. Lifting weights in one plane while using a bench or traditional machines greatly limits the functional strength that you can develop. This approach eliminates the need for your body to create and maintain stabilization through a full range of motion while performing an exercise. This ability to stabilize is exactly what is needed in golf and therefore must be heavily incorporated into your exercise routine. You will then see that the strength you gain in your fitness training begins to have a much greater carryover to the golf course. For this reason, we have formulated this chapter on golf strength to include exercises that expand on movements and concepts described in the previous chapters and combine them into more functional movements. The exercises in this chapter should be performed only when the exercises in the balance, stability, and mobility chapters can be completed comfortably and with good form.
Many people think that golfers do not need to be strong since they are not running, jumping, or knocking other people over. This attitude is probably due to the fact that the word strength typically conjures up images of a guy with huge muscles benching 300 pounds (135 kg) in the gym. Although this is one form of strength, there are many others. We have already explained that golfers require more of a functional strength to perform at the highest levels. There is also another key reason that strength is important: injury prevention.
The average person would never associate the two words golf and injury. However, as all professional golfers and avid amateur players know, injuries are prevalent throughout the sport and in fact are almost inevitable. The statistics on injuries at the touring level are staggering. About half of all touring professional golfers will have some injury each year that will cause them to miss many weeks of golf. Of those that are playing, up to 30 percent are actually playing injured. Those numbers are very high, and any single injury in a given year can be the difference between keeping your playing card or not. For touring professionals, the tour card is their job ticket. Lose the card, lose the job. For nonprofessional golfers, an injury may mean missing many months of golf or, even worse, deciding to quit golf altogether. For these reasons alone, you should increase your golf strength so you can prevent injuries as much as possible.
You may still be wondering how strength and injuries relate. Let us explain. First of all, there are mainly two types of injuries that occur in golf: joint injuries and soft tissue (muscles, tendons, and ligaments) injuries. Although there are no heavy loads to carry or move in golf (unless you are a caddy!), very high forces develop because of the speed of the swing. The muscles and joints not only help to create these forces but also must be able to generate opposite forces to slow down and ultimately stop the swing. As muscle strength—both individual and functional—increases, so does your ability to withstand the forces within the golf swing. If you do not possess adequate strength in the muscles to create and slow down these forces, then injury is sure to occur. Your soft tissues are your first layer of protection, but when the strength in these soft tissues cannot control the speed and rotation of the swing, the joints will begin to absorb the energy. Although the joints are capable of withstanding some force, they cannot be asked to be the major contributor to acceleration and deceleration. This scenario will surely cause injury and make it impossible to create an efficient swing. Therefore, building up your strength not only helps with your golf swing but also helps ensure you can take as many golf swings as you like.
By properly implementing the exercises in this chapter into your exercise program, you will see rapid improvement in both your confidence and physical competence in your golf swing. As an added bonus, it will also help you avoid taking time off because of injuries, which would slow down the progression of your game. As your success with these exercises improves, so will the ease with which you are able to control your body on the course. Become functionally strong and you will become golf strong!
For the following exercises, perform 8 to 12 repetitions. For exercises that require resistance tubing, cable machines, or free weights, start with a low resistance that allows you to complete 3 sets of 12 repetitions per set. When you can complete 3 sets of 12 repetitions, increase the resistance or weight so you can complete 11 repetitions but struggle on the last one. For exercises that require only body weight, begin with 2 or 3 sets of 8 repetitions. Once you can easily complete 3 sets of 8 repetitions, increase to 10 repetitions. Some exercises may require other ranges of repetitions. In these cases, the number of sets and repetitions is included with the exercise instruction.
Side-to-Side Walk With Tubing
Execution
1. Place ankle cuffs with tubing on both ankles.
2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, slightly bend your hips and knees, keep your back straight, and keep your feet pointing straight forward.
3. Step toward the right as far as you can, keeping your feet pointing forward and your back straight.
4. Slowly bring your left leg to the right to achieve the start position once again.
5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions, and then walk to the left to return to the start.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Gluteus medius, gluteus minimus
Secondary: Gluteus maximus, hip adductors
Golf Focus
As linear and rotational speeds increase in the swing, it is important to have enough strength to withstand these forces. The muscles in your hips need to not only generate hip rotation but also be strong enough to slow down rotation and stabilize the hips. This keeps your hips from swaying away from the target on the backswing and sliding toward the target on the downswing. These two swing faults are very common and many times are due to lack of strength in the hip muscles. This exercise will help you strengthen the hip muscles that keep you rotating around your hips instead of swaying and sliding. During the exercise, move slowly to avoid using momentum, and keep your feet pointed forward at all times. To increase the difficulty, use tubing with more resistance.
Variation
Standing Hip Abductor With Tubing
This exercise will work the same muscles but can be slightly more challenging. You will be working the muscles of the leg you are lifting, plus your stance leg will be working very hard to keep you balanced and stationary. Try to keep your torso as still as possible during the movement.
Plié Squat
Execution
1. Stand with your legs wider than your shoulders and your feet turned outward 45 degrees.
2. Lower your butt backward and down while raising your arms forward to shoulder height.
3. Maintain a straight back in the lowered position with your knees over your feet (don’t collapse the knees inward as you lower).
4. Attempt to lower yourself so your thighs are parallel to the ground.
5. Perform the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus
Secondary: Hip adductors, hamstrings
Golf Focus
One of the components of any good golf swing is having the leg strength to transfer body weight onto the lead leg and to extend the hips up through impact. This move creates a tremendous amount of force to be applied against the ground, which in turn is applied back into the golfer by the ground. This is the initial step in creating power within a golf swing. The plié squat is a safe movement for almost anyone beginning a leg exercise program to develop this strength. Externally rotating the feet makes it easier to move the hips through the lowered position and applies less stress to the knees.
Variation
Plié Squat With Weight
Some of you may find it difficult to keep your hips back as you lower toward the ground. When this happens, it is often easier to use both hands to hold a light weight of no more than 20 pounds. As you push your hips backward during the squat motion, you can lift the weight up to shoulder height to maintain balance by keeping your center of mass within your base of support (between your feet). This is an example of how a little weight added to an exercise can actually make the movement easier.
Seated Row With Tubing
Execution
1. Wrap tubing around a stationary object, and hold onto a handle in each hand. Sit on a stability ball with your back straight, knees bent, and heels on the floor.
2. With your elbows straight, lightly squeeze your shoulder blades together and down, and hold this throughout the exercise. This is your start position.
3. Keep your body steady as you slowly bend your elbows and move them toward your sides.
4. Return to the start position.
5. Repeat the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Rhomboid, middle trapezius, latissimus dorsi
Secondary: Serratus anterior, lower trapezius, posterior deltoid, rotator cuff
Golf Focus
As mentioned in the stability chapter, it is important to have proper control of the shoulder blades. When a golfer is able to pull his shoulder blade in toward his spine and away from his ear, it places the shoulder complex in a position that is advantageous for the proper functioning of the latissimus dorsi muscle. When the latissimus dorsi (the muscle that looks like a wing on a bodybuilder) is able to pull forcefully, it will help drive the golfer onto his target leg through the downswing. As we all know, the more you are on your target-side leg at impact, the greater you can drive your legs into the ground, which all combines to produce greater club-head speed. When a golfer does not control his target shoulder properly, it will usually pop up toward his ear at the beginning of the downswing, which forces the golfer’s upper body back onto his trail leg throughout the downswing and contact phases of the golf swing. This will not allow for good transfer of weight to the target leg and will put more stress on the lower back as the golfer hangs back through impact.
Variation
Seated Row With Cable
If you are at a gym, you can perform this exercise on a cable machine that is designed for a seated row. The advantage of using a cable machine over tubing is that the tension remains constant throughout the entire range of motion (as compared with the increased resistance experienced as tubing stretches). Just be careful to leave your ego at the door and use good form. It is common to see people crank up the weight as soon as they get on this machine, which is a surefire route to bad form and an injury! If you cannot hold your shoulder blades in place during the entire exercise, you are using too much weight.
Diagonal Triceps Extension
Execution
1. Stand in your golf setup posture. With your right hand, grab a resistance band that is attached above your head and to the left.
2. Start with your elbow fully bent and pointed just out in front of your right toes.
3. Straighten your elbow without moving your upper arm, and pull the resistance band down toward the ground.
4. Return slowly to the start position without moving your upper arm, and repeat.
5. Perform the desired number of repetitions and repeat on the opposite side.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Triceps, posterior deltoid
Secondary: Internal oblique, external oblique
Golf Focus
It is very important to be able to create and hold angles within the golf swing. However, holding these angles, or creating lag, is beneficial only if you can release them efficiently. As the lower body begins the downswing, the arms and wrists must maintain their angles to increase potential power. As the downswing continues, these angles must be released effectively to pass the energy from the torso to the arms and then to the club. The diagonal triceps extension will strengthen the muscles that transfer the energy from your torso to your arms and prepare it to enter the club. Increasing the strength in these muscles allows you to create more lag and therefore more power in your swing. This method of exercising the triceps also strengthens the oblique muscles as you resist rotation from the weight.
Variation
Diagonal Triceps Extension With Cable
This same exercise can be done when you have access to a gym and a cable machine. Use a handle strap attached to a high cable machine. Perform the same movements as with the resistance band. This will be more difficult because the weight remains constant throughout the entire exercise. Increase the resistance only if you can keep good form for each repetition.
Straight-Arm Pull-Down
Execution
1. On a high cable machine, take a wide grip on a lat bar.
2. Keep your shoulders down and back and your elbows locked.
3. Pull the bar down until your arms are near your sides.
4. Slowly return to the start position.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Latissimus dorsi, posterior deltoid
Secondary: Rectus abdominis, triceps, middle trapezius, lower trapezius
Golf Focus
The latissimus dorsi muscle needs to have efficient mobility in order to make a comfortable and efficient backswing. However, it is also important to be able to use the tremendous power available within this large muscle. This exercise helps isolate the latissimus dorsi as well as trains your ability to stabilize your body against outside force. When the club reaches the top of the backswing, the hips start to change direction to begin the downswing. At this point the latissimus dorsi muscle is fully lengthened. The stretch of the muscle puts it in a perfect position to quickly shorten and produce power as energy is transferred from the hips to the upper body. So once you gain mobility in the latissimus dorsi muscle, you must be able to shorten it effectively. This exercise will not only help you gain that strength but also help you gain control of the muscle as you stabilize your body against the resistance.
Variations
One-Leg Straight-Arm Pull-Down
To challenge your balance simultaneously, perform the same exercise while standing on one foot. This will force you to stabilize greatly in order to pull the cable bar downward. Be aware that you may have to decrease the weight to perform the exercise correctly.
One-Arm Pull-Down
This version will also work your obliques. As you pull the weight down, you have to resist your body’s natural tendency to rotate. This is a great way to mimic how the body works during the swing: One body part moves while another stabilizes.
Reverse Push-Up
Execution
1. Lie on your back underneath the bar on a Smith machine.
2. Take a wide grip on the bar and hang so that your body is completely straight, slightly off the ground, and supported by your heels.
3. Keeping your body straight, pull yourself toward the bar so that the bar reaches midchest.
4. Return slowly to the start position and repeat.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Latissimus dorsi, middle trapezius, lower trapezius
Secondary: Rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, hamstrings
Golf Focus
As you move into extreme ranges of motions within the golf swing, it becomes more difficult to maintain proper body angles and correct posture. As you perform this exercise, it is very important to keep your body completely straight and to create the movement with the muscles in your back. This will strengthen your abdominal muscles (as they resist the tendency of your hips to fall toward the ground) as well as the muscles of your upper and middle back. These back muscles need to have the strength to maintain proper spinal posture when you are in full backswing. Without this strength, your upper back will want to begin rounding, and your shoulders will want to roll forward. This loss of posture in the backswing can make it nearly impossible to get the club back on path in the downswing and return the club face square for impact. Reverse push-ups will help prevent this costly swing fault and give you the strength you need to maintain proper posture.
Variation
Assisted Pull-Up
If reverse push-ups are too difficult to do correctly, try the assisted version. However, you must have access to an assisted pull-up machine. The assisted pull-up focuses more directly on the latissimus dorsi muscle. Keep your shoulders down and back as much as possible, and focus on pulling with your back muscles.
Half Side Plank Hip Series
Execution
1. Lie sideways so that you are supported by your right forearm and knee. The left leg is in the air and parallel to the ground. Your body should be in a straight line from head to hip to foot of the top leg. Bend your bottom knee to 90 degrees.
2. Hold for 10 seconds.
3. Lower the left leg to the floor, return to parallel, and repeat 2 to 10 times.
4. Return the left leg to the air and hold it there. Lower the right hip 1 inch (2.5 cm) toward the ground; don’t move at the shoulder. Lift the hip up again and repeat until you complete the desired number of repetitions.
5. Repeat on the other side.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Gluteus medius, deltoid
Secondary: Rotator cuff, internal oblique, external oblique
Golf Focus
One of the main problems amateur golfers have is not being able to drive hard onto their target side through the downswing. They also lack sufficient hip rotation and the ability to stabilize the pelvis at impact without sliding toward the target. This move requires a tremendous amount of strength in the hip and pelvic stabilizers. The half side plank hip series is a great exercise to develop strength throughout the entire pelvic region. When these movements become easier in the gym, you will definitely notice more stability as you move through the ball on the course.
Variation
Side Leg Lift Using a Bench
If you have shoulder or neck pain, try modifying this exercise by placing your bottom forearm on top of a bench. This will help take the load off the shoulder and put the neck in an easier position for those with weak neck muscles or neck discomfort.
Reverse Squatting Woodchop With Medicine Ball
Execution
1. Get in a squat position, and hold a medicine ball in both hands.
2. Reach the ball toward the outside of your left ankle.
3. Stand up while simultaneously rotating to your right and lifting the ball overhead.
4. Finish with your right foot in place, your body rotated around your right hip, and the medicine ball up and to the right.
5. Perform the desired number of repetitions, and repeat in the other direction.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Gluteus maximus, quadriceps, internal oblique, external oblique
Secondary: Deltoid, gluteus medius, hamstrings, hip adductors
Golf Focus
The importance of rotational movements in golf is very obvious. To achieve an efficient and powerful golf swing, all muscles involved must be conditioned and strengthened. However, having strong muscles does not mean you will automatically be able to use them in the correct order. The reverse squatting woodchop is a great exercise to strengthen these muscles on an individual level as well as in conjunction with each other. As you begin this exercise, you will notice that it is much easier to perform if you allow the strength and energy from your lower body to pass to your upper body as you rotate upward. As you become better at this movement, you will be able to use more weight and perform more repetitions. This occurs not because of increased strength alone, but also because your body has learned how to perform a complex rotational movement more efficiently. This is exactly what is needed in each and every golf swing, especially those you have to perform from an awkward stance and lie while still powerfully getting the club under the ball.
Variation
Reverse Squatting Woodchop With Cable
Using a cable machine to do this exercise will help you train the same muscles. However, you will find that it is a little more awkward to control the movement because of the nature of the cable. This will help to more effectively train the muscles that stabilize the motion.
Push-Up to Plank
Execution
1. Start in a push-up position with your hands directly under your shoulders.
2. Lower yourself one arm at a time until your weight is supported by your forearms and toes (like the plank).
3. Try not to have much side-to-side hip movement through the transitions.
4. Return to the start position by pushing up one arm at a time.
5. Perform the desired number of repetitions.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Deltoid, pectoralis major, rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis
Secondary: Triceps, internal oblique, external oblique, rotator cuff
Golf Focus
Every golfer has felt the disappointment of walking down the fairway after hitting a wonderful tee shot to find that the ball has run just through the fairway and is now lying in thick rough. It’s a short-iron shot to a hard green, and a little spin on the ball sure would help keep the ball relatively close to the flag. These approach shots are done easily by players such as Anthony Kim, Hunter Mahan, and Tiger Woods. Why? Well, besides having exceptional technique, they are also very functionally strong from their feet right through their legs, core, shoulders, and arms. They are able to drive through the rough without losing much club-head speed or club stability and still create enough ball compression to generate some spin on the ball as it exits. The push-up to plank is a difficult exercise to do properly, but it will help generate strength from the pelvis and through the core, shoulders, and arms.
Variation
Push-Up to Plank From Knees
If you do not have the strength to do this exercise from your toes, you can try modifying it by keeping your knees on the ground. This is a great version for golfers just learning this movement.
One-Leg Reaching Squat
Execution
1. Stand with your left ankle crossed behind the right calf.
2. Bend both knees as you squat by pushing your buttocks behind you.
3. As you bend your knees, extend both arms up to shoulder height for balance.
4. Slowly stand up out of the squat by pushing the hips forward.
5. Do the necessary repetitions, and switch legs.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Gluteus maximus, quadriceps, hamstrings
Secondary: Intrinsic muscles of the foot, gluteus medius, hip adductors, anterior deltoid
Golf Focus
There are many situations on the golf course where strength and balance are required to make a quality golf shot. In this image, you will notice the golfer attempting to hit a ball from the rough with the ball lying below his feet. This is a great example of a golf shot requiring tremendous body control and strength to pull off consistently. When a golfer does not possess these attributes, there is often too much movement through the impact zone, and good shots become more a matter of chance than good technique. The one-leg reaching squat is a great exercise to build both functional leg and core strength while simultaneously requiring a tremendous amount of stability and balance. This exercise won’t guarantee that you will make these difficult golf shots every time, but it should increase your chances of success.
Variation
Supported One-Leg Squat
To make this exercise a little less demanding, you can try holding onto a railing or door knob with both hands. This allows you to concentrate less on balance and more on proper positioning of your body as you push the hips backward to lower into the squat and push the hips forward to rise out of the squat. As you get more comfortable, try putting less and less weight on the railing until you can do the movement with no support at all.