Up to this point we have talked about the major component of a golf fitness program for the improvement of the golf swing. We’ve discussed the ins and outs of flexibility training, balance training and strength training for the improvement of the golf game. We are now moving on to one of the hottest topics and the one I get the most questions about -- power.

We all want it. Hackers and pros alike. It’s what turns head at tournaments and what most every amateur asks me specifically about regarding their golf fitness programs -- how can I get more power in my golf swing?

Basically, clubhead speed and driving distance is related to power production. It’s important to realize that it’s not your golf club that creates power, but your golf swing and your body executing that swing. Increasing or improving your power outputs in the swing is a combo of improving mechanics of the golf swing and improving the ability of your body to develop power.

When we talk about power in a physical perspective, it’s simply the ability of the body to create the greatest amount of force in a short amount of time. The application of the idea of power developed by your body to the golf swing can be identified through clubhead speed. If the clubhead is moving faster at impact with the golf ball, what this tell us about the golfer and his or her body is that the golfer has developed a more powerful body and, as a result, clubhead speed has increased, allowing ball to travel farther. It’s a pretty simple equation.

So, it’s back to the basic question: how to generate more power in relation to the body. The simple answer is to generate more torque. Torque is power generation in a rotational pattern and remember, the golf swing is both a rotational and linear athletic action. To begin our quest to develop more power in our body for increased clubhead speed, we’ll look at an exercise we did months ago -- the seated Russian twists.

This is a very nice exercise to start the development of increased power outputs by the body for a variety of reasons. It’s simple to perform. It focuses on the core region of body, where the majority of the rotation in the golf swing occurs. Most importantly, this exercise is rotational pattern movement and that means we can begin the process of increasing the torque output the body produces with it.

Next week we’ll delve more into power training to improve the clubhead speed.

Sean M. Cochran is the personal strength and conditioning coach for 2006 Masters winner Phil Mickelson. He is co-owner of BioForceGolf.com and the author of several books, including most recently, Your Body & Your Swing. Cochran, who has worked as a strength and conditioning coach for the Milwaukee Brewers and San Diego Padres as well as working individually with players like Chicago Cubs pitcher Mark Prior, started working with professional golfers, most notably Mickelson (who won the 2004 and 2006 Masters, and the 2005 PGA Championship), in 2002. Recognized as one of the world's foremost authorities in golf-specific strength training, he has spoken at numerous seminars and clinics around the country. BioForceGolf.com was founded in late 2004 to respond to the need of the amateur golfer for quality information on golf-specific-strength training. The site provides subscribers the highest quality information in the areas of golf training, nutrition, and general instruction.