How to Build Strong Golf Legs – Wake Your Butt Up, Part 1

Having strong golf legs is a crucial component of your golf swing.

And of all your lower body muscles, nothing is more important than your butt.

It is your glutes (butt) muscles that stabilize and prevent you from losing your golf posture in terms of early extension and swaying or sliding.  It is also these prime muscles that create the stable base from which you can develop POWER.

There is a problem with your butt, though…

At least the chances are good that you suffer from the same butt epidemic that more than 85% of our golfers do upon their initial evaluation.

In the industry, it’s been titled “Gluteal Amnesia”.

It basically means that your butt has “forgotten” how it’s supposed to function in relation to all the other muscles of your lower body.

Your butt muscles are the driver of your hips, pelvis and lower body.

And it’s probably asleep at the wheel!

How did this happen to so many golfers?

Well, you can’t catch it from public toilet seats or anything like that.

Most likely, it is a result of our seated workplaces and the muscles imbalances that it causes.

Let’s see where your glutes are at the moment, shall we? 

The “Grab A Seat” Test

This first test is to assess your general kinesthetic awareness of your glute muscles, and your ability to activate them in isolation from the other muscles on the backside of your legs (hamstrings).

How to do this test:

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.

Place your right hand on your right glute and your left hand on your left glute.

Now attempt to squeeze only your right glute muscles (and no other muscles, especially your hamstrings) for 10 seconds.

Next, attempt to do the same thing for your left glute muscles.  Again, keep all other muscles relaxed.

For many golfers, this test is very challenging.  If this is the case for you, then you can actually use this test as an exercise.  Simply perform 5 reps on each side, squeezing for 10 seconds.  Over time you will improve, and be able to isolate one side of your glute muscles at a time, while keeping everything else relaxed.

After being able to complete the “Grab A Seat” Test for 5 reps on each side, it is time to move to a slightly more advanced exercise for your glutes.

The Hip Bridge Exercise

Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor.  Place your arms along the side of your body with your palms facing up.

Contract your glutes and core muscles, and while focusing on pushing through your heels, raise your hips up towards the ceiling.

Your primary contraction should be your glutes.  You will likely feel a bit of a contraction in your hamstrings, but attempt to keep that to a minimum.

Perform 10 reps, with 5 seconds holds at the top of the movement.

Getting your butt muscles activated is the first key step in building the strong golf legs that you need for a more consistent and powerful golf swing.

In part 2 of this article, you will discover a second butt muscles that likely needs a wake-up call as well.

And of course, I’ll be here as the alarm clock.

Now, wake your butt up and get out there after Old Man Par!

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