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For the past few months, I've been back into training in the gym and re-realizing what muscles help the golf swing, and at what points. I've managed to boost my average SS by around 5 MPH since last summer. Here's what I've found so far.

Work legs - squats for quads and glutes, calf raises - helps balance tremedously... allows me to take a bigger rip without fear of balance problems. I can't say I notice a gain in what some people call "leg drive", but balance is definately easier with a more stable base.

Abs and lower back - ab roller, sit-ups, hanging leg raises for abs... good mornings and deadlifts for back - Strengthening these muscles and losing a little flab has given me better posture at address and more torque from the midsection through impact... and I'm back in size 30 pants!

Lat muscles and pecs - pulldowns for lats... bench press and dumbell flyes for pecs - there is definately a significance with these muscles in the transition from the backswing to downswing and in the entire area of the swing when your hands are above your sternum. Creating tension between these two muscles starts the power that transfers to the torque created by the abs and lower back later in the downswing.

Forearms - wrist curls and rev grip curls - tremendous advantage when hitting from a bad lie (rough, buried, etc...). I think the actual importance for you would be based on the amount of wrist action you utilize through impact. I've been trying to be less reliant on flash speed created by snapping my wrists through impact, so I don't think this has made a huge difference for me. I recommend stretching if you're going to build your forearms... mine are always rigid and in need of stretching to prevent a painful pull/sprain/strain.

I haven't found any major relevance in shoulder strength or arm (bicep or tricep) strength, nor from the muscles in the upper/middle of the back or trap muscles.

Thanks for the info.

For my legs, I have been doing lunges with a medicine ball and turning. I agree with your balance comment, but I also think there is power to be had from your legs. The turn with the weighted medicine ball helps my hips.

I have had shoulder problems in the past and actually do many exercises for my shoulders for strength and flexibility. I do figure 8's with a medicine ball from above my right shoulder down to my left knee and then do the opposite side. I also stretch my shoulders in a few different exercises. I find these exercises actually allow me to get more turn in the backswing from my shoulders.

It's always great reading comments from someone else who plays the Hogan edge irons. I have loved the irons for over 10 years. I recently bought a Geek Fail Safe 2 driver with a great shaft over the winter and can't wait for this winter to end.

Best of luck with your workout program and keep it up.

I work my arms very hard in the offseason, but it has less to do with golf than it does with the fact that I had always done so while playing baseball. I have a number of exercises that are not found in most golf training programs but have helped me greatly increase my bat speed.

First: you need a partner and a heavy medicine ball. You stand back to back with your partner, hold the medicine ball with both hands in front of your body, and rotate your trunk so that you are passing the ball to the person behind you. Once releasing you rotate you empty hands to the opposite side of your body to receive the ball in the same manner you handed it off. In essence you are just making the ball orbit the two of you, but you are doing it as fast as possible. Do this for 75 laps one direction then start passing the ball in the other direction for another 75 laps. This will build your trunk and obliques and greatly improve your range of motion in your upper body.

Wrist curls and reverse wrist curls have greatly improve my club control and has greatly improved the position of my front wrist at impact. I used to get very wristy when hitting the ball, but now my lead wrist is always flat at impact.

I have fond that I have trouble keeping my left arm straight on my backswing and cocking my wrists at the top of my swing when I work my biceps and triceps hard, but the greater control and power greatly outweigh the benefits of perfect form.

I am a 54 year old male UK golfer & play 2 or 3 times per week with a handicap of 6.8 & i weigh 14 stone. I would like to shed some weight and improve my golf at the same time. How would you guys proceed if you were me?

Aerobic weight training. I know it sounds a little feminine, but it might be the most time efficient and will improves your overall strength and you'll shed some weight along the way

I'm younger (29) and my metabolism is very fast, so just weight training cuts the fat off me. I really, really like weight training both personally and from a benefit standpoint. I'd imagine high rep weight training and some cardiovascular exercise would be a good place to start.

ive noticed a huge difference in my distance since i joined the gym in december i used to only hit my pw 50-70 yards now i can nail it about 110 max and my driver is 200-230 with a "effortless swing" now... i just need to work on balance and core strength... would you mind sending me your lower body and forearm workouts???

Build yourself a heavy driver and swing it 30 to 50 times as fast as you can while staying in balance. I pick up an old steel shaft persimmon driver, pulled the grip, filled the shaft with lead shot, added grip tape and installed a new grip. I now have a 3 pound driver to swing. Swinging heavy driver fast will work all the same muscles you use with your normal swing. In a few weeks you'll notice a big improvement is your distance and balance.

Me...I just work in a kitchen for 12 or so hours a day, most days for the last 15 years or so...want a forearm workout? Try rapid chopping 50kg of button mushrooms...that will get your blood going...

I was losing distance and getting up in age (60 recently) so I joined a local gym for 3 months. I wanted to simulate my swing with a resistance device as closely as possible. I started using a machine there with weights that slide up and down on two steel bars, with ropes that lead through two or three pulleys to a hand grip. There was an adjustment so that the dispensing point of the rope could be placed anywhere from overhead to near the floor, so I could put it high and stand like I'm swinging and pull down with the hands at about 9 O'clock, left arm horizontal (I'm right handed). I stand like I'm hitting a short iron with the rope coming down at the angle the shaft would be. Then I move my hands up and down about a foot or so. I started with about 15 kg (33 Lbs.) and quickly worked up to 20 kg, which was the maximum on the machine, but not enough weight. So I had to start concentrating on each arm separately, although I still held the grip with both hands, in swing position. I built a golf grip I could attach to the machine instead of the ones available at the gym. This put my hands in a more realistic position. In a second exercise position, I move the rope dispensing point to waist level to put myself in the impact zone, with the rope coming to my hands horizontally. This position stresses some additional muscles and for me is a weaker position with less weight. These two positions seem to stress all the muscles used in the downswing, and in the proportions used in the swing.

I knew I was getting stronger but I didn't hit any balls until later, as it was too cold outside. And my swingmate was broken so I couldn't test clubhead speed. But I kept working at the gym. I also decided to build a resistance device for home use so I could add more weight and have more convenience. I attached a pulley to a ceiling beam and ran a rope over it. At first I used water filled containers for weights but now I use real barbell weights. I'm up to 31 kilos in the 9 o'clock position, using both arms to maximum force. I try to do about 5 or 6 reps to exhaustion when I'm serious (except for warm up), and go slow in the negative direction (weights going down). The other position, in the impact zone, was a little more difficult to create at home, but I managed it. I'm up to 20 kilos on this exercise, and notice the muscles around my middle getting heavy stress.

I was anxious to find out what this difference in strength would do for my distance. It's still no good to play here, so I went to a pro I know and used his Swingmate. My head speed, last fall before working out, swinging my *** off, was maxed at 98mph with a 2 inch extended driver. Now it is 104 mph with the same driver and maxed out swing that would be difficult to control on the course, but it gives the proper comparisons. So the increase is 6 mph in less than 3 months. That's about 6%. It takes me back to my speed of 10 or 15 years ago. I know my strength has gone up more than 6% though. That's the way it works. As you get stronger, your swing acceleration is higher but the duration of the downswing is shorter, allowing less time to utilize the increased acceleration. This means strength must increase more than distance. I asked an engineer what the relationship might be, and he said that strength is probably proportional to clubhead speed squared, so I think I would have to double my strength to get a 40% increase in head speed. That means Tiger Woods is about twice as strong as me. Also there is the relation between head speed and flight distance. Various sources suggest it is one to one, but I doubt it. It seems to me that head speed has to go up faster than distance, due to wind friction, but I don't know.

I'll keep working out and see what happens. It's good exercise and I can do other exercises on this homemade unit too. Can't wait to play from the summer tees when they move back. I was worried that my age would mean shorter and shorter hits but it looks like that isn't true, at least for now.

Interesting read Steve... In terms of your percentage gains, I'm up 6 MPH of clubhead speed or 5.3% from the start of my physical training. My strength gains have been between 15% on exercises using smaller muscles (biceps, forearms) and 25% on exercises using larger muscles (pecs, lats).

was at golf galaxy yesterday to get a new towel and it was accolplished players night so i got like 6 free sleeves of different balls B-330, Callaway Tour iX, and some Srixons but my swing speed went from 85-94 just a regular swing but if i try to kill it its around 102 **** that a 9mph difference in 3 months

OK, I just threw up in my mouth a little bit!! You mean to tell me that you wear a size 30 pant??
That's just wrong? How could you let yourself get into that shape? Have you consulted a bulemia specialist?!?!

Of course, I'm kidding. I'm just jealous. I have dropped 15 pounds and gone from size 40 to size 38 in the past 30 days. I've eaten so much tuna that every time I pass a water puddle, I have an urge to jump in. the other night, I dreamed I was in a can...LOL

Unfortunately, given my long commute to work, I don't have time to go to a gym. It puts me home too late to go to one where I work, and I'm pushing closing time by the time I get home. I have, however, just implemeted a running plan. I run, and by run I mean walk, at lunch when I can, or around my neighborhood once my kids go to bed.

Physically, I am feeling better, and my Diabetes is almost under control without medication. What I have noticed, and concentrated on, is my balance. Two rounds ago, I overheard a much better golfer than myself tell another player that hissecret was to always swing within his balance. This is my new "swing thought." Just before I aproach my ball, my thought is balance. With this, I ahve reduced my effort, but improved my distance. Everyone around here charges for swing speed analysis, so I do not know what my baseline was for a swing. WhatI do know is that I am hitting shorter irons into the green on Par 4's.

I applaud everyone for their efforts to improve, not only their games, but their health. Who knows, maybe I'll get to a size 30 pant. Shoot, if I hit 36 I'm throwing a ******* party!!!