The Functional Squat Drill teaches you exactly what proper posture feels like while activating the correct muscles for a mechanically sound golf swing.
If you have medical concerns, consult your doctor first — but this drill is accessible to most golfers. It's not a heavy, load-bearing gym squat. The movement is relatively shallow, using only your own body weight as resistance.
As long as you keep your weight centered over your ankles and maintain good posture, this drill should feel comfortable and pain-free.
Begin seated in a chair with your chest elevated. Keep your shoulders back and down, and establish proper spine alignment. Hinge forward from the hips until you feel your weight shift over the center of your ankles, then drive your ankles into the ground and stand up.
Reverse the movement to sit back down. With your weight still centered over your ankles, drop your hips back until you feel the weight shift rearward.
Don't allow your weight to drift forward toward your toes — simply drop your hips back, then bend while keeping your weight balanced over your ankles.
Repeat the sequence: maintain good posture, hinge forward from the hips, drive through the ankles to stand. Then hinge back, feel the weight shift, and sit down with control.
Throughout every repetition, keep your shoulders pulled back and down with proper spine alignment. This movement pattern directly mirrors the posture fundamentals you need in your golf setup.
One Legged Drill
The One Legged Drill develops the single-leg stability and proprioception that keep you balanced through your swing.
Start by standing next to a ledge or wall — you can place a hand against the wall for balance initially if needed. Establish good posture: stand tall and pull your shoulder blades down and back.
Hinge forward from the hips into your address posture. Add a slight knee bend and let your arms hang naturally in front of your body.
Now bend your left leg until it reaches 90° from the ground. As you lift it, actively engage your right glute and keep your weight balanced directly over the center of your right ankle.
Don't shift your weight forward onto your toes — that's the most common mistake. Golfers instinctively drop into a defensive basketball stance with weight forward, but that's the opposite of what this drill trains.
Stay centered with your weight over the middle of your ankle throughout the entire hold.
Again, hinge forward from the hip with shoulder blades pulled down, then bend your left leg. If you need support, it's perfectly fine to use a wall when starting out.
Maintaining your address posture, hold this position for up to one minute while concentrating on firing your right glute muscle.
Many people tend to straighten up as they lift the leg. Stay committed to your address position — stay low, stay centered, stay balanced. Repeat the entire sequence with the opposite leg.
Perform these exercises daily to build the stability and balance that carry directly into your address posture and your swing. For a data-driven assessment of your current swing mechanics, try a free AI swing analysis. To practice with real-time coaching, check out a free AI golf lesson.
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Watch part 2 now to see how you're moving your body in the opposite direction of the pros!
Hinge forward at the hips
Drop hips back
Address posture
Bend the leg 90 degrees
