Golf Core Exercises

The golf swing relies on a majority of the body to generate force to strike the ball. Shoulders, legs, back, arms and core muscles all have an effect on how far you can hit a golf ball. Having a strong and flexible core is vital. The core is important because the muscles in this centralized region of your body work to power your rotation and create greater club head speed and impact on the golf ball.

Overview

The golf swing relies on a majority of the body to generate force to strike the ball. Shoulders, legs, back, arms and core muscles all have an effect on how far you can hit a golf ball. Having a strong and flexible core is vital. The core is important because the muscles in this centralized region of your body work to power your rotation and create greater club head speed and impact on the golf ball.

Plank Lifts

The plank series of lifts will help build core strength and balance over time. The initial position of the lift is similar to that of a push up, body face down and extended. You should be on your toes and your elbows, the middle of your body straight like a plank.

You can do arm lifts by shifting your weight to one elbow and extending your other arm forward for two seconds.

You can also shift weight to one leg at a time and extend back the non-weight supporting leg.

If being on your elbows presents a problem, you can do the exercises on your hands. All of the exercises should be done in two to three sets of 10 repetitions each.

Bridges

Exercises called bridges help build and strengthen the muscles in your abdomen and pelvic area. There are three types of bridges: the supine bridge, the lateral bridge and the prone bridge. The prone bridge is virtually identical to the generic plank formation. The lateral involves rolling from your stomach to your side and supporting your weight on one elbow and foot.

The supine bridge requires rolling over so your back and buns are on the ground. Your arms should be flat on the ground, palms down and knees bent with feet flat on the floor.

Raise your pelvis up off the floor and bring it back down.

With the supine, you can do three sets of 10. With the others, it's simply a matter of holding the position.

Twists

There are two types of twist movements that can help develop the core muscles. These involve using a dumbbell or a medicine ball. To do the first twist, sit on the ground in a position similar to the top of a sit-up. Hold the dumbbell or medicine ball in your arms, which are bent a 90 degrees at the elbow. Move the weight from one side to the other, keeping your hips from rotating.

The other twist involves standing straight up with a medicine ball in your hands. You stand back-to-back with a partner, turning one direction to hand them the ball and then rotating your upper body the other way to get the ball back.