Benefits of Stretching For Golf

Increased Flexibility

Improving your range of motion can be very important if you want to be at the top of your game in golf. This is because to perform a full, fluid swing, you need to have open hips and torso. If you are lacking in rotating ability it can severely limit your ability to perform optimal swing technique.

Injury Prevention

The repetitive nature of golf can put a great deal of stress on the body, although it is not usually considered and injury intensive sport, like tennis and running it comes with a lot of risk of receptive strain. This risk can be heightened when the body lacks flexibility and mobility and is unable to move efficiently.

Fluidity of Movement

Having a consistent swing relies on you being flexible and able to ensure a smooth transfer of energy from your body to the ball. Improves flexibility promotes fluidly, balance and control which will do wonders for improving your game and general health.

How To Use Stretching Exercises for Golf

Stretching Sessions

These sessions can be combined and done as a full stretching session where you perform each stretch for between 30-90 seconds each (or each side). If this is done multiple times a week it can be a very effective way to improve your flexibility for golf.

Warm Ups for Golf

If you don’t have the time or the motivation to do specific stretching sessions from your golf then adding some stretches to a golfing warm up can be a great way to add in stretching into your routine. This can be a 5 minute warm up that you perform to both prepare for golf but also build flexibility over time.

The Best 5 Stretching Exercises for Golf

Bretzel can be a difficult stretch but are very effective at building the flexibility in both the hips and the lower back. Try and put a great deal of emphasis on your respiration rate while performing this stretch, keep it slow and smooth, easing into the position.

Prone Single Arm Straight Pec Stretch helps build flexibility in both the upper body, specifically the pec, but also in the hips and the obliques. If you’re playing golf after a long day in the office or being sedentary this exercise can be a great way to open up the transfer of weight from the hips.

The seated pike helps build flexibility in the hamstrings and the lower back, both of which we want to be mobile for a fluid golf swing. The hip hinge position comes to play an important part in the initial position of the golf swing, hinging even slightly can be difficult if you have very tight hamstrings so this will be perfect for those of you that struggle with hamstring flexibility.

The seated straddle global extension is a stretch for both the lower back and hips. This article will target different areas for different people depending where they are least flexible making it effective for a variety of muscle groups. This exercise can also be used as part of a cool down after activities like golf as it is relaxing.

90-90 Sit is a great way to stretch and build flexibility in the hips, that being said this exercise does require some basic mobility to even get into position, some of my clients initially find this to challenging to perform for more than 10 seconds, or even to get into the initial position. If you already have some level of flexibility in the hips then consider using this exercise to make further progress. Just be aware that if you do lack flexibility in the hips this exercise may be a little too challenging for your current capabilities and that stretching should never cause pain or discomfort.