by: Mike Pedersen, CPT
Flexibility exercise for golf is a critical component to performing a repeatable, powerful, and mechanically sound golf swing. Senior golfers are the prime target to benefit the most from flexibility exercise for golf. With a declining level of both flexibility and strength, the muscles of the senior golfers are not as pliable and responsive to the physical demands of the golf swing.
The golf swing requires a higher level of flexibility to produce maximum power. Turning your upper body (shoulders) 90 degrees, while maintaining less than half that with your hip turn takes a tremendous amount of dynamic strength and flexibility.
It always surprises me when I speak to a golfer and really spell it out to them. I’ll even go through the swing visually and explain and certain points where physical restrictions can ruin your golf swing. I think the combination of my showing the golfer and explaining it really hits home for them.
It’s tough via an article like this, or any of my websites to get the golfer to understand these physical demands on flexibility (and strength). I can, and will do my best to always explain it in a way that gives you a good visual.
The sooner you realize flexibility exercise for golf is a necessity, the sooner you will see improvement. I’ve been fortunate enough to experience total “golf transformations” with the golfers I’ve worked with.
Testing them before they started, on backswing range; follow through range; initial posture set up and restrictions: I’ve seen miraculous results with golfers. The senior golfers are the ones who see the biggest improvement. That’s mostly based on their initial level of fitness when they started.
That’s why I always tell golfers I come intact with…”it’s NEVER too late!” Never! Everyday that goes by is another day you’ll have wished you would have started. Don’t let one more day go by. Get started right away!
Now…to define flexibility exercise for golf you just need to take a look at the golf swing. Get in your golf posture right now, and bring the swing down into phases. Imagine taking a club back just a couple of feet.
Where do you feel the tension so far?
If you’re really paying attention to your body, you will feel the back of your legs (hamstrings), your left hip, the back of your left arm, and even your lower back. This is if you are a right-handed golfer.
Now take it back further. Where do you feel it now?
You’ll start feeling tension in your right shoulder, your core (from rotating), more in your upper left back muscle and shoulder.
Isn’t it amazing to slow the swing down and realize how restricted you are? It’s a wake-up call to embark in flexibility exercise for golf right now.
I don’t want to spend 5 more pages going through the entire swing, but hopefully you get the idea of the muscles that need to be stretched regularly to release the tension in your golf swing and improve the power you can produce.
The key now, is to start stretching those ‘golf muscles’ we just talked about. Get back in your posture, make a partial swing and stop. Take that position just a little farther and hold for 15 seconds. You can literally do this throughout the entire swing. This is called static (holding) stretching. You will definitely want to incorporate some dynamic (moving) stretching as well.
I hope you new realize the importance of flexibility exercise for golf.