Golf Fitness Guy: Golf Pros Secret Exercise for Stability
When I studied to become a Titleist golf fitness professional one of the first things I learned is that the Gluteus Maximus is the “king of the golf swing”. This is a secret that PGA pros use for developing serious stability and consistency. This entire muscle group is extremely important in order to maintain lower body stability throughout a single golf swing or throughout a full 4 day PGA event. In this article I will teach you why the glut is king and what exercise is a safe and effective way to increase your glut strength. Add this exercise to your golf workout and I promise you will be on your way to being the king of your own golf swing. Though remember that nobody becomes king in a day. Use this knowledge and a strong commitment to your fitness to build a solid foundation for your golf empire!
The glut is “king“of the golf swing because this muscle acts as a shock absorber for your lower body and provides core stability in your upper body throughout the swing. When you picture a good golf setup the player should look athletic and stable. More like a quarterback setting up behind his offensive line and less like a grandmother standing in line for a movie. Without maintaining this stable athletic posture you can’t attain a repeatable and consistent swing or generate power from the ground. Lack of glut strength simply results in a weak over the top swing with zero consistency. Therefore it is very important to have this muscle group functioning at its optimal levels in order to create a strong, repeatable and consistent swing. For this reason, golf fitness pros have termed the gluts as the “King of the Golf Swing”.
There is one base exercises that I recommend to all my players for developing gluteus maximus strength. The glut drill is called the “Bridge”. This is one of the most important golf exercises and should be a staple in your golf fitness routine. Lay on your back with your knees bent and feet on the ground. Cross your arms across your chest and then raise your hips until you have created a level “bridge” with your thighs and torso. Perform 2 sets of 10 reps each. Hold each repetition for 10 seconds. This will give you 200 seconds of gluteus contraction. The gluts are active for roughly 2 seconds per golf swing. Multiply this number by an average of 50 strokes, 100 practice swings and 35 putts per round and you get about 370 seconds of glut activation. Keep it safe and listen to your body. Remember that all of your body weight should be supported by your glut muscle and not your lower back or legs. You can check to see if your gluts are activated by touching them during the exercise. They should feel very hard and tight. If you feel any strain in your lower back or the back of your legs stop the exercise immediately and contact a golf fitness professional.
Use this exercise along with your regular golf fitness program and lessons from your teaching professional and you too can take advantage of this golf fitness secret for stability just like the pros.
This article was written by Robert Bradshaw / rbradshaw@fitgolf.com. Robert is a single digit handicap golfer, a nationally certified personal trainer by the Coopers Institute, a Titleist Performance Institute certified fitness professional and the golf fitness director at Body Balance for Performance in Austin, Texas. Feel free to contact Robert by email or you can find him walking a golf course near you.
