This is me, deadlifting in my garage
The second best exercise for golfers is the deadlift.
In the past, I used to rank the deadlift as the best exercise for golfers because of how many muscle groups it trains.
However, it does not drive strength gains as much as the squat, which I now regard as the best exercise for golfers.
With that said, it is indeed a close second.
Every golfer who is serious about increasing their golf swing speed and adding distance of the tee should include the deadlift in their fitness program.
This is also the case with golfers of a certain age who want to build strength and continue playing golf into their 80s and beyond.
If you had the opportunity to read my article regarding the muscles used in the golf swing, you’ll understand why the deadlift is so critical.
The deadlift trains the body from the feet all the way up to the traps and out to the forearms.
The key muscles that the deadlift trains are the hamstrings, glutes, lower back, abs and lats.
How to train the deadlift
We train the deadlift a bit differently than most exercises.
When the weight starts to get heavy with this exercise, it produces significant stress on the body… more so than any other exercise.
Therefore, starting out, when only train the deadlift with one working set of five reps after we complete our warm-up sets.
At the beginning of a novice strength training program as developed by Mark Rippetoe at Starting Strength, we start out with conservative weights.
Over the first couple of weeks of training, we are simply learning the movement patterns and focusing on our form.
Therefore, within the context of a novice training program, we train three days per week, with at least a day off in between workouts.
Over the first few weeks, we train the deadlift each workout, and we add weight to the bar for each workout.
After about a month of training, the weight on the bar for the deadlift should be higher than for the other three exercises you would train, i.e., the squat, bench press and overhead press.
This is why it becomes much more stressful on the body.
Therefore, after about a month, we will stop training the deadlift every workout, and alternate it with another pulling exercise, such as a power clean, pull-ups, lat pulldowns or bent over row.
Eventually, after a few months, we may only train it once per week, or with one heavy session and one light session.
Here is a sample deadlift workout for a novice trainee…
Set 1 – 5 reps at a light weight, say 95 pounds
Set 2 – 115 pounds, 3 reps
Set 3 – 135 pounds, 1 rep
Set 4 – 155 pounds, 1 rep
Set 5, 175 pounds, 1 rep
Set 6 – 185 pounds, 5 reps – this is your working set
In between the warm up sets, you only rest the amount of time it takes to change the weight on the bar.
Then, between your last warm up set and your working set, rest about two minutes.
Each workout, you’ll then add 5 to 10 pounds.
The very first workout you have training the deadlift should be with a very conservative weight.
There should be no stress whatsoever for the first few workouts, and you may be able to add 10 to 20 pounds.
Eventually, that will slow down significantly, and you will only be able to add 5 pounds each workout until you’ve reached the end of the novice linear progression.
Final thoughts for the second best exercise for golfers
Many personal trainers will have golfers avoid the deadlift.
The deadlift is viewed as a dangerous exercise by those who do not fully understand the mechanics involved, and don’t know how to teach it.
The fact is, it is an outstanding exercise that will make your back stronger, and that is critical for a golfer.
I personally have dealt with a back issue for over 20 years. I first suffered a herniated disc after playing a 54 hole golf tournament in 2004.
At 58 years old as I write this in January 2025, my back is stronger than ever because I deadlift.
Do I still have issues with my back? Absolutely.
I can bend over to pick up a dumbbell and throw it out of whack. Yard work can be unkind as well.
However, I am still able to do these things because I squat and deadlift, and I am still able to get my club head speed up to 115 mph.
To learn more about how to deadlift, check out the video below.
Then be sure to check out my Custom Fitness Programs to help you achieve your potential as a golfer!
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