Annika's personal strength coach teaches you how to go further with less effort—and it works. Don't believe us? Look at Annika's game

When Kai Fusser started working with Annika Sorenstam in 2001, Sorenstam was already at the top of her game. She’d become the first non-American to win back to back U.S. Women’s Open titles, the first player in LPGA history to finish a season with a sub-70 scoring average, been Player of the Year, won numerous Money List titles and earned a whole cabinet full of trophies. It could be said that there was nothing wrong with her game, but somehow Kai Fusser made it better.

The following three exercises will help with just that. Fusser says these are appropriate for golfers of any age, with intensity being the only changing variable. When you try them, remember two things:

1. Do all exercises in both directions. Uniformity of strength and evenness of training are crucial to a balanced body and a more efficient and effective swing.

2. Engage the core every time before you exert. That means pull your belly button in and draw it up, creating hip tilt underneath you and making sure you’re in the same form every single time. This has lots of advantages: It takes pressure off the spine, straightens the spine, and keeps everything together. Want to see how it’s done? Watch Annika.

To learn more about Kai Fusser and his work at the Annika Academy, visit kaifusser.com or theannikaacademy.com

THREE EXERCISES TO ADD DISTANCE

Straight Cable Rotation

This teaches you to rotate around your axis and how to set into the proper swing sequence: hips, shoulders, arms. It also builds strength in muscles crucial for stabilization.

1. Assume a good stance holding the grip at the end of the cable, knees slightly bent.

2. Picture yourself in a cylinder. You can slide up and down and rotate; but you can’t throw your hips or dip your shoulder.
Keep your spine straight at all times.

3. Start straight, arms in front forming a triangle between your chest, shoulders and hands. Throughout the exercise, the triangle needs to stay intact.

4. Draw your abs in and initiate with the hips.

5. Straighten out the axis as you rotate, then slowly rotate back.

6. No leaning or pushing or anything; your arms stay in front, turning your shoulders.

Shot Put

Just like the Olympic event, this exercise teaches you to build strength from the ground up. It also teaches you to use your whole body together in the right swing sequence and finish with a full rotation.

1. Sit down, shoulders over hips, not leaning in any direction.

2. Engage the core: Abs in.

3. Initiate from the ground and rise up with a weight in your hand.

4. As you rise, rotate through

5. Finish with your upper body stacked over your leg, abs drawn in to support your back, and with your hips facing toward your target.

6. It’s important to make sure your hips are facing toward the target; many people stop short, which is a shame because most power comes from the glutes. For a good swing finish, see Tiger Woods.

Medicine Ball Rotation

Another exercise to help you learn to rotate your body and build power from the ground up. It also helps with engaging the abs and with understanding the importance of continuous swing motion.

1. Hold a medicine ball in front of you, arms out; straighten, align hips with shoulders.

2. Engage the core: Abs in.

3. Rotate through as in the illustration.

4. You can do this exercise slow or strongly—the same thing, but releasing the ball toward a wall. With this, engage the abs twice: Abs in, rotate; abs in, release.

5. Finish with hips squared, facing the target.

6. This also helps with understanding continuity in a swing, with power being loaded throughout the backswing and unloaded in a continuously increasing motion throughout the swing’s completion.