Golf muscles - which ones to focus on

[Nebgolfer]

I joined a new gym recently, and one of my favorite things about it is they have a torso rotation weight machine, and I'm thinking it'll be perfect for me to work my core and get more power in my golf swing. That got me thinking, and I wanted to ask the THP brain trust, which muscles are the most important for golf? I know the common answer will be all of them (or some derivative of that), but there are a few key groups that you might think, and I was curious if there will be consensus.

If someone is trying to specifically work on golf muscles, which ones are the best to focus on to get the most bang for your buck?

 

[blugold]

All of them. To focus on one muscle group and not all of them will create imbalances and injury.

 

[c0ncept]

Abs, triceps, wrists/forearms are what I focus on.

 

[MWard]

What Blu said is accurate, it really takes all of them. However, I'd probably focus pretty solid on the core and leg work. It's gonna suck but there can be a lot of power generated from there.

 

[wiflash]

Torso, hands, wrists for me.

 

[rallo]

I've been trying to work more on flexibility, especially in my lower back and hip flexors, as it will hopefully improve my strength and protect my knee

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[blugold]

I've been trying to work more on flexibility, especially in my lower back and hip flexors, as it will hopefully improve my strength and protect my knee

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Building up leg strength will also protect your knees. Avoid the leg extension machine. Squats are your friend.

 

[Smallville]

All of them. To focus on one muscle group and not all of them will create imbalances and injury.

I met Tom Watson at a drug store in kc. The guy had tree trunks for thighs and his forearms were huge. I would start there. I am sure he worked out the other groups, but those stood out.

 

[50wyldeman]

All of them. To focus on one muscle group and not all of them will create imbalances and injury.

On Point, without question.

 

[Canes]

What Blu said is accurate, it really takes all of them. However, I'd probably focus pretty solid on the core and leg work. It's gonna suck but there can be a lot of power generated from there.

I agree with Wardy here. Core and leg work will also help prevent injury to the lower back.

Check out the Core Performance Golf book by Mark Verstagen. There's a good amount of exercises and often refer back to it when I want to mix it up.

 

[tahoebum]

I would recommend the book "Fix your body, Fix your swing", if you want to find out which of your golf muscles need work. I didn't need golf specific exercises, so I thought, until I got into my mid 40's and had some flexibility issues. I"m now fitter and more flexible than I was when I was 30. This book does a good job of diagnosing where you are weak so you don't have to spend time strengthening muscles that are already fit for golf.

 

[Nebgolfer]

Building up leg strength will also protect your knees. Avoid the leg extension machine. Squats are your friend.

Having done squats tonight and barely making it up my stairs, I'm inclined to disagree, though I'm sure I'll come back around.

I hate to admit I'm woefully ignorant in this area, and will look into some of the books people have been mentioning. I generally try to get a well rounded workout, but I'm sure I'm missing some areas, and especially some areas that might pay big dividends to my golf game. Thanks for the tips so far.

 

[Paladin]

The muscles between your knees and your rib cage are the main power generators of a golf swing. But to neglect the rest of the body, particularly as pertains to range of motion, will create imbalances that can lead to injuries later on.

Also, form matters more than weights. With that being said, machines that lock you into a particular path or range of motion are not without their hazards. There are more than 600 muscles in the human body. Most of them are rather small, and exist to stabilize a relatively small number of large, powerful muscles. When you use machines, you can target those larger muscles without having to induct those small muscles into the movement. This can create a lot of stability problems later on. If there's a movement that has a machine, try to find a similar movement that you can do without the machine, even if it means no or very little weight. A rotational ab machine works, but so can throwing a medicine ball to your friend or against a wall. As a bonus, you're not only working the rotational muscles of your core, you're building the smaller stabilizers from your feet up, as well as your arms, and connecting all of that to hand eye coordination. Way better than spinning in circles, IMO.

 

[blugold]

Having done squats tonight and barely making it up my stairs, I'm inclined to disagree, though I'm sure I'll come back around.

I hate to admit I'm woefully ignorant in this area, and will look into some of the books people have been mentioning. I generally try to get a well rounded workout, but I'm sure I'm missing some areas, and especially some areas that might pay big dividends to my golf game. Thanks for the tips so far.

You're sore because it's new. Squats are your friend.

But do not focus on a few specific areas. Focus on all of them. I hope I beat that point into the ground. I hope this gets through.

 

[MWard]

Having done squats tonight and barely making it up my stairs, I'm inclined to disagree, though I'm sure I'll come back around.

I hate to admit I'm woefully ignorant in this area, and will look into some of the books people have been mentioning. I generally try to get a well rounded workout, but I'm sure I'm missing some areas, and especially some areas that might pay big dividends to my golf game. Thanks for the tips so far.

Legs day sucks. They're the farthest muscles from the heart so things have to work harder to get blood flow there. Too bad though. If I'm having to do it, so are you

 

[Nebgolfer]

You're sore because it's new. Squats are your friend.

But do not focus on a few specific areas. Focus on all of them. I hope I beat that point into the ground. I hope this gets through.

I get your point, but if you're focusing on all of them, are you really focusing?

I think I need to add some more leg exercises into my routine. Pretty much only legs I do is squats, and that sounds like it might be lacking based on what people have been saying.

 

[blugold]

I get your point, but if you're focusing on all of them, are you really focusing?

I think I need to add some more leg exercises into my routine. Pretty much only legs I do is squats, and that sounds like it might be lacking based on what people have been saying.

Walking lunges with a shoulder turn. Single leg barbell good morning. Medicine ball slams against a wall. Box jumps. Dead lifts. Push ups. Pull ups. Hang cleans. Horizontal pull ups. Inclined presses. Cable face pulls. Side to side medicine ball slams. Dumbbell swings. Goblet squats. Front squats. Band assisted single leg squats.


Start with those. No machines. Only free weights. Or cables.

 

[Paladin]

Having done squats tonight and barely making it up my stairs, I'm inclined to disagree, though I'm sure I'll come back around.

I hate to admit I'm woefully ignorant in this area, and will look into some of the books people have been mentioning. I generally try to get a well rounded workout, but I'm sure I'm missing some areas, and especially some areas that might pay big dividends to my golf game. Thanks for the tips so far.

Squats are your friend. They provide a ton of development, nor only of the big muscles like the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, but the smaller muscles used to stabilize the body through the motion do a very similar job during the golf swing. When a golfer is described as generating "power from the ground" or having a great connection to the ground, it's because of the torque and stability that you develop in the squat, especially heavier squats. KJ Choi is a great example. Dude has some tree trunk legs, and is able to stay super stable through the golf swing and generate a ton of power from a pretty simple movement. Also, by having a greater range of power to apply, he's able to back off more often and save his knees and back. He rarely has to crank things to 11 to get the ball where he wants it. This has allowed him to stick around for a long time on tour.

 

[Nebgolfer]

Walking lunges with a shoulder turn. Single leg barbell good morning. Medicine ball slams against a wall. Box jumps. Dead lifts. Push ups. Pull ups. Hang cleans. Horizontal pull ups. Inclined presses. Cable face pulls. Side to side medicine ball slams. Dumbbell swings. Goblet squats. Front squats. Band assisted single leg squats.


Start with those. No machines. Only free weights. Or cables.

I'm going to have to look up about 90% of what you just said, but thank you for giving me a good list to start with.

 

[blugold]

Squats are your friend. They provide a ton of development, nor only of the big muscles like the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, but the smaller muscles used to stabilize the body through the motion do a very similar job during the golf swing. When a golfer is described as generating "power from the ground" or having a great connection to the ground, it's because of the torque and stability that you develop in the squat, especially heavier squats. KJ Choi is a great example. Dude has some tree trunk legs, and is able to stay super stable through the golf swing and generate a ton of power from a pretty simple movement. Also, by having a greater range of power to apply, he's able to back off more often and save his knees and back. He rarely has to crank things to 11 to get the ball where he wants it. This has allowed him to stick around for a long time on tour.

Squats are your friend.

 

[blugold]

I'm going to have to look up about 90% of what you just said, but thank you for giving me a good list to start with.

If you're going to a gym, seek professional guidance for proper form instruction. It may seem like a lot of money, but will save injury.

 

[tahoebum]

Walking lunges with a shoulder turn. Single leg barbell good morning. Medicine ball slams against a wall. Box jumps. Dead lifts. Push ups. Pull ups. Hang cleans. Horizontal pull ups. Inclined presses. Cable face pulls. Side to side medicine ball slams. Dumbbell swings. Goblet squats. Front squats. Band assisted single leg squats.


Start with those. No machines. Only free weights. Or cables.

Blu speaks wisdom. Although I might be biased as I also graduated from University of Wisconsin Eau Claire. :act-up:

Also, don't discount the importance of balance specific exercises and overall rotator cuff flexibility/ strength. Strength exercises alone can reduce flexibility( distance) without the necessary stretching exercises.

 

[etotheo]

Squats are your friend. They provide a ton of development, nor only of the big muscles like the quads, glutes, and hamstrings, but the smaller muscles used to stabilize the body through the motion do a very similar job during the golf swing. When a golfer is described as generating "power from the ground" or having a great connection to the ground, it's because of the torque and stability that you develop in the squat, especially heavier squats. KJ Choi is a great example. Dude has some tree trunk legs, and is able to stay super stable through the golf swing and generate a ton of power from a pretty simple movement. Also, by having a greater range of power to apply, he's able to back off more often and save his knees and back. He rarely has to crank things to 11 to get the ball where he wants it. This has allowed him to stick around for a long time on tour.

Squats are your friend.

This. After a number of lesson's the pro has me loading into both my glutes (on the take-a-way and firing into the point of contact). Stronger base equals not only more distance but a more balanced swing where you can find the centre of the club face more often.

 

[BIGBALL]

Building up leg strength will also protect your knees. Avoid the leg extension machine. Squats are your friend.

Agree with Blu - especially about the leg extension machine. The first ( but not last ) piece of equipment I would toss out of every gym. Only belongs in a rehab facility imo... That said, if your knee is already an issue, I would see a sports med doc before I went any further.

Core strength is very important - but, in my opinion, if you are doing heavy compound exercises correctly, that should be most of the core work you need. I do like medicine ball work though - I find that it bridges the gap between dynamic flexibility and power.

 

[flog2424]

I like where everybody's head is at on this. CORE muscles and legs are the engine of the golf swing IMO. May I also suggest making a profile on mytpi.com. They have sections with common swing flaws and how weaknesses in your body cause alot of these. You can also find alot of exercises that specifically focus on areas of the body you have trouble with.