4 Exercises to Improve Your Golf Game During Off-Season
Winter is around the corner, which means your golf off-season is about to start (if it hasn’t already). The colder weather keeps you indoors more and less active, which doesn’t do any favors for your golf game. So, how can you keep your golf fitness up for when the golf season starts? It’s easy. Focus on exercises that help improve your strength, mobility, and balance.
I have been a Physical Therapist and Golf Performance Specialist for over ten years. These four exercises that I’m about to share with you will help maintain your body, and if done correctly and consistently, will also help you prevent injuries when you get back on the course.
Exercise #1 - Reach and Roll Rotation
This exercise helps increase the range of motion throughout your spine. A good range of motion allows the lumbar spine and your shoulders to remain stable. Essential for a powerful swing!
1x Day | 1 Sets | 10 Reps
The Set-Up:
Begin lying on your side with your knees bent, your bottom hand holding your knees, and your top hand straight forward.
The Movement:
Lift your top arm straight up and over to the floor on your other side.
Hold, then relax and repeat.
Pro-Tip:
Make sure to keep your knees together and only rotate your upper back and upper arm.
Your hips should stay facing forward.
Exercise #2 - Standing Hip Rotation
Increasing and strengthening your internal hip rotation is essential for strengthening and increasing hip mobility while protecting your knees. When you swing with a decreased hip internal rotation range, your knees take the brunt of the force, which cannot take on significant rotational forces
1x Day | 1 Sets | 10 Reps | 5 Sec Hold
The Set-Up:
Begin in an upright standing position, holding onto a chair at your side for support.
The Movement:
Raise one leg in front of your body to a 90-degree angle.
Slowly lift your heel outward, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Pro-Tip:
Make sure to maintain your balance and keep your knee in one spot during the exercise.
Exercise #3 - Standing Single Leg Hip Rotation
Similarly to Exercise #2, this increases hip rotation in the other direction. Doing this exercise in both directions is extremely important for increasing and strengthening hip rotation and protecting your knees and lower back.
1x Day | 1 Sets | 10 Reps | 2-5 Sec Hold
The Set-Up:
Begin in an upright standing position, holding onto a chair at your side for support.
The Movement:
Raise one leg in front of your body to a 90-degree angle.
Slowly lift your heel inward, then return to the starting position and repeat.
Pro-Tip:
Make sure to maintain your balance and keep your knee in one spot during the exercise.
Exercise #4: Shoulder Rotation
A crucial exercise to strengthen and improve your rotator cuff rotation. With healthy rotation, you can get into a good swing plane so you can shallow the downswing.
1x Day | 1 Sets | 10 Reps | 2-5 Sec Hold
The Set-Up:
Begin in an upright standing position.
The Movement:
Lift both arms out to your side at shoulder height with your elbow bent at a 90-degree angle and your palm facing down toward the floor.
Rotate your arm up toward the ceiling so that your palm is facing forward.
Slowly return to the starting position and repeat.
Pro-Tip:
Make sure to keep your elbow at shoulder height and do not shrug your shoulder during the exercise.
These exercises target essential areas of your body that you need for good form and better performance. The off-season is the perfect time to schedule a Golf Performance Assessment. That way, you can better understand how your body moves and decide if a performance program, like my Golf Performance Program, is right for you. Imagine if you could use your off-season to get a custom exercise program that’s designed to increase your golf performance, strengthen your muscles, and prevent future injuries.
Let’s discuss how I can help, call me today!
By performing any exercise, stretch or other physical activity based on the Company website, You represent and agree that (i) You are physically capable of participating in a strength and flexibility training exercise program and using the equipment associated with such training and (ii) You have either (a) had a physical examination and been given a physician’s permission to participate in this training program, or (b) decided to participate in this training program without the approval of a physician solely at Your own risk.
