Top 5 benefits of strength training for golf

We have officially entered that time of year where you can get back out on the golf course and have some fun. Whether you golf every day, a few times a year, or are competing at a high level, strength training helps your game. Golfers are great athletes and the sport requires power, strength, precision, finesse, and a high skill level. 

A great strength training program has been proven to increase drive distance, swing speed, ball speed, and lower handicap. 

Here’s a look at 5 of the main benefits of strength training for golf. 

Benefit #1: Lower risk for golf-related injuries

I think I can speak for us all when I say that I don’t want to tweak my back or have an elbow bugging me all summer. The reason I put this benefit first is for that reason. When you are hurt, it can take the fun away from the game and you will not perform as well. 

Common injury sites for golfers are shoulders, elbows, wrists, and the lower back. The golf swing puts torque and stress on these spots which can lead to injury. Many of these are overuse injuries. Strength training has been proven to reduce these injuries, especially the overuse ones. Strength training will also build and strengthen your muscles, including the ones around your joints, which help lower injury risk significantly. 

With golf being an asymmetrical sport, it can lead to imbalances, weaknesses, and can tighten up tissues over time. A well balanced training program will eliminate these imbalances, weaknesses, and will help to keep your muscle tissues ready to go. 

Benefit #2: Gain distance on your driver and iron shots

This is the sexy benefit that we are all chasing and the good news is, strength training can and will give you significant increases in your drive and iron distances. Your general and maximal strength are correlated with your drive distance. Another major factor is your power. The more power you can produce, the farther you will hit the ball. Building strong muscles will support your joints, produce power, and help you to move efficiently, which all play an important role in improving your game. 

Benefit #3: Improve flexibility and mobility

A common myth is that strength training will make you tight or inflexible. Many think they will turn into a bodybuilder if they strength train multiple times a week - another myth.

In reality, strength training will improve your flexibility and mobility. When you train exercises through their full range of motion and do so under load, you will be aiding your mobility.

Making sure you have adequate flexibility and mobility is not only important for injury reduction, but it is also important for making sure you can develop enough rotation to have a powerful swing. 

Benefit #4: More control on the green

This is one that may get overlooked. The more you train, the more control you will gain of your body. And the more control you gain, the easier it will become to transfer that energy into your putts and other shots. This control we talk about is called proprioception. It’s basically your body's awareness of where it is in space. Strength training helps to develop this. 

Benefit #5: Improve your swing speed 

Strength training will help you develop overall clubhead speed, rotational power, and your lead arm speed. A fun fact: Some studies have shown this will happen with a program that is not even golf specific. This tells us that any good strength training program can help you improve your golf game, and a golf specific program will just expand upon those results.

To be clear, just because you strength train does not mean you will step onto the golf course and be a great golfer. You need to work on your game, play often and practice, take lessons, and more to get the fundamentals down. But if you’re not regularly strength training, it could be a huge missing piece to your game. Give it a try and find out for yourself! 

Get started with Rise today. Reach out to me directly at chase@risetrainingmn.com if you have any questions or would like to sit down and chat.