will strength training help me with.. golf?

[panupong81]

hello all, I've been visiting this site and reading the forum for a couple of months. I think the ammount of information and knowledge being shared here is amazing. I have a particular question regarding strength training w/ application to sport like golf/baseball if anyone could help.

I've just started the SL 5x5 beginner program this week. My goal is to get stronger in general and if possible gain more power in my golf swing. My swing speed right now is about 105 mph (translate to about 250-260 yd drives). If I follow SL 5x5 for 3-4 months, would I be able to increase my swing speed by 8-10 mph?

Thank you again for reading. Any insights would be appreciated.

[gman8]

provided that after the 3-4 months of Sl 5x5 you have developed functional strength by doing the right exercises, which you are since stronglifts is a functional program, and you develope mobility in the areas that require mobility, you can increase your golf swing speed. However, be careful with the bench press as it is not the best thing for a baseball player or golfer, although for other sports it is good. Really focus on rotational core movements as well such as med ball throws, and rotational slams. Planks are also good since stabilizing your core in golf is key. Just my opinion since I play baseball and althugh I have never played golf in a league, I have golfed on a driving range and it is similar to a baseball swing.

[youngathlete]

In SL 5x5 you are required to do several heavy pulling exercises like deadlifting and pullups. These exercises require you to grip the bar very hard. This in turn will increase your gripping strength which should allow you to grip your golf club harder which should allow increased power transfer from your hips through your hands and arms into your golf club. Also, SL 5x5 is very intensive on your core and hip muscles which should help your swing as well. I'm no expert on golf and how strength training relates to golf so I can't give you a specific number of how much your swing will increase by, but I think that if you stay consistent with SL 5x5 and also hit the driving range as much as you can you can definitely improve your swing, maybe more than 10 mph. Good luck.

[tenkev]

Tiger Woods strength trains.

[panupong81]

thank you for the responses so far.

what led me to believe that strength train will be beneficial is a little experiment I did.. I used a laser swing speed analyzer to swing 3 clubs. One club was a driver without a head (an almost weightless club), the next one was a standard driver, and the 3rd is a weighted (maybe twice as heavy as a standard driver).

without hitting the ball, I just wanted to see what was the maximum speed I could generate with each clubs.
the weightless club I can swing at 130 mph (which is about the speed tiger woods swing at)
the standard driver was 105 mph (avg golfer speed)
and the weighted club I can only swing at 90 mph...

It seems to me that my grip and forearm strength limited my speed with the heavier clubs the most. Also the hip and the core muscle that generate the rotational force is probably not as strong as well. Hopefully SL 5x5 will help me improve in these area...

I understand that the efficiency of the swing is very specific... my brother is 20 lbs heavier than I am and can generate 109-114 mph speed. He out distance me by about 25 yards but could not do more than 2-3 pull ups which is why I am curious.

[Jeffs]

Strength training in itself probably won't help your golf swing a lot. But combined with specific exercises (exercises with the golf club) meant to increase your speed, it might do something for you.

[nburge]

I found it changed my body shape and changed my swing shape too - I'm a real golf novice though so you may not have this as an issue. I have also noticed a more general improvement in hand-eye coordination since starting strength training which can only help any sport. Sadly I still can't putt so I haven't reduced my average that much!

[BlocHead]

simple answer to increasing your SS(swing speed), no. Increasing your SS by 10mph is very hard espcially if its going up to 115mph. I belive that tiger got clocked at 128mph at best. most pros average mid-high teens. even some of the big hitters wont get past 120mph.

if its total distance your after (im guessing it probably is) then an increase in strength but more importantly BW will help you, you could still have the same SS but weight 10lbs more and increase your drives by 15-20 yrds. after all a 150kg squat wont help you hole those tricky 6fters but it will help you rip those 300+ yrd drives! Your SS with practice and strength training will increase anyway

Better technique is the most important thing in increasing SS(a list of factors that effect SS is far to long to write up here) But this is all useless if your short-game is shit, get that better before anything else and your scores and hcp will go down much faster in the time it will take you to get your SS to pro-level.

[panupong81]

haha thanks for the straight forward reply Blockhead. And I think I agree with you too. I did my first session of SL5x5 last night but I started learning to do squats and DL about a month before this (only up to like 100 lbs at home w/ curl bar). My strength and stamina definitely improved but my swing speed was very much the same. However at the range this week, I think I definitely feel something different... as if I was holding myself back a bit. So I just increased my tempo and speed another notch and to my surprise I could control the shots still. I know strength training by itself may not turn me into a ball crushing machine, but I am enjoying a lot of side benefits for sure!

[FormerGymnast]

Strength training will help you in any sport, including golf. But if your looking for the most efficient way to improve at golf, then invest in lessons.

[TaydaTot]

You need to check out this quick blog post by Boris over at Squat RX

http://squatrx.blogspot.com/2009/10/its ... it-is.html

Rotational stuff with glutes will be important too. Check the work by Brett Conteras.

And I promise you improved grip strength will directly translate into longer drives. A tighter grip recruits more muscle contraction and rigidity.

[BlocHead]

And I promise you improved grip strength will directly translate into longer drives. A tighter grip recruits more muscle contraction and rigidity.

A tight grip in golf is not favourable for improved distance, it may help in a squat but not in this instance

[TaydaTot]

BlocHead, so you are saying you can jack a golf ball or baseball with noodle forearms? The best long-ballers in both sports have amazing grip strength. It may just be a correlation but it is no mere coincidence. How is your hip strength going to transfer through the club shaft if you have a limp grip? It is the one place you are actually in contact with the tool you are using - if thats a weak link nothing else matters.

Anyone can do this: Try benching with a limp grip and then squeeze the shit out of it. A tight grip recruits more muscle activation. You can do this with a hammer or baseball bat or any other tool.

[Bman1]

Blochead is right - In both golf and baseball, a "soft" grip is the key to club or bat speed and hence distance. Using a hard grip will stiffen the wrists and reduce the range of motion. This doesn't mean that havng more grip strength isn't a good thing, it just means you don't want to grip the club hard to maximize distance.

[BlocHead]

so you are saying you can jack a golf ball or baseball with noodle forearms? The best long-ballers in both sports have amazing grip strength

Maybe they do i dont know, im not doubting that tiger or any of the 'big hitters' dont but i know for a fact that they dont grip the golf club very hard, a soft grip is required for a better release of the club through impact. The biggest mistake that an amatuer makes in golf is gripping the club to hard (along with many other fundamental errors)

Distance doesn't require more mucle recruitment in the forearms, it is dictated by the speed at which the club is travelling at impact. Weight training works in the complete opposite way that helps power transfer to the bar but rigid forearms in golf wont help you.