Practice Plan

5 Important Golf Exercises for Golf Workout Routines

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5 Exercises Every Golf Should Add to Their Workout

The key to being great at golf is hitting the ball far, straight, and with proper distance control. Keeping it straight and hitting the right distances when approaching greens can take years to master.

But hitting the ball far like on tee shots with your driver, doesn’t have to take years.

In fact, you can improve your golf fitness by doing golf specific exercises and workout routines and notice an improvement in your golf swing as well as your distances you hit the ball.

Golf exercises build up your body and muscles and help you increase swing speed. Combine working out with the tips in this swing speed video and you’ll see longer distances with your golf clubs.

5 of the Best Golf Exercises

Check out the 5 golf exercises I have for you today to add into your workout routine if you want to take your golf fitness more seriously this season! These workouts will help you build muscles that contribute to distance in the golf swing.

  • Legs – power generator
  • Core – stabilizer to help power transfer to arms and club
  • Shoulders – helps golf swing release power

Also, check out our free 10 drills we recommend practicing at the golf course. It’s free to download the PDF list but if you want a practice routine to break 80 or a golf specific workout program to follow then those links are worth checking out as well!

Wall Shoulder Stretch

When you have flexible shoulders, you can move them back in a wider range of motion. Many refer to this as a wide shoulder turn in the back swing.

Start with this shoulder stretch exercise to work on improving the flexibility in your shoulders and to help you reduce damage or chance of rotator cuff injury.

How to do it:

  • Stand sideways to a wall
  • Spread feet shoulder width apart for stability
  • Your arm closest to the wall needs to straighten out
  • Reach back and grab the wall with your palm or press the palm against the wall
  • Press the shoulder against the wall while keeping your arm straight to feel the stretch
  • Hold for 30 seconds and repeat with opposite arm

Planks

Planks will work you core abdominal muscles which are super important to the golf swing. These core region keeps your body stable, helping prevent back strain injuries. It also helps your body turn as you twist during a golf swing, generating power.

How to do it:

  • Get down onto the ground in a push up position
  • Instead of resting on straight arms like you do at the top of a push up, your arms should be bent underneath you so you’re resting on your forearms to hold your body up
  • Your legs should be off the ground as well using your toes and elbows to support your weight
  • Keep your back straight and stomach tucked in feeling the burn in the core as you hold this position
  • Hold for at least 1 minute before resting. Try to make it 2 minutes if you can.

Deadlifts

Deadlifts are another power exercise for the golf swing. Deadlifts work you core muscles but most importantly they work out your glute muscles. The glutes are key for thrusting your hips in the golf swing which generates power!

How to do it:

  • Spread feet shoulder width apart for balance
  • Bend knees and grab the barbell bar
  • Lift your chest to straighten your back so it’s not hunched
  • Pull up with your chest and arms to lift up the barbell
  • Drive the legs, pushing up to assume a standing position
  • Push your hip back before bending your knees to put the bar down.

Lunges

Lunges are a great stability exercise as it works one leg at a time. You’ll find an increase in strength in your lower legs and your ankles which adds to your ability to stay balanced in the golf swing.

One of your legs will likely be more dominant so spend more time on the non-dominant leg doing extra lunge reps to achieve better balance in leg strength for better stability.

How to do it:

  • Keep your upper body upright in a straight position like you’re sitting straight up in a chair
  • Keep your shoulders back and chin up
  • Step forward with one leg, lowering your lower body at the hips until both knees bend 90 degrees
  • The rear leg should not touch the floor but it will be low to the ground
  • Push up with your front leg to return to a standing position
  • Repeat taking a step with the opposite leg this time

Seated Row

Rows are a popular back exercise that improves strength in the upper back and shoulders. There are many variations for doing rows in the gym but we like the seated row because it helps you maintain proper posture.

Use lighter weight as you master this exercise. We don’t want to strain the back in the gym. Instead we want this lightweight exercise to add some strength to the back to hopefully prevent strain on the golf course.

How to do it:

  • Sit at a seated row machine at the gym
  • Your shoulders should be back, chest slightly puffed out
  • Reach forward and grab the cables or bars for the row machine
  • Pull the cables toward you while leaning back, keeping the chest puffed out
  • Feel the squeeze in your upper back muscles as your hands come into your sides of your ribs before letting the cables back slowly to the machine

If you found these 5 golf exercises helpful, check out the full workout program for golfers with an example 8 week schedule.

We also have additional golf training programs related to practice sessions that highlight what golf drills to practice for the swing, short game, chipping, putting.

Here’s the full list of practice plans for different types of golfers and needs.

The-Best-Practice-Routine-to-Follow

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