If you’re an adult reading this, can you imagine your body being completely different 6 months from now? I’m not talking about packing on a few pounds; I’m talking about gaining 3-5 inches in height, dealing with those long, gangly teenager arms, and having a center of gravity that’s constantly changing as you get taller.
Most adults have forgotten what it’s like to be 10, 13, or 16 years old. The sheer amount of change happening to our bodies during our teenage years can make it difficult to master certain skills and sports. Golf is no different. Because balance and form are so important to a golf swing, younger players often find themselves having to relearn techniques to adapt to their changing body.
When we talk about specializing, we’re talking about focusing on a single sport and nothing else. This is relatively common with gymnastics and swimming; to compete at a professional level, most athletes need to start early and focus only on that sport. This is partly because most professional gymnasts and swimmers careers will be over by the time they hit their 30’s, but it's also because those types of sports require a crazy amount of strength and endurance. Young athletes are generally stronger, more nimble and less prone to injuries than older athletes.
The problem with specializing too early is not properly developing other important muscle groups, thereby increasing injury risk. Someone who spends a lot of time in the water will not be as well equipped to play basketball because that sport requires different muscles to perform in a different way. When you talk to PGA tour professionals, many were multi-sport athletes before gravitating toward golf later in life.
Now, that’s not to say kids can’t start their golf training early. For those wanting to become professionals, the training should start early because continual improvement is necessary for junior golfers to succeed in today’s ultra-competitive junior golf landscape. However, the point is to not limit themselves by neglecting other physical activities, just because they don’t relate to golf directly.
We work with many junior golfers and our primary goal is to make them more aware of their own body and build it in such a way that it will support whatever their goals may be. -- whether that’s to play golf for fun, or try to make it professionally. Here are 5 training exercises junior golfers can do to continue improving their golf fitness, balance, technique and biomechanics, even while dealing with all of the changes adolescence subjects their bodies to.
The purpose of this exercise is to strengthen the core and hip muscles. It improves your core stability and allows your body to handle the shockwave of energy being released during a golf swing. For this exercise, you’ll need an exercise ball.
Do 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Like a regular squat, it’s designed to strengthen your legs and build endurance. Your legs play a more significant role in your golf swing than you may think. The golfers’ air squat is a little bit different than a normal squat in that you’ll tuck in your elbows to the front. This mimics the same balancing requirements when performing a golf swing.
To perform the exercise
Do 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
As you can see in the image above, the whole purpose of this exercise is to imitate the golf swing. By using resistance bands, we’re strengthening all of the core muscles involved in this movement while still maintaining flexibility.
To perform this exercise, you’ll need bi-lateral resistance bands and an anchor to connect it to.
Do 3 sets of 10-12 rotations per side.
Similar to the Side Twist with Resistance Bands exercise in number 3, this exercise is designed to improve balance and form. Without balance, a junior golfer will have far less control over their golf swing.
To perform this exercise
Do 3 sets of 10 rotations per side.
This is another great exercise for your balance and flexibility. While it may not be as sexy as building muscle and endurance, working on your flexibility and balance is one of the most important things you can do as a golfer.
For this one, you’ll need a golf club -- any one will do.
Start slowly with these exercises. If proper form is a struggle, slow down the movement. Muscle memory doesn’t distinguish between good form and bad form, so it’s important to get it right the first time and practice the proper movements.
These junior golf exercises require minimal equipment and can be done from just about anywhere.
Team Joey D Golf
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