I have been a competitive amateur golfer for a number of years while at the same time consistently working on strength and conditioning. Strength training is obviously helpful for anyone’s golf game, but once I started a larger focus on Olympic lifting, I saw greater benefit. I even began to notice a few similarities between the two sports.
 
Olympic lifts are dynamic, compound movements requiring a proper balance of mobility, strength and speed. Interestingly, the golf swing is also a dynamic, compound movement requiring a proper balance of mobility, strength and speed. Some of the top golfers in the world have made this connection and you will find variations of the Olympic lifts incorporated into many of their programs.
 
Physical Analysis of Golf
 
First we must understand the physical demands of golf by taking a look at the numbers in a typical round for an average golfer: 40 - 50 full swings, 9 - 18 partial swings/chip shots, 30-40 putts, and walking 18 holes. Only full swings and walking duration need to be discussed since pitching/chipping and putts aren’t physically demanding by any extent of the imagination.
 
A full swing only takes about one second, a very short period of time in which one tries to create as much speed as possible. Between each swing, there is also a huge rest period. If a swing takes one second and you don’t hit another shot for five minutes, at minimum, that equals a 1:300 work rest ratio, which falls into the category of a power sport. Fundamentally, power means how fast someone can move a given weight for a given distance where the faster one moves the weight, the more power they produce. While the weight in golf (the club) is not very heavy, it is still being moved for a given distance as fast as possible where the faster it is moved (with proper technique), the further the ball will travel.
 
Now, if walking 18 holes tires you out easily, you have bigger problems than getting better at golf. Seriously, though, if you have any level of physical exhaustion, you will not be able to produce the power you need in your swings. Therefore, short sprint intervals and high-intensity weight/bodyweight intervals are best to cultivate endurance while maintaining strength/power. Gosh, sounds strangely similar to some accessory work incorporated into Olympic lifting programs. Or you could just walk more!
 
Now let’s have a look at why any serious golfer should strongly consider incorporating Olympic lifts into their strength and conditioning program.
 
Strength, Speed and Power
 
Olympic lifters are strong, fast athletes, arguably stronger and faster than those using many other training methods. In comparison to the typical training you see at a health club (steady state cardio and bodybuilding), Olympic lifting programs are arguably superior for power development. While the Olympic lifts themselves are great measures of an athlete’s power, they are complex movements requiring a high degree of technique; therefore, studies measuring athlete power production usually focus on vertical jump height and sprinting speed. Studies show that Olympic lifting increases vertical jump, generally better than other training methods, and a higher vertical jump also relates to a faster clubhead speed. Essentially, the more powerful you are, the faster you can swing a club, and Olympic weightlifting is an excellent method for increasing full body power.
 
Mobility
 
Mobility is the ability to actively move a joint through a full range of motion. But to be truly effective, an athlete should also be able to exert maximum effort through this range. A golf swing puts a high demand on hip, thoracic spine, and shoulder mobility, with slightly less demand on knee and ankle mobility. At a basic level, a golfer needs sufficient hip, trunk, and shoulder rotation as well as a certain amount of hamstring mobility. On top of that, they must be able to properly coordinate the bracing of their trunk during the complete rotation of a swing to aid in power production and injury prevention. Mobility demands of Olympic lifting far surpass that of a golf swing, making the connection here very easy. If you have the mobility for Olympic lifting, you most definitely have the mobility for a golf swing. While the classic lifts do not require trunk rotation, warm-ups, stretching and accessory work of Olympic lifting programs certainly do. Furthermore, Olympic lifters require constant trunk bracing in multiple positions, which can translate nicely to the golf swing.
 
Confidence and Mental Fortitude

I have also begun to draw some non-physical parallels between a golf swing and performing an Olympic lift. First, for each of these actions, the athlete is attempting to move a stationary object as fast as possible by applying a powerful, complex movement. The key here is that the object is stationary, meaning these are not typical reaction sports in which the athlete reacts to a dynamic environment where reflexes and trained actions easily become automatic. Achieving automatic movement is more difficult when dealing with a stationary object and this is why skill training for these sports is designed to make movements become as automatic as possible. While the time leading up to a swing or lift is short, it can seem like an eternity in the mind of the athlete with endless thoughts on technique and performance running through their head. Success in these sports requires both confidence in physical ability and the mental fortitude to stay confident and calm in the face of adversity. While the movement patterns between the two sports are not the same, the process of mental fortitude in a physically complex, “non-reaction” sport is similar. Not only that, the strength and speed Olympic lifting develops will provide a golfer with endless confidence in their physical abilities, removing at least one area of doubt from a golfer’s mind.
 
Routine

Any avid golfer knows that a consistent pre-shot routine is essential to making their swing as automatic as possible. It is almost like an on switch cueing body/mind recall for the upcoming swing. Professional athletes and sports psychologists recognize the importance of routines in sports performance, citing many benefits, including calming the mind and body, providing a sense of control in an uncontrollable environment, and preparing the body for what to expect. The key to routine is that it must always be the same to provide consistent mind/body cues. A further similarity between the routines in golf and Olympic lifting is the fact that the athlete’s routine is very long compared to the actual movement and, more importantly, the routine is preparing the athlete for a non-reaction type movement. In each of these sports, the routine is aimed at clearing the mind, allowing for intense focus only on what matters, and attempting to make the movement as automatic as possible. If done correctly, it can allow an athlete to enter the elusive “zone,” where peak performance is achieved with limited to no conscious thought.
 
Intimidation factor

When Tiger was absolutely dominant on the PGA tour, announcers would always comment on his intimidation factor. He had this impact on his competitors not only because of his intense demeanor and his amazing skill, but also because of his physical attributes. Once he packed on some muscle, he was a dominant physical figure on the course during the days when weight training was not so popular with golfers. Simply put, if you appear stronger, fitter, and more confident than your competitors, they will be somewhat intimidated. It goes without saying that Olympic lifting can do these things for you. Just look at the physiques of some elite Olympic lifters.
 
Injury Concerns

Some coaches think the Olympic lifts put too much stress on the golfer’s body, increasing the risk of injury. Basically, these coaches are misinformed. Olympic lifting actually has a low injury rate compared to many other sports. Furthermore, when implemented properly, it should reduce injury risk in golf by increasing strength and stability in many of the joints involved in golf (knees, hips, trunk, and shoulders). However, if Olympic lifting, or any type of exercise, is implemented incorrectly, it will increase the risk of injury. Therefore, it is important to ensure proper progression of mobility and technique in the Olympic lifts as well as ensuring appropriate load, intensity and volume are programmed based on the golfer’s goals and playing/practice schedule. For instance, a professional golfer with a weekend tournament (Thursday-Sunday) will not be training high volume during or in the days prior to the tournament.
 
Hopefully, this has convinced the golfers out there to implement some Olympic lifting into their strength and conditioning program. As always, if you are not knowledgeable on technique and programming, it is best to find a qualified coach/trainer.