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Returning to golf after a long layoff? Here's how to prep your body

January 19, 2022

If you want to prevent the soreness and stiffness you feel when you get back to playing golf, you need to start prepping your body now. One great way to do that is to incorporate some golf-fitness moves into your workout routine, like this simple exercise from Kevin Duffy, one of Golf Digest’s 50 Best Fitness Trainers.

Duffy’s reverse lunge with rotation is one of his favorite exercises to prepare golfers for getting back on the course. Restore your muscles to mid-season form in no time and prevent injury using Duffy’s easy-to-follow video.

Watch the video below:

Follow along with these instructions:

Hold the club out in front of you with your hands on opposite ends. Step back with one leg into a reverse lunge and rotate your upper body over your front knee. Your lower body should remain stable as you turn your upper body outward. Return to your starting position, then step back with the other foot and rotate in the opposite direction. Complete six reps on each side for three sets.

Duffy explains that the reverse lunge with rotation help golfers to turn with more efficiency by increasing separation between the upper body and lower body, which is key to creating power in the downswing. It also works on mobility during the backswing turn. Add this exercise to your fitness routine to get your body primed for the season.

Learn more about this exercise and many more in Kevin Duffy’s new video series “6-Week Fitness Reboot,” now available in Golf Digest Schools. Check out his golf-specific training to build a stronger and faster swing in just six weeks.