Research has found that large vertical ground reaction forces in the downswing play a huge role in increasing clubhead speed and optimising launch angles. But in order to create these forces you need to improve your lower body strength. This will help you push into the ground and generate the reaction forces that move up through the body and into the club.
Good movement combined with good levels of strength and an ability to generate forces quickly are attributes that must be developed if you want to see any transfer into your golf game. For this reason, I like to use exercises that train a movement as opposed to singling out a specific muscle.
The body and multiple joints work together during the golf swing and not in isolation, therefore strength exercises typically should focus on this.
I have compiled a few of my favourites that you can work on to improve your leg strength. I always use a mixture of bilateral and unilateral exercises in my programmes as there are different benefits and adaptations.
Types of Leg Training
Bilateral:
Training on two legs is going to allow you to use more load. More load will see greater adaptation and help you get stronger as you need to exert greater force. A squat or deadlift will activate more muscles which will get more motor neurons firing – these are the signals that tell our muscles to contract and produce force.
The trapbar deadlift is a great exercise as it makes it easier to perform with good technique. There is no load directly placed on the spine like with a back squat so it’s great for those new to strength training.
The only downside is that the bar can be too heavy to start with. If this is the case, these DB suitcase squats are a great alternative.
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Unilateral:
Single leg exercises are important for golfers as they reduce muscle imbalances that occur between both sides.
The swing is all about accelerating effectively and decelerating correctly. Therefore, it’s important that both sides of the body are effective at force production and reduction to ensure your swing is efficient and functional.
The reverse lunge to knee drive is a great single leg exercise that not only challenges balance and control but also develops strength of the glutes, hips and quads.
You can perform with no load as a great warm up, or to develop strength – load with either dumbbells or a barbell dependant on your strength levels. Maintaining control of the pelvis through the movement is key and also makes this excellent for improving core stability.
Lateral:
The forces produced by your swing are predominantly vertical. However, there is a lateral shift from the trail leg to the lead leg in the downswing. Therefore, single leg lateral exercises will help you train the muscles of the hips and learn how to load them. These muscles drive force up and laterally into the other leg.
I love these alpine squats as they help to develop the push from the trail foot into the ground which you should use to explode into the downswing. They are great for feeling the load and drive of the hip, which creates the lower body drive in the golf swing.
7 Golf Exercises for Legs
With all of the below exercises you’re looking to do roughly 3 sets, with 8-10 reps. Start slow, choosing a few exercises to focus on and perform well.
1) Squats
Squats might seem like a very generic exercise but they can be very effective for golfers. These can be done as bodyweight, dumbbell, kettlebell or with a barbell.
Below Rachel demonstrates the goblet squat, that is performed with a dumbbell.
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2) Lunges
Like squats these are a generic exercise but can be beneficial for golfers. There is a range of different lunges, each giving different benefits such as reverse lunge, side lunge or a standard forward lunge. There is no variation that is preferable, find which one works best for you.
Below Rachel demonstrates a kettlebell overhead lunge, which is great unilateral movement.
3) Plate Single Leg RDL
Any form of RDL is a great exercise for golfers. Not only does it increase leg strength but it engages the core, increasing stability.
Below Rachel demonstrates a plate single leg RDL.
4) Supported SL Step Downs
This exercise is designed to teach golfers how to control their single leg stability better, giving them better control and stability.
You can perform this exercise on any raised surface. One foot next to be on the higher level, the other one suspended. You can use something to lower your floating leg closer to the floor, trying to maintain control throughout. This is it be repeated on the other leg.
Box or any variation of jumping helps to unlock explosive power, leg strength and agility. The explosive movement contributes to generating speed and distance in the swing.
To perform a box jump, you would stand facing a box or elevated platform. Bend your knees and swing your arms back, then explode upwards, jumping onto the box with both feet. Land softly and step down. If you don’t have a box to hand you can jump on the spot or jump forwards.
6) Single Leg Cross Body Hip Hinge with Reach
This exercise aims to improve golfers rotational stability which also strengthens the legs and hips. As this is a unilateral movement it helps to develop single leg stability, with a key focus of maintaining a strong stable base, as you would need in a golf swing.
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7) Deadlifts
We’ve already had RDL’S but standard deadlifts are a great leg workout for golfers. Deadlifts come in different forms, standard deadlift (barbell/dumbell), trap bar deadlift and a single leg deadlift.
Rachel demonstrates a trap bar deadlift below.
If that is too intimidating try this kettlebell version.
Rachel Tibbs: Dynamic Golf
All of the above golf exercise videos are by our resident strength and conditioning coach Rachel Tibbs. Rachael is a TPI L2 certified golf fitness professional based at The Bunker – a purpose-built fitness facility in north Leeds – where she specialises in golf-specific strength and conditioning.
If you want to find out more, you can visit the Dynamic Golf website or follow her on Twitter,Instagram, Facebook or YouTube.
Conclusion
Having a strong and stable lower body is the foundation of a powerful, efficient golf swing. Training your lower body can significantly enhance balance, stability, hip mobility and strength which are all key components of the golf swing.
To increase swing speed it is important that you pair strength exercises with explosive movements such as box jumps. And, don’t forgot to finish off with some mobility work for faster recovery!
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