7 Best Golf Core Exercises To Target This Season
Along with training and practicing golf, it is also extremely important to focus on working out. Working out on different parts of your body can help strengthen them. In fact, it can also improve the alignment and balance required to shoot the best shots.
For golf, you need to focus on two major muscle groups – your glutes and core. In this guide, I will cover the best golf core exercises and how you can do them!
1. Side Plank With Cable Rows
Planks are undoubtedly one of the best exercises for your core. They can increase the overall strength and endurance. To take it up a notch, I suggest trying out this side plank with cable rows.
Why Do This Exercise?
This side plank helps in establishing stability, strength, and endurance. It can help in balancing your core while you use your upper body during a swing.
How To Do This Exercise?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to try out this exercise:
- Take a cable machine and lie on the side facing it.
- Perform a side plank while grabbing the handle at an appropriate weight.
- Stay in a proper side plank position and continue performing cable rows.
Repeat this exercise three times with twelves reps.
2. Russian Twists
Russian twists work best as a rotational exercise that helps in strengthening the core as well as your shoulders.
Why Do This Exercise?
Having an excellent rotation is important for a powerful swing and Russian twists can surely help you with that. It can also increase your body’s flexibility for smoother rotations and turns.
How To Do This Exercise?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to try out this exercise:
- Get a dumbbell and position yourself on the floor.
- Keep your knees and hips bent at 90 degrees.
- Hold the dumbbell such that it is right in front of you.
- Twist to the left completely with your back at 45 degrees to the floor.
- Then, twist towards the right.
Try to do this exercise three times with about 8-13 repetitions at least.
3. Medicine Ball Slams
It is essential to have more power in your upper body if you want to hit those powerful shots. The medicine ball slams can help you with that!
Why Do This Exercise?
The medicine ball slams help in strengthening as well as stabilizing your core muscles. This further helps in generating more power from your upper body while you’re playing.
How To Do This Exercise?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to try out this exercise:
- First, get in a kneeling position.
- Then, grab a medicine ball and make sure that your upper body stands tall and straight.
- With the same posture, tighten your core muscles. Then, hold the medicine ball over your head with fully extended arms and slam/throw it.
- After slamming the ball, place your hands on the side.
You can try this exercise three to five times. Each time do it for around 30 seconds at least.
4. Dead Bugs
When you’re taking your golf swing, you may encounter unwanted spine movements that may ruin your energy. This is where dead bugs exercise comes in.
Why Do This Exercise?
The dead bugs exercise is effective if you want to stabilize your spine using your core muscles. Thus, generating more power from the hips and avoiding any energy leaks.
How To Do This Exercise?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to try out this exercise:
- First, lie on your back. Ensure that your knees and hips are at the right angle and your palms are pressed on your thighs right above the knees.
- Keeping your pelvis stable, bring your right hand and leg out such that they are parallel to the ground. Again, keep your spine and torso in a stable position while moving your arm and leg.
- Go back to the position given in step one and repeat the same process with another side.
You can do this exercise three times. Each time, aim for five to ten repetitions on each side.
5. Power Kneeling Cable Twist
If you want to whip the club through the ball, you need to generate more power in your core. The best way to do this is by practicing the power kneeling cable twist.
Why Do This Exercise?
The power kneeling cable twist helps in stabilizing and strengthening your core by adding more power to it. This helps in whipping the club right through the ball easily.
How To Do This Exercise?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to try out this exercise:
- Kneel and keep any one of your legs forward while facing the cable machine.
- Use both hands to grab your cable machine.
- Go for a lighter weight.
- Then, rapidly twist to the side with the forward leg. This quick motion is a type of power move that is similar to the golf swing.
- Then, take the other leg out and follow the same steps.
For every side, you need to do this exercise four times with about 14 repetitions.
6. Planks
Planks are one of the simplest core exercises that can help in building strength, stability, and endurance.
Why Do This Exercise?
Regularly doing planks can help your spine become more stable and your core become more powerful. This helps in having a power-packed performance while you’re at the golf course.
How To Do This Exercise?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to try out this exercise:
- Get in a push-up like position such that your hands are right under your shoulders.
- From head to toe your body should remain in a straight and firm line. You can stay in this position for 10 seconds or even 30 seconds.
- To make the plank more challenging, consider dropping down to your elbows.
You can either do a plank of 30 seconds or split them in 10 seconds. The effectiveness remains the same.
7. Bird Dogs
Stability is necessary for the proper posture of your golf game. This further helps in proper movement of the club and accordingly, your swing.
Why Do This Exercise?
The Bird Dogs exercise is perfect if you want to improve upon your core’s stability to deliver better shots.
How To Do This Exercise?
Follow the below-mentioned steps to try out this exercise:
- Get on your hands and knees and keep your back flat.
- Keep your core area firm and raise your left hand such that it is aligned with the shoulders.
- At the same time, raise your right leg and keep it aligned with the hip.
- Get back to the original position.
- Perform the same steps with another leg and hand.
Try to perform this exercise at least three times with around ten repetitions in each.
Final Thoughts
Whenever you’re planning a practice schedule, it is imperative to involve core exercises in it. These exercises can increase the overall stability of your core area ad strengthen it. They can also make your boy more flexible for proper rotations.
So, you can try out the above-mentioned core exercises to bring out the best in your golf game!
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