The Best Golf Workout Program For Strength & Power Gains

The game of golf has evolved drastically in recent decades. From advanced equipment to optimized fitness regimens, modern players are swinging harder and driving farther than ever before. Yet, outdated myths still linger—many of which could be holding back your performance.

One of the most common? That lifting heavy weights will hurt your golf swing or reduce flexibility. In reality, weight training—done right—can enhance speed, control, and endurance.

Another common myth is that using an electric golf trolley reduces the health benefits of walking the course - research shows you still gain the exercise benefits from walking, while also conserving energy for your swing and reducing fatigue.

Let’s break down how strength training benefits your golf game, how to structure an effective program, and which exercises will get you stronger, faster, and more consistent on the course.

Table of Contents:

• Why Golfers Should Weight Lift
• Best Lifting Strategies For Golfers
• Best Strength Program For Golfers
• Best Exercises For Golfers
• Dynamic Warm-Up Stretches
• Tips For Your Golf Weight Training Program
• Additional Benefits of Working Out For Golf
• FAQs

Why Golfers Should Lift Weights

Golf is no longer viewed as a sport just for retirees. Today’s top players look more like pro athletes than weekend hobbyists—and their training reflects that.

The shift began in 1997 when Tiger Woods won the Masters by a record 12 strokes. His athletic build and 323-yard driving average redefined what a golfer could be. Since then, players like Rory McIlroy and Bryson DeChambeau have leaned into strength training to maximize distance and performance.

The results speak for themselves:

PGA Tour Average Driving Distance Leader By Year: 

Adding lean muscle and increasing power allows you to drive the ball farther, with better control and endurance. Research even shows that just eight weeks of strength and mobility training can significantly improve carry distance and swing mechanics—especially for recreational golfers.

Interested in seeing how the best golfers work out? Check out this video, which highlights the Rory McIlroy workout routine.

How Golfers Should Train

Power = Force × Velocity

This equation is key. To generate more power in your swing, you need to be strong (force) and explosive (velocity). That’s why heavy lifting with low reps—alongside speed-focused drills—is far more effective than high-rep, light-weight routines.

• Train for Strength: Focus on compound lifts (e.g., squats, deadlifts, presses) in the 3–6 rep range.
• Train for Speed: Incorporate jumps, med ball throws, and light weights moved quickly.
• Don’t Fear Bulking: Golf is a game of short bursts, not endurance. Building strength won’t ruin your swing—it will enhance it.

In one study, golfers who trained 3–4 times weekly during the offseason increased their carry distance by 20 yards on average after just two months.¹

The Best Golf Workout Program

Offseason Two-Day Split Golf Workout Exercise Program

Remember, in the pre-season, perform each session twice weekly, so you're weight training four times total. In the in-season, perform each session once weekly, along with an additional leg workout or some core work.

Day 1: Lower Body/Core

Day 2: Upper Body/Core

In-Season Adjustments

Cut the intensity and volume slightly. Perform each day once weekly and add a bonus leg/core session. Recovery and practice take priority mid-season.

12 Best Exercises For Golf

These are some of the best overall exercises for increasing strength and distance.

1) Squats:

Squats are one of the best exercises, regardless of your goal or what sport you train for. Squats are a compound movement that works the muscles that are essential to the golf swing, including the lower body, glutes, and core.

Try using dumbbells for a variation, as well as split squats. 

2) Deadlifts:

Besides squats, deadlifts are one of the best overall exercises, regardless of what you are training for.

Like squats, deadlifts also work the legs, glutes, lower back, core, and stabilizer muscles. However, they also exercise the forearms and improve grip strength. You can also use dumbbells for this exercise. 

3) Single Arm Dumbbell Rows:

Building a strong back is one of the most important areas of the body to increase power development on the golf course.

In addition to working the back, shoulders, and arms, single-arm dumbbell rows also require great core strength and stability. 

4) Lat Pulldowns:

The same concept as rows, lat pulldowns are one of the best exercises for strength training. Building a strong back is essential for maximizing power, as well as building back muscles.

And, if you don't have access to a gym, you can replicate the pulldown movement using dumbbells. 

5) Medicine Ball Twists:

A medicine ball is one of the most useful equipment for golf-specific training. Any twisting exercise that mimics the movements of the golf swing is beneficial for adding distance. A lighter ball that can be thrown quickly is ideal.

Check out the YouTube demo on Medicine Ball Twists.

6) Bench Press:

The bench press is another classic compound movement that helps build muscle and increase strength. It helps build a strong chest, arms, shoulders, and core, all important to the golf swing.

They can also help prevent injury. Alternate using barbells and dumbbells every few weeks. 

7) Push Ups:

Push-ups are an excellent exercise to help improve the golf swing. They work the chest, arms, shoulders, and core. 

And there is an endless assortment of Push Up Variations that you can perform!

8) Cable Machine Oblique Twists:

If you think of the golf swing, it is a rotational movement across the core. Oblique muscles are extremely important to rotate through the swing with more speed and power.

Oblique twists and other oblique exercises are perfect for strengthening the core. 

9) Standing Dumbbell Press:

The standing shoulder press is another compound exercise that should ideally be performed during the off-season. In addition to the shoulders and upper back, the standing aspect activates the core and stabilizer muscles, essential in the golf swing. 

10) Kettlebell Swings:

Kettlebells are another excellent piece of gym equipment, like the medicine ball, that should be used for golf training. Kettlebell swings activate the hip abductors, legs, glutes, upper arms, shoulders, back, and core, making them a near-perfect exercise for golf. 

For more information, check out our article: What Muscles Do Kettlebell Swings Work?

11) Hip Thrusts:

The hips are one of the most important muscles for the golf swing that people often neglect. Hip thrusts help build strength in the hips, hamstrings, glutes, and core, all essential to the golf swing. 

12) Core/Abdominal Exercises:

Any exercises that work the core, especially ones that involve a twisting motion like that of the golf swing, can help you gain distance. Russian twists, planks, and medicine ball throws are some of the best core exercises for golf. 

Dynamic Warm-Up for Golfers

A proper warm-up is critical. Many golfers use static stretching, but that can actually reduce power.

Instead, use dynamic warm-ups that include mobility drills, activation movements, and three max-effort jumps. These trigger post-activation potentiation (PAP), which boosts muscle output and clubhead speed.

A 2013 study found that ending your warm-up with three vertical jumps increased swing speed by 2.25 MPH—translating to ~5 extra yards off the tee.² Combine that with the 3–5% drop from static stretching, and you’re looking at a 10% improvement just from switching your warm-up routine.

For a great dynamic warm-up, check out the video below. End this program with the three-max effort jumps I just discussed.

Tips For Your Weight Training Program

These tips will help you elevate your golf game.

1. Prioritize Vertical Force

Increasing your vertical ground force helps translate lower body strength into club speed. Focus on:

2) Prioritize Compound Lifts:

Just as you would with normal resistance training, compound exercises such as squats, deadlifts, or bench press should be performed first in the workout. This ensures you have the energy to perform the heavy compound lifts with maximum intensity.

Core and isolated movements, such as single-leg exercises, should be done at the end of the workout. 

3) Use Dumbbells:

Another essential part of maximizing your golf game in the gym is to focus on exercises with dumbbells rather than a barbell or machines.

Using dumbbells for exercises requires greater core strength and activates stabilizer muscles to maintain balance compared to training with a machine or barbell. Dumbbells also allow for a greater range of motion, which can help mimic golf-related movements. 

The best part? Utilizing dumbbells makes it easy to work out at home! Pick up one of these Best Dumbbells and you're all set!

4) Build Back Muscles:

A fourth key to building strength for golf is improving your T-spine rotation, which refers to the rotation of the thoracic spine (upper back) on a vertical plane. Maximizing your T spine rotation is essential to generate power and torque in the golf swing.

Building muscle in the back, specifically the lats and rhomboids, as well as the core, is the best way to improve your rotation and increase power. 

5) Use the Right Equipment:

Golf training is unique and looks very different from a regular muscle-building routine. Utilizing unique pieces of gym equipment is very beneficial for the golf course. Some of the best pieces of gym equipment to use in your golf weight training program include:

• Kettlebells
• Resistance bands
• Cable machine
• Dumbbells
• Medicine ball

Additional Benefits

People who don’t like to lift weights will look for any excuse to stay away from the gym. What if a golfer stated that they do not need weight training because they don’t need to, or aren’t looking to, add distance? Besides adding speed and distance off the tee, there are several other benefits of strength training for the game of golf.

Some of these other benefits include:

• A stronger grip can help give golfers more control when hitting out of thick rough or a bad lie.
• Generate more speed to hit harder, low punch shots, or high over trees.
• Stronger athletes can generate more power and speed than weaker athletes.
• A stronger lower body creates a more solid base to rotate effectively.
• Improved core strength can help maintain balance for shots with an awkward lie or stance.
• Building muscular strength can help prevent joint pain and other injuries common in golf.
• Exercise and strength training helps improve your overall health, including cardiovascular health and improving bone mineral density.
• Exercise and strength training helps improve mental health and clarity.

FAQs

In this section, we will answer some of the most commonly asked questions related to golf workouts. 

Is it true that golfers should avoid heavy lifting to prevent bulking and reduced flexibility? 

No, this is false. Studies have shown that a golf weight training program can lead to significant improvements in strength, flexibility, speed, distance, and balance.

Besides lack of strength, what are other reasons why I lost shot distance with my golf ball?

Besides lack of strength, other reasons for a short backswing/poor distance include limited hip rotation, limited shoulder rotation, limited thoracic spine mobility, and poor balance/strength to put weight onto your lead leg. 

What is the best exercise for golf to gain distance on my drive? 

Squats and variations of squats, like single-legged dumbbell squats, are the best exercises for golf. Squats are a compound movement that heavily works the lower body, glutes, lower back, core, and stabilizer muscles, all of which are vital for power in the golf swing. Be sure to maintain good form to avoid injury.

What is the best warm-up routine to prepare the body for golf?

A dynamic warm-up routine that includes lengthening exercises, active mobility stretches, and ending with three max-effort vertical jumps will help maximize your power on the first tee in only five to ten minutes. 

What is the ideal set and rep range in a golf weight training program?

Golfers should perform exercises with high intensity and heavy weight in the low rep range, ideally 3-6 reps for each exercise. Low reps with heavy weight help develop the fast-twitch muscle fibers, which are used for quick, explosive movements like golf. 

Golf Workout Programs & Exercises: Final Tips & Takeaways

Tiger Woods changed the game of golf in countless ways, but perhaps his biggest impact was his use of strength training to increase his shot distance. Nowadays, an estimated 95% or more of professional players on the PGA Tour have some type of training program focused on functional strength that translates to their golf game.

Sadly, most amateur golfers have a completely backward approach when it comes to a golf weight training program and warming up properly.

To summarize how to have the most efficient workouts to improve your golf game quickly, you should focus on heavy weights and low reps to increase power, perform golf-specific mobility exercises, and use light weights lifted quickly to increase speed. 

Be sure to utilize different pieces of gym equipment, such as resistance bands and kettlebells, to maximize your gains. Another major factor for maximizing your distance in golf is to warm up properly. Static stretching has been proven to decrease power, while dynamic stretching and three max-effort jumps can drastically increase power.

If you are completely new to the gym, we recommend using a personal trainer, at least in the beginning, to show you how to safely perform the exercises. 

Strength training is crucial to a golfer's success. For more great workouts that will improve your golf game, check out these 5 Best Strength Programs, or SET FOR SET's strength training program, designed to maximize your gains.

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References:

1. Lephart, Scott M., et al. “An Eight-Week Golf-Specific Exercise Program Improves Physical Characteristics, Swing Mechanics, and Golf Performance in Recreational Golfers.” The Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 21, no. 3, 2007, p. 860, https://doi.org/10.1519/r-20606.1.
2. Read, Paul J., et al. “The Effects of Postactivation Potentiation on Golf Club Head Speed.” Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, vol. 27, no. 6, June 2013, pp. 1579–1582, journals.lww.com/nsca-jscr/Pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2013&issue=06000&article=00015&type=Fulltext, https://doi.org/10.1519/jsc.0b013e3182711c60.