This short article is derived from Strength Training For Golf – The Fit For Golf Guide. That article goes into detail on everything you need to know about strength training for golf. In this shorter piece, I am providing theoretical knowledge about exactly what happens as a result of strength training.
Time is limited, so we need to target the movement patterns and muscle groups that give the biggest return for the effort we put in.
The golf swing relies on strength through the entire body, but especially in the muscles used earlier in the motion. These are the muscles that get the body moving from a static position and generate the torque and angular momentum that are transferred up the kinematic chain and ultimately to the club.
In an efficient swing, the body follows a “proximal-to-distal” sequence. Power starts in the muscles closest to the body’s center and moves outward. The legs and hips initiate the motion by exerting force against the ground. The ground then pushes back with equal force, allowing that energy to travel up through the trunk, into the shoulders, arms, and finally the club. Each segment builds on the momentum created by the one before it, reaching a higher peak velocity.
Because the lower body and trunk are moving more slowly at the start of the swing, they rely heavily on strength to generate motion. The limbs later in the chain are moving much faster and depend more on timing, coordination, and speed.
So in terms of where strength training gives the biggest payoff for golfers:
- Legs and hips — the initial source of force in the chain. More strength here creates a larger potential for club head speed.
- Trunk and core — actively produce and transfer force between the lower and upper body.
- Upper body and arms — benefit from the momentum generated by the segments earlier in the sequence, but still play an important active role in delivering speed to the club.
Upper-body strength still matters, but by the time those muscles fire, the club is already moving quickly. That’s why strength work builds the foundation, and specific speed training teaches you to use that strength at the higher velocities seen in the swing.
The majority of a golfer’s strength training should focus on compound lifts that train large amounts of muscle mass and multiple joints together. Squats, split squats, deadlifts, presses, and rows are the foundation. These provide the most room for long term progression, and the biggest neural and structural changes that improve force production.
Accessory exercises, including isolation exercises, still have a place, but they should be supporting the main work, not replacing it. Use them to build up smaller areas, work on weak links, or keep joints healthy.
For example, increasing your hamstring curl or quad extension strength by 30% is not going to have the same transfer to club head speed as increasing your barbell squat by 30%.
This doesn’t mean it’s not beneficial though!
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| Region | Role in the Swing | Key Muscles | Best Lifts / Movements | Notes |
| Legs & Hips | Create and transfer force from the ground. Initiate angular momentum | Glutes, quads, hamstrings, adductors, calves. | Squat, split squat, deadlift, trap-bar deadlift, hip thrust, leg press, hack squat. | Strong legs and hips provide the base for generating and transferring force, not the sole driver of club head speed, but a key foundation. |
| Trunk & Core | Generate force, and transfer force from the lower body to the upper body. | Abdominals, obliques, erector spinae, QL. | Cable rotations, back extensions, side bends, ab wheel roll outs, hanging leg raises. Also well trained in big compound exercises |
The core actively produces and transfers force, train it like other areas, following progressive overload! |
| Upper Body (Push) | Helps speed up the arms.
|
Pecs, shoulders, triceps. | Bench press, overhead press, landmine press. All presses. |
Remember, we are training adaptations. It doesn’t matter that these exercises seem “not golf specific”. |
| Upper Body (Pull) | Produce and control rotational torque, especially lead-side. | Lats, rear delts, rhomboids, traps, biceps. | Pull-ups & chin ups, lat pull downs, rows. | Lead side lat and shoulder play a huge role in club head speed. |
| Forearms & Grip | Assist in force production & transfer force to the club. | Forearm flexors/extensors, hand muscles. | I don’t train grip specifically. I think it gets covered extremely well from heavy lifts and speed training. | It’s hard to not develop a strong grip if you are pushing and pulling progressively heavier weights. Grip strength is generally NOT a limiting factor in club head speed. |