Kettlebell Kings Blog

This is Part 5 in our 5 part series designed to help improive your golf game as well as build strength and conditioning. In this post we will cover the Double Outside The Body Swing.

We have collaborated on this series with Master of Sport, Mike Salemi (@kettlebelllifestyle) and Mind Pump Media (@mindpumpmedia), both are great follows on social media and full of knowledge about kettlebell and fitness. In order to prepare for this series, Mike Salemi went to the Titliest Performance Institute certification and completed his TPI certification which is designed to "teach professionals how to increase player performance through a deep understanding of how the body functions during the golf swing." (http://www.mytpi.com/certification).  14 of the last 17 Major Championships were won by golf professionals advised by a TPI certified expert. Combining the knowledge taught at TPI certifications with Mike's already indepth knowledge of the body and lifting will create an amazing series of posts designed to help improve your golf game as well as overall strength.

By Mike Salemi:

Double Outside the Body Swing for Golfers

Think you’re driving the ball long? Well think again. A fluid and powerful golf swing is one in which each segment builds off the prior, starting with the pelvis, thorax (chest region), lead arm, and finally shaft.³  And while the golf swing is a movement driven by rotational power, there certainly is a time and place for power exercises that occur in other planes of motion.

This may be appropriate for situations for example when seeking to avoid overuse patterns stemming from the same repetitive movement (i.e. pattern overload), or when we need simply need to build up a power deficit, and we are less concerned with it happening through a rotation.²

The Double Kettlebell Outside the Body Swing is a ballistic swing that focuses on loading the lower body in the sagittal plane (front to back direction), and mainly incorporates the muscles concentrated on backside - lower back, glutes, and hamstrings.

^{One reason why I choose this specific kettlebell swing variation for golfers specifically, is because many players exhibit a common postural fault known as “C-Posture” - increased rounding of the back during normal standing posture and also the position at address. C-posture restricts rotation, making twisting around a smooth axis all the more challenging.3 By positioning the kettlebells at your sides, this swing variation encourages an opening of the chest and elongation the spine, which is something wise to promote while lifting.}

We are excited to begin our series on kettlebell workouts for golf.  We will be covering kettlebell exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscles which help your golf game by hitting the ball further and having more control over the club path.  This is Part 4 in our 5 part series that will cover a number kettlebell movements which will improve your game, make sure to subscribe to notifications for when each new post is released by completing the form below.

We have collaborated on this series with Master of Sport, Mike Salemi (@kettlebelllifestyle) and Mind Pump Media (@mindpumpmedia), both are great follows on social media and full of knowledge about kettlebell and fitness. In order to prepare for this series, Mike Salemi went to the Titliest Performance Institute certification and completed his TPI certification which is designed to "teach professionals how to increase player performance through a deep understanding of how the body functions during the golf swing." (http://www.mytpi.com/certification).  14 of the last 17 Major Championships were won by golf professionals advised by a TPI certified expert. Combining the knowledge taught at TPI certifications with Mike's already indepth knowledge of the body and lifting will create an amazing series of posts designed to help improve your golf game as well as overall strength.

By Mike Salemi:

Kettlebell Goblet Squats For Golfers

Are you the golfer who hits the ball in every direction except the one you are aiming for? Since over half of all amateur golfers lose their posture during their golf swing, you are certainly not alone. Interestingly, research conducted by the Titleist Performance Institute shows that players unable to maintain proper positioning throughout the full golf swing also are unable to successfully complete a full overhead squat. 

An overhead squat is a movement requiring a combination of trunk stability, as well as excellent mobility out of both ankles, knees, hips, thoracic spine (mid back), shoulders, and lats. With this one movement screen we can uncover lots of useful information regarding where we are likely to see swing faults emerge.¹

^{When a challenge in performing an overhead squat stems from either a hip, knee, or ankle mobility issue, the Kettlebell Goblet Squat, or the Modified Goblet Squat, can be an excellent exercise for the golfer to ultimately better maintain proper angles during the swing.}

^{One way the Goblet Squat does this is by positioning the load in-front of the body, providing a counter-balance for the player to effectively lean against - allowing him or her the freedom to squat to lower depths more easily. This movement will also up-regulate activation of the anterior (front) core musculature in order keep the torso stable and upright, something that is beneficial for most any golf conditioning program.} 

We are excited to begin our series on kettlebell workouts for golf.  We will be covering kettlebell exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscles which help your golf game by hitting the ball further and having more control over the club path.  This is Part 3 in our 5 part series that will cover a number kettlebell movements which will improve your game, make sure to subscribe to notifications for when each new post is released by completing the form below.

We have collaborated on this series with Master of Sport, Mike Salemi (@kettlebelllifestyle) and Mind Pump Media (@mindpumpmedia), both are great follows on social media and full of knowledge about kettlebell and fitness. In order to prepare for this series, Mike Salemi went to the Titliest Performance Institute certification and completed his TPI certification which is designed to "teach professionals how to increase player performance through a deep understanding of how the body functions during the golf swing." (http://www.mytpi.com/certification).  14 of the last 17 Major Championships were won by golf professionals advised by a TPI certified expert. Combining the knowledge taught at TPI certifications with Mike's already indepth knowledge of the body and lifting will create an amazing series of posts designed to help improve your golf game as well as overall strength.

By Mike Salemi:

Single Leg Kettlebell Modified Romanian Deadlift for Golfers

It’s no secret that just about every golfer wishes he could drive the ball further. However, while driving the ball further may be synonymous with expressing rotational power, one element most players miss is first establishing a solid working foundation of stability prior to teeing off into higher speed movements.¹ If a player misses this fundamental step in his or her training progression, movement faults are likely to show up, such the ability to control pelvic posture to be used for optimal power transfer from the lower body to the upper body during the golf swing.² 

In this modified version of the Kettlebell Single Leg Romanian Deadlift, the player must stabilize asymmetrical loads through the midline, while also dynamically balancing on one leg.

By design, the movement tries to induce a rotational torque on the spine from which it is the golfers job to counteract. The player must concentrate hard on maintaining a square pelvis and stable trunk throughout all repetitions. When performed properly, this exercise trains the muscles of the lower back, glutes, hamstrings, as well as those of the entire trunk via a single leg hinge pattern.

Mastering it is best accomplished via slow, controlled movements which once again, promote a safer and more effective transfer of force prior to incorporating power building exercises into your golf conditioning program.¹ 

We are excited to begin our series on kettlebell workouts for golf.  We will be covering kettlebell exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscles which help your golf game by hitting the ball further and having more control over the club path.  This is Part 2 in our 5 part series that will cover a number kettlebell movements which will improve your game, make sure to subscribe to notifications for when each new post is released by completing the form below.

We have collaborated on this series with Master of Sport, Mike Salemi (@kettlebelllifestyle) and Mind Pump Media (@mindpumpmedia), both are great follows on social media and full of knowledge about kettlebell and fitness. In order to prepare for this series, Mike Salemi went to the Titliest Performance Institute certification and completed his TPI certification which is designed to "teach professionals how to increase player performance through a deep understanding of how the body functions during the golf swing." (http://www.mytpi.com/certification).  14 of the last 17 Major Championships were won by golf professionals advised by a TPI certified expert. Combining the knowledge taught at TPI certifications with Mike's already indepth knowledge of the body and lifting will create an amazing series of posts designed to help improve your golf game as well as overall strength.

By Mike Salemi:

Kettlebell Halo for Golfers

What if I told you that one key to lowering your handicap involved a simple, quick exercise you can incorporate prior to any golf outing or conditioning program?  The Kettlebell Halo involves a single, light kettlebell for the purpose of warming up and increasing circulation within both shoulders, improving the fluidity and range of motion of your swing.

The Kettlebell Halo is a circular based movement that takes the shoulder complex through a expansive range of motion, dynamically priming it for the demands that are soon to be placed upon it.^1,2

For the golfer, having mobile shoulders is critically important. Any time there is a restriction at one joint, there must be compensation at another - in this case, when shoulder range of motion is limited, to make up for it the spine will often be the compromising factor. Players with especially tight shoulders tend see issues arise in their swing mechanics while coiling, making it challenging to enter into a complete and optimal backswing.² 

A few common swing faults we are likely to see in those golfers who lack overall movement quality of the shoulder complex are a loss of posture, early extension, and chicken winging - all of which change the quality and consistency of how you strike the ball.³   

We are excited to begin our series on kettlebell workouts for golf.  We will be covering kettlebell exercises that are designed to strengthen the muscles which help your golf game by hitting the ball further and having more control over the club path.  This will be a 5 part series that will cover a number of movements in depth, make sure to subscribe to notifications for when each new post is released by completing the form below.

We have collaborated on this series with Master of Sport, Mike Salemi (@kettlebelllifestyle) and Mind Pump Media (@mindpumpmedia), both are great follows on social media and full of knowledge about kettlebell and fitness. In order to prepare for this series, Mike Salemi went to the Titliest Performance Institute certification and completed his TPI certification which is designed to "teach professionals how to increase player performance through a deep understanding of how the body functions during the golf swing." (http://www.mytpi.com/certification).  14 of the last 17 Major Championships were won by golf professionals advised by a TPI certified expert. Combining the knowledge taught at TPI certifications with Mike's already indepth knowledge of the body and lifting will create an amazing series of posts designed to help improve your golf game as well as overall strength.

By Mike Salemi:

Kettlebell Single Arm Suitcase Deadlifts for Golfers

Did you know that up to 30% of all professional golfers play injured?²

For the golfer who must swing a club repetitively in the same direction for 18 holes, overuse patterns and muscle imbalances are almost guaranteed. The Kettlebell Single Arm Suitcase Deadlift is one type of Anti-Rotational exercise that when done properly and with the right intent, can help identify asymmetries in the body, restore body balance and reduce the likelihood of injury. Anti-Rotational exercises include those that involve an athlete stabilizing and resisting rotational (and often frontal plane) forces from acting on and within the body. These exercises often tend to be unilateral in nature, forcing one limb to work independently of the other; in contrast to barbell exercises where a stronger arm or leg has the ability to compensate for the weaker side.³

^{With the Kettlebell Single Arm Suitcase Deadlift the goal is to teach the golfer how to stabilize the pelvis and trunk effectively while resisting rotation, as well as lateral flexion (side bending). This movement develops the muscles concentrated on the backside of the body (low back, glutes, and hamstrings), as well as the lateral core stabilizers (those located on the opposite side of the loaded arm).1 The strict hinge pattern and midline stability this movement develops further helps set the necessary foundation prior to power generating exercises present in most golf conditioning programs. Watch the demonstration below!}

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