Plyometrics have been an important component in the training routine of elite athletes. These exercises help improve their power and explosiveness. Golfers are now incorporating these exercises to help increase their golf swing speed, which will result in more distance off the tee.
Plyometrics are simply exercises that involve loading and contracting the muscles rapidly. By doing this you help develop the force and speed in which the muscles can act and react.
A common plyometric exercise for the legs is one where the athlete jumps from the ground onto a box or chair, then back to the ground, and right back up to the box.
For golfers, there are a number of plyometric exercises that can be performed that will help to increase golf swing speed. The most beneficial of these are going to involve the legs, hips and core.
For the legs, an exercise similar to the box exercise is adequate for most golfers. Squat jumps are such an exercise that is good for less than elite athletes. Starting from a standing position, with the feet shoulder width apart, you simply squat down low, then explode up and jump as high as possible. When you land, try and land more on the balls of the feet, and immediately drop down into the squat position. Perform 6 to 10 repetitions and do two or three sets. If you have any knee or ankle issues, this is probably an exercise to avoid, as it is high impact. Performing these on a padded surface is recommended.
For the hips, a good exercise involves inside and outside crescent kicks into a heavy bag. These exercises will help to develop speed on the inside and outside of the hip. You simply do these kicks as fast as possible, usually in sets of ten. For more information on how to perform this kick, a simple search on the internet is recommended, as the description of the move is too long for this article.
In the case of the core, the most popular plyometrics exercise involves a rotational throw of a medicine ball, either against a wall or with a partner. Another good exercise in this regard is a similar move, but with the use of exercise bands or tubing. Performing these exercises with some speed will help produce the desired result of learning how to turn the body more quickly in the transition from the back swing to the down swing.
One other exercise that will help develop some explosive movement in the upper body involves old fashioned push ups. Remember those push ups where you explode up and clap your hands? That is a essentially a plyometric push up. If you can elevate your entire body off the floor, including your feet, then you are getting the most out of this exercise. However, you can get results simply by doing this from your knees.
Once you have developed some increased strength through regular strength training exercises, if you add in some of these plyometric exercises, you will see even better results.
Copyright (c) 2010 Scott Cole
