Three Exercises to Improve Rotational Power
It’s hard for the body to transition from sitting at a desk or in a car all day to the powerful rapid rotational movements involved in golf. Many golfers have significant limitations in hip, spine, and shoulder range of motion that prevent them from performing at their peak potential and can also lead to a number of injuries (e.g. low back pain). There are a few simple warm-up exercises that you can do before you hit the course that will significantly reduce your risk of hurting your back and improve your swing.
Golf Swing Anatomy
An effective golf swing depends on smooth, full range rotation. Contrary to popular belief, your lower back should NOT be a main source of this rotation. In fact, the 5 segments of your lumbar spine (i.e. your lower back) each rotation about 2-3°, for a total of around 10-15° of rotation. Your hips rotate about 35-40° internally and externally and the 12 segments of your thoracic spine each rotate about 5-9° of rotation for a total of around 70°.
The take home message: Your hips and thoracic spine contribute over 100° of combined rotation. Your lower back contributes 10-15°. If you try to force rotation from your lower back (or steal it if you’re restricted in other areas), you’ll likely end up with a poor golf score and a sore lower back.
In order to improve rotation from your hips and thoracic spine, try these three warm-up exercises before you play:
Seated Thoracic Rotations
Sit down with your knees touching. Sit up nice and tall, interlock your fingers and put your hands behind your head. Pull your elbows back as far as possible to help open up your chest. Keeping your elbows pulled back and your chest up, rotate through your chest as far as possible. Hold the end range for a second then rotate toward the other side. Repeat these slow side-to-side rotations for 8 repetitions on each side. All the rotation should happen in your upper back, so your belly button should never move.
*This exercise can also be performed with one foot on a bench as in the picture. If you choose this variation, make sure to perform the exercise once with your left foot on the bench, and once with your right foot on the bench.
Lying Knee-to-Knee Mobilization
Lie on your back with your feet flat on the ground with your heels an inch or so in front of your ankles. Spread your feet out as wide as possible. Pull your knees in toward each other until you feel a slight stretch deep in your hips. Hold this end range for a second then pull your knees back out as wide as possible. Repeat for 8 repetitions.
Reverse Crossover Lunge
Stand up tall with your fingers interlocked, your hands behind your head, and your elbows pulled back as far as possible. Imagine a line extending backward from the outside of your right foot. Step back with your left foot and drop into a lunge position so that the outside of your left foot aligns with the line extending from the outside of your right foot. In the down position you’re right knee should be on top of your right ankle with that knee bent 90°, your left knee should be bent 90°, and you should feel a stretch on the outside of your right hip. From here, pull up through the heel of your right foot to return to the starting position. Repeat for 8 repetitions on that leg then switch sides. Focus on keeping your torso upright and back flat throughout the exercise.
Adding these three exercises into your routine will only take a few minutes and will have a noticeable effect on your health and performance. Please feel free to contact me via email if you have any questions about these exercises or want more information on other exercises that can help you improve your game.
This article was originally published at GAPGolf.org
Kevin Neeld, BSc, MS, CSCS is the Director of Athletic Development at Endeavor Fitness in Sewell, NJ. Through the application of functional anatomy, biomechanics, and neural control, Kevin specializes in guiding athletes to optimal health and performance. To learn more about how Endeavor’s Golf Training programs can help take your game to the next level, visit the Endeavor Fitness website or contact Kevin via email.
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