The Power Plate is a great tool for golf fitness and is complimented by training with the TRX and sandbags. Check out this article on TRX Training for Golf.
Get moving!
Brian Morgan
The TRX suspension trainer is a great tool for golf fitness. One description of this piece is “all core all the time,” which makes it ideal for golf training.
It allows you to develop strength and flexibility while focusing on the abs, back, and hips. You can work on golf specific flexibility and strengthen the upper and mid back – areas which are important for posture and shoulder health.
In the video you will see how it can help your game. Its portability is another nice feature, enabling you to take it outside in good weather.
In the video with the Titleist Performance Institute, you will also notice the Power Plate vibration platform. This is another valuable tool for golf fitness. I think sandbags would also complete the overall effect, helping develop total body power.
For more info on the TRX, click here.
The step up with a sandbag is a great exercise for golf fitness! This one movement can help with hip strength and flexibility, which is one of the keys to hitting it farther, along with building core stability-
having the sandbag on one shoulder requires you to work hard to keep your torso from swaying one side or the other. It helps with stability in your lumbar spine – an area often injured in golf.
You can do step ups with dumbbells, but its not quite as effective for golf as the sandbags. Same thing goes for a barbell. I used to use a 185 pound barbell for step ups, but I didn’t feel it in my abs and back, as much as I do with the bags.
That shifting sand makes for a great core workout. Choose a sturdy platform for this exercise and if you have poor flexibility, make sure the step height is adjusted to fit your needs.
Many of the gyms where I have trained didn’t have many or any platforms for this exercise, so I had to use a weight bench. The extra padding can increase your instability, so if this is your only choice, keep the resistance low until you get used to the movement.
Make sure to push through your heel to get your glutes doing much of the work. Golfers need flexibility in your hips, but also strength, as these muscles create a lot of force during the golf swing.
These muscles are also important for providing stability to your pelvis, helping to protect your lower back from injury. Most of the rotation in your swing comes from the hips, thoracic spine, and shoulder - NOT your low back!
There are plenty of other sandbag exercises for golf, which focus on your core and help build power into your swing.
Those of you with hip replacements have to watch how far you stretch your hip, so clear this exercise with your doctor or therapist, first.
