It’s all in the hips. In order to generate power in your golf swing, it is key to properly turn your hips. Will Whitlock, PT, DPT at our Spooner Sun Lakes clinic says, “One of most common issues I see with golfers is a lack of hip strength and mobility, which, at times, may lead to low back discomfort. As a result, golfers often tend to develop different compensation patterns in their swings in order to combat this lack of hip strength or mobility.”
Luckily, Will took the time to run us through 5 simple exercises you can do off, or even on the course to improve your game. These exercises can all be done in your living room, in the backyard, or even on a practice green. By focusing in on your hips, you’ll be hitting the ball straighter and farther the next time you hit the links.
Single Leg Putting
This exercise requires your putter and can be completed on any flat surface, including the putting green. To begin, set up in your normal stance as if you are going to putt the ball, and slowly lift up your back foot. Complete 10 putts on one leg. Now, try standing on your back leg and lifting the lead leg. So, what is the purpose of this exercise when you could easily putt with both feet on the ground? It helps train balance, build strength, and improve stability through the hips. Increasing the load through the standing leg allows all of the muscles around the hip to work together and provide stability. Challenging both balance and stability in a single exercise makes for the perfect way to improve your golf game.
Hip Flexor Stretch
The muscles in front of your hips get very tight from sitting all day. We need those muscles to be mobile and we need them to be flexible in order to complete a full turn in the golf swing. This is a great stretch to add to your daily routine, because often times tight hip flexors tend to be a forgotten muscle to incorporated into a pre-round stretch, or daily stretching routine. For the sake of easiness at home, save your knees and put a towel or something soft on the ground. Get into a half kneel position and find something that you can grab onto like a couch, coffee table, or chair. Without the upper body bending forward, stay tall and shift your weight onto your front foot until you feel a nice stretch in the front of the hip.
Hamstring Stretch
Your hamstrings are another muscle that commonly get tight throughout the day, especially if you are sitting for the majority of it. I tend to see these muscles behind your thigh become tight, which may place both the hips and low back in an unhealthy position during the golf swing. Gaining mobility in your hamstring is going to greatly benefit your golf swing and reduce the chance of developing any low back or hip discomfort. For this one, lie down on your back and grab a longer belt, towel, or sturdy strap. Hook the belt around the bottom of your foot. Keeping the leg straight at the knee, bring the top of your foot closer toward your shin. After this, slowly raise the leg until you feel a nice stretch behind the knee. Don’t forget to stretch both legs.
Glute Bridge
Time to activate your glutes. A lot of the speed and power in the golf swing is generated from here. The big key with this exercise is it not only is a power generator, but it also stabilizes your pelvis in the golf swing. When swinging, you need stability in certain places, and you need mobility in others. The glutes provide a great deal of stability in order for the upper body to turn around the hips.
Hip Circles
Hip circles work to mobilize the hips in all degrees of motion. This exercise keeps the hip joint moving in positions that it may not normally enter throughout the day. We need our hips to be mobile and rotate efficiently for both phases of the golf swing – we achieve both of those objectives while completing this hip circle movement. It is recommended that if older patients are unable to get down onto their hands and knees comfortably or safely, completing this movement in a standing position with support from a wall is also a great option.
When in doubt, walk it out. Get outside! Staying active has enormous health benefits. It works everything in your lower body and is great for your cardiovascular system, and boosting overall strength and endurance. You could even add these 5 exercises to your routine before or after a walk!
Are you an avid golfer looking to stay active through retirement? Are you ready to move better, feel better and recover more quickly as you increase your time on the course? If you’re ready to begin your improvement journey or simply have some kinks you’d like to work through, click here to schedule an appointment with Will at our Sun Lakes clinic.