The Ultimate Kettlebell Golf Workout: 10 Exercises For Golfers

Athletes, whether playing team sports such as basketball or football, running track and field, or, in this case, playing golf, can all benefit from adding strength training into their weekly conditioning plan.

Lifting weights will improve overall performance and provide a foundation of strength necessary to up your game. It will increase power, mobility, endurance, and flexibility while at the same time lowering your risk of overuse injuries.

A wide variety of gym equipment can be used in your strength training programs, but today, we will focus on one specific piece of equipment: the kettlebell.

In this guide, we will discuss how kettlebell golf workouts can help develop the power you want behind your swing to increase club head speed and overall performance and provide you with step-by-step instructions and videos to the best kettlebell exercises for golf.

We will cover: 

• How Kettlebell Exercises For Golf Can Improve Your Game
• The Ultimate Kettlebell Golf Workout 

Ready? Let’s jump in!

How Kettlebell Exercises For Golf Can Improve Your Game

According to a study by the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, “kettlebell exercises are ballistic in nature, and training through ballistic type movements have been reported to increase maximal power output and the rate of force development.” 

This transfers directly to our needs as golfers and assists in developing maximum power for our swing.

Strength training sessions should be performed two to three times per week for maximal gains. Perform three sets of six to eight reps of each exercise, with 1 to 2 minutes of rest between sets. 

Because our primary goal is max power, fewer reps, higher weight, and longer rests is the best routine formula for results.

Let’s get into our complete kettlebell golf workout that you can perform to improve your power output, strength, and muscular endurance.

The Ultimate Kettlebell Golf Workout 

#1: Basic Kettlebell Swing 

The kettlebell swing is a staple exercise to develop power and strength, both of which can improve the power of your swing.

1. Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding the kettlebell’s handle with both hands. 
2. Extend your arms and allow the kettlebell to hang in front of you.
3. Bend your knees slightly, engage your glutes and core, press through the heels of your feet, and extend your hips to bring the kettlebell up to around chest height, arms fully extended in front of you. This movement should be explosive and powerful! 
4. Control the kettlebell as it comes back down and swings through the opening between your legs.
5. At the end of the kettlebell swing, extend your hips forward again and drive the kettlebell back up to chest height.

Note: Ensure you do not bend your knees and turn the kettlebell swing into a squat; the real power will come from the hip snap.

#2: Single-Arm Kettlebell Swing 

Unilateral exercises, such as this, force each side to work independently, unlike bilateral exercises, where you can overcompensate with your more dominant side. This is why unilateral exercises are so great for fixing muscle imbalances.

For the single-arm kettlebell swing, you must work harder to keep your core stable and avoid rotation in your torso and hips. 

1. Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, holding the kettlebell in one hand.
2. Extend your arm and allow the kettlebell to hang in front of you.
3. Bend your knees slightly, engage your glutes and core, press through the heels of your feet, and extend your hips to bring the kettlebell up to chest height, arm fully extended in front of you. This movement should be explosive and powerful! 
4. Control the kettlebell as it comes back down and swings through the opening between your legs.
5. At the end of the kettlebell swing, extend your hips forward again and drive the kettlebell back up to chest height.
6. After completing your reps, switch sides.

#3: 180 Degree Kettle Bell Rotation Swing 

With this one of our kettlebell exercises for golf, we will work on our core rotation and increasing club head speed.

This is more of an advanced kettlebell exercise, so be sure to focus on good form and posture throughout. 

1. Stand with your legs hip-width apart, toes facing forward at all times.
2. Hold the kettlebell in your right hand and place it in a rack position on your right shoulder, elbow up against your side.
3. Slightly pivot your hips toward your right and face your right side.
4. Push the kettlebell straight out at shoulder height as it drops, swing it through the center across your body, pivot to your left side, and extend the kettlebell 180 degrees to your left side with your arm. Your chest should now be facing to your left.
5. Swing the kettlebell back across your body and back up to the initial rack position on your right shoulder.
6. After completing your reps, switch sides.

#4: Standing Kettlebell Halo 

This one of our kettlebell exercises for golfers will work our mobility, shoulder strength, and core stability. 

1. Stand tall with your feet at shoulder width apart and gaze forward. 
2. Hold either side of the kettlebell handle in each hand and position it at chest height.
3. Keeping your core tight and torso as stable as possible, bring the kettlebell past your right ear behind your head all the way to the other side until it is now in the middle of your chest again.
4. Now, switch directions and bring the kettlebell past your left ear, behind your head, and back to the middle of your chest. 
5. Alternate sides until you have completed all of your reps.

#5: Full Plank Kettlebell Crossover  

This kettlebell golf workout exercise will work your shoulder and trunk stability.

1. Get in a full plank position with your hands close together, forming a triangle with your forefingers and thumbs, and place your feet as close or as far apart as you feel comfortable. (The further apart your feet are, the more stable you will be; the closer your feet are together, the more unstable you will be and the more work you will need to do to control your movement.)
2.  Ensure your hips are aligned with the rest of your body and in a straight line from head to toe. 
3. Place the kettlebell on the outside of your right hand.
4. Keeping your hips and core in place with little to no movement, grab the kettlebell handle with your left hand and drag it underneath you until it is placed to the outside of where your left hand will land in the full plank position. 
5. Alternate sides until you have completed all of your reps.

#6: Kettlebell Thruster 

Performing this type of thruster, as opposed to a dumbbell or barbell thruster, increases the difficulty significantly due to the instability of the kettlebells.

Because you will need to grab the handles of the kettlebells, the weight will become quite unstable, forcing you to use your grip and forearm strength to steady them. 

1. Stand tall with your feet at hip-width apart.
2. Grip a kettlebell handle in each hand just in front of each shoulder. (The kettlebells should be upside-down, the bell pointing toward the ceiling.) 
3. Bend your knees and drop into a squat position, keeping the kettlebells at shoulder height.
4. Explode through your heels and extend your knees, standing back up from your squat position while simultaneously pushing the kettlebells up overhead, extending your elbows.
5. Slowly bring the kettlebells back down to their starting position at your shoulders.

#7: Kettlebell Deadlift to Upright Row 

With this kettlebell golf workout exercise, we will work our posterior chain muscles, shoulders, and upper back.

1. Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent, toes pointing forward, holding the kettlebell handle with both hands.
2. Keeping your back flat, hinge at your hips and slowly bring the kettlebell down to your shins. Your back will now be just about parallel to the floor.
3. Engage your core, push through your feet, and bring the kettlebell back up until your hips are completely extended. Exhale while lifting.
4. While in the extended position, pull the kettlebell straight up towards your chest and let your elbows flare out to the sides.
5. Pull up as high as your mobility will allow you to.
6. Slowly bring the kettlebell back down to your starting position. 

#8: Kettlebell Russian Twist

This one of our exercises for golfers is great core work.

1. Sit up, holding a kettlebell between both hands in a V-sit position with your back straight, slightly leaning back, and your legs bent but your feet up off the floor.
2. Engage your core and bring the kettlebell to the right side of your body so that it hovers just above the floor next to your right thigh.
3. With control, bring the kettlebell over to the left side of your body, hovering just above the floor next to your left thigh. 
4. Alternate sides in a controlled manner.

#9: Walking Lunge With Trunk Rotation 

Here, we have another unilateral exercise to work out those muscle imbalances.

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, chest up, and shoulders back. Look straight ahead, holding a kettlebell straight out in front of you with your elbows extended.
2. Take a big step forward with your right foot, placing the ball of your foot on the floor in front of you. 
3. As you take this step, bend both knees until they reach 90 degrees. Your right knee will be just above the ground, and your left thigh will parallel the floor. 
4. As you step forward, engage your core and rotate your torso and kettlebell to your right.
5. Rotate back to the center and take a step forward with your left foot, landing into another lunge. 
6. Again, engage your core and rotate your torso and kettlebell to your left side. 
7. Continue advancing forward and alternating sides.

#10: Single-Leg Pallof Press 

This kettlebell golf workout exercise will improve core strength and work on your balance and stability. 

1. Stand tall and balance on one leg.
2. Hold the bell of a kettlebell between both hands at your sternum.
3. Engage your core and extend your arms straight out in front of you.
4. Hold the kettlebell in the extended position for 2-3 seconds. 
5. Slowly bring the kettlebell back into your sternum. 
6. Complete your reps and then switch legs.

There you have it: a complete kettlebell golf workout for your next trip to the gym! 

For more of our golf workouts, check out our complete strength training session for golfers here.