The Top 3 CABLE EXERCISES for Golfers
A cable machine is a great piece of equipment.
The main benefit is that they allow us to load the body from many different angles and in different planes of movement.
As a rotationally driven golf athlete, this is not only beneficial, but NECESSARY!
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What is the purpose of training?
While there are many, one central purpose is to prepare the body for the physical demands of your life.
In order to do so, we need to expose your body to many different stresses and stimuli - which can in part be achieved through a cable machine!
What is a Cable Machine?
A cable machine is an adjustable piece of strength training equipment that can be progressively loaded (or unloaded) by moving a pin up and down the weight stack.
While I wouldn't consider it to be an essential piece of your at-home gym, it certainly offers some unique characteristics that can add to your training sessions.
3 Exercises with a Cable Machine that Will Benefit GOLFERS
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First, is a CABLE LAT PULLDOWN.
The lats play a crucial role in the development of clubhead speed.
They're responsible for pulling the arm downward from a raised position.
The lat pulldown exercise strengthens the lats and will also improve your shoulder mobility! Both of which are important for a healthy and thriving golf swing.
This exercise can also help us get out of pain. While pain is a very complex topic, and we aren't doing it justice by generalizing, loading painful joints in pain free ways is very beneficial to desensitize and restore maximal function!
My recommendations...
I recommend completing this exercise in the middle of your workouts after your primary strength work.
3-4 sets of 6-12 reps.
Complete it at minimum once per week.
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Second, is a CABLE ECCENTRIC PALLOF ROTATION.
Like I said above, one of the central benefits of the cable machine is that we can load the body from many directions, one of them being the rotational plane.
The eccentric pallof rotation challenges our core and anti-rotational strength!
Being able to produce force and have strength in this pattern is important for both creating and absorbing the impacts created by your golf swing.
Ever heard of back pain? By strengthening the muscles surrounding the spine, we can work to build resilience and hopefully minimize the risk of obtaining pain.
My recommendations...
I recommend completing this exercise towards the end of your training session.
2-3 sets of 3-5 reps each side.
Be sure to LOAD IT HEAVY.
It should be a struggle to try and hold onto that handle - resisting the rotational pull caused by the load.
Complete it at minimum once per week!
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Third and finally, a CABLE FACE PULL
The posterior shoulder complex represents a common injury spot for golfers and athletes alike - guilty.
There are many important muscles that stabilize the shoulder as we move our arms through the violent motion of the golf swing.
These muscles not only promote a healthy and functioning shoulder, but they contribute to the clubhead speed you develop every swing!
We should work to strengthen this posterior shoulder complex as best we can to prepare it for the demands of your swing.
My recommendations...
I recommend completing this exercise towards the end of your training session.
2-3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Complete it at minimum once per week - but this exercise definitley could be completed 2 or 3 times weekly!
SUMMARY
If you have access to a cable machine in training, USE IT!!
It can create a stimulus and give you access to exercises that you can't complete elsewhere.
Try these three exercises and let me know how they go!
Carter Schmitz
Founder and Head Coach - SCRATCHGolfTraining.com
CSCS, TPI
Carter is a strength and conditioning coach out of the Milwaukee area working with athletes, in-person and virtually. Having helped hundreds of athletes, ranging from the middle school to the professional level and beyond, Carter brings a breadth of experience and knowledge to every athlete he works with. He launched SCRATCHGolfTraining.com in the summer of 2021 to help empower golfers to greater performance and longevity.
Carter believes ALL golfers are athletes, and they should be training accordingly.
Become a SCRATCH Athlete today, and start training like the ATHLETE you are!
