3 exercises every golfer should do to help their golf swing

Have you ever worked on swing changes with your instructor, felt like you really had it on the range, and then completely lost it when you got to the first tee?

Here’s the thing: It’s not that you forgot what to do. That your body doesn’t know how to do it yet. Not really. Not when it counts. I’ve watched golfers get frustrated because they can’t make their swing changes stick. They understand the concept. They know what to do. But the second time they are standing over the ball with a stick, especially when there is less pressure? Go back to the old pattern.

When you’re out golfing, you’re in work mode. Your mind thinks where the ball should go, what the wind is doing, whether you can clear that house, and about 17 other things. At that point, your body defaults to what it knows best – the movement pattern you’ve entered over thousands of swings. Even if that pattern isn’t huge, it’s recognizable. It is free. That’s what your nervous system trusts.

This is where these three tests come into play. They will do two big things for your game. First, they will improve the strength, mobility, and stability that make a good golf swing possible in the first place. Second (and this is the part that most players miss), they will help your body learn new movement patterns in a place where you are ready for new experiences.

If you do these exercises, there is no ball to hit. There is no target to worry about. There is no score card to worry about. You are just practicing the movement. You teach your body what a new pattern sounds like, over and over again, until it gets used to it.

These are simple exercises that every golfer can spend five to ten minutes a day, max. You can make them in your living room, your garage, or even your office if you have a few feet of space. They will transform your swing, and help your body feel better in general.

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3 exercises to help your golf swing

Exercise 1: A reversal-to-downward pattern

This is about teaching your body the basic loading and unloading sequence that powers every good golf swing.

Grab a stretch band (one of those resistance bands you can pick up at any sporting goods store) and hold it across your chest. You will stretch slightly, maintaining tension throughout. Now, step back with your lead leg to create a split position.

Do a backswing keeping the band extended across your chest, loading your trail leg. You will be rotating inward at your waist, not sliding out of your direction. Your goal is to keep that trailing foot from hitting the ground.

Switch to the downward side, keeping the band across your chest but pulling your leg back. As you make your shoulder turn with the belt stretched, feel the direct pressure pushing into your lead leg.

Do 10 times of the backswing load, then repeat 10 times of the downward fire. Feel the difference between these two positions. Feel how your body moves from one to the other. That is the pattern you are following.

Test 2: Ender Early Extension Ender

If your hips are toward the ball when you sink and you’re losing your balance, you need this exercise. In this case, you will need a friend to help you or a work area where you can attach your light belt. If you have a friend, have them hold one side of the band. If you’re alone, tie it to a doorknob or a sturdy post – something that won’t move.

Establish a split position with your trail leg back. Hold the other end of the belt in your hands, and there should be tension in it. You want to feel like you are pulling and resisting.

Turn as if you were making a downswing, and as you do, feel your side of the trail (the right side of the right-handed golfer) pushing the ball. Your right shoulder should work under, not out or around. Bottom and middle.

The band will want to block you. You fight that pull, which forces you to push down to maintain your posture and rotate instead of stretching. Do 15 times of this.

Exercise 3: Dynamic Step Drill

Golf is not a static game. You are stationary and just moving around in place. There is a dynamic change taking place. There is movement. There is a rhythm. And if you only train static areas, you’re missing a big piece of the puzzle.

In this drill, hold your belt out in front of you with both hands and stretch. You want tension in it, so spread it out to engage your upper back and shoulders.

This one has an up and down component. For the backswing version, start with your feet together. Now, step back from your target with your trail leg, and as you finish the step, turn into your back. The band stays stretched in front of your chest, and you rotate your upper body as you back and load on that side of the track.

This trains a dynamic loading pattern for the backswing. You don’t just turn in place. You go into a curve. You create a range. You load in motion. This is how the backswing should work when swinging the club. Do 10 times of that. Go back, turn around, feel the load. Go back, turn around, feel the load.

For the downhill version, start with your feet together as before. This time, step forward with your lead leg, and as you complete the step, make a full shoulder turn. The band is still extended in front of you, and you rotate your upper body as you move forward and shoot through. Do another ten repetitions of the downswing motion.

One thing to remember as you do this: Make sure you pay as much attention to your back as you do your descent. They are equal parts of the same movement, and you want to make sure you’re talking about both in the same amount. Focusing too much on one versus the other leads to imbalance or damage.

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