Golf has evolved to embrace fitness. There was a time when golfers eschewed the gym for fear of getting muscle-bound and corrupting their swing. Those days have long since passed. With Stokes Gained metrics highlighting the value of distance, golfers have turned to the gym in search of power and speed, and lower scores.
But how exactly do you chase golf improvement in the gym? Your best targets for golf gains can be broken down into one of four basic categories: strength, power, mobility, and flexibility. Making improvements in each of these areas can lead to appreciable increases in on-course performance. Let’s discuss what each of these areas is and the basics of how you can make gains this offseason that will translate to the course.
Strength
Being strong may be one of the more underappreciated aspects of golf performance. Golf clubs aren’t heavy, so it can be hard to see a link between how much you can squat and how far you hit the ball. But a strong golfer is a stable golfer, which means a more balanced swing. Having increased strength allows a golfer to swing more in control and maintain that control throughout the round, resulting in greater consistency. Stronger muscles are more injury resistant, a necessity when making high-stress ballistic movements repetitively. And perhaps the most underappreciated benefit of strength training is the ability to raise your potential for speed and power. You needn’t find elaborate “golf-specific” exercises either; there are big gains to be made in your golf game through heavy basic compound exercises in the gym.
Power
If clubhead speed is what you’re after, power is what you need to be training for. While strength is the ability to lift or move heavy things, power is the ability to apply that strength quickly. They go hand in hand: you can’t move explosively if you don’t have strength, but moving heavy weight slowly isn’t going to translate to speed on the course. For speed and power development, you have to move explosively in the gym. Think jumps, plyometrics, medicine ball slams, sprinting, all performed with maximum intent to take the governor off and push your limits.
Flexibility vs Mobility
A flexible golfer is more capable of a full range of motion, resulting in a wider full swing arc and therefore the ability to generate more clubhead speed. Flexibility is also a key contributor to injury prevention in that it helps to maintain balance and posture. However, flexibility in golf is significantly less important than mobility. Think of flexibility as passive, while mobility is active. Sure, you can stretch and lengthen a muscle if you’re flexible, but can you apply meaningful power at those end ranges of motion? A long range of motion is wasted if you lack the strength and coordination to use it on the course. For a truly powerful and efficient golf swing, you need mobility to control your body and generate force. That’s why dynamic warm-ups and strength training that increase mobility are significantly more beneficial to your golf game than static stretching movements.
And Some Cardio Too?
While we’re on the subject of golf fitness, let’s also discuss cardiovascular training. We should all do it. Few would question the benefits of aerobic activity for general health and fitness. However, for most busy adults workouts are often a pick-and-choose proposition. If you try to prioritize all components of fitness in your routine, you’ll soon discover you just don’t have the time to do it all. Unless you are truly huffing and puffing by the time the back 9 comes around, you may want to consider placing cardio at the bottom of the list if golf improvement is your goal. The rate of return on your scorecard for hours on the treadmill just isn’t there, and a good strength training program will usually offer sufficient aerobic benefits.
There are lower scores waiting for you on the course, if you put in the work in the gym. Build your strength, power, and mobility in particular to add clubhead speed and improve your swing. You’ll play better, have more fun, and the healthier you will be primed to play this game for years to come.