We are excited to begin our series on kettlebell workouts for golf. We will be covering kettlebell exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscles which help your golf game by hitting the ball further and having more control over the club path. This is Part 4 in our 5 part series that will cover a number kettlebell movements which will improve your game, make sure to subscribe to notifications for when each new post is released by completing the form below.
We have collaborated on this series with Master of Sport, Mike Salemi (@kettlebelllifestyle) and Mind Pump Media (@mindpumpmedia), both are great follows on social media and full of knowledge about kettlebell and fitness. In order to prepare for this series, Mike Salemi went to the Titliest Performance Institute certification and completed his TPI certification which is designed to "teach professionals how to increase player performance through a deep understanding of how the body functions during the golf swing." (https://www.mytpi.com/certification). 14 of the last 17 Major Championships were won by golf professionals advised by a TPI certified expert. Combining the knowledge taught at TPI certifications with Mike's already indepth knowledge of the body and lifting will create an amazing series of posts designed to help improve your golf game as well as overall strength.
By Mike Salemi:
Kettlebell Goblet Squats For Golfers
Are you the golfer who hits the ball in every direction except the one you are aiming for? Since over half of all amateur golfers lose their posture during their golf swing, you are certainly not alone. Interestingly, research conducted by the Titleist Performance Institute shows that players unable to maintain proper positioning throughout the full golf swing also are unable to successfully complete a full overhead squat.
An overhead squat is a movement requiring a combination of trunk stability, as well as excellent mobility out of both ankles, knees, hips, thoracic spine (mid back), shoulders, and lats. With this one movement screen we can uncover lots of useful information regarding where we are likely to see swing faults emerge.1
When a challenge in performing an overhead squat stems from either a hip, knee, or ankle mobility issue, the Kettlebell Goblet Squat, or the Modified Goblet Squat, can be an excellent exercise for the golfer to ultimately better maintain proper angles during the swing.
One way the Goblet Squat does this is by positioning the load in-front of the body, providing a counter-balance for the player to effectively lean against - allowing him or her the freedom to squat to lower depths more easily. This movement will also up-regulate activation of the anterior (front) core musculature in order keep the torso stable and upright, something that is beneficial for most any golf conditioning program.
Read detailed description of this video below! Mike uses Powder Coat kettlebells in his posts.
For this movement:
- Stand over the kettlebell, feet approximately shoulder width apart, and handle positioned horizontally. Toes may be angled out 5-10 degrees.
- Hinge at the hips by pushing your glutes back. Once you feel a nice stretch in your hamstrings, start squatting from the knees to grab the kettlebell handle.
- Using primarily leg drive, stand tall as you quickly yet under control pull the kettlebell up in order to transition your grip to the horns (sides of the kettlebell handle).
- Tuck your elbows in, depress your shoulders away from your ears, lengthen your spine, and take a big belly breath. Next, gently draw in your navel towards your spine, increasing the pressure within the abdomen (this intra-abdominal pressure helps stabilize the spine).
- Simultaneously bend at the knees and hips as you maintain an upright chest, lowering down under control. As you descend, drive your knees outward, while they remain inline with your second toe.
- Once you’ve reached the bottom position of the squat (going as far as possible without any rounding of the back) push the earth away from you to stand up tall.
- When passing approximately the halfway mark, you may now partially exhale through pursed lips to avoid excessive breath holding, while still maintaining trunk stability
- Simultaneously contract the quadriceps and glutes at the top of the movement.
- Repeat for 10 repetitions
- If you’re a golfer who cannot perform a full Goblet Squat, where the hips sit below the knees, start with the modified variation. With the elbows now directly at your sides and the arms positioned at a right angle, depressing your shoulders away from your ears is likely to be easier to achieve, thus avoiding any tendency for them to hike up during the movement. Additionally, this set-up offers a nice reminder to stop/reduce the range of motion once the forearms touch the top of the thighs.
WHAT IS NEXT?
Make sure to subscribe below for Part 5, we will be publishing 5 different indepth posts about different kettlebell movements designed to improve your golf game.
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ABOUT MIKE SALEMI
Kettlebell Master of Sport and WAKSC World Champion Mike Salemi's road in strength and conditioning started at the age of 15 while competing in Powerlifting. Today, as a Sports Performance Specialist, Mike’s focus is primarily geared towards Kettlebell, Golf, and Combat athletes alike. By collaborating with industry leaders who share a similar vision of building more balanced athletes, Mike offers workshops on topics ranging from integrative kettlebell training, athlete nutrition, and shoulder & spine health.
Click here to read more about Mike, and to inquire about hosting a workshop in your area.
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