Strength Training for Golf Players (Detailed Program)

Golf and weightlifting might seem like an odd pair, but once you decide to go to the gym and choose a strength training program, you will definitely improve your golf swing.

In a hurry?

Our tips and examples for till mid-season, pre-season and in-season training

Golf Players’ Strength Training Programming

The golf swing is a full-body movement in which strength is the source of force. By engaging in weight lifting for golf, your swings will become more consistent and better.

Using the methods below in this guide, you can turn your newfound strength into a faster golf swing.

Weightlifting is better for swing speed than modern weight training methods. To improve the range and accuracy of your swing, keep reading.

What’s Strength Training for Golf Players?

Strength training involves contracting muscles in response to an external stimulus. Your body weight, a weight machine, a medicine ball, a resistance band, or some dumbbells may all be used as external resistance.

Players like Gary Player, Greg Norman, and Tiger Woods have elevated the need for strength training in golf to the level of necessity. However, golf strength training helps all golfers, not just pros.

Weight training can be broken up into three or four distinct phases, and any of them will be suitable for most golfers. The first stage focuses on getting the body robust and muscular. Second-stage work will concentrate on improving power transmission.

If you play all year, you must only go through the power program once to build your basic skills. Your strength training program should be restarted if you need a break for over a month.

To improve your golf game, you must focus on strengthening your core (chest and back), forearms, and butt. By building up these muscles, you can give your swing and the ball more power and direction.

Your swing will have more power if you work out your glutes and core with squats and weights. Don’t forget that hip rotation, a crucial part of every golf swing, also requires strong glutes.

Key exercises include the deadlift, split bowler’s squat, forearm rollout, weighted push-ups and pull-ups, bench press with weights, hand walkouts, etc.

Benefits of Strength Training for Golf Players

Bone Strengthening

Muscle strength, like stamina, contributes to bone density, increasing longevity. Athletes will benefit from longer physical lifespans if their bones are stronger.

Bone health is essential for golfers since it allows them to spend more time on their game. Remember that less bone density increases the risk of fractures.

The more time a golfer can spend on golf strength exercises without any injury, the more they can focus on perfecting their swing.

Joint Safety

Flexibility is maintained with weight training. If you work out the muscles in and around important joints, you can keep them from getting hurt.

As people get older, they move less, which makes their joints stiff and painful. But with the help of lifting, stiffness and joint pain can be prevented.

Increased Swing Speed

In golf, swing speed is a significant consideration. The more quickly a golfer can swing their club, the more power they will put into the ball. The further a golfer’s drives can go, the better they will be.

Improved Golf Swing Accuracy

Mistakes in a swing might be caused by inadequate technique. However, the flaw that causes errors is quite common.

If your body is strong, it’s easier to make complicated moves. Golfers may improve their weight loading on one leg or the other by lifting weights.

It aids them in maintaining balance when their trunk rotates throughout the swing. As a bonus, it prevents golfers from losing their equilibrium and losing their club.

Greater Endurance

Weight training is an excellent way for golfers to increase their stamina. Combining cardio with challenging golf strength exercises like the deadlift, squat, bench press, and others may help golfers build a life.

One can not only build up physical strength but also willpower. Athletes push through the pain that comes with training to get closer to their physical goals.

Strength Training Exercises for Golf Players

Since golf is a physical sport, regular golf strength training can help you perform better. Your swing speed and shot distance will improve by strengthening the right muscles.

Next, you may increase your swing speed and power by improving your flexibility and balance. Finally, endurance is more crucial in golf, than most novices think.

Read on for some of the best golf weight training program workouts.

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Single Leg Deadlift

Golfers may strengthen their lower backs, hamstrings, and glutes with a Single Leg Deadlift. In addition to improving your swing, these exercises may prevent back issues.

You can start by forming a square with your feet and holding a dumbbell in each hand. You should have the dumbbells dangling in front of your thighs. Bend forward and kick your leg back to make yourself shorter.

Bring the dumbbells down until they almost touch the ground while keeping your back straight. Ask your training coach and find out when it’s time to start all over again.

Three sets of ten on each leg should be a minimum. Remember that carrying proper form is more important than using excessive weight.

Rotational Lunges

You can do this workout with a little medicine ball (heavy ball). Separate your feet about hip-width apart and clutch the ball to your chest. Bring your left knee down to the floor as you step forward with your right foot.

Keep this position while rotating your arms, balls, and body to the right. Turn around till you are back where you started. Switch legs and repeat the exercise around 20 times.

This exercise can help with stability, rotation in the swing, and power.

Split Squat

The goal of the split squat is to increase your leg strength and speed in the swing. The extra bonus of having better balance is the cherry on top.

Your golf lifting program must include this exercise, where you hold a bar behind your head so that it rests on your shoulders. To begin, please stand up straight with your feet together. Stretch out one leg and take a big stride forward.

Now, place your front knee in front of your front foot and lunge until your back knee nearly touches the floor. Maintain an upright posture with your head high and your eyes ahead while squatting.

Remain in this lunge stance for a few seconds before standing up. Iterate ten times. You may increase the difficulty by raising the bar’s weight as you go.

Medicine Ball While Squatting

This weight lifting for golf workout can help you strengthen your core and enhance your balance. The first step of this workout is to stand up straight and place the medicine ball next to your right foot on the floor.

Pick up the medicine ball by squatting down, then immediately standing up and bringing it to your left hand as you stretch your arms.

Shoulder-Tap Cross-Climber

Golfers can improve their core strength by doing planks. Bring one knee to the opposite elbow and repeat the motion.

Your non-planking hand should be used to tap your shoulders. This exercise could help you get the core strength and stable shoulders you need for a better golf swing.

Heavy Lunges

Dumbbell Lunges 6 Reps – the glutes and hamstrings will strengthen with four sets on each side. After squatting, deadlifting, or both, add this as an accessory exercise and aim for six repetitions over three sets.

You can build body strength with only a few motions like this while lifting heavy weights for multiple sets.

Leg Press Machine

After squatting, the leg press is ideal for the glutes and quads. Since you will be tired from your strength training, your goal is to do 6–8 repetitions for three sets.

Calf raises, leg curls, and hamstring machines are additional lower-body auxiliary lifts.

Weighted Pull-Ups

Smaller people should have an easier time doing pull-ups, so if you need to increase the weight to maintain your rep ranges, you should do so. Wear a weighted vest or connect dumbbells to get the most out of your weight lifting for golfers’ workouts.

Cable Rows

By sitting on a bench and pulling the weight toward oneself, a “cable row” works the back muscles horizontally, not vertically. Do three sets of six repetitions with a heavy weight for optimal results.

Hand Walkouts

The lower back and the upper leg muscles may also benefit from the stretches of the Hand Walk Out. The tension here could cause an injury, so it’s essential to release it.

Try to maintain the straightest possible leg position. Lean forward and “walk out” with your hands to the plank position, then “walk back” to start. Spread your feet if you can’t reach the floor. This golfing workout will give you a good stretch.

Close Grip Bench Press

It’s very much like the bench press, except that you begin with your arms considerably closer to your body. For maximum strength improvements, do three sets of six repetitions

Dumbbell Flies

In your weight lifting for golfers program, it is a good addition if you want to tire out your chest muscles. Do not lighten up on them. To maximize strength improvements, do three sets of six repetitions. Alternate exercises include cable flies and the pec deck machine.

Weighted Push-Ups

You may do three sets of six to eight Push-Ups with a 40-pound plate on your back. Triceps and chest muscles will both benefit greatly from this.

Military Press

The military press consists of heaving an Olympic bar loaded with weight over one’s head. It is an excellent total-body exercise focusing on the shoulders and upper back. In this case, too, the triceps will play a supporting role. Use the standard 5*5 or 6*4 on this program.

Medicine Ball Slams

You can slam the medicine ball as hard as you can on the ground by lifting it over your head and throwing it down. Use a count of 5 for three sets, with a rest period in between.

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Key Factors in Golf Players’ Strength Training Routine

Creating a golfer’s strength training program involves several factors. Some of them are as follows:

Find Your Balance

Short and stocky players benefit the most from working on their flexibility to improve their game. If you steady yourself, you may whip the club around with additional force by increasing the torque. That’s how you get a good launch off the tee.

The Planes

You need to train your bodies in different planes of motion, which is crucial. You should include frontal, sagittal, and transverse (rotational) plane exercises for the best results.

Create a Methodical Workout Routine

Training without a goal is pointless. The training regimen should increase intensity, volume, and frequency as you strengthen.

Follow the plan to become fit without overtraining. Try to include some unilateral exercises in your golf weight training program.

Warm Up

Check to see that your pre-exercise warmup really does the job of warming you up. Try some leg and arm swings to warm up your muscles and get your blood pumping.

Don’t Go for a Quick Fix

The secret to golf is finding the perfect set of clubs. However, there is no fast route to improvement. Strength training for golf is your first order of business in this case.

Take Time Off

You should take days off between training sessions to let your muscles repair and your body recuperate. Foam rolling, stretching, and massage may all be done while you relax to speed up the healing process.

Golf Players’ Strength Training Programming

First Phase: Pre-Season – Building Muscle and Strength

• Time of year: Approximately halfway through preseason
• Per week: Two or three days with at least one day off in between
• Duration: Six to eight weeks
• Reps: Eight to ten
• Sets: Two to four
• Rest between sets as follows: One to two minutes

At this stage, muscle and strength will continue to grow. The focus is on lifting relatively heavy weights to teach the neural system and muscle fibers to move heavier loads.

Muscle hypertrophy, or expansion, does not always lead to increased strength. Yet gaining muscle mass first is a smart move since it paves the way for future strength improvements.

Exercises:

• Dumbbell biceps arm curl
• Dumbbell bent-over row
• Reverse crunch
• Using a broad grip, do a lat pulldown to the front.
• Dumbbell triceps extension or machine pushdown
• Barbell squat and dumbbell squat
• Romanian deadlift
• Cable wood chop

Note

• Don’t forget to stretch and cool down before and after each workout.
• Set the weight so the last few reps are challenging, but not so tricky that you fail.
• Hold good form, and don’t push yourself to exhaustion on upper body exercises like the dumbbell press, woodchops, and lat pulldown. Don’t allow your upper arms to drop below parallel at the bottom of the movement; instead, maintain your forearms in a vertical plane.
• If you need more than one day of rest between sessions, reduce the number of sessions each week.
• Pay close attention to how your arms and shoulders respond at this stage. When pain or discomfort is felt in the joints, ease up.

2nd Phase: From Late Pre-season Till Mid-Season – The Path to Absolute Power

• Time of year: Late pre-season and in-season
• Duration: Ongoing
• Per week: Two days
• Reps: Eight to ten
• Sets: Two to four
• Rest between sets: Rest for at least a minute.

This second phase aims to train with a heavy load to improve speed. It builds on the first phase, which focuses on strength. Having power means being both strong and quick.

For strength training to work, the weights must be lifted quickly and with a lot of force. Resting enough between sets and reps is essential for completing each exercise as soon as feasible. Here, fewer setups are required than in the first stage.

Exercises:

• Cable push-pull
• Barbell or dumbbell hang clean.
• Medicine ball push press
• Cable wood chop
• Medicine ball standing twist with a partner.

Note

• To get the most out of your power training, it’s best to rest for up to 5 minutes in between sets. It will allow you to recover enough to do each repeat and set at full speed.
• You must exert force against considerable resistance while pushing or pulling weights of a decent size.
• Perform one set of medicine ball twists at maximum effort, then rest for at least a minute. Use a lighter ball and turn from side to side with the ball held in your hands if you don’t have a partner.

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Third Phase: In Season – Keep Your Newfound Strength 

• Time of Year: In-season
• Per week: Once or twice
• Length of session: Forty to sixty minutes
• Resistance: A single-repetition maximum of 50–70%
• Speed of lifts: Combination of high-intensity and low-impact training

Your muscle mass distribution will be more excellent even if you train hard off-season. Changing your routine every few weeks is recommended. It also stimulates the brain and avoids muscular imbalance.

Exercises:

• Squats followed by presses 15 times.
• 15 sets of wide grip lat pull-downs
• 20 reps of oblique crunches
• Do 15-20 sets of push-ups (or front presses).
• Single Arm Dumbbell Rows
• Ten sets of dumbbell lunges
• Standing Torso Twist
• Diagonal Medicine Ball Chop

Basic Equipment You Need

If you are a golfer who wants to start lifting weights, you will need a few things to get started. The following are the things you should consider using:

Resistance Bands

To build muscle, you may use these elastic bands. These are available in various hues that correspond to varying degrees of stress.

With the help of resistance bands, you can swing with more force. You may use them to do drills designed to enhance the rotation of your golf swing.

Kettlebells

These are designed to look like cannonballs but are made of cast iron and come in various weights. You may use them for squats, lunges, and shoulder presses.

Kettlebell workouts will mostly benefit the legs, core, arms, glutes, and back. It provides flexibility, strength, aerobic training, and muscular toning.

Medicine Ball

The medicine ball can be used for a variety of rotating workouts. It is a heavy ball used for physical therapy and strength training.

The bending and twisting required for golf require a solid and flexible back, which may be achieved by regular exercise with this ball.

Exercise Ball

It goes by many other names, including Swiss ball, balancing ball, and exercise ball. For various core exercises, this exercise ball is a fantastic tool to have on hand.

There is a range of sizes for them to choose from. A 10-minute exercise ball workout improves balance, stability, back and abdominal strength, mobility, and more.

Pull up Bar

The pull-up bars are great for working on core, upper body, and back strength. Pull-ups are the best way to create a solid and broad back, which helps golfers maintain perfect posture.

Barbell

You should get some barbells if you are doing a strength training program. You may use them to strengthen your upper body, lower body, or both!

Strengthening your abs, back, and shoulders using barbell exercises is possible.

Dumbbells

When it comes to a home gym, dumbbells are a must-have. It can be used for various workouts that strengthen the posterior chain and core muscles.

Cable Machine

When it comes to weight training, nothing is better than a cable machine because of how many things it can do. It makes the obliques and the core stronger.

Weight Bench

You will want to invest in an adjustable weight bench to get the most out of your workouts. The bench can be adjusted to sit straight or lay flat to maximize muscle stimulation.

FAQ

What Lifts Are Best for Golf Players?

The best golf weight training program for golfers includes the single-leg deadlift, dumbbell lunges, leg press, cable or bent-over rows, weighted pull-ups, weighted push-ups, and bench presses. These workouts improve strength, power, coordination, and flexibility.

Does Weightlifting Help Golf Players?

Numerous studies have shown that weight training increases muscular strength. Muscles will get stronger nerve signals because of this. Golf strength training will extend your playing time as well.

How Often Should a Golf Player Lift Weight?

The programs we have discussed above include a set and repetition matrics. However, each practice must be done twice weekly.

Try to avoid working on consecutive days. You should take at least two days off from the golf lifting program between sessions. You can skip weight training the day before a big game or tournament.

Conclusion

Golfers would be wise not to be afraid of weight training. It has the potential to make them much fitter and help them do better.

A golfer can live longer and be less likely to sustain career-ending injuries because of it. It will allow them to maintain their peak performance for much longer.

If you want to improve your game, choose a golf-experienced strength coach. They can create a program for you to build muscle and maintain your range of motion. They might also help make necessary changes to the strategy.

Choose a golf strength training phase you like most from our list, and share your thoughts and questions below.

Also read:

• Strength Training for Football Players
• Strength Training for Runners
• Weight Training for Tennis
• Strength Training for Rowers
• Strength Workouts for Kayaking
• Strength Training for Swimmers
• Firefighter Workout Plan
• Ultimate Lat Pulldown Machine Guide
• Medicine Ball Guide
• Weight Bench Guide
• Weighted Vest Guide

References:

1. 5 fantastic reasons why you need to add an exercise ball to your workouts // HealthShots: https://www.healthshots.com/fitness/staying-fit/5-fantastic-reasons-why-you-need-to-add-an-exercise-ball-to-your-workouts/
2. Strength training for beginners // Health Direct: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/strength-training-for-beginners
3. Weighted Pull Up: Benefits, Muscles Worked, and More // Inspire USA Foundation: https://www.inspireusafoundation.org/weighted-pull-up/
4. What to Know About Dumbbells // WEBMD: https://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/what-to-know-about-dumbbells
5. How to Swing a Golf Club // Wikihow: https://www.wikihow.com/Swing-a-Golf-Club
6. 9 Stretches to Benefit Your Golf Game // Health Line: https://www.healthline.com/health/9-stretches-to-benefit-your-golf-game
7. Photos by Torokhtiy Media Team; Somchai Sookkasem, Canva.com; HeungSoon, Pixabay; Eduard Groicev’s Images, Canva.com.