Few athletes understand the pursuit of perfection better than Sonny Webster. An Olympian, elite weightlifter and one of the fitness industry’s biggest personalities, Webster has spent a lifetime chasing marginal gains. Yet ask him what keeps him humble today and the answer isn’t a loaded barbell—it’s a tiny white golf ball. As Worldwide Golf discovered, his return to the fairways has revealed surprising similarities between two sports built on precision, pressure and relentless self-improvement.
There are few athletes who have reinvented themselves quite like Sonny Webster. To millions, he is the outspoken Olympic weightlifter turned coach, entrepreneur and content creator whose videos have inspired a generation to train smarter. Yet hidden behind the lifting platforms and social media success is another sporting obsession that predates everything else: golf.
Long before the Olympic Games, Webster’s weekends revolved around Bigbury Golf Club in Devon. Introduced to the game by his father at just six years old, golf quickly became part of everyday life. His father was a passionate golfer and that enthusiasm naturally rubbed off on a young Sonny, who spent countless hours learning the game and developing into one of the county’s better junior players.
Few could have predicted that golf would eventually take a back seat because of an after-school detention.
After moving schools, Webster found himself spending lunchtimes in the weightlifting gym, initially as little more than an amused spectator. After teasing some of the athletes, the coach finally issued an ultimatum: either stop causing trouble or take part. Detention forced him into his first weightlifting session and, almost overnight, the direction of his sporting life changed forever.
Golf remained his first love, but Olympic weightlifting soon became impossible to ignore. His natural athleticism was obvious, and before long he was climbing the national rankings before eventually representing Great Britain at the Olympic Games. As the demands of elite sport intensified, golf had to wait.
For almost ten years the clubs gathered dust.
It wasn’t until Webster relocated to Dubai that the golfing spark returned. Surrounded by some of the finest golf courses in the world, he rediscovered the game simply because he enjoyed it. There was no pressure to chase a career this time—just the pleasure of playing with friends, improving steadily and appreciating everything the sport had to offer.
The improvement came quickly. Once a two-handicap junior, Webster now plays to around plus figures, proving that athletic talent and dedication transfer remarkably well across disciplines.
Perhaps surprisingly, Webster believes golf and Olympic weightlifting are far more alike than most people imagine. Both demand extraordinary technical precision. Success isn’t simply about strength or speed; it is about sequencing movement, controlling tempo and striking at precisely the right moment.
He describes both sports as requiring ‘controlled aggression’. Generate too much effort too early and everything falls apart. Stay patient, trust the sequence and power arrives naturally. It is advice that many club golfers could learn from.
The physical side of the modern game fascinates Webster. Gone are the days when professional golfers ignored the gym. Today’s elite players train like complete athletes because strength, mobility and power all contribute to speed, consistency and resilience over four demanding rounds.
Yet if Webster had to prioritise one quality above everything else, it would not be brute strength but mobility. Better movement patterns reduce injury risk, improve sequencing and allow golfers to repeat their swings under pressure. Strength simply becomes more effective when built upon a mobile body.
His favourite exercise? The squat. It remains one of the simplest yet most effective ways to develop lower-body power, the foundation of an efficient golf swing. Complemented by rotational exercises and, for experienced athletes, Olympic lifting movements such as the power clean, Webster believes golfers can unlock significant gains without chasing gimmicks.
The mental game is another area where Olympic experience continues to shape his golf. On the lifting platform you cannot influence anyone else’s performance. The only contest is with yourself. Webster believes golfers often forget this, becoming distracted by playing partners instead of trusting their own strategy.
Stay in your own lane.
Those five words perhaps summarise his entire sporting philosophy.
Growing up, Tiger Woods was the obvious inspiration. Like countless youngsters, Webster admired the American’s dominance and ability to produce brilliance when the pressure was greatest. Today he enjoys watching the modern generation, particularly Bryson DeChambeau’s creativity, Rory McIlroy’s longevity and Scottie Scheffler’s relentless consistency.
Living in Dubai has also transformed his golfing life. Trump International Dubai, Yas Links, Emirates Golf Club and Jumeirah Golf Estates all feature prominently among his favourites. Each offers different challenges, but all provide world-class conditioning and facilities that make practice irresistible.
Ask Webster what he enjoys most about golf today and the answer has little to do with handicap or trophies.
It is the people.
Golf creates conversations unlike any other sport. Four hours walking together provides time to exchange ideas, build friendships and learn from successful people. Dubai’s golf scene has introduced him to entrepreneurs, business leaders and fascinating personalities who have enriched his life as much as the game itself.
Away from the course, Webster continues to expand his Send It clothing brand while coaching athletes around the world. Helping golfers move better, become stronger and remain injury free is an area he hopes to develop even further.
His own ambitions remain refreshingly simple. Reach a consistent plus handicap, keep enjoying the game and continue learning.
Given everything he has already achieved, it would take a brave person to doubt him.
WHAT’S IN THE BAG
Putter: LAB Golf Link.2.1 Zero Torque with Pistol Ionic grip.
Irons: Custom Makino BC2 blades with Axiom 105X shafts featuring bespoke ‘Send It’ engraving.
Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10 50° F Grind, 54° D Grind and 58° T Grind.
Fairway Wood: TaylorMade Qi35 5-wood (17°).
Mini Driver: TaylorMade R7 Mini Driver with AutoFlex Power Sniper shaft.
Driver: PXG 0211 9° with HZRDUS 6.5 TX shaft, shortened slightly for greater control.
Favourite club: The PXG driver remains firmly in the bag despite its age because, as Webster says, ‘I simply hit it too well to replace it.’
