The Perfect Golf Swing

Improve your golf swing and add 30 yards to your drive

All golfers are looking to achieve that perfect golf swing. You can drastically improve your golf swing, and even add 30 yards to your drive, by incorporating some simple exercises into your daily fitness regime. These movements will enhance your flexibility and power, and refine the mechanics of your swing. Let's start with flexibility.


Add Flexibility

Increasing your range of motion ultimately means hitting the golf ball farther. You'll elongate your shoulder during your backswing, which determines how much energy is transferred into the ball.  Perform one 20-repetition set of each of these dynamic exercises to improve your flexibility.

More Golf Exercises


Golf Twist

Stand in a golf-address position with your feet slightly more than shoulder-width apart, and place your weight on the inside of each heel. Use both hands to hold a 5-pound medicine ball or dumbbell at the center of your chest, with your elbows extended out to your sides. Keeping your head still and your feet flat, bring the ball up and to the left, as in a backswing, until your right shoulder is underneath your chin. Return to the starting position and repeat to the right.


Golf Squat

Stand, holding a 10-pound dumbbell down in front of you with a hand-over-hand grip. Your feet should be more than shoulder-width apart in this starting position. Lower to a squat. Rise, turning to the right, while bending your elbows and raising the weight over your right shoulder. Your hips should face right, with your weight over your right foot and your left heel off the floor. Return to the starting position and repeat to the other side. That's one repetition. Complete a total of 10 reps.


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Power Up Your Swing

A golf club weighs about a pound, so superhuman strength isn't necessary to swing it. Focus on creating strength throughout the entire range of the golf swing. Remember to target every area of your body as you work out to improve your golf swing.


Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.  Hold a barbell with your hands slightly more than shoulder-width apart. Move one foot slightly behind the other, holding it a few inches off the ground. With your back flat and your abs tight, slowly lower the bar toward your front foot. As you bend forward, allow your free leg to float behind you for balance. Once the barbell reaches mid-shin level, push through your grounded heel to return to the upright position. Repeat for eight repetitions, then switch to the opposite leg. Perform two to four sets.


Medicine Ball Overhead Extension

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a moderately heavy, 8- to 10-pound, medicine ball with both hands at arm's length down in front of you. Squat quickly, reaching back between your legs with the ball. Reverse the movement, exploding upward into a maximum-effort reach with the ball above you. Perform three sets of six repetitions, resting for 60 seconds between each set.


Forward Lunge

Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding 10-pound dumbbells at your sides. Stride forward with your left leg, so your left thigh ends up parallel to the floor with your left knee directly over your toes. Push back up to the starting position and repeat with the opposite leg. Perform two to four sets of eight reps.


Go to the next page for moves to improve swing mechanics...


Improve Your Mechanics

The last phase of the workout will help you keep your body under control as the club explodes through the hitting area. These exercises are so specific that the benefit to your golf game will be huge.


Dumbbell Row with Rotation

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a 10-pound dumbbell in each hand.  Bend forward at the waist, flex your knees, and let the dumbbells hang in front of your thighs, palms facing each other. Pull your right arm toward your rib cage while rotating your torso as far as you can to the right. Pause, then lower your right arm while pulling up your left arm and rotating left. Perform two to four sets of eight reps.


Standing Cable Push

At a cable station, grab the high-pulley cable with your left hand. Face away from the weights with your feet shoulder-width apart, and your left hand in front of your shoulder. Straighten your right arm and use it for balance. Keeping your hips square, "punch" the handle forward until your left arm is fully extended. Return slowly to the starting position and punch eight times. Repeat with the opposite arm. Perform two to four sets on each side.


Medicine Ball Lower-Trunk Rotation

Lie on your back with your knees bent and your feet in the air. Place a 5-pound medicine ball between your knees, holding it there so it doesn't drop. Keep your shoulders flat on the floor and your arms straight out to the sides with your palms up. Rotate your lower body until your left leg touches the floor on your left side. Hold for 5 seconds, and then rotate your legs to the center, maintaining the same leg position throughout.


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