5 Workouts for Women to Improve Your Golf Game
Do you ever watch someone in the tee box hit an amazing drive and it looks so effortless but powerful at the same time? Nothing feels better in golf than a smooth swing, perfect alignment and great distance.
It is no secret that to gain distance and power in your swings, working out and exercising to gain strength can significantly help you. Gaining strength in your arms, legs, back and core will make a significant difference in your yardage and control.
There are countless exercises to help you gain strength and tone your body, but if you are specifically looking to improve your golf game, we have narrowed down 5 exercises that can help you add power to your swings and distance to your shots.
The Benefits
Working out and strength training have endless amount of health benefits as we all know. If you incorporate specific workouts to assist your golf game, you will without a doubt see an improvement in your overall performance. In addition to game improvement and overall health benefits, golf workouts also help to prevent injuries. When your body repeats certain movements, over time you will gain muscle memory and your body will be better prepared to perform those movements once you are on the course.
If you never workout, golf can potentially take a toll on parts of your body such as shoulders, back, and hips. You will feel stronger and more confident if you incorporate specific exercises to your workout routine which focus on these areas of the body.
Warming Up
Always remember that you should warm up before jumping into a workout. Getting your heart rate up and loosening up your body will prepare you for the exercises.
Doing a light jog, jumping jacks, or a jump rope are some perfect ways to get your body ready. If you don’t want to do anything too active before your actual workout, it’s a great idea to do lighter warm ups such as shoulder rolls, march in place, and leg swings.
Without warming up, your chance of pulling a muscle or experiencing muscle cramps significantly increases. Make sure you are hydrated before a workout and have plenty of space to safely perform these exercises.
Let's take a look at 5 golf workouts for women that can improve your game and some warmups that will help to prepare you.
The Moves
1. Cable Wood Chop
The Cable Wood Chop is an excellent core strengthening exercise that mimics an actual golf swing. You will feel this in your arms, core and legs - anything that activates your core is a winner in my mind! This works best if you are in the gym and have an adjustable cable machine. If you are at home and do not have access to machinery, you can also use a dumbbell or kettlebell in the same motion.
While you are standing at the adjustable cable machine, set the cable at the highest position and choose a weight that is comfortable yet challenging. With both hands, pull the cable down and across your body. Make sure you are engaging your core and stabilizing your body with your legs and glutes.
Here is a quick video that will demonstrate the move:
2. Bicep Curls
This move is one of the most basic exercises out there, yet it is extremely beneficial. This exercise focuses purely on bicep strength. It makes sense; stronger arms will result in more powerful swings and farther distance. Choose a weight that is challenging yet won’t hurt you. If the weight is too light, you won’t be getting a good enough workout but if the weight is too heavy, you may end up hurting yourself. Test a couple of different weights to see what you feel comfortable using.
Start by standing with a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length. Slowly curl your arm up, keeping your elbows by your side. Squeeze your muscles once your arm is curled, then slowly lower your arms until they are straight again. Repeat this move 8-10 times for 4-5 sets. Burn, baby, burn.
3. Single Leg RDL (Romanian Deadlifts)
Deadlifts are an amazing workout for overall strength. The Single Leg RDL is a version of deadlifts that focuses specifically on working the hamstrings and glutes, with a big emphasis on stability and balance. When you move your hips and transfer your weight during a swing, lower body strength helps dramatically in adding distance to your shots. This is a great way to tone as well as gain muscle strength! Who doesn’t want some great glute workouts?!
Initially, this move can be a bit tricky since you need to find your balance. Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, lift one foot off of the ground behind you. Balancing on one foot, bend at the hip moving your torso parallel to the ground. Squeeze your glute and stand back up, still only on one foot. Once you get the move down, add a dumbbell or kettlebell to really work up a sweat and burn those calories.
Below is a helpful video showing you how to correctly do a Single Leg RDL:
How To Do A Single Leg Deadlift | The Right Way | Well+Good
4. Plank
For some reason, a plank always seems easier said than done. The plank is a very straight forward move however it really does get your body working! This move activates your entire body - arms, core, legs, back. You can start with holding a plank for 30 seconds, then work your way up to 45 seconds, a minute, etc.
On a yoga mat or comfortable floor, brace your upper body with your forearms on the mat. Your legs should be extended and held up with your feet. Activate your core and make sure your back is flat. Hold for around 30-45 seconds...if you really want to challenge yourself, try a minute. Every time you breathe out, make sure you are squeezing your abs!
5. Squats
While this is an already popular workout for women, it is very beneficial for your golf game as well! Activating your glutes, hamstrings, abs and quads, this exercise gives you added power and stability when swinging your club. Squats are effective with just your body weight, but it is an even stronger workout when you incorporate weights.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, squat with your knees parallel to feet and back straight. Push yourself back to standing position through your heels and squeeze your glutes when upright. Repeat 8-10 reps for around 5 sets. Adding a 10-20lb weight while doing this exercise will create a challenging and satisfying workout.
Final Thoughts
There are plenty of workouts that can benefit your golf game. When you focus on exercises that specifically target muscles used during golf, you can see incredible results both in your body and also on the course. Once you build stronger arms, legs, core and back, you will see longer distances in your shots, better accuracy, and overall control. The five exercises we discussed focus specifically on muscles you constantly use during golf and will help to improve your game!
Thank you for reading! Please feel free to comment your thoughts and share some of your favorite workouts to improve your golf game below!
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