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Many people often make the mistake thinking resistance training is only for high-performance sports such as soccer or basketball, but in reality, all athletes will benefit from this, especially golfers.
When it comes to golf, you need the strength and mobility to activate your trunk and provide power to the swing for better driving skills. Even for that important put, you need the muscular endurance and use of stabilizer muscles to control the movement when exhausted on the final hole.
Here you will get to know how golf resistance training at home or gym can improve your performance in the field.
Types of Resistance Training for Golf Performance
Resistance training applies to a wide variety of movements utilizing some type of equipment that your body has to overcome. When at the gym, free weights such as dumbbells and barbell movements assist greatly not just for strength and endurance but power training also.
Fixed machines and resistance pulley cables work as well for isolating your different muscle groups after performing stronger movements.
Home resistance training could easily be performed with bands that improve mobility on top of strength and endurance. A mixture of all types of training would yield the best outcome for better golf performance.
Quality bands like these ones help achieve your resistance training goals.
Key Reasons for Golf Resistance Training at Home
Improved performance is your primary concern when it comes to golf, whether you enjoy this as a hobby or an athlete. Performance is improved through resistance training because:
- Greater muscular endurance
- Stronger swinging power
- Less chance of injury
Muscular Endurance
Your muscles need the endurance to be able to go through all the swing work needed while playing golf and moving through the terrain. Many golfers hit poorly towards the final holes because their muscles are fatigued due to a lack of muscles.
Consistency found through doing workouts definitely carries over to your golfing skills. The ability to mentally and physically train your body gives you the upper hand while others avoid the extra training.
Develop Power
Stronger and developed muscles increase the power of your swings. This can only occur through some type of resistance training with a focused program improving your body as a whole.
When your body moves and functions as one, you can begin to notice how effectively you swing through recruiting more muscle fibers. The entire body needs to be strengthened, but the primary areas of focus would be your abdominal muscles, hips, lower back, and shoulders as well.
Powerful moves to start adding into your resistance training are barbell squats, deadlifts, and the military press. Bigger movements require more muscle fiber recruitment, which teaches your body to activate and utilize them in one solid swing.
See More: Leg Exercises for powerful Golf Swing
Prevents Injury
Your bones and joints get stronger as well through resistance training, and a higher amount of muscle fibers covering them helps prevent injuries like knee injuries, hip injuries from occurring. Your back and shoulders are especially susceptible to injury from the quick actions taken during a swing.
Teaching your body to undergo the stress of playing golf only comes through resistance training. Normal stretching actions only help loosen up your body and improve blood flow. However, weaker joints can only take the stress for so long before pain and inflammation occur. One of the most common conditions to derive from playing golf is arthritis.
Those that perform resistance training have less chance of developing this, and even those already with arthritis are recommended to exercise routinely by doctors.
Read: Best Exercises for Senior Golfers
Golf Exercises with Resistance Bands
Gym facilities do provide lots of equipment at your disposal, but resistance bands work just as well if your main focus is just to improve your health and golfing performance. They come in all sorts of lengths, resistances, and colors to know which one is heavier to use than the other.
However, the best ones are often referred to as pull-up assistance bands because they have the length and width to do all movements. No, this type of band is not just for pull-ups. Regular hip circle bands are only good for specific movements, and the bands similar to what physical therapists use are too light and flimsy for a good workout.
Tube resistance bands would be the other alternative, but they are more likely to rip after a short period of use through all the tension placed on them. The better choice to just get everything out of the same bands would be the pull-up variation.
Resistance Band Exercises to Perform are:
- Squats
- Deadlifts
- Standing Shoulder Press
- Trunk Rotations
Squats
This exercise targets your lower body mainly with extra focus on your core as well when executed properly.
Place the band fully on the ground and step in the middle of it. Ensure your feet are at least shoulder-width apart, and the band is in the center. Bend down and grasp the ends of the band and stand up straight.
Keeping your arms down extended from the tension, begin to bend at the hips and knees, simultaneously lowering your hips, keeping your upper body upright. Keep your core tight and come back up after your thighs are parallel with the floor.
Deadlifts
Deadlifts help strengthen your hamstrings, lower back, and glutes as well.
Place the band fully on the ground and step in the center just like previously for the squats. However, from this point, you’ll bend at your hips like a door hinge and slightly bend the knees as well to grasp the band down the middle.
Next, keeping your lower back straight, you pull the band while standing up straight keeping arms locked. Hips will naturally push forward until your body is fully erect and legs are locked.
Standing Shoulder Press
This exercise strengthens your shoulders, arms, and upper back.
Open the band and place one side of the loop on the ground while holding the other side in your hands. Step within the circle placing your feet on the band shoulder-width apart. The portion of the band being held will be raised up to your chest with palms facing upwards.
To execute the press, drive your palms up keeping your wrist straight and tight. Control the movement of the band down tightening your core lower back to your chest and repeat.
Trunk Rotations
Core training is very important for golf performance, and executing a movement that resembles golf swings makes it even more effective.
Tie one end of the band to a sturdy area such as a pole or tree trunk. The band should be positioned to align slightly below your chest when held. Grasp the free side of the band with both hands clenched and take a couple of side steps out.
The band should be towards your left or right side. Space your feet slightly wide to form a stable base, extend your arms fully forward, and twist maintaining this position in the opposite direction. You will perform the repetitions, then switch sides and repeat.
Each exercise should be performed with four sets of 12-15 repetitions. Rest 60-90 seconds between the exercises. Only three days of this type of strength training is needed to see results. As mentioned, you can see even better results mixing this with gym-based equipment if you wish.
Resistance Training Truly Does Improve Performance
This information should have given you a better understanding of what resistance training is and how effective it can be for any golfer. Focus on the long-term effects and not just how you perform on the golf course as well.
Too many end up with muscle and strength reduction as they age, and even worse, your bones will weaken also. Perform the given resistance training exercises to start off and go from there. When executed properly you will see how much healthier and stronger you feel!
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Daisy is the Founder and Editor in Chief of Golfs Hub. She is associated with Golf for more than 20 years. She got the inspiration from her father. She is a very private person & doesn't like to be photographed. She's worked in nearly every job in the golf industry from club fitting to instruction to writing and speaking. Now she is enjoying her retirement from day job... but not from Golf! Daisy lives in southeasternmost part of New York state with her family.