Golf Cup Squat and Weighted Walk: 2 Exercises

“To hit farther without losing accuracy”—that’s what many of Lewis Wallace’s students are looking for. Together with strength and conditioning coach Raphaël Puech, he offers two complementary exercises: the goblet squat for leg power and one-arm weighted walking to control rotation.

Lewis Wallace · his YouTube channelFree lesson selected by Fred P.

What the lesson shows

One source of power in the swing is the lower body. Raphaël Puech therefore recommends the "king of exercises," the squat, in a version cup: Hold a kettlebell against your chest—it’s easier to learn than using a barbell on your back. Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart (adjust according to your hips), push your hips back, bend your knees, and rise as vertically as possible. The descent is controlled; the ascent as explosive as possible: Even if it seems slow, it’s the intention to move quickly that builds power. Your weight remains distributed across three points of contact: heel, big toe, and little toe. And what about the advice to never let your knees extend past your toes? He advises against it: you’ll fall backward or lean forward, and your back will take the brunt of it.

The precision depends on controlling the rotation, and especially on the ability to slow it down. This role is played by the obliques, which protect the spine during a sudden rotation. Hence the weighted walk: holding a heavy load in one hand, walk without leaning to the opposite side, keeping your torso neutral, and varying your pace between stopping and speeding up. Lift the weight and lower it back down with your back flat and knees bent, working both sides. Circuit training: eight fairly heavy kettlebell squats, 40 m with the left arm, 40 m with the right arm, one to two minutes of rest, four or five rounds. Stop if you feel any pain.

The Exercise, Step by Step

1. Hold a kettlebell against your chest, either by the handles or the ball, whichever feels most comfortable.
2. Place your feet about shoulder-width apart, then adjust them to fit your hips.
3. Push your hips back, bend your knees, then come back up as quickly as possible, keeping your body as vertical as possible.
4. Keep your weight distributed across your heel, big toe, and little toe.
5. Lift a heavy load with one hand, keeping your back straight and your legs bent, then walk about 45 yards without leaning to the opposite side.
6. Vary your movements: speed up, stop, move forward and backward; set the weight down with your back flat, then switch arms.
7. Perform the following circuit: 8 squats, 40 m with the left arm, 40 m with the right arm, 1 to 2 minutes of rest, 4 to 5 rounds.

Key Takeaways

Mistakes to Avoid

• Keep your knees behind your toes: otherwise, you’ll fall backward or strain your back.
• Let your knees turn inward during the squat.
• Stand up from a squat without trying to move quickly.
• Lean toward the side opposite the load while walking.
• Pick up the load with a rounded back.
• Work on only one side.

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Video posted on YouTube by its creator (Lewis Wallace). Best Golf Tips selects and summarizes the best free lessons without hosting them.