Spring is just around the corner, and for golfers across the country, that means one thing: it's time to dust off the clubs and prepare for another season on the course. But here's what separates golfers who start the season strong from those who spend the first few rounds shaking off rust—a dedicated pre-season fitness routine that prepares your body for the unique demands of the golf swing.
The good news? You don't need an expensive gym membership or fancy equipment to get your body golf-ready. This comprehensive 3-week pre-season fitness plan is designed specifically for golf practice at home, targeting the mobility, strength, and flexibility you need to play your best golf from day one. Even better, we'll show you how to blend these workouts with light putting drills and chipping practice to maintain your touch while building your physical foundation.
According to the PGA's fitness guidelines, golfers who incorporate regular physical training into their routines see measurable improvements in both distance and consistency. This isn't about becoming a gym rat—it's about functional movement patterns that translate directly to better golf.
Why Pre-Season Golf Fitness Matters More Than You Think
The golf swing is one of the most complex athletic movements in sports. In less than two seconds, your body rotates through multiple planes of motion while generating tremendous clubhead speed. Without proper preparation, this places significant stress on your spine, hips, and shoulders—the three areas most commonly injured in recreational golfers.
Research from the Mayo Clinic indicates that the majority of golf injuries stem from overuse and poor conditioning rather than acute trauma. The solution isn't to swing easier—it's to prepare your body to handle the demands of a full golf swing repeated dozens of times per round.
A well-designed golf fitness at home program addresses three critical areas:
- Mobility: The ability to move your joints through their full range of motion, particularly in the hips, thoracic spine, and shoulders
- Stability: Core strength and balance that allows you to maintain your posture throughout the swing
- Power: The ability to generate and transfer force efficiently from the ground up through the ball
This pre-season golf workout plan addresses all three components progressively over three weeks, building a foundation that will serve you throughout the entire season.
Program Overview: What You'll Need
One of the best aspects of this golf training at home program is its minimal equipment requirements. Here's everything you need:
- A yoga mat or carpeted area
- A resistance band (medium tension)
- A golf club (any club works for movement drills)
- A putting mat or chipping mat for skill maintenance (we recommend the Chiputt Mat for its versatility)
- A few golf balls
- A foam roller (optional but recommended)
The workouts are designed to take 25-35 minutes, making them easy to fit into your morning routine or evening wind-down. Each week builds on the previous one, so consistency is key—aim for at least four sessions per week for optimal results.
Week 1: Foundation and Mobility
The first week focuses on golf mobility exercises that restore range of motion and prepare your body for more demanding work. Many golfers, especially those who spend long hours at a desk, have developed restrictions that limit their ability to make a full shoulder turn or maintain posture through impact.
Daily Mobility Routine (15 minutes)
1. Hip 90/90 Stretch
Sit on the floor with both legs bent at 90-degree angles—one in front and one to the side. Keeping your chest tall, lean forward over your front leg until you feel a stretch in your hip. Hold for 30 seconds, then rotate to switch leg positions. Complete 3 sets on each side.
This stretch targets the hip internal and external rotation essential for a powerful weight transfer in your downswing.
2. Thoracic Spine Rotations
Get on all fours, then sit back toward your heels. Place one hand behind your head and rotate that elbow toward the ceiling while keeping your hips stable. Return slowly and repeat. Complete 10 rotations per side for 2 sets.
Limited thoracic mobility is one of the most common swing faults—this exercise directly addresses the "X-factor" separation between your upper and lower body.
3. World's Greatest Stretch
Step into a deep lunge position. Place your same-side hand on the ground inside your front foot, then rotate your opposite arm toward the ceiling. Hold for 3 breaths, then switch sides. Complete 5 per side.
4. Shoulder Wall Slides
Stand with your back against a wall, arms bent at 90 degrees like a goalpost. Slowly slide your arms up the wall while maintaining contact with your elbows and wrists. Lower and repeat for 15 repetitions.
Strength Circuit (15 minutes, 3x per week)
1. Glute Bridges
Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Push through your heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling, squeezing your glutes at the top. Hold for 2 seconds and lower. Complete 3 sets of 15.
2. Dead Bugs
Lie on your back with arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees. Slowly lower one arm overhead while extending the opposite leg, keeping your lower back pressed into the floor. Return and repeat on the other side. Complete 3 sets of 10 per side.
3. Bird Dogs
From all fours, extend one arm forward and the opposite leg backward simultaneously. Hold for 3 seconds, focusing on keeping your hips level. Complete 3 sets of 8 per side.
Week 1 Touch Training: Light Putting Practice
Here's a crucial element that many fitness programs miss: golf fitness is ultimately about playing better golf. You don't want to build strength and mobility only to lose touch with your clubs during the process.
After each workout session, spend 5-10 minutes on your best putting mat working on feel and tempo. The Chiputt Mat is perfect for this purpose—its tour-grade surface provides realistic feedback that keeps your stroke sharp while your body recovers.
Keep it simple during Week 1:
- 20 putts from 3 feet, focusing on a smooth stroke
- 15 putts from 6 feet, working on speed control
- 10 lag putts from 15+ feet, developing distance feel
This putting drill at home routine serves double duty: it maintains your touch while providing a meditative cool-down after your fitness work.
Week 2: Building Stability and Control
With improved mobility from Week 1, we now focus on stability—the ability to control your body through the dynamic movements of the golf swing. This week introduces more challenging exercises that build the core strength essential for consistent ball-striking.
Enhanced Mobility Routine (10 minutes)
Continue the Week 1 mobility exercises but reduce the time spent on each. Your body should now move more freely, requiring less time to achieve the same range of motion.
Stability Circuit (20 minutes, 4x per week)
1. Single-Leg Romanian Deadlifts
Stand on one leg with a slight knee bend. Hinge forward at the hips while extending your free leg behind you for balance. Return to standing and repeat. Complete 3 sets of 10 per leg.
This exercise builds the single-leg stability crucial for maintaining your spine angle through impact.
2. Pallof Press
Anchor a resistance band at chest height. Stand perpendicular to the anchor point, holding the band at your chest. Press the band straight out in front of you, resisting the rotational pull. Hold for 3 seconds and return. Complete 3 sets of 12 per side.
The Pallof press develops the anti-rotation core strength that prevents early extension and maintains posture through the hitting zone.
3. Side Planks with Rotation
Start in a side plank position on your elbow. Reach your top arm under your body, rotating your torso, then extend it toward the ceiling. Complete 3 sets of 8 per side.
4. Split Squats
Step one foot back into a lunge position with your rear foot elevated on a couch or step. Lower your back knee toward the ground while keeping your front knee tracking over your toes. Complete 3 sets of 10 per leg.
5. Resistance Band Pull-Aparts
Hold a resistance band with arms extended in front of you at shoulder height. Pull the band apart by squeezing your shoulder blades together. Control the return. Complete 3 sets of 15.
Week 2 Touch Training: Adding Chipping
With your body adapting to the fitness demands, it's time to expand your golf drill at home routine to include chipping practice. The combination of putt and chip work keeps both aspects of your short game sharp.
The Chiputt Mat excels here because it accommodates both putting and chipping—you're not limited to just rolling the ball. After your workout:
- 10 minutes of putting (same routine as Week 1)
- 5 minutes of easy chip shots, focusing on crisp contact
- 5 minutes of chip and putt combinations—chip onto the mat and finish with a putt
This putting drill at home and chipping combination is exactly what touring professionals do to maintain feel during their fitness work. As noted in Golf Digest's analysis of professional practice routines, the best players never separate physical training from skill maintenance.
Week 3: Power and Integration
The final week introduces power development while integrating all the mobility and stability work from the previous two weeks. These exercises more closely mimic the explosive nature of the golf swing.
Dynamic Warm-Up (5 minutes)
Before each session, perform:
- 20 jumping jacks
- 10 bodyweight squats
- 10 arm circles in each direction
- 5 hip circles per leg
Power Circuit (25 minutes, 4x per week)
1. Medicine Ball Rotational Throws (or Shadow Swings with Band)
If you have a medicine ball and a wall, perform rotational throws mimicking your golf swing. Without a medicine ball, attach a resistance band to a door anchor at hip height and perform explosive rotational movements. Complete 3 sets of 8 per side.
2. Squat Jumps
Lower into a squat position, then explosively jump as high as possible. Land softly and immediately lower into the next rep. Complete 3 sets of 8.
According to Golf.com's fitness experts, lower body power is directly correlated with clubhead speed—these explosive movements build the fast-twitch muscle fibers that generate distance.
3. Push-Up to Rotation
Perform a push-up, then at the top, rotate your body and extend one arm toward the ceiling. Return, perform another push-up, and rotate to the other side. Complete 3 sets of 10 total.
4. Single-Leg Box Jumps (or Step-Ups)
If you have a stable elevated surface, perform single-leg step-ups with an explosive drive through your heel. Land softly and step down. Complete 3 sets of 8 per leg.
5. Plank with Shoulder Taps
In a push-up position, alternate tapping each shoulder with the opposite hand while keeping your hips as stable as possible. Complete 3 sets of 20 taps total.
6. Speed Squats
Perform bodyweight squats as quickly as possible while maintaining good form. Focus on explosive movement in both directions. Complete 3 sets of 15.
Week 3 Touch Training: Full Short Game Integration
By Week 3, your body is moving better and feeling stronger. Now is the time to fully integrate your short game practice with your fitness routine. This is where the magic happens—your improved physical capabilities translate directly into better feel around the greens.
After each workout, spend 15-20 minutes on your best indoor putting mat with this comprehensive routine:
Putting Circuit (10 minutes)
- Gate drill: Place two tees just wider than your putter head and stroke 10 putts through the gate
- Ladder drill: Hit putts to progressively longer distances (3, 6, 9, 12 feet)
- Pressure putts: 5 consecutive makes from 4 feet before you can finish
Chipping Circuit (5-10 minutes)
- Stock chip shots: 10 basic bump-and-runs with your favorite wedge
- Landing zone practice: Pick a spot on your chip and putt mat and try to land 5 consecutive chips within a club-head length
- Up-and-down challenge: Chip and putt, counting your total strokes
The Chiputt Mat's realistic surface makes these putting drills and golf drills at home sessions genuinely useful—you're not just going through the motions but actually developing touch that transfers to the course.
The Science Behind Combining Fitness and Skill Work
You might wonder why we emphasize maintaining your short game practice throughout this fitness program rather than focusing exclusively on physical preparation. The answer lies in neuroscience and motor learning.
When you practice a skill like putting or chipping, you're reinforcing neural pathways that govern that movement pattern. Take more than a week or two away from practice, and those pathways begin to weaken—a phenomenon researchers call "neural decay."
By incorporating light skill work after each fitness session, you accomplish several things simultaneously:
- Maintained muscle memory: Your stroke stays grooved even as your body changes
- Enhanced body awareness: You immediately feel how improved mobility affects your swing
- Active recovery: Light putting and chipping promotes blood flow without adding stress
- Mental connection: You stay engaged with golf, maintaining motivation through the fitness work
This integrated approach to golf training at home is what separates amateur programs from professional-level preparation. Your best home putting mat isn't just a practice tool—it's an essential component of your complete pre-season preparation.
Tracking Your Progress
Throughout this 3-week program, pay attention to these markers of improvement:
Physical Markers
- Hip rotation: Can you comfortably complete the 90/90 stretch on both sides?
- Thoracic mobility: How far can you rotate in the thoracic rotation drill?
- Single-leg stability: Can you perform 10 single-leg Romanian deadlifts without losing balance?
- Core endurance: How long can you hold a side plank with proper form?
Golf-Specific Markers
- Setup comfort: Does your address position feel more natural and athletic?
- Swing freedom: When you take practice swings, do you feel less restriction?
- Short game confidence: Are your putting drills showing improved consistency?
The USGA's research on fitness and golf performance shows that golfers who track their physical progress are more likely to stick with their programs and see on-course improvement.
Beyond the Three Weeks: Maintaining Your Gains
After completing this program, you'll enter the golf season with a body that's prepared for the demands of the game. But the work doesn't stop there. To maintain your gains throughout the season:
- Continue mobility work: 10 minutes of the Week 1 routine before each round
- Maintain strength: 2 strength sessions per week during the season
- Practice consistently: Regular sessions on your indoor putting green or home putting green setup
- Listen to your body: Scale back when you feel fatigue accumulating
Your best indoor putting green becomes even more valuable during the season—those 10-minute sessions after dinner keep your stroke sharp between rounds without requiring a trip to the course.
Final Thoughts: The Complete Pre-Season Approach
This 3-week pre-season golf workout plan represents a holistic approach to golf preparation. Rather than treating fitness and skill development as separate endeavors, we've integrated them into a cohesive program that prepares both your body and your game for the season ahead.
The key insights to remember:
- Mobility first: You can't build power on a foundation of restriction
- Stability enables consistency: Core strength keeps your swing repeatable
- Power comes last: Explosive training is most effective after mobility and stability are established
- Never lose touch: Consistent practice on your best chipping mat and putting surface maintains feel
The golfers who start the season playing their best aren't lucky—they're prepared. With this program and a quality practice setup like the Chiputt Mat for your putting practice and chipping practice, you'll step onto the first tee with confidence, knowing your body and your game are ready.
Spring is coming. It's time to get to work.
