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While golf is often perceived as a “leisurely game”, it is still an incredibly dynamic and athletic sport to play. The periods of stagnancy intermixed with explosive efforts actually make it unique when compared to other activities that are more steady-state and continuous. Let’s look into what makes golf fitness special, and how you can start building it from the comfort of your own home.

Why Should You Do Golf Fitness Training?

Being fit for golf is about more than just hitting the ball farther (although, that is also something many of us want to achieve). Golf is interesting because our time out on course far exceeds the duration of most other sporting events. While we might not be vigorously active throughout the entire round, it’s often surprising how exhausting just standing and walking can be. 

Couple that with the demands of the occasional long drive or fairway shot, and all of a sudden the body has a lot to deal with. As the day goes on, its capacities are strained further and further in efforts to keep you sharp and performing at your best, even as fatigue sets in from waning/lack of new energy stores in the body (apart from the occasional “beverage”, perhaps).

This is where your golf fitness training comes into play. The golf game itself is not really where you’re looking to make gains fitness-wise. It’s your off-the-course training where the opportunity lies to make up for golf’s shortcomings and get your body into tip-top shape. A host of benefits awaits the person who takes the time to follow a well-balanced golf fitness training program…

Some of these include:

• More strength & power off the tee
• Improved flexibility
• Enhanced mental focus & acuity
• Better endurance
• Injury prevention

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Golf Fitness: What to Work On

It’s important that your golf fitness training program is professionally-tailored for people in our sport, just like what we offer here at Dynamic Golfers. There are important considerations to make when designing a training program for golfers, and joining a world class platform like ours helps take the guesswork out of it. For example, a proper golf fitness program will…

• Give you an easy-to-follow structure
• Balance out different fitness components (strength, flexibility, endurance…)
• Correct the muscle imbalances that develop from playing golf
• Give you more energy out on course
• Improve your game & lower your handicap

If that sounds like something you could benefit from, try signing up for our 7-day free trial and get a taste for everything we have to offer! Keep reading for some advice on how you can start optimizing your golf fitness TODAY—and from the comfort of your own home!

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Golf Fitness Training Program

Below you’ll find a sample workout that combines different elements of our training platform here at Dynamic Golfers. We have years worth of stretching/mobility, strength training, and injury prevention content to help you reach your goals and be out there golfing pain-free. Give this workout a try to see how it makes you feel!

Start With Strength

If you’re doing a combined workout that involves both strength training and stretching/mobility training, you should always do the strength training first. Stretching/mobility should be performed after the exertive effort, whether that is a strength workout or a golf game.

Monster Walks w/Band

Instructions

• Start at one end of your mat and put a mini band around your legs, just below the knees
• Drop into a ¼ squat while keeping your chest tall
• Push your knees out against the band
• Take steps towards the other end of the mat while holding this ¼ squat position
• When you get to the other end, walk backwards back to the start
• Repeat for 45 seconds

Standing Kickbacks w/Band

Instructions

• Put the mini band around your ankles
• Bend the knees slightly and put your hands on your hips
• Straighten one leg behind you while squeezing the glutes
• Bring it back to the starting position, then, repeat on the other side
• Repeat for 45 seconds

Reverse Fly w/Weights

Instruction

• Bend the knees slightly and hinge at the hips until your torso is at approximately 45°
• You should be holding the weights with arms straight down in front of you (picture 1)
• Perform a reverse fly, lifting the arms up and opening the chest (picture 2)
• Lower back to the starting position, then repeat
• Repeat for 45 seconds

Lateral Raise

Instructions

• Stand with feet hip width apart, hands at your sides with the weights
• Lift the weights straight out to your sides until they’re level or just above level with your shoulders
• Lower back to the starting position
• Repeat for 45 seconds

Dynamic Y-Raise

Instructions

• Stand with a pole/broomstick/golf club in your hands with a wide grip (picture 1)
• Hinge at the hips and slide the pole down your thighs (picture 2)
• Raise the pole above your head to the best of your ability (picture 3)
• While holding the pole in this position, press your hips forward and stand up tall (picture 4)
• Bring the pole back down to your hips
• Repeat the sequence for 45 seconds

End With Stretch/Mobility

Always position stretching/mobility work post-golf and/or post-strength training. These routines relax your muscles and mind, which is not something you want to do before exerting yourself with a strength workout or round of golf. Do them after for improved recovery!

Standing Quad Stretch

Instructions

• From a standing position, bend one knee and grab your foot, pull it towards your bum until you feel a stretch in the front of your thigh. Use a wall or chair for balance if you need to. You can also use a stretching strap if you can’t quite reach your foot. Gold for 45 seconds. Repeat on the other side.

Upper Body Rotations w/Pole

Instructions

• Stand with feet slightly wider than hip width apart and a pole/broomstick/golf club resting on your shoulders. Twist in one direction by pushing the pole and rotating the spine. When you reach your endpoint, return back to the middle and then twist the other way. Repeat for 45 seconds.

Adductor Drop

Instructions

• Lie on your back with your knees bent. Allow one knee to drop inwards while the other opens outwards. Reverse the movement. Alternate back and forth for 45 seconds.

Figure Four

Instructions

• Lie on your back and get into a figure four position by crossing one ankle over the opposing knee (pictured). Place your hand behind the thigh of the uncrossed leg and pull towards you to increase the stretch. Hold for 45 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

Lower Twist

Instructions

• Lie on your back, bend one knee and keep the other leg straight. Bring the bent knee across your body and gently pull it further across with your hand. Do this while at the same time looking the opposite way with your head (pictured). Hold for 45 seconds. Switch sides and repeat.

Get the Full Platform w/Dynamic Golfers

This is only a sample and just the beginning! Experience follow-along, high quality videos led by world class instructors to help take your golf fitness training to the next level. Sign up for a 7-day free trial with Dynamic Golfers, and join thousands of athletes worldwide working to train and play pain-free!

Written by Eric Lister – Certified Personal Trainer & Corrective Exercise Specialist