Guest post is written by golf writer, Rose Emilie
Most beginners in golf have one main question in mind. How can I improve my golf swing? And to answer that, you need to know the essential elements of a good golf swing
Working out, particularly weight training, is one of the best ways to increase your golf swing speed. The reason for this is because a strong upper body allows you to make a more efficient and powerful swing without worrying about not being able to perform the movement required physically. For example, if you can bench press a hundred pounds, it’s going to be much easier for you to pull back an eighty-pound club quickly enough that you get the power from the arms needed for it to translate through your whole body resulting in a great shot! In addition, stronger muscles also offer more excellent resistance against injury when swinging the club, which means that it’s less likely that you’ll hurt yourself in the long run.
When looking for weight training exercises to improve your swing, you must do ones that will mimic the movements of a golf swing as closely as possible. For example, if your goal is to increase flexibility, it might be wise to go ahead and try running but don’t expect much help when it comes down to making your actual swing better! These two motions are very different in terms of their mechanics, so simply doing any old exercise isn’t going to offer great results. With that being said, here are some good weight training options that have been proven time and again by top experts to get you on the right track:
Rope Pulldowns
This exercise works your upper and middle back, which is what you need for a good swing. It also builds up the muscles that run along your spine to help you keep the required tension when trying to snap that club through impact.
Farmer’s Walks
This exercise works all different grips of muscles in your body, from the biceps down to your forearms. For anyone who hasn’t done these before, they’re pretty simple but involve picking up dumbbells and walking around with them for a certain amount of time or distance. You can even try carrying larger objects around for this movement! I recommend using weights here because it helps build muscle memory. If you ever have a particularly hard shot coming up at a tournament having done these before, it is going to be a huge advantage! Remember to keep the best microfibre towels, as this exercise requires much sweating.
Pull-ups
It works to build up the arms and especially the tiny muscles between your shoulder blades. This one’s pretty simple, but it can get very difficult very quickly if you’re not used to doing these, so start low with weight training for golf before going too heavy. The point is that these are great for building upper body strength, just like when hitting a tee shot, which translates into pulling back the club faster while keeping it under control at all times. If you want quick results, then these are the exercises you will want to use.
Pushups
While pushups aren’t technically an exercise that does help build your strength in the arms and around the chest, they’re still an excellent way to get better at your golf swing. What’s great about them is that you can make it as easy or as challenging as you want by adjusting your positioning and the amount of weight on your back. That means that if pushups aren’t quite doing it for you, then move up to a higher level of difficulty, which ensures that you’ll keep getting stronger every time!
Band Pullaparts
This is a good alternative if pull-ups are too tricky for you because it builds up the same group of muscles between your shoulder blades. You can use ankle weights or band with a loop for this one, so try going ahead and doing a few sets for between 5 and 10 reps each. There’s no need to go too heavy because this is essentially like doing situps, but these are great for building up those muscles, which ultimately helps your swing!
Side Planks
This exercise works on the same group of muscles as pull-ups, so if you can handle planks, then it might be worth trying to use them as well. The difference here is that planks work the entire torso while pull-ups focus on a tiny part, which means that side planking will improve your golf game over time.
Indian Club Swings
It helps strengthen your arms and legs, and they’re also very good at helping you keep open during the backswing. You can stand there and swing the clubs around your body, but it’s even better if you’re swinging them over a long distance. It improves endurance and increases strength, which you need for that perfect golf stroke few of us ever manage to pull off!
Reverse Dumbbell Curls
If you’ve been using swings before, then this one might be too easy for you, but it’s still not a bad idea to do some of these as well. The reason I suggest reverse curls here is because they’ll help build up your grip so that your hands don’t go sliding on the handle of the club during those speedy swings. While traditional dumbbell curls aren’t much good for hitting an iron or fairway wood, they’re still a great way to build up your overall strength, which you will want if you plan to spend the day playing a full 18 holes!
Wrapping Up!
These are all excellent exercises for golf, but you’ll want to do them on top of the usual cardio workouts. I always recommend that people who are already-fit stay active with things like jogging or biking, even if they’re working out specifically for their swing. That way, you don’t lose any overall fitness because that’s how it works best! Being fit will help you withstand long days out on the links, so I hope this article has given you a few new ideas on how to improve your game by working out!
Guest author: Rose Emilie
