This year, I came to a devastating realization: If I wanted to hit the ball further, I’d have to start working out in the gym.
I know this may seem obvious, but it’s a truth I’d avoided for years. I figured with the proper technique and a little speed training, I could pick up some swing speed. And while that is true, there’s no substitute for getting in the gym.
Mike Carroll, a strength and conditioning coach and founder of Fit for Golf, explained it succinctly when I spoke with him for a story over the summer: “Think of it like upgrading your engine.”
For someone who hadn’t so much as looked at a set of weights in over a decade, this was a tough pill to swallow. Nevertheless, I was desperate for more clubhead speed — so I headed to the gym.
Getting started
For the first four months of so of working out, I didn’t really have a plan. I’d go to the gym and work on legs one day, upper body another. It was certainly helpful for getting my muscles used to working out again, but as far as gains on the course went, the returns were minimal.
That’s when I met David Sundberg. Sundberg is a strength and conditioning coach who works with multiple top-ranked PGA Tour players, including Xander Schauffele and Patrick Cantlay, and he explained that working out is foundational to generating clubhead speed.
“Whether you’re a Tour player or a recreational golfer, the principles are the same,” he said. “Move well, get strong, and the speed will come.”
So, what exactly should I be doing in the gym? Well, Sundberg had a plan for me. He was kind enough to put together a five-week basic strength training plan, which you can see at the bottom of this story. And if I followed it, Sundberg was confident I’d make meaningful swing speed gains.
The program
When I first started the basic strength training program, I didn’t think it would generate many gains. In fact, after the first week of working out, I told my girlfriend it was “easy.”
The exercises might’ve felt easy, but that didn’t diminish their effectiveness. Thanks to Sundberg, I was targeting the correcting muscle groups and building strength in the places I needed to build swing speed.
“Even though our program was only five or six weeks, it still had a planned progression: certain sets, reps and weights,” Sundberg told me during our post-program debrief. “The idea is to start at a level that’s challenging enough to create a new stimulus, let your body recover, then hit the same movement pattern again with slightly more load the next week. That gradual increase forces the body to adapt and get stronger without doing too much.”
Each week, there were small tweaks to the program. Early on, it called for more reps, while later in the program, we added even more weight. I was doing the same set of exercises the whole time, and each week I got a little bit stronger.
Best of all, the program was tailored to building muscles used in the golf swing, giving me functional strength I could actually use on the course.
“In the golf swing, you load into your glutes in the backswing,” Sundberg said. “At impact, you’re pushing through the ground with your lead leg — using the quads — to stand up and transfer force through the body. So those exercises directly support that movement. Same with pushing and pulling [with your arms]. They give you the most return for your time compared to isolated exercises because they target pretty much the entire front and back sides of your upper body. For most golfers, especially those newer to structured strength training, that’s plenty to drive improvement.”
The results
Like I mentioned before, I’ve been doing some gym work and speed training since the summer in hopes of upping my ball speed. But after a few months, I felt like I’d hit a plateau.
When I began training in earnest, I topped out right around 100 mph of swing speed and 150 mph of ball speed. After those few months, I could get up around 102 mph swing speed and 152 mph of ball speed — but that seemed to be my limit.
After a few weeks of Sundberg’s basic strength program, I shattered both records. Over the past month, I’ve seen my max swing speed increase to 105 mph with my max ball speed reaching 154 mph. I know that progress is rarely linear, and those aren’t quite Bryson numbers, but adding that much speed over the course of a month was an exciting development.
What’s next
It’s officially the offseason up here in New York City. Although I’ll make a few trips to warmer climates throughout the winter, there will be no more golf in the Northeast until things thaw out in the spring.
Most people hate the winter for that reason — but I see it as an opportunity. Last offseason, I drilled the fundamentals like my life depended on it, and I came out of the winter much more technically sound. This winter, I plan to go all out getting my body ready for the season ahead.
I’ve already spoken to Sundberg, and he’s creating an offseason plan that I’ll stick to all winter long. If the results are anything like they were after his basic strength program, 2026 should be my best season yet.
If you want to give Sundberg’s basic strength program a try, check it out below.
Basic Strength Routine (3 Days/Week)
Goal: Build foundational strength, control, and stability with moderate loads, unilateral emphasis, and minimal fatigue risk.
Structure:
- Day 1: Lower Body
- Day 2: Upper Body
- Day 3: Full Body
DAY 1 — LOWER BODY SESSION
Approx. 50–60 minutes
1. Warm-Up
After 5–10 minutes of light cardio, perform:
- Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch w/ Reach — 30s/side
- 90/90 Hip Rotations — 8 reps/side
- Open Book T-Spine Rotation — 6 reps/side
- Glute Bridge w/ Band Abduction — 10–12 reps
- Side Plank — 20–30s/side
- Front Plank — 30s
- Wall Slides — 8–10 reps
Intro Plyos (Level 1) — Rest 60 sec between sets
- Pogo Jumps — 2×10
- Lateral Line Hops — 2×8 each direction
- Squat Jump to Stick (controlled landing) — 2×5
Goal: Prepare tendons, joints, and the neuromuscular system for strength work.
2. Strength Block (Main Work)
Focus: Unilateral control with quad/hamstring balance.
A. Single-Leg Quad Dominant
Rear-Foot Elevated Split Squat (DB or bodyweight)
Rest: 120s between sets
Choose a weight you can perform 12 reps with (good technique).
- Week 1: 3×8
- Week 2: 3×10
- Week 3: 3×12
- Week 4: 3×6, 6, max reps
- Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)
B. Single-Leg Hamstring Dominant
Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (DB)
Rest: 90s between sets
Choose a weight you can perform 12 reps with.
- Week 1: 3×8
- Week 2: 3×10
- Week 3: 3×12
- Week 4: 3×12–15
- Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)
3. Hip Stability & Core
Perform as a circuit. Minimal rest between exercises; 90s after each round.
- Mini-Band Lateral Walks — 3×10 steps each way
- Half-Kneeling Anti-Rotation Press (Pallof) — 3×10/side
- Dead Bug (slow tempo) — 3×10
- Single-Leg Balance Reach (3D/Y-Balance style) — 3×5/leg
Goal: Reinforce pelvic stability and trunk stiffness during rotation.
DAY 2 — UPPER BODY SESSION
Approx. 45–55 minutes
1. Warm-Up
After 5–10 minutes of light cardio:
- Wall Slides — 10 reps
- Serratus Wall Slides w/ Foam Roller — 10 reps
- Light Band External Rotations — 12 reps
- Cat-Cow to T-Spine Rotation — 6 reps/side
- Band Pull-Aparts — 12 reps
2. Strength Block
A. Push (Horizontal Focus)
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press
Rest: 90s between sets
Use a weight you can perform 12 reps with.
- Week 1: 3×8
- Week 2: 3×10
- Week 3: 3×12
- Week 4: 3×6, 6, max reps
- Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)
B. Pull (Horizontal Focus)
Two-Arm Prone DB Row
Rest: 90s between sets
Use a weight you can perform 12 reps with.
- Week 1: 3×8
- Week 2: 3×10
- Week 3: 3×12
- Week 4: 3×6, 6, max reps
- Week 5: 2×6 @ 50% weight (deload)
Perform A and B back-to-back, then rest 60s. Repeat for total sets.
C. Push/Pull Accessory (Scapular Focus)
- Y’s on Bench — 2×10
- Face Pulls — 2×12
3. Core & Stability
Perform exercises consecutively, then rest 90s. Repeat for total sets.
- Side Plank — 2×20s/side
- Bird Dog — 2×8
- Stability Ball Rollout (knees) or Plank Walkout — 2×10
DAY 3 — FULL BODY SESSION
Approx. 45–55 minutes
1. Warm-Up
After 10 minutes light cardio:
- Wall Slides — 10 reps
- Serratus Wall Slides w/ Foam Roller — 10 reps
- 90/90 Hip Rotations — 8 reps/side
- Cat-Cow to T-Spine Rotation — 6 reps/side
- Half-Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch w/ Reach — 30s/side
- Glute Bridge w/ Band Abduction — 10–12 reps
- Side Plank — 20–30s/side
- Front Plank — 30s
- Band Pull-Aparts — 8–10 reps
Intro Plyos (Level 1):
- Pogo Jumps — 2×10
- Lateral Line Hops — 2×8 each way
- Squat Jump to Stick — 2×5
2. Strength Block
A. Push (Scapular Focus)
Half-Kneeling Landmine Press
Rest: 90s between sets
- Week 1: Empty bar; 3×8–10
- Weeks 2–4: Add 5–10 lb each week; 3×8–10
If you miss reps, keep the same load next session and aim to beat previous reps. - Week 5: Empty bar; 2×6–8
B. Squat Pattern
Goblet Squat to 18″ Box/Bench
Rest: 90s between sets
Box teaches proper hip sit-back and neutral spine.
Start with a dumbbell ≈30% bodyweight.
- Week 1: 3×8
- Week 2: 3×10
- Week 3: 3×12
- Week 4: Increase to ~40% bodyweight; 3×6–8
- Week 5: 2×10 @ 50% Week-4 weight
C. Horizontal Pull
One-Arm Half-Kneeling Lat Pulldown (High Pulley)
Rest: 90s between sets
- Week 1: Light load; 3×8–10
- Weeks 2–4: Add 5–10 lb weekly; 3×8–10
If reps are short, maintain load next session and beat previous numbers. - Week 5: 2×6–8 @ 50% Week-4 weight