Exercises to Sink into Better Squats for Golfers

It’s no secret that strong, limber legs are the foundation for effective movement for the majority of people. This is especially the case for golfers, who require powerful legs and glutes behind an impressive swing. One of the most rehabilitative ways to build more power in your lower body is by performing squats. 

You’re likely familiar with this form of exercise, but do you know the proper technique to make squats truly effective? In today’s blog, our personal trainers at Get F.I.T. share a series of exercises to target the hamstrings, glutes, and quads so that you can build a solid foundation of strength. While this article might be targeted at golfers, anyone can benefit! 

If you’re ready to sink into better squats, let’s get sweating! 

How Important is the Lower Body in Golf? 

If you ask any pro golfer in the world of long drive, they’ll tell you their legs are the most powerful part of their body. When you hear the word “powerful,” your first association is likely strength. However, there are several important components that impact our power. This includes flexibility and mobility. 

Flexibility, or elastic energy (think like a rubber band), is a crucial aspect of your power. This is the ability of your muscles to lengthen through a range of motions, while mobility is the ability of a joint to move through a range of motion. Both are necessary for you to have power behind your swing, since you will be moving quite aggressively and risk injury without the proper training.  

The exercises we will explore in today’s post will help with ankle, hip, and pelvic mobility. The ankles maintain your connection and stability on the ground. The hips hold the main power producers with the glutes, adductors, quads, and hamstrings. The pelvis connects your lower body to your upper body, and making this separation through pelvic mobility is also important.  

The following exercises will help you get into good habits so that when you do decide to start squatting, you are drastically reducing your risk of injury and targeting the muscles that really matter. 

4 Foundational Exercises to Include in Your Routine 

Sometimes when we dedicate ourselves to strength training, we forget to practice the basic movements that are essential for a functional body. At Get F.I.T., we incorporate seemingly simple movements, such as crawling, hanging, and squatting to truly help you move more functionally within the world.  

Before adding a bar and weights to your squats, make sure you can complete the following exercises with proper form. 

1. Body Rock Squats 

Did you know your big toe plays an essential role in a proper squat? The toes are the root of a good squat, so if you lack connection and stability to the ground through the big toes, you will lose stability.  

Start by getting on all fours with your toes tucked so they are in a flexed position. Place your knees and feet at least hip with apart or more, if it feels comfortable. Slowly rock back, moving the glutes towards the heels and compressing through the toes. Keep your pelvis in a neutral position, avoiding arching your back. Looking in the mirror while you complete this exercise can help you understand how your body feels in space.  

Become aware of if you are leaning more into one side and make the correction so you are moving back evenly. As you move back through the neutral position, you will lean forward into your hands, extending your legs, keeping your glutes engaged, and tucking your pelvis.  

Complete this back-and-forth motion 10-20 times, pausing for a few seconds at the end range of motion in both directions.  

2. Deep Squat Walk-backs 

Once you have warmed up with the body rock squat, you will transition into a plank position with your feet just wider than your hands. You will then begin to walk your hands back towards your feet while maintaining the connection between your feet and the ground.  

Focus on keeping the outside edges of your feet connected to the ground. Once your hands are about a foot from your feet, begin sinking your hips back into a deep squat, but maintain the weight and connection into your hands. Only squat back as far as you can while keeping the pelvis in a neutral position and weight through your hands.  

Then, you will step your feet back into the plank position and start over. Do about 10 of these to start, building up as you get more comfortable.  

3. Step to Deep Squat  

In this next exercise, you will start in the same plank position as the deep squat walk-backs, but this time, you will move forward instead of backward. Remember to keep your pelvis in a neutral position with your glutes engaged.  

You will then step one foot to the outside edge of your hand (if you move with the left foot, you will step to the outside edge of your left hand). Follow by stepping the other leg to the outside of the other hand. Now, you should be positioned to sink into a deep squat. Once again, remember to keep your pelvis in a neutral position.  

After sitting in this squat for a moment, walk out your hands so that you are back in the plank position. Repeat this sequence 10 times, increasing your reps over time.  

4. Deep Squat Play 

Now that you have developed the connection to your toes, hands, and the outer edges of your feet and practiced body awareness of your pelvis, it’s time to play!  

You can incorporate hops, side movements, and movements where you walk around. The point is to build the movements you’ve practiced in previous exercise into variety. Imagine you’re a little kid pretending to be an animal. You may think it’s silly at first, but we promise it’s fun and your golf swing will reap the benefits! 

Learn More > Better Hip Mobility for Your Golf Swing 

Get Connected with Get F.I.T. 

Whether you are an amateur athlete, a pro, or simply someone who wants to move more functionally in daily life, these exercises can seriously help you connect to your body and move with more ease. 

Golfers in particular will experience the benefits when it comes time to visit the green. More power in your swing will get you closer to the hole in fewer shots and with more accuracy. Plus, you’ll significantly reduce your chances of getting injured on a nice afternoon out with the crew! 

If you want to take your skills to the next level, reach out to our personal trainers at Get F.I.T. in Tampa, Florida! Our fitness studio will give you the support, safety, and flexibility you need to make your fitness goals a reality – anytime, anywhere. Book your fitness assessment today!