5 speed-boosting exercises that can add power to your golf swing

Welcome to our new-and-improved Home Fitness series. Each week over the next three months, we’ll provide you with a workout you can follow to get you ready for the first round of golf come spring. We’ll cover everything from mobility to strength to functional fitness to help you get ready for that first round once the frost thaws.

Last month, Home Fitness focused on improving your mobility in areas important to your golf swing like the upper back, shoulders, and hips. This month, we’re upping the ante by adding strength-building workouts.

This week’s workout is all about power. You need power in your golf swing to hit bombs like Phil Mickelson, but building power isn’t as simple as swinging harder or building really strong calves.

That’s why Cody Hoyt, owner and head trainer at 7 Fitness, has designed a workout program that will power up your swing in time for spring. You can do this circuit three to four times a week on it’s own or in conjunction with the full-body strength routine from Week 1.

Before we get started, you will need a band for this week’s workout.

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Now for this week’s workout, make sure you go from one exercise to the next in a circuit format, doing four sets of 10 reps per exercise.

Deadbugs: The deadbug will teach you to use your core to stabilize your spine, allowing you to generate more power from your hips as you swing. Laying on your back, slowly extend one leg and your opposite arm. Hold that position for one second and return to the starting position. Repeat with the opposite arm and leg.

Bird Dog: This exercise requires you to focus on trunk control and coordination, both essential to generating power in your golf swing. Starting on all fours, extend one leg and your opposite arm out in front of you. Return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.

Russian Twist: Although fairly common, the Russian twist is a great exercise for training rotational strength which will help you be more powerful as you turn back and through your swing. Sitting on your butt with your knees slightly bent and feet off the floor, rotate from side to side. Each time you tap the floor with your hands is one rep. To make this exercise harder, you can hold a dumbbell or medicine ball.

Band Rotational Pull: This exercise will help you improve your rotational force and energy transfer in your golf swing, which in turn will help you add power to your swing. Standing with your back straight and knees slightly bent, hold the band out in front of you with both hands. Using your core, rotate away from the anchor point of the band as far as you can. Repeat on the opposite side for a strong, balanced body.

Cross Climber with Shoulder Tap: Shoulder stability is an underrated part of a powerful golf swing. Your shoulders and core play a huge role in winding up in your back swing and starting the energy transfer as you uncoil and make contact with the golf ball. This exercise will engage both your core and shoulders to keep you strong and stable in your swing. Starting in a plank position, bring one knee to your opposite elbow and repeat on the other side. Then, in the plank position, tap each shoulder with the opposite hand once. That’s one rep. Repeat until you’ve completed a set of 10.

If you do this circuit three to four times per week, you will have the power to hit bombs come spring. And if you missed the first week in our strength training Home Fitness series, check it out below.