Power vs Strength

I’ll bet you’ve heard the terms “strength” and “power” used interchangeably when talking about exercise and athletic performance. Sure, they share some similarities, but they are vastly different. In golf, they serve two completely different purposes. And as you’ll see, you train for each very differently.

Power gives you swing speed. More power equals faster swing speeds. Power is what gives golfers who are 5’6” tall and weigh a 145lbs. the ability to drive the ball 300+ yards.

Strength gives you stability. It enables your “resisting” muscles to withstand the force of your “motion-generating” muscles throughout the swing. Without optimal strength, your body simply cannot coordinate all the intricate and complex movements required for a powerful golf swing.

What is Strength?

Strength is the amount of force a muscle, or group of muscles, can exert against an external load. In golf, one example is how much force your left side can exert a against the “power surge” from the right during the downswing.

Training for Strength

You ultimate goal is to increase the amount of weight you can lift for a single repetition (referred to as one rep max or 1RM). Speed of lifting doesn’t matter here. In fact, under a heavy load, you won’t be able to move the weight quickly.

To increase maximum force generation—and your overall strength—you’ll use heavy loads for sets of three to six repetitions. The best exercises are those that allow for heavier loading, typically multi-joint exercises like the Squat, Deadlift, and Bench Press (see strength training in the Power Zone)

What is Power?

Power is force developed quickly. Power adds the element of speed to strength. I look at power as the ability to generate as much force as fast as possible. But to be clear, that does not mean hurrying your swing. As you’ll see, power means a “well-timed, sudden, explosive burst,” something like the Big Bang of the Universe. In golf, power is used to gets you the fastest MPH for the club head at the precise moment of impact.

Training for Power

Unlike training solely for strength, training for maximum power engages the time element. Your main focus of this type of training is to reduce the amount of time it takes to apply a set amount of force. Your goal is to find a weight that allows quick movement while also generating a large amount of force.

Don’t worry if this sounds complex now, when we get to the exercises, it’ll all become crystal clear. (see exercises in Fitness)

IMPORTANT NOTE:

If an athlete/golfer is really strong but produces maximum force slowly, s/he will lack power. In this scenario, athletes would benefit from increasing their rate of force production or their ability to apply force quickly.”

At a certain level, many golfers need to focus solely on power training to continually improve. In fact, among seasoned veterans, simply focusing on strength (lifting heavy weights) could be counterproductive. In one study, lifting weights of 70-100% 1RM was shown to reduce the rate of force production, which is detrimental to power development. (9) This helps to explain why heavy resistance training is less effective at increasing vertical jump performance compared to ballistics or plyometrics in strength-trained individuals. (8,10,11) Instead of relying solely on heavy strength training, incorporate two of the methods below to increase your rate of force production and boost your power as a result.