Best and/or most underrated training/gym exercises for your swing?

[Albatross Dreamer]

Been writing up some new things for my workout plan and got me thinking about exercise selection. What are some of the ones off the course you have found to best transfer to your swing or ones you feel are underrated? To be clear I'm talking non-golf exercises, so not things like swing speed training, etc. Also, I know these don't replace swinging an actual club.

 

For me I dunno about best, but I think I highly underrated one for golf would be sprinting for all sorts of reasons with high ground reaction forces and fast muscle contractions being two of the things that seem like they would transfer well. To be clear I don't think most people should go out trying to be Usain Bolt, but I think many people could benefit from doing some sort of sprinting if physically able to.

 

Can thing of some others that would be good, but would love to hear, what has worked well for you?

Edited March 21, 2023 by Albatross Dreamer

[DaveMc82]

Box jumps of at least 30”, Bulgarian split squats, barbell hip thrusters, sled push. 
 

Those are my go to’s. 
 

Others that really work are med ball side slams, handstand push ups, farmer’s carry and kipping pullups. 
 

The anti CrossFit bores will give you all the evils of kipping movements BUT the core stability/tension and coordination is very transferable to a golf swing. 

[GoGoErky]

Squats 

bench

deadlifts 

more squats 

[Albatross Dreamer]

52 minutes ago, DaveMc82 said:

Box jumps of at least 30”, Bulgarian split squats, barbell hip thrusters, sled push. 
 

Those are my go to’s. 
 

Others that really work are med ball side slams, handstand push ups, farmer’s carry and kipping pullups. 
 

The anti CrossFit bores will give you all the evils of kipping movements BUT the core stability/tension and coordination is very transferable to a golf swing. 

Forgot about handstands, need to add some of those back in. Rest are some goodies for sure! I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of kipping pullups, but do see the value you mention if have good form and doesn't cause any issues. I wish I could still do pullups, but they don't seem to get along with my elbow (played volleyball competitively).

Edited March 21, 2023 by Albatross Dreamer

[Albatross Dreamer]

31 minutes ago, GoGoErky said:

Squats 

bench

deadlifts 

more squats 

The big 3, nothing wrong with that! Just curious, are there any benefits you've seen from bench vs other upper body exercises? Or is it more just getting strong in the movement has helped you?

[Cwebb]

26 minutes ago, Albatross Dreamer said:

Forgot about handstands, need to add some of those back in. Rest are some goodies for sure! I'll admit I'm not the biggest fan of kipping pullups, but do see the value you mention if have good form and doesn't cause any issues. I wish I could still do pullups, but they don't seem to get along with my elbow (played volleyball competitively).

 

Try neutral grip pull downs instead

[GoGoErky]

25 minutes ago, Albatross Dreamer said:

The big 3, nothing wrong with that! Just curious, are there any benefits you've seen from bench vs other upper body exercises? Or is it more just getting strong in the movement has helped you?

No benefits to the bench per say but the pressing movement to offset pulling movements for a good balance 

[Cwebb]

I'll add band resistance training, which is great for overall fitness and golf.  Very friendly on the joints and much lower levels of soreness, while being very effective.   Allows for higher frequency training without feeling like you might compromise your day on the course.  This is one of the experts that I follow...

 

 

 

[vinny_land]

+1 on the squats 

Few lunges (or squats) with a landmine with a shoulder press variation at the top.

I like to use the trap bar for deadlifts and do 5x5 focusing on explosion and fast twitch, which I'm guessing this is what the OP is asking about. 

Rotational wall throws with a medicine ball helps too and if you have one that is tethered even better. 

[puresurfr]

Medicine ball Slams / Land mine Twisters / Box Jumps / Burpees w/ knee ups and 180* Twists

[nitram]

Kettle Bells:

 

Two Arm Swings

Turkish Get-ups

Goblet Squats

[ezra76]

I did front squats today in my yard gym and added power cleans. Haven't done them in a while, feeling bigtime right now, got a good workout. 

 

Go to "power clean" a little past 2:00

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTOskV2rUK8

 

 

 

 

[b.mattay]

If I had to pick 5 general strength movements for golf (no order):

RDL with trap Bar/heavy DB's (glute max/erectors)

Bulgarian split squats with forward lean (glute med/glute max/some quad)

Seated hamstring curls with forward lean

Adductor work 

Lat pulldown/row

 

If I had to pick 3 mobility movements (no order)

Shoulder dislocates 

World's greatest stretch 

Cat/camel

 

Bonus 1: Obviously some type of rotational chop/throw could be good and some specific grip work could help out too. 

 

Bonus 2 (for walkers): Calf work with a 5 second pause in the lengthened position (helps with ankle mobility/stability).

Edited March 22, 2023 by b.mattay

[Albatross Dreamer]

45 minutes ago, vinny_land said:

+1 on the squats 

Few lunges (or squats) with a landmine with a shoulder press variation at the top.

I like to use the trap bar for deadlifts and do 5x5 focusing on explosion and fast twitch, which I'm guessing this is what the OP is asking about. 

Rotational wall throws with a medicine ball helps too and if you have one that is tethered even better. 

Honestly was just asking out of curiosity. I've actually done performance training/ strength and conditioning in some fashion for 15 years. Just like to hear what others have tried, which is part of why I didn't add more of my own thoughts.

[biffstix]

The entire backside chain of the arm helps me..forearm extensors, tricep, rear delt, rotator cuff, traps. That’s probably not anatomically correct but you get the idea. Deadlifting of course. 
I really enjoy battle ropes as well. Really moves the shoulders athletically and builds forearm/grip strength. 
Foam rolling/ active stretching, so boring but so necessary for me. 
 

[Albatross Dreamer]

51 minutes ago, Cwebb said:

I'll add band resistance training, which is great for overall fitness and golf.  Very friendly on the joints and much lower levels of soreness, while being very effective.   Allows for higher frequency training without feeling like you might compromise your day on the course.  This is one of the experts that I follow...

 

 

 

Have experimented with bands a tad, but not as much as I'd like. Have found some things to be better with free weights or cables, while others bands are awesome. Really depends on the loading in some ways. Love the thicker band pallof holds!

[Albatross Dreamer]

26 minutes ago, nitram said:

Kettle Bells:

 

Two Arm Swings

Turkish Get-ups

Goblet Squats

All goodies! I never had the patience for Turkish get ups lol. Could add bottoms up presses, offset KB squats in there too amongst other things.

[Albatross Dreamer]

26 minutes ago, ezra76 said:

I did front squats today in my yard gym and added power cleans. Haven't done them in a while, feeling bigtime right now, got a good workout. 

 

Go to "power clean" a little past 2:00

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GTOskV2rUK8

 

 

 

 

I used to power clean and push press a bunch. They definitely give a different feeling than most other lifting exercises. Might add them back in, even if lighter for more of a warm up type of thing. 

Edited March 22, 2023 by Albatross Dreamer

[Cwebb]

16 minutes ago, Albatross Dreamer said:

Have experimented with bands a tad, but not as much as I'd like. Have found some things to be better with free weights or cables, while others bands are awesome. Really depends on the loading in some ways. Love the thicker band pallof holds!

 

I'll add "cable wood chops" to your list of options.  Can also be done with a band

[KD1]

4 hours ago, DaveMc82 said:

anti CrossFit bores

NERDS!

[phizzy30]

Most underrated that most golfers/baseball/tennis and hockey players don't know they should focus is actually doing a lot and getting as strong as possible on the dead lift.  Works your entire posterior chain and engages all the muscles in your body as well.  Also, Olympic lifts and plyometrics in general are very effective and useful for golf as well.  I have my clients that do rotary sports focus more on these because they need to do fast and explosive movements for both power and speed.  

Edited March 22, 2023 by phizzy30

[FormerBigDaddy]

Once you have a well balanced hypertrophy routine including many of the exercises listed above... give some cable rotations and pallof press variations a try.  Make sure you train both sides of the body when you do them.  I added these to my routine back at the end of august and have done them religiously.  You will be amazed at how difficult some of the pallof variations are.  My core feels way stronger and I feel much more stable in my golf swing.  I've also been doing speed training and seen a massive jump in distance.  My work in the gym and with speedsticks have both contributed to that.

[Warrior42111]

I'd say any type of compound movement is the best way to go. You are weight training and you're also training your body how to fire different muscle groups at different times just like a golf swing.

 

Also, form form form, and part of that should be engaging the core on almost every exercise, lift, movement out there. 

[Albatross Dreamer]

6 hours ago, phizzy30 said:

Most underrated that most golfers/baseball/tennis and hockey players don't know they should focus is actually doing a lot and getting as strong as possible on the dead lift.  Works your entire posterior chain and engages all the muscles in your body as well.  Also, Olympic lifts and plyometrics in general are very effective and useful for golf as well.  I have my clients that do rotary sports focus more on these because they need to do fast and explosive movements for both power and speed.  

I also have nearly all of my clients/athletes get strong in the deadlift. It definitely made a difference when I was playing competitive volleyball. Split squats and back extensions seemed to correlate with when my jumping was feeling at it's best. Once I get consistent again it becomes a matter of diminishing returns to keep getting stronger in that movement though, and I have passed that point in the past. For me it'll probably be plyos and some lighter Olympic lifts along with other stuff, some from this thread and some things I already had in mind. I'm probably not the typical trainee due to my previous background, but it's been nice to hear some things I had forgot about over time.

[Albatross Dreamer]

3 hours ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

Once you have a well balanced hypertrophy routine including many of the exercises listed above... give some cable rotations and pallof press variations a try.  Make sure you train both sides of the body when you do them.  I added these to my routine back at the end of august and have done them religiously.  You will be amazed at how difficult some of the pallof variations are.  My core feels way stronger and I feel much more stable in my golf swing.  I've also been doing speed training and seen a massive jump in distance.  My work in the gym and with speedsticks have both contributed to that.

I tried some pallof holds with a thicker band the other day and it definitely hit me different then the cable usually does. Also challenged the front leg which I see being valuable for golf. I do agree many people could benefit from adding more hypertrophy. Since I'm more looking to maintain there I'll probably be experimenting with more other things, which is why I started this thread. Been doing this so long I forget things so always nice to have discussions as both a reminder and to pick up new things.

[FormerBigDaddy]

5 minutes ago, Albatross Dreamer said:

I tried some pallof holds with a thicker band the other day and it definitely hit me different then the cable usually does. Also challenged the front leg which I see being valuable for golf. I do agree many people could benefit from adding more hypertrophy. Since I'm more looking to maintain there I'll probably be experimenting with more other things, which is why I started this thread. Been doing this so long I forget things so always nice to have discussions as both a reminder and to pick up new things.

Yeah I do pallof variations with the cable machine for increased resistance. I do a low to high variation where you hold your hands in front of you and then raise them up over your head as you resist rotation. I do them as slow as I can and they’re as hard as anything I do in the gym if I push myself to failure. They’ll have you contemplating life toward the end of your last set if you push yourself.  Definitely great for legs and hips as well as maintaining posture. 
 

 

Edited March 22, 2023 by FormerBigDaddy

[Albatross Dreamer]

5 minutes ago, FormerBigDaddy said:

Yeah I do pallof variations with the cable machine for increased resistance. I do a low to high variation where you hold your hands in front of you and then raise them up over your head as you resist rotation. As hard as anything I do in the gym if I push myself to failure. Definitely great for legs and hips as well as maintaining posture. 

Those are tough for sure. Can also do same thing facing towards or away to work on anti-extension or flexion. Can easily change stances too. So many ways to change it up to suit the need at that time!

[getitdaily]

Hang clean to press

Traveling kettle bell swings

[ChipDriver]

On 3/21/2023 at 9:22 PM, nitram said:

Kettle Bells:

 

Two Arm Swings

Turkish Get-ups

Goblet Squats

Kettle bell swings are perhaps THE absolute best exercise - works every important muscle group in one motion.  

[joostin]

I was thinking along the lines of triple extension which I'll just link to a post I had, below, with some related exercises.

 

Something more swing specific is getting strong and explosive in the body angles we get to during the swing, especially the "squat" phase where we're loading the ground into the push off where we're generating all the GRFs.  The knee bend, hip bend, ankle bend (triple flexion) is NOT like a full range squat.  It's minimal and quick.  Of course full range lifting is wanted for strength, but for explosiveness there should be things for "springiness" like the following:

 

Your sprinting example, pogo jumps, skater jumps like below (the guy's training is pretty advanced stuff, but you can progress from beginner stage by small jumps holding the back of a chair to what he's doing).  Other single leg jumps.  Single leg weighted high box squats.  Single leg stuff is great for balance, joint health, strength, and athleticism.  Single arm DB hang cleans and push presses.... Now I gotta go practice what I preach 🙂🦿💪