How to Improve Your Child's Golf Game with Strength Training

Strength training isn’t just for bodybuilders or adults looking to bulk up—it’s a valuable tool for young athletes, especially golfers. A well-rounded strength program helps improve overall performance, supports injury prevention, and builds the muscle and stamina needed for any sport. When it comes to young golfers, strengthening the body’s core, hips and torso is vital. These muscle groups play a huge role in generating power and controlling the golf club during swings.

Building a Strong Foundation

When introducing strength training to children, it’s important to start with the basics. The goal is to build a foundation of strength using the child’s own body weight before progressing to more challenging exercises. Here are a few key exercises to start with:

• Push-ups
  • Start with your arms straight under your shoulders and legs extended.
  • Keep your body in a straight line from head to toe, engaging your glutes and core.
  • Lower your chest towards the ground, then press up, keeping your form strong.
• Pull-ups
  • Hang from a bar with your palms facing away from you.
  • Pull yourself up toward the bar by driving your elbows down and back.
  • Your goal is to bring your chin above the bar while maintaining control.
• Plank
  • Keep your forearms and legs straight, with your body in a strong, tight position.
  • Engage your abs and glutes to hold the position for as long as possible.
• Bodyweight Squat
  • With your chest up and back flat, lower your body by sitting down and back, aiming to keep your shins straight.
  • Focus on pushing your knees out toward your pinky toes and keeping the weight in your heels.

Building Power for a Stronger Swing

A strong golf swing requires rotational power, and to generate that power, young golfers need to focus on developing explosive strength. Rotational exercises and jumps are excellent for building the necessary force in the hips and torso.

• Rotational Medicine Ball Throw
  • Start in an athletic stance, with knees slightly bent and chest flat.
  • Rotate your torso and snap your hips while keeping your arms loose, like ropes.
  • If you don’t have a medicine ball, you can substitute with vertical jumps or broad jumps, or even use an old basketball filled with sand or water.
• Vertical Jump
  • Begin with your body fully stretched, standing tall on the balls of your feet.
  • Quickly snap your elbows back and jump as high as you can, reaching for the ceiling.
• Parallel Medicine Ball Side Throw
  • Stand parallel to a wall, holding the ball at your hip.
  • Rotate your hips and throw the ball straight into the wall driving the ball with your hips, keeping your arms loose and fluid.

Focus on Technique and Form

The main focus should be on technique rather than the amount of weight lifted. A child should be able to complete eight to fifteen repetitions using good form before increasing weight. Your child should also have a medical examination by a primary care doctor before a strength training program is started.