5 Exercises To Improve Golf Swing Power

The back, neck, shoulder, core and hip muscles are all pivotal in creating a powerful golf swing. How you use these muscles dictates your power and accuracy and could be the difference between a birdie and bogey. With that in mind, here are 5 exercises to improve your golf swing power.

The squat

Your golf swing isn’t just about your arms, it’s about your legs too. Your hip flexors, quadriceps and glutes are all crucial components in a long, straight drive.

Despite this, most golfers attack the golf ball using the upper body at the start of the downswing.

With your downswing, any tightness in your calf muscles or lack of stability in your hips leads to compromised posture. With the backswing, poor posture is usually due to limited mobility of the lat muscles and thoracic spine. However, performing squats away from the course allows you to correct both.

How do I perform a squat?

1. Stand with your feet far enough apart that you feel firmly balanced.
2. Keeping your back straight, bend your knees and lower yourself until your quads are parallel with the ground.
3. Hold the position for five seconds before slowly returning to a standing position.
4. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

This video from Russell Heritage golf demonstrates the squat in action…

The slow sit up

The slow sit up is great for developing your core muscles, which help you generate more power in your golf swing.

Unlike a traditional sit up, with this exercise you begin upright and slowly lower yourself down.

The slow sit up exercise ensures your core is engaged properly and you aren’t relying on momentum to lower and raise your torso.

How do I perform a slow sit up?

1. Sit on the floor with your back straight, knees bent and arms stretched above your head.
2. Keep your feet flat on the ground and in one motion slowly lower your torso until your head is touching the ground (as demonstrated in the below video).
3. Slowly elevate yourself back up, keeping your back and arms straight.
4. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

The Superman

Some of the most common golfing injuries occur in the lower back. You’re especially prone to lower back injuries if your swinging form needs some work.

This is where the Superman comes in. It strengthens your glutes, core and back, thus reducing the risk of lower back injury and giving your swing more power.

How do I perform the Superman?

1. Lie flat on your stomach.
2. Place your arms forwards and keep your legs straight.
3. Lift your arms and legs up from the floor at the same time, and then drop them back down to perform one rep (as shown below).
4. Repeat 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions. Try holding each repetition in mid-air to increase time under tension, before lowering your limbs back to the ground.

The hip crossover

Your hips help generate power, maintain form and control accuracy in your swing. If you don’t roll your hips all the way through your swing, you can end up pushing or pulling your strokes – and ultimately lose power.

In fact, the transition from backswing to downswing is where many golfers fall down because they lose power in the hips. To avoid this fate, you need to roll your hips to maximise their mobility.

The hip crossover is perfect for improving power and mobility. This exercise helps you separate control between your shoulders and pelvis and improve your accuracy when driving the ball.

How do I perform the hip crossover?

1. Lie on your back and tuck your knees up to a 90-degree angle, keeping your feet and legs together. Keep your shoulders flat on the ground.
2. Holding this posture, twist your legs at the hip until they touch the ground on one side and then again on the other.
3. Perform 2-3 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

The leg swing

Hip stiffness can really hinder your swing. If you’re right-handed, power is generated from the right glute during your backswing and downswing. That’s why you need hip mobility to increase your drive’s distance.

The leg swing will increase mobility in your legs, hips and lower back. This enables you to increase your swing speed without getting injured by hyperextending your joints.

How do I perform the leg swing?

1. Stand with your right hand holding a wall or door frame for balance, with your feet shoulder width apart.
2. Keeping your torso straight, swing your left leg forwards and backwards as far as you’re able to in one fluid motion.
3. Repeat this for about 10 swings and switch legs. Do 3 sets for each leg.

Once your swing’s perfected, you need to make sure you never miss a round. That’s why, at Golf Care, we offer Equipment cover, Public Liability cover and property damage cover. Make sure you’re covered and get a instant quote today.