5 Daily Mobility Moves for Golfers
1. Hip Rotations
What it does:
Targets internal and external rotation of the hip joint. Internal rotation of the hip is a particularly important ability for golfers. In the backswing, we need to be able to internally rotate into our trail hip (right for right handed golfers), and on the downswing we need to be able to internally rotate into our lead hip (left for right handed golfers).
When hip mobility is insufficient we will really struggle to coil up as well as we would like. This will likely lead to issues with power generation, and other undesirable compensations. One example of an undesirable compensation would be trying to force extra range of motion from the lower back.
How to do it:
Set up in golf posture with your hands across your chest. Place a furniture slider or paper plate under one foot. Focus on rotating your thigh inward as much as you can (internal rotation), then outwards as much as you can (external rotation).
This will help improve range of motion at your hips, giving them more freedom in the golf swing. Even though our foot doesn’t twist like it does in this exercise during the golf swing, to rotate into our right hip, and load the right glute in the backswing, requires the same internal rotation function we are working on here.
In the backswing, our right foot stays where it is, and we rotate our body to the right. In this exercise our body stays where it is and we rotate our foot to the left. In both cases, the hip is internally rotated. This exercise gives us a chance to isolate it and work on the range. A similar function is required on the left hip in the downswing.
Prescription:
20 controlled reps in each direction on each leg, maximising the range of motion.