Maximizing distance. What exercises?

[Jul89]

What exercises bring the most distance?

[Big C]

Honestly there are too many to list here. For golf, as well as general functional strength, I would focus on your legs & core. Here are some exercises I would recommend for that purpose

- Squats

- Deadlifts

- Planks

- Lunges

- Kettlebell Swings

- Turkish Get Ups

- Box Step Ups

- Push Ups

- Burpees

But like I said, there are countless exercises that you add to my list above. My recommendation would be to google core strengthening exercises and try those that look interesting to you. Depending on your specific restrictions (including weights, machines and training aids available to you), you should be able to get a great workout, even if you are only doing body weight exercises.

[Jul89]

I used to be a good deadlifer with 8x 330..

I used to hit the Golfball pretty damn hard ;)

Wanna get back to that.

What i mean are exercises with rotation.

[saevel25]

What i mean are exercises with rotation.

I would say you probably will not gain much speed in hip rotation. Primarily because those muscles associated with rotation are support muscles not major movers. Except for the Psoas Muscle but that is primarily for hip flex than rotation. Basically the rotation muscles are there to support the spine against unwanted rotation.

That isn't to say it is not important to exercise these areas. If you have better support groups you can swing faster with a lot less wasted energy. If you have week support groups you might fall off balance in the swing, mishit the ball and loose all that speed.

Rory has unnatural hip speed and flexibility. That is purely genetic on his part. He had that speed even when he wasn't in the best of shape. Now he can go at it harder because he is in shape.

Ball speed comes from first solid contact. From there you can gain speed from faster hands, arms, using the ground more.

I would say focus on the legs and hips. Quads, Hamstrings, Glutes, Hips, Abdominals for support.

[joekelly]

Strong wrists are the thing for maximum clubhead speed.  You can build up wrist strength and flexy with the yoga pose known as the Wheel.  Or in ancient text, Urdhva Dhanurasana.  Give it a shot.

[Tim Williamson]

Im doing a little work on wheel every day. Thanks joekelly

[Covert]

This is anecdotal. I took up golf with serious intent in my retirement, essentially starting last year at age 70. I fooled around with other people's clubs on a couple of courses when I was a kid, but never spent any significant time at the game. I didn't play at all throughout my working life in part because I had bad osteoarthritis. After two artificial shoulders and two artificial hips, I felt I might have the fluidity to swing a club, notwithstanding a torn right rotator cuff, which can't be fixed because you can't reattach a tendon to hardware; and I still have end-stage degenerative disk disease, which can't be fixed.

Anyway, I started off driving under 200 yards. Early this year I began working out with a rotating apparatus at the Y, on which you twist your torso pulling up weights on a cable. I thought it came close to replicating the twist needed to drive. I also repetition dead weight lift a 90-pound kettle bell (I'm only supposed to use weights 70 pounds and under with my artificial shoulders). And I pull plates up on a rope by rotating a bar in my hands to strengthen my wrists. Over a few months I increased my driving distance 50 yards from when I started. I can't say exactly how much was due to the exercises, rather than regular practice, but when I swing I can feel a strong snap that I didn't have before. I was so proud earlier this week in reaching a par-five green pin high in two shots. It was too bad that I drove into a water hazard and had to drop, so I only got a par on the hole.

[joekelly]

Good work, Covert.

Does show that reasonable golf is available even to those with marginal bodies.  That yoga pose, The Wheel, would be extra tough for you becoz of the stress it puts on the shoulder joints.  Far too easy for older guys to overdo the workouts, so take care.