Have you ever wondered why golfers don’t improve in the off-season and what you need to do to improve your golf game? Off-season golf training should be completely different from training performed during the golf season. Many golfers do not seem to improve over the off-season because they aren’t sure what they should be doing. We’ll discuss what you need to do this off-season to reap the benefits when next season comes around.
What Makes Off-Season Training Different?
One of the biggest differences between in-season and off-season training is the total volume (total number of sets and reps) performed during each training session. When you’re in the middle of the golf season, the total volume should be lower in order to avoid excessive fatigue and soreness – as this may negatively impact your golf game.
Off-season golf performance training generally consists of higher volume, with lower weight compared to in-season training. This will elicit hypertrophy or increased muscle size. This type of training may cause muscle soreness on the day(s) following, which is why it is done in the off-season when you might not be on the course the next day. Another difference with off-season training is that there are typically fewer golf specific workouts and exercises than you might see with in-season training.
What Should Your Golf Performance Training Look Like?
Incorporating a good mixture of upper and lower body resistance exercises is key to improving the strength of the muscles involved throughout the golf swing. Resistance Training can be broken down into multiple phases, which might include a pull day, a press day, and a lower body day – which might look something like this:
Monday: Press day
- Bench press, shoulder press, chest fly, tricep extensions, lateral raises
Wednesday: Pull Day
- Dumbbell row, cable row, bicep curls, lat pulldowns
Friday: Leg day
- Squats (barbell, front, or goblet), deadlift, forward lunges, calf raises
As with any type of training, the amount of weight will depend on each individual. It is important to complete a full assessment to determine your individual needs, goals, volume, and amount of resistance to ensure safety with training. If you’re interested in improving your golf game this off-season, click HERE to schedule a FREE call with RobertsPT, a Golf Physical Therapy and Performance Center in Kansas City.
