Are you tired of that nagging back pain flaring up during or after your round of golf? Are you concerned about injuring yourself with each swing of the club? Let’s fix that with these golf workouts!

Continue reading, and you’ll discover the most effective golf workouts to improve your swing, boost your performance, and eliminate that pain-inducing early extension once and for all (just like our student below)!

Plus, you’ll learn how to actively address limitations to finally get rid of that nagging back pain and eliminate early extension for more enjoyment on the course. Play pain-free again!

The Importance of Golf Workouts

Golf workouts can help improve your game by building strength, flexibility, endurance, swing speed, primary focus and mental game, and overall skill. A well-structured golf workout routine featuring targeted, best golf exercises for the individual can help you shoot lower scores, improve your ability to play more often, and reduce your risk of injury.

Professional golfers like Tiger Woods, Brooks Koepka, Lexi Thompson (and most others) prioritize fitness, movement, and recovery in their daily routines. A similar approach can help you too! The key is adding muscle in the right places, plus flexibility and mobility to improve your movement patterns.

Building a Strong Foundation for the Golf Course

Before we get into these five best golf workouts, it’s important to also highlight some general trainings that can help you secure a solid foundation. Please note that before adding any new workouts to your routine, we always recommend consulting with a certified fitness professional.

Core and Leg-Specific Exercises

Squats: superb for increasing lower body mass, strength, and power.

Lunges: great for balance and lower body strength, plus incorporate turns and alternate legs for further rotational power.

Deadlifts: can strengthen your lower back, hamstrings, and glutes.

Leg press: target multiple muscle groups in your lower body, plus recruit only one leg for added focus.

Calf raises: improve ankle mobility and strength.

Improving Flexibility and Mobility

Cat and camels: stretch your lower back and improve core stability.

Hip drops: perfect for internal hip rotation.

Pelvic tilts: can help manage pressure on your lower back and pelvis muscles.

Seated rotations: can improve rotational mobility.

90/90 stretches: can improve hip mobility.

Enhancing Power and Endurance

Medicine ball explosive exercises can replicate a motion similar to the golf swing and help generate power from the ground up.

Single-leg exercises can improve lower body muscle mass, strength, and power.

Carries and holds: great for improving grip strength, oblique muscles, and reducing the risk of wrist injuries.

Bent over rows: perfect for back muscles, working shoulder blades, and improving posture.

Push-ups: These are tried and true for improving upper body strength and endurance.

Golf-Specific Training

Golf-focused exercises: can help improve your action by targeting specific muscle groups.

Mimic golf swings: incorporate rotational exercises and movements that target the core and legs.

Train balance and stability: such as single-leg squats and balance boards.

Target shoulders and back: such as rows and lat pulldowns, to improve your golf swing.

Creating a Golf Workout Routine

Develop a fitness plan: one that works for you, incorporating exercises that challenge your body.

Create a routine: to complete some version of these exercises each week to improve your skill.

Prioritize fitness: to prevent future injuries and improve your overall golf performance.

Consider working with a personal trainer: to create a workout routine that addresses your specific needs and goals based off how you physically move.

Putting it All Together

A well-structured golf workout routine: can help you improve your golf swing and boost performance.

Focus of exercises: should be on targeting strength, flexibility, and spiral coordination.

Improve balance and stability: using exercises such as single-leg squats and balance boards.

Target the shoulders and back: with rows and lat pulldowns.

Include a mix of lower and upper body exercises: to improve overall fitness and well-being.

Understanding Back Pain and Early Extension in Golf

Golf is a sport that demands precision, flexibility, and strength. However, many golfers struggle with back pain and early extension, which can hinder performance and enjoyment.

Lower back pain is prevalent among many golfers, due to the sport’s physical demands in combination with many other factors. The rotational nature of the golf swing, combined with improper technique or muscular imbalances, can place excessive strain on the lower back.

Factors such as limited flexibility, weak core muscles, and poor posture can exacerbate this pain. Addressing these underlying issues through targeted exercises is essential for reducing the risk of injury and enhancing your golf performance throughout.

As for early extension, this refers to the hips moving (or thrusting) up and towards the ball during the downswing, causing a loss of posture. This not only can affect consistency and power, but can also lead to injury.

Weak core muscles, limited hip mobility, and improper technique are common culprits of early extension. Correcting this issue requires a combination of strength training, mobility exercises, and proper swing mechanics.

Our 5 Favorite Golf Workouts to Eliminate Back Pain and Early Extension

Read on as we’ll dive into the five best golf exercises to eliminate that nagging low back pain and early extension in your golf swing, one-and-for-all, allowing you to play pain-free!

1. HIP Mobility Exercises to Improve Internal Hip Rotation and Mobility

Hip mobility and functional strength are essential for a fluid and powerful golf swing. Restricted hip movement forces the lower back to compensate, leading to strain, pain, and early extension.

By improving hip flexibility and strength, you can enhance your swing speed and mechanics, generate power, reduce lower back strain, and maintain better posture throughout your swing.

90/90 Hip Stretch

This stretch targets the internal and external rotators of the hips. Sit on the floor with one leg in front of you at a 90-degree angle and the other leg behind you, also at 90 degrees. Lean forward over the front leg to deepen the stretch, then switch sides.

Hip Flexor Stretch

Kneel on one knee with the other foot in front, forming a 90-degree angle. Push your hips forward to stretch the hip flexor of the back leg. This stretch helps counteract the tightness that can develop from prolonged sitting or poor posture.

Glute Bridge

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Lift your hips towards the ceiling while squeezing your glutes, then lower back down. This exercise strengthens the glutes and hamstrings while promoting better hip mobility.

How These Help: By increasing hip mobility and strengthening the surrounding muscles, these simple movements prepare your hip muscles for smoother and more powerful rotational movements during your swing. Improved hip function helps to prevent early extension and reduce lower back strain.

2. CORE Engaging Strengthening Workouts to Help With Force Transmission

A strong core is crucial for maintaining stability and balance during your golf swing. Weak core muscles can lead to poor posture, early extension, and increased risk of injury. Strengthening your core will enable you to control your movements more effectively and generate greater power in your swing.

Plank

Begin in a push-up position but rest on your forearms instead of your hands. Keep your body in a straight line from head to heels, engaging your core to hold this plank position. Planks are excellent for building overall core stability.

Russian Twist

Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet lifted slightly off the ground (so long it doesn’t hurt your back). Hold a weight or a medicine ball, and twist your torso from side to side, engaging your obliques. This exercise targets the rotational muscles needed for a powerful golf swing. Note that the addition of a medicine ball can make this exercise more challenging.

Dead Bugs

Lie on your back with your arms extended toward the ceiling and your knees bent at 90 degrees. Lower your right arm and left leg simultaneously toward the floor, then return to the starting position and switch sides. This exercise challenges your core stability and coordination.

How These Help: Core strengthening exercises help stabilize your spine and pelvis, which is critical for maintaining posture throughout your swing. A strong core also facilitates energy transfer from your upper and lower body, resulting in a more powerful and controlled swing.

3. LOWER BACK Strengthening and Stretching

A strong and flexible lower back is essential for preventing pain and optimizing your golf swing. Weak or tight lower back muscles can lead to compensatory movements during your swing, increasing the risk of injury and early extension. Strengthening and stretching the lower back during golf exercises helps to maintain proper golf posture and reduce strain.

Superman

Lie face down on the ground with your arms extended in front of you. Lift your arms, chest, and legs off the ground simultaneously, holding the position briefly before lowering back down. This exercise strengthens the lower back and improves spinal stability.

Cat-Cow Stretch

Begin on your hands and knees. Arch your back upwards (cat), then lower your belly and lift your head (cow). This stretch helps to mobilize the spine and reduce stiffness in the lower back.

Child’s Pose

Kneel on the floor, sit back on your heels, and extend your arms forward while lowering your chest to the ground. This stretch relieves tension in the lower back and hips.

How These Help: Strengthening the lower back muscles helps support the spine, improving posture and reducing the risk of back pain and early extension. Stretching the lower back enhances flexibility, allowing for spine angle and for smoother and more effective movements during your swing.

4. LEG and GLUTE Strengthening Exercises

Strong legs and glutes are vital for stability, generating power, and maintaining proper posture during your golf swing. Weakness in these areas can lead to instability and compensatory movements.

This can also contribute to early extension and back pain. These movements will help you build a solid lower and upper body strength foundation for a more powerful and consistent swing.

Hip Hinge

Stand with your feet hip-width apart. Keep a slight bend in your knees, and hinge at your hips by pushing your hips back. Do this while also maintaining a neutral spine.

Lower your torso until it’s almost parallel to the floor, then return to the starting position by driving your hips forward. This exercise strengthens the hamstrings and glutes while improving your ability to maintain posture during your swing.

Here’s a video of a few hip-specific exercises to improve your golf swing!

Step Back Lunge with Internal Rotation

Start standing with your feet together. Step back into a lunge with one leg, ensuring that both knees are bent at 90 degrees. As you lower into the lunge, rotate your back leg inward, engaging your hips and glutes. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. This dynamic movement improves hip stability and flexibility while strengthening your lower body.

Rotational Squat

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your hands in front of you. As you squat down, rotate your torso to one side, engaging your core and glutes. Return to the starting position and repeat on the other side. This exercise combines lower body strength with rotational movement, mimicking the mechanics of a golf swing.

How These Help: Strengthening your legs and glutes enhances your stability and power during your swing. These movements also help improve hip mobility and rotational strength, reducing the likelihood of early extension and promoting better posture throughout your swing.

5. THORACIC Spine Mobility Exercises

The thoracic spine, or upper and mid-back, is crucial for the rotational movements of a swing. Limited mobility in this area can lead to compensatory movements in the lower back, increasing the risk of pain and early extension of the back knee. Improving thoracic spine mobility with these best golf exercises allows for shoulder stability and a more efficient, powerful pattern.

Thoracic Spine Rotations: Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat. Hold a golf club or stick across your shoulders and rotate your torso from side to side, focusing on movement from your upper back.

Open Books

Lie on your side with your knees bent at 90 degrees. Extend your arms in front of you, with your hands together. Open your top arm towards the ceiling, rotating your upper body while keeping your lower body stable.

Foam Roller T-Spine Extensions

Lie on your back with a foam roller placed horizontally under your upper back. Support your head with your hands and gently extend your spine over the roller, focusing on the thoracic spine.

How These Help: These exercises improve mobility in the thoracic spine, allowing for more distance and better rotation during your swing. Enhanced mobility reduces strain on the lower back and helps prevent early extension by promoting proper posture.

Daily Exercise Plan to Eliminate Back Pain and Early Extension

To see improvements in your golf game and reduce the risk of back pain and early extension, it’s essential to integrate these exercises into your daily fitness routine. You’ll start feeling better, taking your golf stance with confidence, and swinging pain-free!

Below is a quick plan that organizes these exercises into manageable daily sessions. This plan can be done at home or at the gym and should take about 30-45 minutes each day.

Day 1: Core and Hip Mobility Focus

• Warm-Up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio (walking, cycling, etc.)
• 90/90 Hip Stretch: 3 sets of 30 seconds per side
• Hip Flexor Stretch: 3 sets of 30 seconds per side
• Glute Bridges: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Planks: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds
• Russian Twists: 3 sets of 20 reps (10 per side)
• Dead Bugs: 3 sets of 10 reps per side
• Cool Down: Stretch or foam roll for 5-10 minutes

Day 2: Lower Back and Leg Strengthening

• Warm-Up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio
• Superman Exercise: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Cat-Cow Stretch: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Child’s Pose: 3 sets of 30 seconds
• Hip Hinge: 3 sets of 12 reps
• Step Back Lunge with Internal Rotation: 3 sets of 10 reps per leg
• Rotational Squats: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Cool Down: Stretch or foam roll for 5-10 minutes

Day 3: Thoracic Spine Mobility and Full Body Integration

• Warm-Up: 5-10 minutes of light cardio
• Thoracic Spine Rotations: 3 sets of 15 reps (each direction)
• Open Books: 3 sets of 10 reps per side
• Foam Roller T-Spine Extensions: 3 sets of 10 reps
• Planks: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds
• Russian Twists: 3 sets of 20 reps (10 per side)
• Glute Bridges: 3 sets of 15 reps
• Cool Down: Stretch or foam roll for 5-10 minutes

Day 4: Active Recovery

• Focus on light stretching, foam rolling, or yoga
• Full-Body Stretching Routine: Spend 20-30 minutes gently stretching all major muscle groups, focusing on hips, lower back, and shoulders
• Optional: Gentle cardio, such as a brisk walk or swim

Day 5: Repeat the Cycle for a Better Golf Swing!

This simple golf workouts program can be followed for amazing results! Ultimately, this does take work, but with just 20-30 minutes a day, you can produce a game-changing physique, one bulletproof from on-course back pain.

Additional Tips for Your Golf Game

🔥 Warm-Up Before Practice or Play: Incorporate dynamic stretches and light cardio before hitting the golf course to elevate your core body temperature and increase the excitability of your muscles.

⚖️ Focus on Form: Quality over quantity. Ensure proper form for all exercises to maximize benefits and avoid muscle cramping and injury. Proper form activates the correct muscles in the way they are designed to function.

💤 Rest and Recovery: Listen to your body and rest as needed. Adequate recovery is crucial for preventing injury and promoting muscle growth. Stay hydrated by drinking at least half your body weight in ounces of water daily.

Get plenty of sleep the night and days prior to your round, 8+ hours is ideal. You can use technology to track this as well to see how prepared you are for the day.

Golf Workouts Summary

By following these golf workouts year-round, you’ll gradually build the strength, flexibility, and mobility needed to eliminate back pain and early extension from your golf game.

Stick with it consistently, and you’ll notice significant improvements in both your overall health and your performance on the course!