9 Best Core Exercises for Golfers

The core area is the muscles around the mid-section of your body. Even though most people pay very little attention to this part of the body, it is important to keep your core fit so that you add some strength to your swing as well as prevent common injuries that occur when you overstrain your body.

The core is responsible for stabilizing your body so that you get that powerful swing you desire without losing your balance.

It doesn’t matter the kind of lie you’re facing if your core muscles are fit. You can swing from any angle and get maximum distance and incredible ball speed.

Unfortunately, most golfers don’t realize the importance of stabilizing their body for better swings and will only focus on strengthening other parts of their body and forget about the core muscles.

You should start putting in the work and focus on your core muscles and breathing so that you add strength and power to your game.

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Top 9 Golf Core Exercises

Here are some core exercises that you should do consistently if you care about getting the best out of your golfing experience.

#1: Forward Lunge and Twist with Golf Club

This is a great way to improve your torso mobility by stretching your hip flexors and glutes. This exercise will build stability in your core and joints giving you better consistency when you strike the ball.

How to do it

• Stand tall in a perfect posture holding a golf club against your upper arms with your arms folded in front of your shoulder
• Step forward with your left leg into a lunge, bend your left knee with your right knee dropped above the ground
• Contrast your right glutes rotating your torso leftwards. Ensure you keep your torso upright and the golf club horizontal
• Relax and rotate back to normal position, step forward into the next lunge and your right leg driving tall on the hips while your right knee is high
• Rotate to the right and contract your left glutes
• Relax and rotate back to normal position, step forward lifting your knee
• Repeat as many times as you can switching between the legs

Also See: Best Core Exercises for Beginners

#2: Elevated Glute Bridge

This is a core exercise aimed at strengthening your glutes. You need to develop these muscles because you need them for your muscle power.

How to do it

• Lie on your back putting your legs on a raised object like a bench or step
• Your toes should point up
• Squeeze your glutes and raise your back from the ground until only your shoulders and your head touches the ground
• With your palms down, extend your arms
• Repeat 12 times in 4 sets

Practice Plan: How to Break 80 Golf Training Plan

#3: Power Kneeling Cable Twist

This exercise will help you add core power helping you whip the club through the ball.

How to do it

• Kneel with any of your legs forward and facing a cable machine
• With both hands, grab the cable machine
• Choose a lightweight than you would for a slow repetition exercise
• Twist quickly to the side of your lead leg. With your right knee forward, twist towards the right. The quick movement mimics the golf swing with the power movement
• Repeat the process with your other left forward in four reps with 14 times each

#4: Stability Ball Dumbbell Twist

This exercised is performed by twisting on a physioball. It is meant to improve rotational strength and control. It also helps in preventing lower back injuries.

How to do it

• Lie on your back on the stability ball holding a dumbbell in both hands extending both your arms
• Twist to one side while balancing steadily on the ball
• Squeeze the muscles on your abdomen in the process
• Repeat 3 sets with 20 reps on each side

Watch this video: Why You’re Not Hitting Straight Golf Shots

#5: Side Plank with Cable Row

This exercise is meant for strengthening your core and back which enables you to produce a strong drive. It also trains your core to be stable while your upper body moves. This is critical for maintaining a precise swing.

How to do it

• Lie sideways while facing a cable machine
• Grab the handle at an appropriate weight and rise into a side plank
• While staying in a full side plank position, perform cable rows
• Repeat in three sets with 12 reps

#6: Seated Oblique Twists with a medicine ball

This exercise is meant for strengthening the abdominal muscles, and the medicine balls add a challenge making the workout fun. This is one of the best core strengthening workouts important for swinging your club.

Ho to do it

• Sit on the floor with your knees bent and your feet lying flat in the floor
• Sit at a 45-degree angle and contract your abs
• With two hands, hold the medicine ball in front of you
• With your abs contracted, twist slowly from your torso to the right and touch the medicine ball beside you. Hold the position for a few seconds
• Contrast your abs again and twist your torso back to the center. Touch the medicine ball on the other side of you
• Repeat this for your desired reps
• End by bringing the ball in front of you and sit up. Place the ball on the ground without twisting.

Read: 17 More Core Exercises to Strengthen Your ABS!

#7: Lateral squat

This exercise stretches the hip adductors, groin, the quads, and the glutes. It makes the legs more elastic and powerful for a great swing. It builds the lower part of the core for a powerful swing.

How to do it

• Stand with your feet spread slightly wider than your shoulder length
• Shift your hips to the right and down and bend the right knee keeping your left leg straight
• Point straight ahead with lying flat on the ground
• Push through the right hip coming back to the original position
• Shift your hips to the left and repeat the process in the opposite direction
• Ensure your knee is on the squat side behind the toes with your back flat and chest up

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#8: Inverted hamstring stretch

The hamstrings may not be entirely part of your core, but their flexibility will strengthen your core muscles for a good swing. It will also help you maintain your posture while swinging the club.

How to do it

• Stand on your left leg extending your arms from your sides
• Bend over at the waist and raise your left leg behind and parallel to the ground
• When you feel the hamstring is stretched enough, return to the starting position
• Switch your legs and repeat
• You can do two sets on seven reps each leg

#9: Swiss Ball Plank Exercise

This is a classic golf exercise that works well in strengthening your hip flexors and upper abdominals.

How to do it

• Engage your abdominals
• Place elbows on the swiss ball with your feet together, and your shoulders vertically lined up to your elbows
• Keep your back flat by ensuring you don’t arch the low back up or down
• You can hold this position for a while or move the balls in small ways that are, side to side, forward/back, in circles or diagonals
• Roll the ball further forward to make the exercise harder

Read: 10 Best Shoulder Exercises for Golf

Golf Fitness Program

If you found today’s golf exercises helpful, you can also check out our full fitness program for golfers we put together.

It comes with lots of bonuses like an indoor golf training plan, indoor golf drills, and more so you have not only a fitness plan to follow but golf drills to get overall improvement from home.

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