This is an easy but effective way to gain power in your golf swing

As a golf fitness coach, the two requests I get the most from people is to stay injury free, and to hit the ball a longer distance. This exercise, the box jump, will give you the capability to hit longer drives, and we all want that.

In your golf swing, you want to produce as much vertical force as possible. The more you can use that force, the more power you can create.

That force comes from the floor and you push up through your ankles, knees and hips. That force eventually makes its way from your shoulders out to the end of the club.

For me, this, the box jump, is the best exercise a golfer can do to develop power. You’ll want to do squats to increase your strength, but you also want to do explosive exercises like this to increase your power through the ball. More power, of course, means longer drives.

The box jump: How to do it

There are a few keys to think about with this exercise. Start by standing with your feet hip width apart. Then bend your knees and your hips down into that quarter squat position. Rather than giving you a specific range to squat into, I want you to naturally go into the depth that feels comfortable for you to jump as high as possible.

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With as much of an explosive movement as possible, jump as high as you can onto the box, bench, or whatever you choose. When you land, you want to have your knees and hips bent to create a soft landing.

The most important thing with this exercise is to be as explosive as possible. It’s not important how high the box is, instead it’s about doing this with maximum intent. If you don’t give this 100% effort, you’re not going to maximise your potential.

For more from Dr Zach Gould, head to his website zachgouldgolf.com.