Golf has evolved over the years. Watch coverage on television and you’ll soon realize just how much the game has changed. Success is contingent on the player’s power, speed, and accuracy. As the players gain more power and the courses become more challenging, many are left wondering what it will take to improve their driving lengths.

The short answer? Club head speed.

Professional players work tirelessly with trainers and swing coaches, with a focus on increasing their club head speed. So, what is it that’s giving them so much power? And what can you incorporate into your daily routine to improve your results?

Jump Training and Med Ball Throws

The golf swing is a powerful, explosive athletic endeavor. Therefore, it’s necessary to address the output of speed from the body when striving to develop a more powerful swing.

Traditionally, golf wasn’t viewed as an athletic sport. If you had the technical skills, you found success. But what we have now learned is that power + technical skills = a stronger golf game.

You can achieve some of this power by improving mobility, coordination, and stability. But the more advanced power comes from exercises that combine strength x speed which is the definition of power.

Jumping exercises and medicine ball throws are a great method of achieving that power.

Medicine ball drills, such as shot put throws and rotational medicine ball slams, along with skater and broad jumps are great exercises to develop power for your golf swing. This increase in power will lead to faster club head speed. The end result is a more powerful, coordinated, and complete athlete.

Exercises to incorporate into your routine

Skater jumps (lateral jump)

Why: Dynamic way to train the glutes which TPI refers to as the King of the golf swing.

Rotational box jump

Why: To achieve distance in the golf swing a person needs vertical power. This is a great way to get rotational work in at the same time as well.

Medicine ball slam shot put throw

Why: Great combo exercise to develop your total body power.

For years, golf coaches shied away from power or any physical training at all. power’s importance in the golf swing wasn’t fully understood and many feared injury. As we learn more about the golf swing, however, many have integrated jump and medicine ball training into their workout regimens with positive results. 

It’s important to seek the assistance of a TPI certified instructor when integrating such exercises into your golf training. To sign up for an evaluation and devise a training plan tailored to your golf game, contact a Tampa Strength coach today at (813) 731-2901 or email [email protected].