By Jaacob Bowden

Presenting Case:

Hi Jaacob,

I have been following your program for 2 months straight and am stuck.

I have been using a heavy club (driver with lead tape on shaft), an alignment rod with weight attached to the bottom and I made a grip with baseball grip wrap and a shaft with no head on it that I swing with one arm at a time.

My stats are regular driver 106 mph-110 mph, alignment rod 144 mph-165 mph and one arm with shaft 178-204 mph.

I’m a former bodybuilder that was a PGA apprentice when I was 22-23 years old. I took 10 years off to pursue bodybuilding and just got tired of the ultra strict lifestyle and PEDs that were affecting my health. I was 252 lbs at one point and now am 5’10” 190 lbs. I still deadlift 455 for 10 reps, squat 315 for 10 etc. I’m strong but not like I was.

I have been stretching a lot as well as using golf specific exercises into my program. Its very frustrating seeing my golf buddies swing about the same as me when they do not lift weights (overweight or skinny) or follow any program to increase their speed. I don’t know if it’s a technique thing or flexibility issue. My goal is to swing 130 mph full blast and 120ish normal swing by the spring.

If it helps, more specifically, my workouts look like this:

For competition purposes I have always kept out any twisting exercises that would build up my obliques making my waist thicker. They blow up fast with my genetics. LOL

I do vary the body building exercises weekly or whenever I need to change, I know my body well. Golf specific or sports related movements are new for me.

Day 1 – Deltoids and Triceps

  1. Smith machine seated behind the neck shoulder presses
  2. Weighted dips
  3. One arm side laterals
  4. Seated bent over laterals
  5. Overhead cable rope pullovers
  6. Rope pushdowns
  7. CG Bench Press
  8. Golf specific – Take rope attached to cable put it at position of hands at the top of swing and use my core and hips to pull it into impact position (I feel it in my glutes, obliques, triceps and abs) I do both sides
  9. 9.Get in golf setup position and throw a 15 lb medicine ball into a wall – 4 sets of 15 reps (all golf specific stuff is done as explosive and as fast as I can go)

Day 2 – Back and Traps

  1. Weighted chin-ups
  2. Bent over rows
  3. Behind back smith machine shrugs
  4. Hammer Strength 1 arm pull downs
  5. Seated rows
  6. Dumbbell shrugs
  7. Hammer strength mid row machine
  8. Golf – Hold medicine ball with both hands extended in front of me with a foot on a bench and pulling leg to the left while moving medicine ball right do both sides

Day 3 – Chest and Biceps

  1. Incline DB Bench Press
  2. Hammer Strength Decline Bench
  3. Hammer curls
  4. My version of cable flyes
  5. Pinwheel curls
  6. Regular and reverse wrist curls
  7. Golf – Machine where your seated and you put your arm on pads and twist, pin loaded, I do it fast and as for as I can go

Day 4 – Legs

  1. Squats or Leg Press
  2. Lunges
  3. Leg extensions
  4. Leg Curls
  5. Seated Calves
  6. Standing calve machine
  7. No golf work

Also, every other day I do normal, speed, and weighted swings as fast as I can. Sometimes its a few days in between if I’m sore from training. I do stretching every day that allows me to get more separation between my hips and shoulders. I also stretch every muscle group.

Let me know what you think and what I should change or any more info you need.

Thanks for your time.

Kirby W, Swing Man Golf member

Jaacob’s Assessment:

From a fitness and bodybuilding standpoint, I think you’re totally fine. With application to swinging a golf club, I see some things we can tweak.

First, the golf swing is more like powerlifting…you make a full swing, rest for a few minutes while you go to your ball…

Read the rest of what Jaacob has to say about Case #2 – The Former Competitive Bodybuilder in the November 2014 Monthly Handicap Improver here:
https://www.swingmangolf.com/register.php