Why Banded Sumo Walks Matter for Golfers
The golf swing is a rotational, lateral, and ground-reaction-based movement. Without strong hip stability—particularly from the glute medius—your swing power, consistency, and spinal health will suffer.
Enter the banded sumo walk, one of the most effective exercises for isolating and strengthening the glute medius, a key stabilizer in:
- Lateral hip stability during your backswing and downswing
- Posting up during the transition and finish
- Reducing compensation from the TFL (tensor fascia latae) and low back
What Makes the Glute Medius Crucial in Golf?
- Abduction (Concentric): As you shift weight laterally in your backswing, the glute medius activates to move and stabilize the hip.
- Eccentric Control (Adduction): During the downswing and follow-through, it decelerates the opposite motion to allow efficient force transfer.
- Postural Integrity: Strong glute medius activation helps keep the pelvis neutral, reducing low back strain and over-rotation through the lumbar spine.
How to Perform Banded Sumo Walks (Golf-Specific Setup)
Equipment: mini resistance band
Placement: Place the band around the balls of the feet (not ankles or knees)
- Get Into Position
- Stand in a wide stance (sumo-like) with slight bend in knees and hips pushed back
- Band around the balls of your feet, feet straight ahead
- Tension & Posture
- Create tension in the band by taking a shoulder width wide stance, your feet will never get closer than this as we walk
- Keep chest tall, ribs stacked, and core engaged with IAP
- Side Step Walks
- Step sideways slowly and under control only about 1/4 of an inch.
- Don’t let the trailing foot snap in—resist the band with every rep, again only taking 1/4 inch steps at a time.
- Perform 10–12 steps each direction for 2–3 rounds
Key Tips:
- Keep constant tension—don’t let the feet come together
- Control the eccentric step inward for max glute medius recruitment
- You should feel a deep burn in the side glutes, not the quads or TFL (although there may be some)
Why Band Placement Matters
- Band Around the Feet (Best): Isolates glute medius by minimizing TFL/quad recruitment
- Band at Ankles or Knees: Shifts more work to the TFL and vastus lateralis—less targeted for glutes
- For golfers aiming for hip stability and better pelvic control, the feet placement wins every time.
Why This Matters for Your Golf Swing
- Stronger Posting Leg: A stable lead leg (your post) helps transfer energy into the clubhead
- Better Hip Control: Enhances ability to separate pelvis from torso
- Reduced Low Back Load: Takes stress off lumbar spine by stabilizing the hips and pelvis
Many golfers with low back pain have underactive or weak glute medius muscles—this exercise corrects that and lays the foundation for more efficient, pain-free movement on and off the course.
Add This to Your Golf Workout Program
This exercise is just one of the dozens of targeted golf exercises in our PinSeeker Performance Program—a 6-week, lifetime-access golf workout program designed to build mobility, strength, and power exactly where you need it.
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