28 Aug Golf Digest Magazine – July 2021
Phil Mickelson’s Blueprint for Getting Stronger & Hitting Farther After 50
by Ron Kaspriski
“The point is to prep his body for the more vigorous part of his workout,” Cochran says, “and what is required in a proper swing when you’re moving laterally, rotationally, vertically. ” From there, he will finish his prep work by doing a series of what Cochran calls “joint-integrity exercises,” trying to keep things like the pelvis and shoulders as strong and functional as possible—knowing that they can be problem areas for aging golfers who neglect them.
During down times from competition, Mickelson transitions his workout to power exercises. These are the movements that help improve fast-twitch fiber. As you might expect, Mickelson focuses on exercises that boost the multi-plane movements of golf and help recruit more power from his body and the ground—things like medicine ball rotational throws for his upper body and box jumps for his lower body (yep, Mickelson can still get off the ground). Speed is the key to these moves, so he does them using only light resistance.