I spend a fair amount of time explaining to my golf clients that they are athletes. Most of them would not be able to bench press 700 pounds or run a 40 yd dash in 4.2 seconds, but they are pushing their bodies to perform an explosive movement that requires balance, flexibility, strength, stabilization, power, precision and consistency. These attributes need to be trained on a regular basis in order to achieve optimal performance and it is my job to show the golf athlete how to do that. However, it is the job of the golf pro to put all of those attributes together in the right sequence. The body is the most important “tool” of golf and by training your body with specific golf exercises your performance will increase no matter your skill level.

The physical ability of the golf athlete starts with stabilization (see figure 1). Stabilization is the ability to maintain a position and optimize the length-tension relationship of a muscle, which is required in order to have a strong muscle contraction force. Stabilization is the base to which you build on top of, adding strength and eventually power. Power is simply providing strength quickly, which is exactly what the golf athlete is required of them. Golf athletes will see very limited performance increases if they train only one attribute. Performing power exercises without having proper stabilization and strength can lead to injuries and an inconsistent swing. In other words, you can’t skip steps.

Figure 1.

Stabilization can be measured in many different ways. However, I believe golf athletes can effectively measure their stability by performing a prone plank for time, which measures the ability of the athlete to hold a pelvic neutral position (see figure 2). While there may be more golf specific stability measurements, they would require the assistance of a performance specialist. Golf athletes should hold the plank position while maintaining a neutral hip position, aligning the spine in it anatomical position. Golf athletes should be able to hold this position at a minimum of 2 minutes, with further time being beneficial. This benchmark represents a reasonable goal that once attained should allow golf athletes to move on to lower level strength exercises and eventually power exercises.

Figure 2.

For a full evaluation of your physical golf attributes, please call the Performance Enhancement Program at 414-805-7114. We offer skill and sport specific training for athletes of all ages.