What if I could give you three important exercises for golf and you were able to hit the ball further than you’ve ever hit it before? What if these exercises could be performed with a minimal investment of time and required no equipment. How about if I made it so simple and convenient you could simply perform them in the evening in the comfort of your own living space? What are you waiting for, let’s get started.

The golf swing starts with core stability, then adds in the elements of strength, flexibility, balance and coordination. Core conditioning is very important for a golfer because all movements in the upper and lower body are tied together, supported, and coordinated by your core.

The core is where the body’s center of gravity is located, and it is where movement begins. Because all movement begins at the core and then progresses out to the arms and legs, core strength is essential. The core acts to produce force, it stabilizes the body to permit other musculature to produce force, and it’s also called upon to transfer energy.

So, what types of equipment or tools are best to most effectively train this power region of the body? I’ll give you a hint. It’s not the machines in your gym. If you like the gym, then use the equipment that will provide the best results like pulley systems, free weights, and exercise/ medicine balls which provide far more neurological advantages than your typical exercise machine. Not only is the core challenged to fatigue with these alternatives to traditional machines, but you can recruit more muscle groups in two or three planes of motion compared to only one with machines.

Most people have a very weak core, and as a result, chronic posture problems. Over time, this creates wear and tear on the body. A golfer with a weak core is vulnerable to injury and will never be efficient in their swing. These weaknesses must be reversed in order to promote proper health and function. For now, let’s put the gym equipment at rest and get started with those simple, home based exercises and get ready to create some serious distance with those woods.

Crunch – Lie on the floor facing up with knees bent. Place your hands behind your head or across your chest and crunch forward. Contract the abdominals to raise the shoulders off the floor, pause and lower. You may also try this exercise on a Swiss ball.

Twisting crunch – Identical to the crunch except as you crunch up you rotate the shoulders to alternating sides. Don’t forget to contract your abdominals.

Plank - Begin by lying on your stomach with legs extended. Place elbows directly beneath your shoulders with hands reaching forward. Push your body up onto your toes and elbows. Pull navel up and towards your spine. Do not allow your low back to drop towards the floor. Try and hold this position for 30 seconds to start.

Strengthen your core region for golf and add an extra 20 yards to your drive distance. Perform these three exercises several times weekly and you’ll see your hard work pay off in longer length off the tee.

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A golf injury is one of the most common issues with all amateur golfers. But having adequate strength and flexibility of muscles and joints and participating in effective training technique, can also prevent a golf injury.

Well-conditioned limbs and joints that are under control when the stresses of the swing are encountered will greatly reduce risk of a golf injury.

If your body motion is out of control when you execute the swing, the muscles and tendons have little room for error. The result is likely a tear or strained tendon or ligament…keeping you off the course indefinitely.

The golf swing is a complicated movement (skill). In order to maximize your distance and power, you must have a high level of flexibility (range of motion) and force in the joints involved. This would include the shoulders, back and hips.

And when looking at the areas of a golf injury, the above mentioned areas are at the top of the list. Go figure!

Keep in mind that with an above average level of strength and flexibility and swing technique, you will not only reduce the occurrence of a golf injury, but also enhance the quality of your game.

Many golfers think they are generally healthy and able to play a round of golf without a golf injury…however, I have heard and read dozens of times where a golfer gets injured on the course…swinging a golf club. Has that happened to you or a golfing buddy?

Somewhere I read a statistic from 10 years ago. There was over 39,000 golf injuries treated in emergency rooms back in 1995! Wow! That’s unbelievable! How about all the injuries that weren’t reported or that were treated by the golfer himself? Or how about the chronic golf injuries the golfer ‘lives with’ just to be able to play golf?

These are numbers from 10 years ago! I wonder what they are now? I’m here to tell you golf is a physical sport and without the proper training, you’ll be added to that number mentioned above.

I don’t think it’s a tough sell to say that participating in a golf strength and flexibility program will help you avoid a golf injury.

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A useful golf exercise tip to take into consideration is the fact that warming up before your game of golf can dramatically help you improve the quality of your game.

The warm up session does not need to be something elaborate or strenuous. You can get creative and take a brisk walk from your car to the course.

The idea is to get your muscles warm before you even engage in stretch exercises prior to tee off. This is the sort of golf exercise tip that should not be ignored by any golfer.

Stretch exercises are very important to the golf swing tip. We have seen from various golfers who have taken on our exercise program. And yet stretch exercises will work out much better for you when you briefly warm up before embarking on them on the course.

The idea is to get your muscles warm and ready before doing your stretch routine in readiness for the game. You will prove this golf exercise tip because usually after completing your warm up and stretch exercises, you will feel much more comfortable when executing the golf swing.

The confidence alone will put you in a perfect frame of mind to make very few mistakes while consistently making those extra long drives.

Warming up may sound strange. Probably as strange as exercises sounded in golf in the first few years. But the fact of the matter is that golf has changed dramatically and virtually almost all pros are involved in serious golf specific exercise programs these days.

By implementing this extra golf exercise tip of warming up prior to your exercises or even game, you will see a tremendous improvement in your performance.

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After mastering the concept of the tee shot, the next step as a golf instruction beginner is to move on to the short game and what are known as approach shots. For most people, these shots will be increasingly more difficult because they require more skill & patience than a simple tee shot.

There are a variety of approach shots, all of which are used in different situations depending on where your initial shot lands on the course. However, your intention with these shots is always to land on the green.

The pitch shot is an approach shot that is played from farther away than the other shots. Using a wedge, the ideal pitch shot is the perfect combination of enough swing momentum to carry your shot through, but not enough to send it sailing over the green. Trajectory will be low to average depending on how far you are from the cup and you want to make sure the ball doesn’t roll too far.

You must start off with a slightly open stance, positioning your right foot directly across from the ball. When following through on a pitch shot, always make sure to keep your backswing as short as you possibly can. Failure to keep your backswing in check will usually cause you to instinctively put the brakes on your shot while accelerating, which is a definite no-no. You want to have enough confidence in your wedge to let the club do the work for you: don’t think you have to assist the ball through the air.

Another approach shot is known as the chip shot. You’ll need to use a chip shot once you’re within about 30 yards from the green, usually after a fairway drive or tee shot. The idea is for this shot to have a much shorter trajectory, so you will need to use a less lofted club. Proper weight distribution is paramount to getting off a decent chip shot. If you’re a right handed golfer, you want to put the majority of your weight on the left side and hold this position through the duration of your shot.

There are generally two kinds of chip shots that we want to concern ourselves with. The first one is what’s known as the bump-and-run shot, and the second is a flop shot. The Bump And Run is usually taken with an 8, 7 or 6 iron club and with the clubface hooded. That way your shot will have have less loft. You also want to have just enough power in your backswing to follow through. The flop shot is used when you want to get over an obstacle like a rough patch or a sand trap, so you’re going to want to have a much higher trajectory in order to push the ball over. Open up your stance and follow through as far under the ball as possible to try and pop it up, and you’ll keep your ball away from the danger zones with a good position for a subsequent shot.

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A question for the ages in relation to the golf swing. Golfers around the world are familiar with the term clubhead speed. It is the rate at which the golf club is traveling at impact with the golf ball. Golfers are also familiar with the term power.
They know that power is directly related to clubhead speed. Knowing the connection between the two, which comes first?

Clubhead Speed and Power in the Golf Swing

Take a moment to answer the question; which comes first, clubhead speed or power?

Write down your answer and continue reading. Before we answer this question, let us do a quick review of both clubhead speed and power.

Clubhead Speed

Again, we understand that clubhead speed is the rate at which the clubhead is moving at impact with the golf ball. The development of clubhead speed is a resultant of your golf swing mechanics. It is essentially a summation of the entire process of the golf swing, beginning with address, moving through the backswing, into transition, onto the downswing, and completing with impact.

The paragraph above should answer the question of which comes first; clubhead speed or power? Clubhead speed is the resultant of power development with the mechanics of the golf swing.

The next question we want to ask is about power:

How is Power Developed in the Golf Swing?

Power is a combination of two entities:

1. Golf Swing Mechanics

2. Body

Your golf swing mechanics is the efficiency at which you perform the golf swing. Essentially, the golf swing can be broken down into the stages. These stages are;

Address, Backswing, Transition, Downswing, Impact, and Follow Through

Each of these stages within the golf swing can be performed efficiently or inefficiently. PGA Tour players tend to perform the mechanics of the golf swing very efficiently, where as the 30 handicapper performs them very inefficiently.

If the mechanics within each stage of the golf swing are efficient. The creation of power and transfer of this power into clubhead speed is at a greater percentage.

On the flip side, if each stage is performed inefficiently. The amount of power developed and transferred into clubhead speed becomes a low percentage.

The first key in power development and the generation of clubhead speed is golf mechanics.

Efficient Golf Swing Mechanics = Greater Power Development and Clubhead Speed

Once we understand that efficient golf swing mechanics equals more power and clubhead speed. We can turn our attention to the “support structure” of your golf swing.

The Body

The body is what drives the golf swing. It is your skeleton, muscles, and nerves performing the mechanics of the golf swing. As a result, your body has a direct affect on how much power you generate in your golf swing.

The mechanics of golf swing requires certain levels of:

Flexibility

Balance

Strength

Endurance

Power

Optimal levels within these body categories allow for the possibility of performing the mechanics of the golf swing at their most efficient levels.

For example, a full shoulder in the backswing is necessary for optimal power development. In order to perform a full shoulder turn, you must have a high level of flexibility.

If you are lacking the flexibility to perform a shoulder turn it will affect the amount of power you can generate.

Bottom line the body is the foundation on which the golf swing is developed.

If you have a weak foundation, you will have a weak golf swing.

Efficient Golf Swing Mechanics + A Strong, Flexible, and Powerful Body = Clubhead Speed

We now know clubhead speed is a product of power development in the golf swing. Power development within your golf swing is contingent upon two entities. The first entity is your golf swing mechanics. Performing the mechanics of the golf swing efficiently elicits more power. Secondly, it is the body. Optimal power development requires certain levels of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power within the body. Put these two entities together and you have the ability to generate high levels of clubhead speed within your golf swing.

Sean

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