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Resistance band exercises can add some serious speed to your golf swing.
If you have been focusing on strength building exercises with a barbell or kettlebell, it is a good idea to mix in some resistance band training. They can be excellent for all types of golfers to help build speed, strength, stability, and flexibility.
What Kind of Resistance Bands do I Need?
There are various styles of resistance bands that will work for golf training exercises. You can use tube resistance bands with a handle, flat resistance bands without a handle, or nylon sleeve resistance bands. It doesn’t really matter as long as they can be anchored to something.
The most important thing is to have several bands with different resistances. You will need a lot of resistance for some exercises and very little resistance for others.
It is simple to increase or decrease resistance by changing your distance from the anchor point, but at some point you will need a different band to get the desired resistance.
Here are some great resistance band workouts specifically tailored for golf:
1. Cross-Body Pull Through
The Cross-Body Pull Through is meant to imitate the golf swing from the top of your backswing down to impact. The only catch is you will be holding the resistance band with just your lead arm. This motion will focus on using your obliques and lats to “pull” your golf swing through.
Grab a lighter resistance band for this exercise and focus on speed and control.
Setup
- Loop a resistance band around a stable anchor point at head height or higher.
- Grab the end of the band with your lead arm and stand perpendicular to the anchor point.
- Move away from the anchor point until you feel some tension in the band, but not a lot.
- Hinge slightly at the hips. Make sure you have a firm grip on the handle or end loop of the resistance band.
Execution
- Keeping your lead elbow straight, allow your arm to work up and across your body as if you are making a backswing.
- Rotate your torso and hips as your arm works up and across your body.
- After reaching the top of the backswing, pull down and through with your lats and obliques.
- Stop just after what would be “impact” with the golf ball.
- Repeat with the other side of your body.
- Shoot for 2 sets of 12-15 on each side
Cross-Body Pull Through Tips
Pretend like you are performing your back swing with this exercise. You may need to adjust the anchor point up or down to make it feel right. Here are a few more tips:
- Keep your balance. It can be tempting to lean forward as you make this motion to leverage your body weight, but don’t do it! You will get more benefit from focusing on your lats and obliques.
- Use a thinner resistance band. The motion is pretty long, so you will need to use a thinner resistance band to do it properly.
2. Cross-Body Follow Through
Now that you’ve trained the backswing with your lead arm, it’s time to train the follow through with your trail arm. Your trail arm is generally slightly bent at impact and extends into the follow through.
This motion is meant to mimic that impact to post-impact movement of the trail arm.
Setup
- Loop a resistance band around a stable anchor point at about hip height.
- Grab the end of the band with your trail arm and stand perpendicular to the anchor point.
- Extend your trail hand down next to your back thigh and move away from the anchor point until you feel some tension in the band.
- Hinge slightly at the hips. Make sure you have a firm grip on the handle or end loop of the resistance band.
Execution
- Starting with a slight bend in your trail elbow, extend your arm to work up and across your body as if you are following through after a swing. Your trail arm should be straight by the end.
- Rotate your torso and your hips as your arm works up and across your body.
- After reaching the top of the your follow through, slowly return to starting position.
- Repeat with the other side of your body.
- Aim for 2 sets of 12-15 reps on each side.
Cross-Body Pull Through Tips
You can rotate all of your weight onto your front foot, just like a normal follow through. Or you can focused on staying balanced through the motion. This will feel a lot like a single arm chest fly, but with some body rotation. Here are some good tips:
- Use a thin resistance band. You won’t feel incredibly strong during this movement. It is important to get a full range of motion though.
- Rotate your torso. Don’t get so focuses on moving your trail arm that you forget about the rest of the movement.
3. Ball Strikers
Ball strikers are a simple, yet effective exercise to add ball speed and consistency. They focus on the final few inches of your swing before impact in a stunningly simple way: extending your triceps. Ball strikers are basically a triceps extension with some style.
Ball strikers can really help you sync up your arms and body through the impact zone. This is something Tiger Woods and Scottie Scheffler do incredibly effectively.
Setup
- Loop a resistance band around a stable anchor at head height or higher.
- Grab the end of the band with your trail arm and stand perpendicular to the anchor point.
- Bend your trail elbow to about 90 degrees.
- Bump your hips forward and assume an “impact position” with most of your weight on your front foot.
- Hinge slightly at the hips. Make sure you have a firm grip on the handle or end loop of the resistance band.
Execution
- With your trail elbow pinned near your trail hip, extend your arm down toward the ground as if delivering the golf club to the ball.
- Rotate your front hip out of the way as you extend your arm downward.
- In a controlled manner, return your trail arm to the starting position.
- Repeat with the other side of your body.
- Do 2 sets of 8-10 reps on each side.
Ball Strikers Tips
I recommend trying to mimic your striking position as much as possible. Imagine a ball on the ground in front of you and try to strike it while only using your trail arm. You will notice how active your triceps is during the motion.
- Adjust the height of the anchor point. Everyone strikes the ball different. You will need to find the right anchor point height to feel like you are mimicking your swing.
- Get a thicker band. You might be surprised at you triceps strength in this exercise. Get a heavier band if it is too easy.
4. Banded Wood Chops
Banded Wood Chops can add incredible strength to the rotational muscles of your core. Wood Chops are one of the most functional movements you can perform to improve your golf swing. They not only help your golf swing, but they support how you actually move in real life.
There are many ways to perform a Banded Wood Chop. You can perform them standing, kneeling, or half kneeling. You can perform them high to low, low to high, or anywhere in-between. The trick is to find where it is comfortable for you.
I personally prefer high to low Banded Wood Chops from a half kneeling position.
Here is how to perform Banded Wood Chops:
Setup
- Loop a resistance band around a stable anchor point at your chosen height.
- Grab the end of the band with both hands and stand perpendicular to the anchor point.
- Move away from the anchor point until you feel some tension in the band.
- Take your chosen position (standing, kneeling, half-kneeling) and interlock your fingers to secure your grip.
Execution
- With stable shoulder blades, extend your arms towards the anchor point with your elbows slightly bent. Allow you torso to twist to keep your hands in front of your chest.
- While rotating your torso, move your hands diagonally from high to low, low to high, or whatever your chosen path is.
- Slowly return your hands back to the starting point near the anchor along the same path.
- Repeat with the other side of your body.
- Aim for 2 sets of 10-12 reps on each side
Banded Wood Chops Tips
If you don’t know which resistance band to use, start off with the thinnest one. Rotational movements like the Banded Wood Chops look easy and simple, but you don’t want to load your spine with too much weight before it is ready. Here are some good tips:
- Rotate your trunk. Focus on keeping your hands in front of your chest. It is easy to start using your arms to perform the movement.
- Try variations. If one variation doesn’t feel quite right, try another. You can move the anchor point up and down, or perform them standing, kneeling, or half kneeling.
5. The Pallof Press
The Pallof Press is my favorite for engaging your rotational core muscles without performing a rotational movement. It teaches your body how to remain stable under a rotational load – exactly what you want for golf. It is one of the most functional exercises for loading your core, staying stable, and delivering a powerful swing.
Here is how to perform the Paloff Press:
Setup
- Loop a resistance band around a stable anchor point near chest height.
- Grab the end of the band with both hands and stand perpendicular to the anchor point.
- Interlock your fingers to secure your grip and hold the band in the center of your chest.
- Take small side steps away from the anchor point until there is tension in the band.
Execution
- Squeeze the resistance band between the palms of your hands and extend your fingers
- With stable shoulder blades, extend your arms forward as far as possible.
- Resist the band as it pulls you towards the anchor point. Do not let your torso or hips twist.
- Slowly return the band back to your chest while keeping your shoulders stable.
- Repeat with the other side of your body.
- Shoot for 3 sets of 12-15 reps on each side
Paloff Press Tips
If you feel like the Paloff Press is too easy, there are a couple ways to make it more difficult. First, you can move farther away from the anchor point to create more tension in the band. You can only do that for so long before disaster would strike, however. Second, you could use a thicker resistance band.
Here are some other good tips:
- Extend your arms all the way. The biggest load on your core will be when your arms are extended all the way. Don’t cheat yourself by keeping your elbows bent.
- Focus on your core. You want your core to remain stable through the entire motion.
Final Tips and Thoughts
These golf-specific resistance band exercises are designed to help you move better and move powerfully. It may not seem like much, but you will notice improvements when you start exercising in a golf-specific way. You will get a great full body workout and notice some gains on the golf course. Resistance band exercises are a great low-impact way to help your golf game.
Always consult with a fitness professional or a trainer to ensure you’re performing exercises correctly and to tailor a workout plan that suits your individual needs and goals.
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Jacob is a Professional Engineer, professional gym-goer, and golf enthusiast. He is obsessed with golf-specific fitness, golf simulators, and hitting long drives.