subject: Quick Exercises to Improve Your Golf Game [print this page] Quick Exercises to Improve Your Golf Game
Golf is a much underestimated sport in terms of the activity levels and its associated muscle strength. Although it may take up to four hours to play a 18 hole course, almost 98% of that time will be walking from hole to hole, waiting your turn or practicing your swing for your next drive or putt.
A good drive is made up of rotational explosive movement which can be trained using plyometrics exercises to help build muscle strength for increased driving distance and accuracy while helping to drastically reduce injury. The following exercises should be incorporated into your current training routine once a week for optimal growth and your strongest game.
Add in the following exercises once per week, performing two to three sets of each exercise for 15 repetitions each time.
1.) Oblique twist (weighted) - Lay down on your back with your legs together in front of you, with your feet flat on the floor and knees bent into a 90' angle. Hold either a medicine ball or dumbbell in both hands, suspended above your abdominal. Slowly rotate by twisting your obliques so that your head and arms stay aligned. Repeat.
2.) Woodchopper - Using either a cable machine or a medicine ball, stand straight with legs slightly wider than shoulder width apart with bent knees. If you are using a cable, position it level with your ears and if you are using a ball, hold it at the same height about a foot away from your body. Slowly, pull the weight across your body diagonally until you finish with your hands at knee level with your weight transferred onto your far leg. Hold the position and return the weight back to its original position through the same range of motion to complete one set.
3.) Lunge with a twist - This exercise uses a medicine ball or dumbbell as the weight. Begin by standing straight with feet together holding the weight out in front of you. Step forward about 2 - 3 feet, keeping your toes in line with your knees, bend your back leg toward the ground while rotating your shoulders and upper back to one side. Return to standing and change legs and side that you are rotating to. Counts as one repetition.
4.) Supermans (or back extensions) - Lay facedown either directly on the floor or on top of a stability ball. Slowly raise your right arm and left leg as high as they can comfortably go without feeling pain and hold the contraction for 10 seconds, Return to starting position and repeat with the other side.
