Stronger Legs - More Power - Longer Drives
We all know that our legs are pretty important in the game of golf and to our overall golf fitness. They are important for many reasons. Two main reasons are stability and balance. You can also add power.
If I just got off the tourist rocket from Mars and watched a game of golf...first I would scratch my space helmet and ask the tour guide what the green stuff was, then I would probably make the observation that the club is swung with only the arms and hands...which, unfortunately for some, is definitely the case.
But seriously, strong legs keep us stable, help our balance immensely, and can help us add more power to our golf swings. Strong legs will also help us get through life a little easier while climbing up and down stairs, getting in and out of chairs, and walking 18 holes, to name a few.
Many PGA and LPGA Tour professionals are now doing Olympic type lifting of weights to develop a stronger lower body and more powerful legs...especially deadlifts and squats.
Watch our friend George "The Animal" Slupski with his winning drive in the 2010 RE/Max World Long Drive Championships. He set the world record that year with a drive of 406 yards. Just watch his leg action.
You may not make it to the Wold Long Drive Championships, but you will play better with stronger legs. Here are some simple squat exercises you can perform at home that can help develop more leg strength. They require a balance ball, a wall and your commitment.
If I just got off the tourist rocket from Mars and watched a game of golf...first I would scratch my space helmet and ask the tour guide what the green stuff was, then I would probably make the observation that the club is swung with only the arms and hands...which, unfortunately for some, is definitely the case.
But seriously, strong legs keep us stable, help our balance immensely, and can help us add more power to our golf swings. Strong legs will also help us get through life a little easier while climbing up and down stairs, getting in and out of chairs, and walking 18 holes, to name a few.
Many PGA and LPGA Tour professionals are now doing Olympic type lifting of weights to develop a stronger lower body and more powerful legs...especially deadlifts and squats.
Watch our friend George "The Animal" Slupski with his winning drive in the 2010 RE/Max World Long Drive Championships. He set the world record that year with a drive of 406 yards. Just watch his leg action.
You may not make it to the Wold Long Drive Championships, but you will play better with stronger legs. Here are some simple squat exercises you can perform at home that can help develop more leg strength. They require a balance ball, a wall and your commitment.
Try these and let me know how you do. Make it fun!
Thanks for reading!
The GolfGym Team.
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posted by Unknown at
9:56 AM
2 Comments:
This was something I'd been extremely sceptical about for a long time until I started playing with some older golfers. I noticed that even the top heavy ones were struggling to match my drive, despite me being fairly weak in my upper body strength. I was playing with Jan Coolidge (a regular of belmont-lodge.co.uk for about thirty years) and I noticed that her legs were more defined than mine, as was her swing! Cue extreme strength training for my calves and quads, hopefully I won't embarrass myself the second time around...
While a lower body is an extremely important part of a stable, balanced swing, it is important to take a full-body approach when getting involved in golf fitness.
Though a common problem a great deal of people have when they start to lift weights is that they get too "top heavy" or let the strength of their upper body outrace the strength of their lower body, the same thing can happen in terms of getting too "bottom heavy".
Your body has already naturally balanced itself through years of everyday activities. In many instances, heavy lifting of your legs without a full body approach can make your body uncomfortable and in severe cases, can even cause injury.
If you're just starting to get into golf fitness, stick to body weight exercises and leave the heavy weights out of it for a while.
Good article.
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