Simple and effective way to train golfers
-Brandon Gaydorus
This article will explain how to effectively train golfers in the gym. Keep in mind that when training golfers there should be three specialists in their respected fields: a Golf Professional, Fitness Professional, and Medical Professional. The easiest way to train a golfer is to break it down into categories. The Titleist Performance Institute is leading the way in the golf fitness industry and certifies many professionals in their respected fields including myself. They break power in the golf swing into four basic categories: Trunk/Rotary Power, Vertical Thrust Power, Chop/Lift Power, and Elbow-Wrist Release Power. So, what does this mean and how do you train golfers to increase their power production, while keeping them injury free? Well here are the answers you have been looking for……
Trunk/Rotary Power
Training for trunk and rotary power is fairly simple. Just think when a golfer rotates they push the club away and then pull it back down on the downswing. So, when training for trunk and rotary power there needs be an equal amount of pushing and pulling in the workouts.
Strength
Pushing = Pressing, in a workout the athlete should do an equal amount of vertical and horizontal pressing. A great example of a vertical press exercise would include a half-kneeling dumbbell overhead press. It stabilizes the core and allows for a safe overhead pressing motion. Some examples of a horizontal press include single arm bench press and push-ups.
Trunk/Rotary Power
Training for trunk and rotary power is fairly simple. Just think when a golfer rotates they push the club away and then pull it back down on the downswing. So, when training for trunk and rotary power there needs be an equal amount of pushing and pulling in the workouts.
Strength
Pushing = Pressing, in a workout the athlete should do an equal amount of vertical and horizontal pressing. A great example of a vertical press exercise would include a half-kneeling dumbbell overhead press. It stabilizes the core and allows for a safe overhead pressing motion. Some examples of a horizontal press include single arm bench press and push-ups.
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Vertical and horizontal pulling also should be split up equally in a workout. Some examples of vertical pulling exercises include chin-ups and half-kneeling vertical pulls on the cable cross. Some examples of horizontal pulling exercises include any type of row. TRX and dumbbell rows are great exercises for this category.
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Speed
From my past research with golfers and data with trackman numbers, in order to increase a golfer’s club head speed 3-5 mph in 8-10 weeks it is important to have about 8-10 weeks of strength training before getting into a combination of strength and speed workouts. With no strength it’s hard for a golfer to increase speed at a noticeable rate.
Furthermore, to increase power in the golf swing and in the gym it’s very important to combine strength with speed. So, how do you do this when training for trunk/rotary power? Combine the pushing and pulling with either a rotary movement or an upper body speed exercise.
Combine
-Single Arm Bench Press with a med ball chest press pass
-Half-Kneeling overhead press with a half-kneeling opposite hand pitching speed set
-TRX Row with a med ball side toss
- Chin-up with a rip cord push press
-Incline bench with a 90 degree box jump
From my past research with golfers and data with trackman numbers, in order to increase a golfer’s club head speed 3-5 mph in 8-10 weeks it is important to have about 8-10 weeks of strength training before getting into a combination of strength and speed workouts. With no strength it’s hard for a golfer to increase speed at a noticeable rate.
Furthermore, to increase power in the golf swing and in the gym it’s very important to combine strength with speed. So, how do you do this when training for trunk/rotary power? Combine the pushing and pulling with either a rotary movement or an upper body speed exercise.
Combine
-Single Arm Bench Press with a med ball chest press pass
-Half-Kneeling overhead press with a half-kneeling opposite hand pitching speed set
-TRX Row with a med ball side toss
- Chin-up with a rip cord push press
-Incline bench with a 90 degree box jump
Vertical Thrust Power
When training for vertical thrust power it's important to focus on hip dominant and knee dominant strength exercises. When a golfer starts their downswing they start to shift their weight and put force into the ground. It’s almost like the golfer is doing a squat during their transition into the downswing. Furthermore, it’s very important to have proper leg strength in order to hit the ball both far and accurate. If a golfer can’t get past parallel in a deep squat test they will most likely early extend in their swing due to mobility and stability issues. Most of the top long drive professionals have at least a 30 inch vertical. Some get anywhere from 36-42 inches. This is very impressive and almost unhuman. A very respectable vertical for non-professional athletes or an “Average Joe” is anything over 22 inches for males and anything over 20 inches for females.
Testing the Vertical –
When training for vertical thrust power it's important to focus on hip dominant and knee dominant strength exercises. When a golfer starts their downswing they start to shift their weight and put force into the ground. It’s almost like the golfer is doing a squat during their transition into the downswing. Furthermore, it’s very important to have proper leg strength in order to hit the ball both far and accurate. If a golfer can’t get past parallel in a deep squat test they will most likely early extend in their swing due to mobility and stability issues. Most of the top long drive professionals have at least a 30 inch vertical. Some get anywhere from 36-42 inches. This is very impressive and almost unhuman. A very respectable vertical for non-professional athletes or an “Average Joe” is anything over 22 inches for males and anything over 20 inches for females.
Testing the Vertical –
- Stand sideways against the wall and reach the dominant hand as high as possible
- Place a piece of tape on the wall at the top of the jumper’s fingertip.
- Have the athlete jump from both feet as high as possible.
- The athlete then will tap the wall at its highest point.
- Mark the athlete’s highest point on the wall.
- Then use a measuring tape from the highest point on the wall to the piece of tape that was placed at the top of the jumpers fingertip.
Strength
Hip Dominant or hip hinge exercises are broken down into two basic categories: one being single leg and the other being on two legs. One example of a single leg hip dominant exercise is a Single Leg Deadlift or SLDL. An example of a hip dominant lift on two feet would be a Romanian Deadlift. Both are great ways to develop hip hinge strength and will help to increase an athlete’s vertical. Typically, in most hip dominant exercises the athlete will be pulling the weight.
Hip Dominant or hip hinge exercises are broken down into two basic categories: one being single leg and the other being on two legs. One example of a single leg hip dominant exercise is a Single Leg Deadlift or SLDL. An example of a hip dominant lift on two feet would be a Romanian Deadlift. Both are great ways to develop hip hinge strength and will help to increase an athlete’s vertical. Typically, in most hip dominant exercises the athlete will be pulling the weight.
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Squatting or knee dominant exercises are again broken down into the categories of single leg and then the standard two foot stance. Some examples of a single leg knee dominant exercise would be a single leg squat or a split squat. Some examples of a knee dominant exercise on two feet would be a goblet squat or a front squat. These are great ways to push force off the ground and will increase the athlete’s vertical jump and power production.
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Speed
Good Sprinter = Fast = Explosive = Powerful = High Club head Speed
Learning how to activate type II muscle fibers will allow golfers to immediately start hitting the ball farther. One way of doing this is to teach an athlete how to sprint.
Effective ways to teach athletes how to sprint include…..
Phase 1 – Lean Fall Run
Phase 2 – Tennis Ball Drops
Phase 3 – Partner Cases
These can be done after the dynamic warm-up.
Good Sprinter = Fast = Explosive = Powerful = High Club head Speed
Learning how to activate type II muscle fibers will allow golfers to immediately start hitting the ball farther. One way of doing this is to teach an athlete how to sprint.
Effective ways to teach athletes how to sprint include…..
Phase 1 – Lean Fall Run
Phase 2 – Tennis Ball Drops
Phase 3 – Partner Cases
These can be done after the dynamic warm-up.
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Here are some ways to add speed exercises after strength exercises. Again, this is an advanced stage and athletes should have proper strength levels before performing the strength-speed workouts.
Combine
Combine
- SLDLs with a 20 yard sprint
- Splits Squats with Rhythmic Lunge Jumps
- Romanian Deadlifts with Jumps Squats
- Goblet or Front Squats with Box Jumps
- Hip Lifts with Knee to Feet Jumps
Chop and Lift Power
During the backswing the golfer lifts the club back and then chops the club down on the downswing. So, when training a golfer it’s important to work on arm power with chopping and lifting motions. No, you do not have to do bicep curls and tricep pull downs. Yes, they will help built strength. However, they mainly work one body part and could be taking up to much time from the workout.
During the backswing the golfer lifts the club back and then chops the club down on the downswing. So, when training a golfer it’s important to work on arm power with chopping and lifting motions. No, you do not have to do bicep curls and tricep pull downs. Yes, they will help built strength. However, they mainly work one body part and could be taking up to much time from the workout.
Strength
Lifting exercises can be performed with or without rotation. Typically, there is no need to add rotation into a workout until phase 3 or 4 where the athlete can be more dynamic with a lift. Athletes need to learn how to stabilize their core and realize where the power is coming from before getting into more advanced lifts. One example of a lift exercise is the half-kneeling lift.
Chopping can be performed with or without rotation. Again no rotation until the athlete is ready. One example of a chop exercise is the half-kneeling chop.
Lifting exercises can be performed with or without rotation. Typically, there is no need to add rotation into a workout until phase 3 or 4 where the athlete can be more dynamic with a lift. Athletes need to learn how to stabilize their core and realize where the power is coming from before getting into more advanced lifts. One example of a lift exercise is the half-kneeling lift.
Chopping can be performed with or without rotation. Again no rotation until the athlete is ready. One example of a chop exercise is the half-kneeling chop.
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Speed
Speed exercises with the chop and lift motion are both fun and unique. However, they are very effective.
Combine
-Half-kneeling lift with a med ball lift
-Half-kneeling chop with a half kneeling med ball chop
-Dumbbell Snatch with a badminton overhead serve
-Standing Lift w/Bar with a med ball backwards toss
-Standing Chop w/Bar with a rip cord push-press
-Tricep Dips with an overhead med ball sit up toss
Elbow and Wrist Release Power
Last, but important to not forget is the elbow and wrist release power otherwise known as IMPACT. As stated by the Titleist Performance Institute the wrist has three possible directions that they can move to create speed. They are extended or cupping, supinated or rotated, and the hinge or un-hinge. Those are issues that need to be tested and treated before getting in to the workouts. Tom House’s Palm-Presses are great to do pre-workout to help out range of motion in the forearm and wrist.
Speed exercises with the chop and lift motion are both fun and unique. However, they are very effective.
Combine
-Half-kneeling lift with a med ball lift
-Half-kneeling chop with a half kneeling med ball chop
-Dumbbell Snatch with a badminton overhead serve
-Standing Lift w/Bar with a med ball backwards toss
-Standing Chop w/Bar with a rip cord push-press
-Tricep Dips with an overhead med ball sit up toss
Elbow and Wrist Release Power
Last, but important to not forget is the elbow and wrist release power otherwise known as IMPACT. As stated by the Titleist Performance Institute the wrist has three possible directions that they can move to create speed. They are extended or cupping, supinated or rotated, and the hinge or un-hinge. Those are issues that need to be tested and treated before getting in to the workouts. Tom House’s Palm-Presses are great to do pre-workout to help out range of motion in the forearm and wrist.
Strength
Forearm strength is very important and is a driving force through impact. One exercise that can be used to strengthen the forearms are forearm curls w/dumbbells. Grip strength is also important as the hands control the club. One exercise that is excellent for grip strength is clip squeezes. Typically, these exercises are performed for a longer period of time or high repetition count.
Speed
Some examples of how to increase elbow-wrist release speed may include some fun games like ping pong and hockey.
Combine
Conclusion
In conclusion this is a very effective and simple way to train golfers. With proper progressions and regressions most golfers will be able to train this way. Some important notes include the following: Proper strength levels need to be developed before getting into the strength-speed workouts. Program design and structure depends greatly on what the athlete’s goals are and where they currently are at physically. Tests and evaluations may be conducted before and after each phase (3-5 weeks) to see where the athlete is at. Some of the test and evaluations that are recommended include FMS, SFMA, TPI Baseline Testing, and TPI Power Testing. In a normal program I would have 9-12 Weeks of strength training and 9-12 Weeks of strength-speed training to follow that. Workouts should be about 1:15 (this time varies based on space, age, equipment, time, and program design). The lifting and speed portion of the workout which was described throughout this article will take up about 35-40 minutes of the workout. Proper warm-up will take about 25-30 minutes (Foam Roll, Static, Activation, Dynamic, Med-Ball/Plyos). Then followed by about 10 minutes of conditioning. Don’t forget about the warm-up it’s very important and will be explained in a future article. Have fun hitting it farther and give these exercises a try with your local golf fitness professional.
Below are two files of the workouts I used for the spring of 2015 there are 9 weeks of strength development and 9 weeks of strength-speed development. Remember that this is just the workouts not the 25-30 minutes of warm-up that are recommended before! Feedback is always welcome as I am always looking for ways to develop better athletes and improve program design!
Forearm strength is very important and is a driving force through impact. One exercise that can be used to strengthen the forearms are forearm curls w/dumbbells. Grip strength is also important as the hands control the club. One exercise that is excellent for grip strength is clip squeezes. Typically, these exercises are performed for a longer period of time or high repetition count.
Speed
Some examples of how to increase elbow-wrist release speed may include some fun games like ping pong and hockey.
Combine
- Forearm Curls with a backhanded badminton shot
- Clip squeezes with an opposite hand Frisbee toss
Conclusion
In conclusion this is a very effective and simple way to train golfers. With proper progressions and regressions most golfers will be able to train this way. Some important notes include the following: Proper strength levels need to be developed before getting into the strength-speed workouts. Program design and structure depends greatly on what the athlete’s goals are and where they currently are at physically. Tests and evaluations may be conducted before and after each phase (3-5 weeks) to see where the athlete is at. Some of the test and evaluations that are recommended include FMS, SFMA, TPI Baseline Testing, and TPI Power Testing. In a normal program I would have 9-12 Weeks of strength training and 9-12 Weeks of strength-speed training to follow that. Workouts should be about 1:15 (this time varies based on space, age, equipment, time, and program design). The lifting and speed portion of the workout which was described throughout this article will take up about 35-40 minutes of the workout. Proper warm-up will take about 25-30 minutes (Foam Roll, Static, Activation, Dynamic, Med-Ball/Plyos). Then followed by about 10 minutes of conditioning. Don’t forget about the warm-up it’s very important and will be explained in a future article. Have fun hitting it farther and give these exercises a try with your local golf fitness professional.
Below are two files of the workouts I used for the spring of 2015 there are 9 weeks of strength development and 9 weeks of strength-speed development. Remember that this is just the workouts not the 25-30 minutes of warm-up that are recommended before! Feedback is always welcome as I am always looking for ways to develop better athletes and improve program design!
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