Simple golf exercise to strengthen your wrists

Strengthen your wrists and add yards to your golf shots

You don't need forearms like Paul Casey to play good golf - but it helps.

Strengthening your wrists can help your golf game and add distance to your shots.

Here is a very simple exercise you can do to help add yards to your drives.

Take a golf club - we suggest a short iron like a Pitching Wedge. Grip your club in only one of your hands (e.g. your left hand). Let your arm hang relaxed down by your side with the club resting on the ground or hanging down near the ground by your foot. Without moving your arm raise the club up until the shaft is past parrallel with the ground and your left wrist is fully cocked. Your arm should be still in the same position but now the club should be pointing out in front of you. Slowly let the club return to the starting position - don't just let it fall back though - use your muscles in your wrist and forearm to control the club as you return it to the starting position. From hanging down by your side to fully cocked and then back hanging down is one movement. Repeat this movement 15 times. Remember to keep your arm still and don't use the large muscles of your shoulder or bicep to move the club. Only allow the wrist to hinge and cock upwards and then uncock downwards. The downward movement is also part of the exercise - don't get lazy and let the club fall - lower it with control. Once you have done this set of 15 - swap hands and repeat.

Wrist muscles generally respond well to being exercised daily. However, try to build up and don't over do it to start with. Once you have been doing this for a few weeks try increasing the number of sets e.g. 2 X 15 for each side.

Despite the simple nature of this exercise and the relatively light weight of the club you will find this improves your wrist and forearm strength and this will add yards to your golf shots.

Advanced / strong players can add a weight to the head of the golf club to make the exercise more challenging and increase the results. You can buy special weights you can attach to your clubhead. But always remember when doing any exercise - that doing the exercise properly and not cheating or being lazy (keeping good form) is more important than using heavier weights or more repetitions and sets.