Weight Lifting - Legs

[pmclamb]

How important is leg strength in a golf swing for distance? There's this dude at the range i go to...I have heard that he's ranked 8th in the nation either for high schoolers or future college golfers (he just graduated). Our range has a net at about 250 yards out that's probably around 100- 120 feet high, possibly more, that he clears easily with his driver. He absolutely hammers the ball and he said most of his distance came from making his legs stronger. That's what this guys main focus is in the gym, getting his legs very strong. I can understand stronger legs making you more stable but will they make you hit the ball farther?

[iacas]

I think a lot of distance comes from having a stable platform and a solid core. It's tough to say: look at the long drivers on the PGA Tour, think about their legs, and go from there. Tiger Woods doesn't have super-big legs, but he's wiry. Same with Charles Howell III. And on down the list.

Or look at the long drivers. Brian Pavlet has done a What's in the Bag episode and they showed his exercise routine. It had some leg work, but a lot of it was stomach, lower back, shoulders - core muscles.

[gripitandripit]

I agree with Erik. I think a solid base is important, but most of the long hitters on tour don't have big legs. Look at Hank Kuene, Tiger, Davis Love, Vijay, Mickelson. I think power is mostly generated by the shoulder turn, which does place importance on being stable with the lower body.

[mediaguru]

I don't fully believe brute strength is the key to length. I belive how much you "load" and release is key. And I think the most important thing for getting good distance that NO ONE talks about is HITTING IT IN THE CENTER OF THE CLUB!