Fitness & Warm-Up · Drill
A Plank Challenge for Core Strength
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Your core links your upper and lower body. It helps carry power through the swing. Train it at least three times a week. Good form matters more than time. Here's a simple test. Lie face down with your elbows under your shoulders. Lift up onto your forearms and toes. Make a straight line from shoulders to ankles. Pull your stomach in. Hold as long as your form stays good. Start at 30 seconds and build to a minute or more.
The drill
- Elbows under shoulders.
- Lift onto forearms and toes.
- Straight line, head to heels.
- Pull your stomach in.
- Build from 30 seconds to a minute.
Why it works
During the swing, your hips and shoulders turn at different speeds, and your core links them. A stiff, stable middle lets the force built by your legs and hips pass to your arms and club without leaking away. The plank trains you to hold a straight line under load, which helps you keep your posture and balance as you turn.
Common mistakes
- Letting your hips sag toward the floor.Squeeze your glutes and pull your stomach in until your body forms one straight line from shoulders to ankles.
- Piking your hips up into the air to make the hold easier.Lower your hips until your shoulders, hips and ankles line up, and end the set if you can't keep that line.
- Chasing a long time with poor form.Stop the hold as soon as your line breaks, then rest and start again with a shorter time you can hold well.
How you'll know it's working
- Your body stays in one straight line from shoulders to ankles for the whole hold.
- You feel the work in your stomach and not just in your shoulders or lower back.
- You can add a few seconds to your hold across the week without your form breaking down.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Do the plank with your knees on the floor, keeping a straight line from shoulders to knees, or hold for a shorter time such as 15 seconds.
Harder: Hold for longer than a minute, or lift one foot a few inches off the floor for part of the hold while keeping your hips level.
Common questions
How often should a golfer do planks?
Aim for at least three times a week, as the tip suggests. Short, well-formed holds are better than one long, sloppy one.
How long should I hold a plank for golf?
Start at 30 seconds and build toward a minute or more. Stop the hold when your form breaks, whatever the clock says.
