Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL: The Ultimate Golf Exercise for Lower Body Stability and Power

Why the Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL Belongs in Every Golfer’s Program

Golf is a single-leg dominant sport. You shift weight, rotate, and generate power off of one leg more often than not—especially during the transition and follow-through of your swing. That’s why training single-leg strength and stability is essential if you want to:

• Improve your swing balance
• Build stronger hips and glutes
• Increase lower body power
• Avoid swing faults caused by poor motor control or instability

The Kettlebell Single-Leg Romanian Deadlift (RDL) is one of our go-to golf exercises to build posterior chain strength (glutes, hamstrings, low back) and improve unilateral control—which directly translates to better swing mechanics and more clubhead speed.

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What Is the Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL?

This movement targets the glutes, hamstrings, and stabilizers of the hips and feet, while also challenging core control and balance.

We start with a “B-stance” or kickstand version, where the back foot is lightly planted behind for support—making this version more accessible without sacrificing activation. Once you’ve mastered this, you can progress to floating the back leg for a full single-leg RDL.

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How to Perform the KB Single-Leg RDL (B-Stance)

Setup:

1. Hold a kettlebell in the opposite hand of your plant leg (e.g., standing on left leg = kettlebell in right hand).
2. Back foot should be slightly behind you, just the toes touching down for balance—not bearing weight.
3. Keep a soft bend in the front knee, brace your core, and set your lats (think: pack the shoulder).

Execution:

1. Hinge at the hips, sending them back as the kettlebell lowers in front of your shin.
2. Maintain a neutral spine throughout—no rounding.
3. Once you feel a stretch in your hamstring, drive through the heel to return to the top.
4. Squeeze your glutes at the top and maintain intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) the entire time.

Reps: 8–10 per leg, slow and controlled.

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Progression: Full Floating Single-Leg RDL

Once you’ve mastered the B-stance:

• Lift your trail leg off the ground
• Keep the back leg extended and aligned with your torso as you hinge
• Avoid hip hiking—a common fault where the lifted leg rotates or raises unevenly

👎 Hip hiking is often a sign of weak glute medius and stabilizers on the plant leg side, which can lead to swing inconsistencies or even low back issues.

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Why This Exercise Matters for Golfers

The single-leg RDL mimics the weight shift and rotational loading phase of your swing, especially into your lead leg during the downswing.

It’s one of the most direct exercises for improving:

• Lead leg stability at impact
• Hip hinge mechanics for posture and spine angle
• Rotational power transfer from the ground up

And remember: training single-leg also boosts motor recruitment far more than bilateral movements, which means you’re building more strength with less load—a great win for joint longevity.

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Golf Exercises for Seniors – This Still Applies!

The B-stance version of this exercise is extremely safe and effective for golfers over 55+. You can also use a foam roller as a post to develop an extra point of contact for stability.

Benefits for seniors:

• Promotes hip stability to reduce fall risk
• Strengthens glutes and hamstrings, critical for walking and posture
• Encourages better golf swing control without heavy loading

We include this movement in nearly all our senior golf training programs at Kinetix.

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Where It Fits in Your Training Plan

✅ Use this in your:

• Strength block for lower body
• Warm-up with light weight to prime glutes
• Recovery day to reinforce balance and control

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Final Thought

If you want a more balanced, powerful, and efficient golf swing, adding the Kettlebell Single-Leg RDL to your training is non-negotiable. It checks all the boxes for:

• Strength
• Stability
• Power
• Longevity

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