Fitness & Warm-Up · Drill
Leg Strength for Pushing Off the Ground
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Using the ground well means your legs are working hard as you swing. Two exercises help. First, split squats with your back foot up on a bench. Carry a dumbbell in each hand. Lower slowly, pause, and rise at the same pace. Use a weight you can control without pain. Next, single-leg bridges with no equipment. Lie on your back, one leg straight out, and lift your hips. Keep them level and hold for two seconds at the top.
The drill
- Split squats, back foot on a bench.
- 3 to 4 sets of 8 per leg, slow.
- Choose a weight you control.
- Single-leg bridges, hips level.
- Hold two seconds at the top.
Why it works
The swing pushes against the ground, and the ground pushes back. Strong legs let you apply that force through each foot without your body sliding or collapsing. Split squats build single-leg strength in the front leg, and single-leg bridges train the glutes and hamstrings to hold your hips level and stable.
Common mistakes
- You rush the lowering phase of the split squat and drop into the bottom.Lower slowly, pause briefly at the bottom, and rise at the same pace.
- You pick a dumbbell weight that makes your front knee wobble or your torso lean.Choose a weight you can control through every rep, and reduce it if form breaks down.
- Your hips tilt or drop to one side during the single-leg bridge.Keep both hip bones level, lift only as high as you can stay level, and hold two seconds at the top.
How you'll know it's working
- Your front knee and foot stay steady through every split squat rep, with no wobble.
- Your hips stay level in the single-leg bridge for the full two-second hold.
- On the course, you feel your feet pressed into the ground through impact and stay balanced at the finish.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Do the split squats with no dumbbells, or with the back foot on the floor instead of the bench, and keep the same slow pace.
Harder: Add more weight to the dumbbells in small steps while keeping the same slow pace, or extend the bridge hold at the top.
Common questions
How often should I do leg exercises for golf?
Two sessions a week is a reasonable start for most golfers, with a rest day between them. Stop if anything hurts.
Why do golfers need single-leg strength?
In the swing, your weight shifts between legs, and at times you load one leg more than the other. Single-leg work trains each leg to support and push without help from the other.
