The Loop

Fitness Friday: Train your backside to stay in balance

October 18, 2012

Most amateur golfers have really strong quadricep muscles but their hamstring muscles aren't nearly as strong. The quads (front of the thigh) and hamstrings (back of the thigh) should work together in an inverse relationship. If the quads contract, then the hamstrings lengthen--and vice versa. So what happens if you have strong quads but weaker hamstrings? It becomes a real challenge to swing a golf club in balance. These muscles are supposed to work together to keep the body in posture and also provide stability. But if you're quad dominant, the imbalance will make it very hard to hit the ball flush with consistency, because you'll be fighting to keep your body from swaying during the swing.

Adding to the problem is the fact that weak, inflexible hamstrings are typically accompanied by weak hips and glutes, says Trevor Anderson (@TA2claps), director of fitness for the David Leadbetter Golf Academy. The area, which is part of the body's posterior chain, is important for stability and also to avoid injuries such as lower-back issues. The chain can easily be trained with exercises such as squats, deadlifts and glute bridges. Click on the video below to watch Anderson demonstrate one of his favorites.

Ron Kaspriske is Golf Digest's Fitness Editor.