GolFIT Carolina

Bob Forman
Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
MS, Exercise Physiology 

There are 2 things that are so very apparent now after four years of working with all levels and ages of golfers.  One is that they want to hit the ball farther down the fairway or they want to get the distance back they once had.  And two, a very simple way to achieve this is . . . stretch. 

One of the questions asked to golfers who are about ready to go through a golf fitness assessment is, “What areas of your game would you like to improve?”  Without a doubt, the number one response is “more distance.” 

A fairly easy way to improve swing efficiency and gain a few more yards down the fairway is to work on flexibility.  Stretching tight muscles will allow for a greater range of motion and that, in turn, can set the stage for more clubhead speed.  More clubhead speed, as we all know, is one of the key ingredients to distance. 

Which muscles to stretch?  There seem to be some commonalities among most golfers as it relates to limited mobility.  Some of these common areas can play a significant role in robbing the body’s ability to efficiently swing a golf club.  These areas include:  tight internal hip rotators, limited shoulder rotation, tight chest muscles, and limited mid-back range of motion, to name a few. This month our focus will be on internal hip rotators. 

As a golfer goes into his backswing he is, in essence, internally rotating his trail leg (right leg for right-handed golfers) under his hip as his foot remains stationary, and then mirrors this internal rotation on the target leg during the downswing and follow through. 

Tight internal hip rotators will limit the golfer’s ability to do so, leading up to a host of potential swing faults. The first is a straightening of the trail leg.  This, as Butch Harmon indicated in the February issue of Golf Digest, is one way to lose power in your swing as it may cause the body to over rotate too far away from the target.  This would make it harder to rotate the body back around during the downswing, which may cause timing issues, balance problems, and perhaps an inefficient weight shift.   

A straightening of the trail leg could also force the upper body into reverse spine or a leaning of the upper body back toward the target.  This does not set the golfer up in a very good hitting position to be able to initiate the downswing in the proper hitting sequence. . .that being the hips first, followed by the golfer’s trunk, then arms and finally the golf club.  As a result, the upper body tends to control the downswing causing an over-the-top approach to the ball and the dreaded slice.   

Another consequence of tight internal hip rotators is the inability of the golfer to open the hips at impact.  Instead, the tendency is for the hips to remain square, again robbing the golfer of power and distance.  Imagine a baseball player swinging a bat without opening up the hips.  It’s practically impossible to generate any significant power if the hips don’t lead the swing.   

Surprisingly enough it appears that most golfers I’ve assessed are tighter on the lead, target leg than they are on the trail leg.  Square hips at impact are common when reviewing their swings.  The question arises, then, does playing golf develop this imbalance? 

Still another swing fault tight internal hip rotators may produce is an excessive lateral movement of the hips during either or both phases of the golf swing.  Too much movement in the backswing is known as a sway and during the downswing, slide.   

Lack of deceleration of the hips, laterally, during the downswing will not allow for an efficient transfer of energy up to the next segment or the trunk of the golfer.  This moving foundation interferes with the kinematic sequence and reduces the power output potential.   

A golfer’s ability to get into a good hitting position at the top of the backswing, and the inability to stop the lateral movement and open up the hips at impact could be directly related to tight internal hip rotators.  It’s a very common muscle deficiency that should be assessed and addressed for better ball striking. 

What to do?  A regular stretching program which includes isolated stretches for the internal hip rotators will go a long way in improving your golf swing.  The key word here is regular meaning all year round.  Here are a couple of good stretches you may want to try. 

Knee Drops

Reverse Clam
Lie on your side with knees bent.  Keep your knees touching as you slowly raise and lower your top foot as high as comfort permits.  Do not hold the stretch at the top and be fluid in your movements.  Repeat 15 to 20x and then roll over to the other side and repeat.  Remember to breathe normally.  More than likely, you’ll feel this on the side of the hip.   

Next month I’ll talk about some of the other areas mentioned that most golfers should address to improve swing efficiency and distance.