THE three areas that have most influence on your golf swing are your glutes/hips, core/pelvis and upper back/scapula.
Get these working well and your golf swing has a much better chance of operating like you want it to!
GLUTE ACTIVATION
Our gluteal muscles are a complex collection of muscles that do a variety of different jobs.
All of which are very important to both our day to day functioning and more intense exercises and sports performance.
They have also have a crucial part to play in the golf swing.
They are largely responsible (along with other other muscles) for controlling the positioning and movement of the pelvis and hips.
What your pelvis and hips are doing in your golf swing has a large influence on the direction that your torso, arms and club are moving in as demonstrated in the principles of the golf swing kinematic sequence.
This is essentially the principle that movements in your lower body have a flow on effect right the way up your body and all the way out the clubhead.
The glutes are so important to our golfswing and our everyday function, and yet we see people who have poor glute activation and function on an all too frequent basis!
Lack of glute activation is the root of so many evils:
-Tightness and/or injury in hip flexors, low back, ITB and hamstrings.
-Poor motor skills in basic movements such as squat, lunge and bend.
-Lack of stability and control in lateral and rotational movements (golf swing).
-Lack of power in a multitude of movements (running and golf swing for example).
With a few simple exercises you can wake your glutes up and get them working really efficiently in your golf swing and also your day to day life.
Here are some of the ways in which we get those different glute muscles fired up. We have ranked them in order of difficulty, so start with number one and work up to number seven if you can!
1) GLUTE BRIDGE
PURPOSE
Initial stage of exercises for development of awareness and glute activation
POSITIONING
Lie face up with hips up in bridge position and feet under knees
FORM
Hold this position, squeezing glute muscles
TIPS
Use mirror to check form
2) SINGLE LEG GLUTE BRIDGE
PURPOSE
Initial stage of exercises for development of postural awareness and glute activation
POSITIONING
Lie face up with hips up in bridge position and feet under knees
Lift one foot off floor and straighten leg
FORM
Hold this position, squeezing glute muscles
TIPS
Use mirror to check form
3) KNEE BAND PULSING GLUTE BRIDGE
PURPOSE
Initial stage of exercises for development of postural awareness and glute activation
POSITIONING
Knee band
Lie face up with hips up in bridge position and feet under knees
FORM
With hips off ground alternate between stomping the feet and pulsing the knee in and out working through three speeds
TIPS
Use mirror to check form
4) KNEE BAND CRAB SHUFFLE
PURPOSE
Train activation of glutes
POSITIONING
Knee band
Wide athletic stance
Knee band sits just above the knees
FORM
Move sideways using small steps
Keep the feet wide apart
Aim to lead with the knees and not with the feet
TIPS
Check form in mirror
5) KNEE BAND STOMPS
PURPOSE
Initial stage of exercises for development of postural awareness and glute activation
POSITIONING
Knee band
In athletic set up position
FORM
Stomp the feet working through three speeds 33-99
Keep knees pushing out against knee band
Maintain posture
TIPS
Watch head position, retract chin
Check form in mirror
6) SPLIT STANCE KNEE BAND STOMPS
PURPOSE
Initial stage of exercises for development of postural awareness and glute actviation
POSITIONING
Knee band
In athletic split stance position
FORM
Stomp the feet working through 3 speeds 33-99
Keep knees pushing out against knee band
Swap forward foot every few seconds
Maintain posture
TIPS
Watch head position, retract chin
Check form in mirror
7) KNEE BAND SQUATS
PURPOSE
Train activation of glutes in squat movement
POSITIONING
Knee band
Wide athletic stance
Knee band sits just above the knees
FORM
10 secs of stomping
Sit down into squat as far you can feel the glutes engaged.
When they switch off go back to top of movement and repeat.
Aim for a little more depth each time.
TIPS
Check form in mirror
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Nick Randall is a qualified Strength and Conditioning Coach, Presenter, Rehab Expert and Therapist.
Nick works with a number of Australasian Tour players and is also contracted by Golf Australia and Golf Queensland to work with their elite amateur players.
Nick also works on an individual and group basis with club level golfers of all ages and abilities.
Based on the Sunshine Coast, Queensland, Nick trains and treats golfers at Twin Waters Golf Academy.
He also has a smart phone app – “Golf Fit” and online training program service at www.golffitapp.com.