If you’re interested in improving your golf game, then it’s essential to focus on your golf swing. Since striving for excellent form and accuracy is the main goal, it’s a good idea to engage in some specific exercises for golf designed to help you achieve both. In fact, making golf exercises part of your regular golf training regimen can greatly enhance your game.
Stretching before and after participating in golf exercises is vital. Warm-up stretches help to loosen stiff muscles and prepare them for work. Proper stretching can also help to reduce the potential for injury. There are numerous energetic golf exercises that provide a good warm-up, such as leg squats, shoulder stretches, waist bends, and hand-to-toe stretches. Practice golf exercises that involve stretching the wrists too, such as alternately extending each wrist in a forward and backward motion.
Static stretching golf exercises are recommended for off days. In other words, they are best performed on days in which you won’t be playing golf for competition or sport. Static golf exercises are simple stretching motions that are done in place while standing or sitting on the floor, such as alternating crossing the arms over the chest or basic hamstring stretches. When performed consistently, these types of golf exercises can help improve your range of motion.
Strength conditioning for golf is just as important as it is for any other sport or athletic activity. In fact, it can help you develop more power behind your swing. Golf exercises to increase strength often include the use of hand weights. However, instead of the typical pull-up motions, the weights are used while imitating the stance and motion of making a golf swing. This helps to develop arm strength, as well as improved posture, balance, and core body strength.
Another popular method of strength training is to use a medicine ball. In fact, working with a medicine ball is commonly found in all sports training, golf conditioning included. As with hand weights, practicing the golf swing motion with a medicine ball provides the resistance needed to improve upper body strength and core steadiness. Also, since a medicine ball adds considerably more weight than dumbbells, including one in your golf exercises can increase overall endurance.
There are also golf exercises geared toward preventing specific injuries, the most common of which are injuries to the wrists or rotator cuff muscles of the shoulders. These exercises involve using light hand weights of no more than 2-5 pounds (1-2 kilograms) and can be performed from a standing position or while lying on your side. However, if you currently have a torn rotator cuff, you should not attempt to do these kinds of golf exercises. Instead, seek the advice of a physician, sports trainer, or physical therapist.