First off I must warn you I am a total know all when it comes to golf
Below are key points from an article I have written on training for golf.
As the swing is dynamic you should train with explosive movements, the best of these are based on the Olympic Lifts, power or hang versions. When doing the clean I suggest, completing the movement with an overhead press, especially during the main golf season. The reason for this is to get more bang for your buck and as shown later I recommend weight training only 2 days per week at that time of year.
The type of squats you use is dictated by your choice of Olympic Lift start, lifting from the floor involves the hamstrings more than from the hang for this reason if you are lifting from the floor I suggest medium stance, full range squats. If however your Olympic lifts are from the hang, I suggest you use Box Squats as this style focus more on the posterior chain.
Another ingredient in the mix is sledgehammer GPP, nothing too fancy here, just a sledgehammer and a tire. I suggest a light sledgehammer to keep the reps up and help focus on starting the movement with the core not the arms. This has a direct carryover to the rotational strength required for injury free golf and helps balance muscles unused during the golf swing. A good basic routine is (based around a right handed golfer);
4 minutes downward with hands close together, switch hand position after each minute.
4 minutes from left shoulder across body with right hip and hand leading, left hand is used to raise sledgehammer only.
2 minutes from right shoulder across body with left hip and hand leading, the right hand is used to raise sledgehammer only.
The reason for the reduced time from the right shoulder is to countrer imbalances caused while practicing and playing.
The mainstay of your cardio should be walking. “Say what? Athletes don’t walk” Calm down, as much as I am a fan of HIIT, it has no direct benefit to golf performance, the reason being that a round of golf can last up to 5 hours and you walk nearly 3 ½ miles. Even fit runners get tired legs from being on their feet for that length of time and to fully enjoy a round of golf you should walk the course not ride a cart. The walks should be between 30 and 60 minutes, preferably on sand, hills, using weighted vests or backpacks and should be performed 2 to 3 times per week. As well as walking I strongly recommend that you start each weights session with 3 x 3 minute rounds of jump rope and GPP. Basic two feet together jumping is fine as you want to be warmed up not exhausted, the GPP exercises which are performed for 30 seconds at the end of each 3 minute round could include but not be limited to, jumping jacks, shuffle splits, star jumps, slaloms, or mountain climbers, rest 30 seconds after the GPP exercise before starting the next round of jump rope. Once the workout is completed another session of GPP should be performed for 6-10 minutes as dynamic stretching and to enhance recovery. See, I said it was for athletes.
Stretching is another vital ingredient and should be done every day, certainly after each weights or walking session.
Direct rotator cuff work should be minimal during the season to avoid overuse, during the off season, exercises such as Figure 8’s, Cuban press, or similar exercises should be incorporated in your schedule to prevent injury.
Each session commences with 3 jump rope/GPP rounds. Once completed perform Javorek plus, this is performed with the bar only and is a giant set of the following 6 exercises for 6 reps, snatch high pull from knees, clean high pull from knees, squat/press, good morning, bent over row, overhead squat. This is a great way of hitting the specific lifting muscles.
With the strength section of the workout, I suggest training for time rather than a certain number of sets . Each exercise is performed for 15 minutes, the first 2 sets are warm-ups and done using a lighter weight for 5 reps. The balance are 4-5 reps using a weight you can perform 6 ‘perfect’ reps with, do not go to failure. Rest periods between sets should be 90 seconds, but extend as required if you drop below 4 reps or your form gets sloppy.
Day 1
Golf
Day 2
Walk or rest.
Day 3
a.m. Walk
p.m. Weights
Snatch
Bench press
Good morning.
Barbell rows
GPP
Day 4
Golf practice
Day 5
a.m. Walk
p.m. Weights
Clean and press
Squats
Dips
Chins (palms towards you)
GPP
Day 6
Walk followed by ab circuit, this should be done at home unless your gym has a sledgehammer and tire. This is intense and I suggest using a medicine ball only for weights.
4 giant sets of
Saxon side bend x 5 each side.
Russian twist x 8 each side.
Accentuated negative full range sit ups x 8.
Lateral leg lowers (knees bent with medicine ball between knees) x 8 each side.
Dragon Flags (on floor) x 8
Rest 1 min between giant sets
Sledgehammer GPP.
Day 7
Rest or short game golf practice.