Brent Morrison Golf Academy > Golf Instruction Articles > Bench Press Machine Getting you Down?

Bench Press Machine Getting you Down?

By Tanja Grad, BSc Kinesiology

You've heard that being fit and strong will help your golf game, and in an effort to improve your handicap, you've joined the local gym. After months of regular strength training, your score has not changed and your golf pro is now commenting on the lack of rotation in your back swing. What went wrong?

Principle of Specificity

One principle of sports conditioning is the principle of specificity. Simply, it states that in order for training to be effective, it must be as close to the real thing as possible. For instance, a sprinter will only run faster in competition by running fast in practice.

Golf requires integration of all the muscles to explosively move the body in all three planes of motion, while maintaining the centre of gravity. Traditional strength training on fixed machines does not.

Fixed Machines versus the Golf Swing

Fixed Machines		Target Muscles

Works in one plane of motion (usually forward and backward- the sagittal plane)		Golfer must move in all three planes of motion: sagittal, frontal (side to side) and transverse (rotation)

Stable environment- balance is assisted		Unstable environment- balance is not assisted

Muscles are isolated. Ex. Triceps are worked on a triceps extension machine		Muscles are integrated. Ex. Triceps are worked in concert with all other muscles.

Stabilizer muscles are used minimally.		Stabilizer muscles are essential for a consistent, stable swing.

Path of machine dictates muscle activation sequence.		Nervous system must fire muscles in the correct sequence to initiate the correct movement pattern.

Range of motion may be limited.		Full range of motion is ideal.

The Solution

If you want to improve your game, leave the traditional weight machines to the body builders. Instead, improve your strength with free weight, body weight, stability ball and cable exercises. Here are a few examples of how you can replace your traditional exercises with golf specific exercises:

Muscle Group	Traditional Exercise	Golf Exercise

Quads, legs	Leg press, Leg extension	Free weight squat, lunges (in all planes of motion), step ups, single leg squats

Hamstrings	Leg curl machine	Hamstring curls on the stability ball

Chest, triceps	Bench press, Vertical bench press	Dumbbell chest press on the stability ball - to progress: one arm at a time

Upper back	Mid row, Vertical row	Bent over row with dumbbells, Single arm row on a cable column

Triceps	Triceps extension machine	Single arm triceps extension on cable column

Oblique abdominals	Rotational sit ups	Wood-chop or reverse wood-chop on cable column

Deltoids	Shoulder press machine	Single arm overhead press with dumbbell - to progress: balance on one leg

If you are new to strength training or unfamiliar with the above exercises, seek advice from a qualified health or fitness professional. A golf fitness trainer can set up a program to reach your personal golfing goals.

The Brent Morrison Golf Academy is located at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort, 1025 Qualicum Road, Qualicum Beach, B.C. V9K 1M5. (250) 752-8786. For more information on instruction programs for adults and juniors, contact the Academy office.

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