Sahith Theegala introduced himself to a wider array of golf fans last weekend at the WM Phoenix Open, and neutrals didn’t take look to start pulling for him to snag his first career PGA Tour win.
In the end, a few squirly shots down the stretch left the 24 year-old Pepperdine alum one shot shy of a playoff. Disappointing, of course, but progress he can be proud of — with undoubtedly much more to come.
One of the strengths in Theegala’s game so far this season has been his performance from tee-to-green, where he currently ranks 55th on tour in Strokes Gained. And the hard work of maintaining those numbers starts in the gym.
Whether you realize it or not, most pros start their warmup long before they arrive on the first tee. These warmups rarely involve intense exercise and are instead treated more like activation sessions: Targeted movements designed to wake up specific areas of the body.
For Theegala, that involves two movements that involve activating his core, which you can watch in full on the Titelist Performance Institute’s Instagram video below.
Core-Activating Exercises
The first involves Theegala getting into golf posture and using a weighted cord, making a butter-churning motion with his arms. Your core’s job during this movement is to maintain stability as your arms move around the weight.
The second starts by standing on one leg, tilting forward with your upper body (using your raised leg to counter-balance) and then pulling your arm behind you. Your core’s job in this exercise is to provide torso stability as you move your legs and arms.
Both are crucial movements when it comes to swinging a golf club that, clearly, has been paying dividends on the course for Theegala.