3 Ways To Improve Your Golf Swing With Isometrics

This guy is going to crush it! Many of us thought the same thing as we watched Shaquille O’Neill approach the golf shot – and yet, not so much.

Have you ever noticed that a large and muscular man often has more difficulty with the golf swing than a lean but fit and wiry man like Rory McIlroy? How is that Rory can consistently average 310 yard drives and the man with a huge physique can scarcely get it off of the tee?

This is because moving mass requires muscular strength. Moving mass through a precise arc of motion, like the golf swing requires efficient and precise muscle recruitment.

For this reason, isometric exercises are ideal for golfers in three ways:

First, isometric exercise allows maximum muscular recruitment without building muscle mass.

Second, when properly performed, they increase the intensity of muscle contraction throughout a golfer’s range of motion.

Thirdly, they promote maturity of muscle mass by increasing capillary perfusion and blood flow to the muscle fibers.

This translates into the golf swing as efficiency, power and endurance. These are foundational for producing a consistently powerful and controlled golf swing.

Any building is only as good as its foundation, so if we want to build a powerful golf swing, then it is essential that we lay a solid foundation.

However, just as a foundation is not the whole structure and is rarely seen, the secret to an amazing golf swing only begins here. The beauty is, that it is an easy place to begin.

Muscular recruitment:

We have all experienced that shaky, ratchey motion that causes us to want to speed up motion when we try and move a load that challenges our muscles.

That shakiness is an indicator that a particular muscle pairing is not recruiting as many muscle fibers as are needed for that load. This is rarely noticed in the golf swing because the motion is so fluid and fast.

Isometric exercises with a submaximal load will change the neurologic response of muscle to activate muscle fibers that have been dormant through disuse or injury.

Just like pushing a car out of the mud, a lot of additional bodies are needed to get the job done. When everybody is pushing at the same time, less overall energy is needed from each pusher. This is what efficiency of movement means.

Increased muscle contraction:

When more muscle fibers are activated, not only is there greater efficiency but more overall power is possible. This translates into quickness and greater clubhead speed at impact.

Increased muscle maturity:

During activity, muscle fibers glide past one another producing contraction and relaxation of muscle pairs.

This is done by complex chemistry that produces by-products such as lactic acid. These need to be removed quickly from the muscle so that fresh, oxygenated blood can restore the chemical balance.

More blood flow allows muscles to recover quicker and experience less fatigue through a round of golf.

Start Now and Train, Don’t Strain!