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I think strength training is great for health, confidence and overall athleticism. I didnt hit it farther when I was bigger and more muscular though. I didnt start hitting it far until I started yoga and a good stretching routine.

John Daly was fat and hit it far. Freddie Couples couldnt bench 100 pounds and was named Boom Boom. Justin Thomas looks like he weighs 125 and has never seen the inside of a gym and crushes it. Long hitters have come in all shapes and sizes and crush the ball. A lot of guys will bring up the World Long Drive dudes and I guess for the .000000001 percent of golfers that are working on swinging 150+ MPH its applicable.

Its all about speed and quality of impact for distance IMO.

My belief is working out and lifting weights will never hurt. But it wont help as much as you hope.

You want to hit it farther practice swinging hard and work on your swing and flexibility. Lifting weights definitely helped me more on the beach and in the pubs though lol.

**This guy averages 320 on tour as a teenager:

**

Sorry for the double picture. Couldnt figure out how to fix it.

Flexibility helps a lot because the angles become bigger. You get George Kastanza (normal George, not monk super George) and the guy can hardly bend down to pick up a salty pretzel. Now you get a yoga golfer and they can make more distance between clubface and ball. It all gets into a fancy equation, but like that guy (is it Bhatia? He's from here in Raleigh actually...) up there, look how he bends. All that bending is giving the clubhead more time to gain speed. In effect his body is a rubber band and he's pulling it further away from the ball.

So learning golf specific yoga and other golf specific golf applicable excercises will help you. It's just you have to find those. Their Instagram pages are a good place to start. Watch what workouts the pros are doing right now.

You don't need to be strong, just fast. That said, for training that can increase your speed or explosiveness I think can help. Look at the TPI stuff, there are parts where are crucial to distance. Just bulking up definitely will not make you faster, but you can see most of the long drive guys are pretty big.

The golf swing IS a stretching exercise.

> @Mcgeeno said:

> I think strength training is great for health, confidence and overall athleticism. I didnt hit it farther when I was bigger and more muscular though. I didnt start hitting it far until I started yoga and a good stretching routine.

>

> John Daly was fat and hit it far. Freddie Couples couldnt bench 100 pounds and was named Boom Boom. Justin Thomas looks like he weighs 125 and has never seen the inside of a gym and crushes it. Long hitters have come in all shapes and sizes and crush the ball. A lot of guys will bring up the World Long Drive dudes and I guess for the .000000001 percent of golfers that are working on swinging 150+ MPH its applicable.

>

> Its all about speed and quality of impact for distance IMO.

>

> My belief is working out and lifting weights will never hurt. But it wont help as much as you hope.

>

> You want to hit it farther practice swinging hard and work on your swing and flexibility. Lifting weights definitely helped me more on the beach and in the pubs though lol.

>

>

> **This guy averages 320 on tour as a teenager:

> **

>

>

>

> Sorry for the double picture. Couldnt figure out how to fix it.

I agree with this guy but I have to throw in this pic of JT.

Nowadays the majority of professional golfers do some type of gym work. Believe it or not the guy he has pictured above does in fact workout. Everyone here always preaches flexibility and stretching BUT if you're not strengthening your muscles in these new found range of motions then you're actually more likely to injure yourself than before.

Training for speed is far more beneficial. I was training for bodybuilding for years and have a a decent physique and overall strength. I'm also quite flexible. All of that being said, I just don't swing that fast. Have a driver swing speed in the mid 100's and carry driver 250 yards with 15-20 yards of roll. I have friends that are in no where near the shape I'm in but they're able to create more speed and hit it past me. I may start the Super Speed protocol soon and incorporate more explosive exercises into my routines. I feel like I should hit it much further.

I am really hoping it does. I'm hitting the gym hard this winter and hoping to gain 6-10 mph on my swing (get it into the 125-129 range). Definitely think it is doable, I am not in good shape right now.

Strength lets you control the speed, but fast and loose is longer.

Strength does help, just not in the ripped muscle guy way many of us associate lifting. When lifting we are training our body to fire our muscle fibers in certain way or sequence. Now just doing a bunch of arms ans iso workouts don't really translate to golf besides holding a shot off in the thick stuff or something similar. The golf swing is a full body sequence, so lifting would make sense doing compound movements. This trains the body to have multiple muscle groups firing better, which with good swing fundamentals results in power. This is why I like compound movements like squat, bench and deadlift. For instance in a squat you are keeping your back at a proper angle throughout the move which is core strength. Then you are firing up through the heels (quad strength) all while rolling your hips through. Also you are maintaining pressure on the bar with your upper body as well. Teaching you body to have all these muscle groups firing in sync is what translates to golf.

> @"b.mattay" said:

> I am really hoping it does. I'm hitting the gym hard this winter and hoping to gain 6-10 mph on my swing (get it into the 125-129 range). Definitely think it is doable, I am not in good shape right now.

I dont think that extra 10mph will help you too much. The AVERAGE tour swing speed is around 113. the top guys on tour aka cam champ guys, are around 125-129 and they are the wildest hitters on tour. I would think the best spot to be is 115-120. You can find a good mix of staying accurate and hitting it long between those numbers.

I would say if you average 115 and you want to hit it further, set your goal at gaining 2-3mph without trying to swing harder.

I’ve tried eating half a gallon of ice cream every other day. Put on 30lbs in a few months and it hurts to breath sometimes but I gained 2 yards so I’m pretty happy with the results. Hope the working out helps!!

I would not say heavy weight lifting type strength training is directly tied to distance; it **contributes**. **Distance comes from mechanics and technique**. What Cardio and strength/cross-training do they contribute to maintaining distances, tempo and stamina and helps avoid injury.

As a 70yrs old with health conditions that could prevent me from sports and playing good golf, without a doubt, my life of "exercise," training, and "discipline" are why I still hit the ball reasonably well with all my clubs, and recover from injury fast. Exercise is also why I still play clubs that others 10-25 years younger gave up on. My 3i = 190+ and 2iron is still over 205+yds, and 215+ is not a surprise.

If a person starts an exercise regime today, it will help tomorrow, but it has to be made into part of your lifestyle for you to benefit from it over the long-haul.

It all depends on where your starting from. Strength work can be helpful. Strength isn't athleticism. I'm proof of that. Flexibility and more - mobility is so key. As is balance, good speed, etc. You see guys here mention yoga, and I'm a firm believer in yoga for golf (I'm just too stupid to get my arse on the mat).

> @BeerPerHole said:

> It all depends on where your starting from. Strength work can be helpful. Strength isn't athleticism. I'm proof of that. Flexibility and more - mobility is so key. As is balance, good speed, etc. You see guys here mention yoga, and I'm a firm believer in yoga for golf (I'm just too stupid to get my **** on the mat).

Agreed. Flexibility/mobility is critical, and for those who don't spend time doing anything but curls of the 12/16 oz variety (not judging, and far from being a teetotaler here), getting into any exercise routine will likely help in some way if you're being smart about it **and** commit to it. You can't expect to strength train for a few weeks and reap any real benefits. And don't confuse strength with size either. You don't have to be HUGE to be much strong(er) than the lazier version of yourself... I know after neglecting my own fitness for 10 plus years. Life has changed for the better in so many ways after returning to a dedicated fitness program.

If you can’t do a 1 legged stork pose then why even go to the range?

I think strength helps the most later on in the round. It's more for endurance than distance IMO.

> @"rich s" said:

> I’ve tried eating half a gallon of ice cream every other day. Put on 30lbs in a few months and it hurts to breath sometimes but I gained 2 yards so I’m pretty happy with the results. Hope the working out helps!!

This made me almost spit out my drink! ?

> @dmecca2 said:

> > @"b.mattay" said:

> > I am really hoping it does. I'm hitting the gym hard this winter and hoping to gain 6-10 mph on my swing (get it into the 125-129 range). Definitely think it is doable, I am not in good shape right now.

>

> I dont think that extra 10mph will help you too much. The AVERAGE tour swing speed is around 113. the top guys on tour aka cam champ guys, are around 125-129 and they are the wildest hitters on tour. I would think the best spot to be is 115-120. You can find a good mix of staying accurate and hitting it long between those numbers.

>

> I would say if you average 115 and you want to hit it further, set your goal at gaining 2-3mph without trying to swing harder

I want another 20-30 yards in the bag, would help the game out for sure! Mainly need to get stronger in the legs/core and improve grip strength!

Above it's said **I’ve tried eating half a gallon of ice cream every other day. Put on 30lbs in a few months and it hurts to breath sometimes but I gained 2 yards so I’m pretty happy with the results.**

The only thing that's missing is beer. lol Probably more germane than most would admit too. Ball go far.

Eh, I don't think so. I think it supports speed, but doesn't necessarily trigger it.

I think people either have a feel for tempo/speed or they don't - engaging muscles quicker, hearing in your head the sound produced by the club impacting the ball at high speed, letting the club be destination-driven, aggressive mindset...all those things. Not saying it can't be learned, but I think a lot of golfers are leaving 10-15 mph on the table just by not having the right disposition for generating speed.

> @"b.mattay" said:

> > @dmecca2 said:

> > > @"b.mattay" said:

> > > I am really hoping it does. I'm hitting the gym hard this winter and hoping to gain 6-10 mph on my swing (get it into the 125-129 range). Definitely think it is doable, I am not in good shape right now.

> >

> > I dont think that extra 10mph will help you too much. The AVERAGE tour swing speed is around 113. the top guys on tour aka cam champ guys, are around 125-129 and they are the wildest hitters on tour. I would think the best spot to be is 115-120. You can find a good mix of staying accurate and hitting it long between those numbers.

> >

> > I would say if you average 115 and you want to hit it further, set your goal at gaining 2-3mph without trying to swing harder

>

> I want another 20-30 yards in the bag, would help the game out for sure! Mainly need to get stronger in the legs/core and improve grip strength!

>

>

Well sure everyone thinks that will help them. I had a friend that started swinging out of his shoes just to gain an extra 15 yards with every club. Unfortunately he cant break 80 anymore.

To each his own, but I caution you on your quest. Accuracy is way more important than hitting it far.

> @BdaGolfer said:

> Strength lets you control the speed, but fast and loose is longer.

Yep. A lot of trainers would suggest the following progression:

Mobility --> Strength --> Power

Mobility gets your body moving more efficiently. While flexibility is part of this, we don't need to be Cirque de Soleil performers and some muscle tension is needed to protect the joints, so there is a line on how much flexibility one needs that varies from person to person. A big aspect of mobility is being able to move body parts independently of others. If you can do that, it's easier to maintain posture as everything is moving in the golf swing. This potentially makes it easier to improve contact as you can stay more consistent from swing to swing.

Strength helps you to decelerate safely and rectify any strength imbalances. Deceleration in the golf swing basically requires you to decelerate your body in a rotary fashion. This requires a lot of muscles from feet to hands, so any weak link in that "chain" can prevent you from decelerating safely. In terms of strength imbalances, you can't just think left/right imbalances, but also upper/lower imbalances. That's great if you can bench 300 lbs, but you also need strength in your core and lower body to safely decelerate the club. Your brain already has a concept of how quickly you are able to decelerate, so it will limit acceleration as such. If you can improve your ability to decelerate, it will potentially allow you to accelerate faster. Generally speaking, the muscles used to accelerate a left-handed swing are used to decelerate a right-handed swing. Golf is a very one sided sport, so muscles can be come very imbalanced between both sides.

Power is to focus of moving weights fast. You need to have good mobility and strength to do this. This helps your brain figure out how much it can move. This is where actual speed is made. Strength might help to increase the ceiling of your power/speed potential, but doing power exercises is the training your brain needs to actually move faster.

Time spent in the gym trying to build up your power (not _just_ strength) will make your potential speed that much better, but trumping all of the time in the gym is the mechanics of your swing. The improved mobility might make it easier to achieve certain swing mechanics and the power will allow you to make those moves faster. However, improving your swing mechanics and making a more relaxed swing will likely give you the most overall benefit.

Yes and no. Depends on the individual’s current strength and athletic level as well what they view as significant.

I find basic weight training over the winter helps when golf season comes around. I alternate cardio days and lifting days

I'm a little old school:: Bench, curls (2 types) , squats, shoulder presses, rows, lat pull downs.

Ab rollers. Planks. Some TRX.

Mix this in with treadmill and elliptical

Would love to hear basic exercise ideas with weights from @Rosco1216

> @cardoustie said:

> I find basic weight training over the winter helps when golf season comes around. I alternate cardio days and lifting days

>

> I'm a little old school:: Bench, curls (2 types) , squats, shoulder presses, rows, lat pull downs.

>

> Ab rollers. Planks. Some TRX.

>

> Mix this in with treadmill and elliptical

>

> Would love to hear basic exercise ideas with weights from @Rosco1216

This very topic got pretty heated on another thread. I'm glad this one appears civil.

I'll throw out the example of Scott Stallings. He was quite overweight and out of shape. In 2016 he began seriously training with CrossFit, and then in 2018 began a new diet regimen. He lost 50 pounds and now is quite fit and muscular. His driving distance was not impacted at all.

My view is that when it comes to the Tour, flexibility can help and being fit has other benefits, but strength training does very little to increase driving distance. Predominantly all driving distance gains from prior times have come from equipment technology.

Yes it helps for sure, but we'd have to define "significantly." MOST gains from the last 20+ years (ON TOUR) have been equipment-related (ball, shaft, head combo). But length has also increased due to an overall increase in the average fitness (strength, flexibility, speed creation) and average, overall athletic ability of people playing golf at the highest levels (very different from today to yesteryear when golf was almost exclusively the province of the rich and white).

But the overall run-up in distance has been absolutely mostly about ball, shaft, head combo.

That said: Individuals, through speed creation training, can do some quite amazing things with clubhead, bat, and ball throwing speed with focused resistance and speed creation training. Those who commit and implement absolutely see significant gains. Plenty of studies to back this up and I've personally seen it with competitive scratch ams.

For me, strength training has definitely helped with increasing distance. But it’s not the only component that would increase distance. You have to combine it with good swing technique. And you have to be very patient with seeing results from your strength training because you don’t get strong overnight.

> @Mcgeeno said:

> I think strength training is great for health, confidence and overall athleticism. I didnt hit it farther when I was bigger and more muscular though. I didnt start hitting it far until I started yoga and a good stretching routine.

>

> John Daly was fat and hit it far. Freddie Couples couldnt bench 100 pounds and was named Boom Boom. Justin Thomas looks like he weighs 125 and has never seen the inside of a gym and crushes it. Long hitters have come in all shapes and sizes and crush the ball. A lot of guys will bring up the World Long Drive dudes and I guess for the .000000001 percent of golfers that are working on swinging 150+ MPH its applicable.

>

> Its all about speed and quality of impact for distance IMO.

>

> My belief is working out and lifting weights will never hurt. But it wont help as much as you hope.

>

> You want to hit it farther practice swinging hard and work on your swing and flexibility. Lifting weights definitely helped me more on the beach and in the pubs though lol.

>

>

> **This guy averages 320 on tour as a teenager:

> **

>

>

>

> Sorry for the double picture. Couldnt figure out how to fix it.

Hold your horses! Dont mistake skinny as not strong.... Bhatia's golf muscles are on point cause he's hit millions of shots. His core, forearms, legs have beast status!

Why would anyone think being in great shape thru strength training wouldn't help hit it further... dont mean you need to look like the Rock

> @"rich s" said:

> I’ve tried eating half a gallon of ice cream every other day. Put on 30lbs in a few months and it hurts to breath sometimes but I gained 2 yards so I’m pretty happy with the results. Hope the working out helps!!

Sounds like my kind of workout plan.