CHAPTER 2
Mobility for Optimal Swing Angles
The golf swing is a multiplane, multidirectional movement that requires most of the body’s joints to perform through near-maximal ranges of motion. When a joint or muscle is limited in its available motion, a number of negative repercussions occur. Some of these negative results include poor performance, increased potential for injury, and less enjoyment of the game. On the contrary, adequate mobility not only helps prevent injuries but also provides a foundation on which consistency, accuracy, and power can be built.
As mentioned in chapter 1, the ability to generate consistency and efficiency in the golf swing is dependent on a number of distinct physical abilities and skill sets. These include mobility, stability, strength, power, endurance, balance, and body awareness. When a golfer is lacking in any of these, the golf swing will be partially compromised. The more severe the skill-set deficit, the more serious the negative effect.
One of the more common misconceptions in golf is how distance is achieved off the tee and from the fairway. Many people believe that increasing a golfer’s strength alone will result in greater distance with the driver. This idea is based on poor understanding of the body mechanics, physics, and techniques used by elite-level golfers. If the most important factor for hitting long drives were how much a golfer can bench press or squat, every running back who picked up a golf club would hit the ball a mile. We all know this isn’t true. Many of the long-distance hitters on the PGA Tour do not have excessively overdeveloped muscles or look like your typical bodybuilder. Sean O’Hair and Dustin Johnson are great examples of lean players who consistently hit the ball more than 300 yards. Conversely, John Daly made a career of hitting monster golf shots, and he probably didn’t make it into the gym very often, if at all.
The body’s ability to create specific angles and motions throughout the golf swing has more impact on producing high club-head speed than one’s ability to lift big weights. Mobility plays a central role in golf, not only in achieving longer distance but also in improving accuracy, improving consistency, and avoiding injury. The one thing that Sean O’Hair, Dustin Johnson, and John Daly share with Tiger Woods, besides having the ability to hit the ball forever, is great mobility. Golfers who have above-average mobility throughout their bodies can often have great golf swings even if they are lacking in one of the other core skill sets we describe in this book.
Having said that, if two golfers are able to create the same angles throughout the golf swing, the one who has the most functional strength (this is different from traditional bodybuilding strength) would have an edge in distance in most cases. This chapter, and the entire book, will help you create both the angles needed in a good golf swing and the functional strength to become efficient and powerful.
Any golfer who has taken a golf lesson has experienced the frustration of not being able to move his body and club into the positions his teacher wants him to achieve. This inability to follow instruction is usually not from lack of desire but is often a direct result of mobility issues within the player’s body. When a golfer has limitations in his ability to move his joints and muscles through full ranges of motion, he will not be able to position himself to create proper angles. This, of course, is to the dissatisfaction of the golf instructor and the irritation of the student.
When any area of the body is compromised in its ability to function through the desired range with satisfactory strength, the body will compensate by attempting to make up this lost movement at another area of the body. An example of this is the lower back rotating excessively to compensate for a loss of (internal) rotation at the hips. This compensatory motion within the lower back usually results in both decreased performance (an over-the-top swing path is often seen) and increased likelihood of injury to the lower back.
The two main goals of all avid golfers should be (1) to play this wonderful game in a manner that will allow pain-free play for as long as they want, regardless of age, and (2) to reach their full potential in terms of level of play. For these two goals to be achieved, a player’s golf swing cannot be allowed to cause injury. For this reason, sufficient mobility is the basic building block that must be addressed when attempting to play golf at any level (figure 2.1).
Figure 2.1 Excellent mobility enables the golfer to create the proper angles during the swing.
When golfers attend our testing facilities, regardless of whether they are PGA Tour or amateur-level players, we are always able to find areas within the players’ bodies that have limited ranges of functional motion. These limitations often result in the players creating compensatory movements in their golf swing that lead to reactive stress in adjacent muscles and joints. This happens because the body is attempting to make up for the motion lost within the area of restriction. For those players playing at the highest level of professional golf, a restriction in body function can lead to both huge financial losses and injury. It is common for professional golfers to visit our facilities as a last resort because they have been unable to resolve inefficiencies in their swing with their golf instructors. If a player has put a significant amount of time and effort into making a technical change to his golf swing but has had limited success, the most common contributor is physical limitations in his mobility. Quite often we will find a limitation in a golfer’s movements during testing that has a direct correlation to his inability to make a specific swing change. Once the golfer corrects the movement deficiency, the swing changes can be made easily and successfully.
Although increasing mobility is important, traditional stretching has not been shown to be very effective for improving golf performance. The reason for these limited improvements is that the golf swing requires the body to move through ranges of motion not seen in normal daily activities. It is important that golfers practice movements specific to those required in the golf swing in order to achieve the desired golf-specific flexibility. To do this, it is also important to learn how to stretch muscles in combination and not just in isolation.
We have written this chapter to educate the average player about movements that will not only improve the ranges of motion desired for the golf swing but also increase the functional strength within the entire range of motion. As you read through the exercises outlined in this chapter, you will notice that the movements described are not the traditional stretches most of us have learned from books, videos, or gym classes. Most of the flexibility exercises require you to move while lengthening the muscles and associated soft tissues (tendons, ligaments, and joint capsules). We have found that this is the most effective way to improve joint and muscle mobility for sport-specific purposes.
Perform 8 to 15 repetitions of the exercises in this chapter unless otherwise stated. For exercises you find easy to perform, complete all 15 repetitions. For exercises you find difficult to perform while maintaining proper form, complete only as many repetitions as you can with correct form, even if you complete fewer than 8. Complete 3 sets of each exercise, regardless of how many repetitions you do. Since these exercise focus on mobility, it is more important to complete more repetitions with a full range of motion than it is to increase weight (if you are using weights) and reduce the number of repetitions.
Cats and Dogs
Execution
1. Begin on all fours with knees under hips, hands under shoulders, and arms slightly bent.
2. Keep your head and neck in a straight line with your spine.
3. Pull your belly button to your spine, round your back up as high as you can, and tuck your chin in toward your chest.
4. Squeeze your shoulder blades together, arch your back down toward the floor, and lift your head until you’re looking forward.
5. Return to start position and repeat.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Lower back extensors, psoas major, rectus abdominis
Secondary: Triceps, serratus anterior, intercostals
Golf Focus
A common problem for the average player is a lack of mobility in the spine and pelvis. Players who have poor spinal mobility often appear to be slumped and rounded forward in the shoulders and lower back. These postural issues make it difficult to create a straighter spine at setup. What most golfers don’t realize is that poor spinal posture affects the golf swing more than you would think. When the spine is not able to move forward (flexion) and backward (extension) easily, it has a negative influence on the mobility of the shoulder blades and pelvis through the muscle connections between the spine and these body areas. When the hips and pelvis become limited in their range of motion, the potential for injury is greatly increased, and the likelihood of improving the swing technique is greatly reduced. Cats and dogs is a great initial exercise to help promote proper spinal mobility.
Golf Posture Posterior Pelvic Tilt
Execution
1. Stand with feet hip-width apart.
2. Hinge at the hips into your 7-iron posture.
3. Bend and cross your arms in front of you.
4. Pull your belly button back toward your spine as you tilt or curl your tailbone under your pelvis. Do not let your shoulders move during the exercise.
5. Return to start position.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Lower back extensors, rectus abdominis, gluteus maximus, psoas major
Secondary: Internal oblique, external oblique, quadratus lumborum
Golf Focus
It is very important for a golfer to learn how to move the pelvis into extension, flexion, and neutral postures. This is important in preventing back pain and to allow for proper weight transfer to the lead leg at impact and follow-through. Many golfers have a tendency to be stuck in an anterior tilt of the pelvis. In this position there is too much curve in the lower back (known as hyperlordosis). This position places greater stress on the joints in the lower back, and there is often an association with trail-side lower back tightness or pain. Learning how to position your pelvis properly will allow you to keep your spine in a safer posture throughout the golf swing and allow for better weight transfer to the lead leg (left leg in a right-handed golfer).
Variation
Pelvic Tilt on Back
To make this exercise easier, you can perform the pelvic tilt while lying on your back. Your hips and knees should both be bent to approximately 45 degrees. As you exhale, your abdomen should come toward your back, and your lower back will flatten. Inhale and let your back return to a slight arch.
Cobra
Execution
1. Lie on your abdomen with your forehead resting on your forearms.
2. Trying to keep your pelvis on the floor, look straight ahead, slowly push yourself up onto your hands, and try to get your chest as vertical as possible.
3. Hold for a few seconds, slowly return to the start position, and repeat.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Middle and lower erector spinae, rectus abdominis
Secondary: Deltoid, triceps
Golf Focus
This exercise must be performed within tolerance. Never attempt to press up beyond your ability or to the point of pain. Assuming you can perform this exercise without pain, it becomes important for keeping the spine mobile and helping to reduce stiffness in the lower and middle back. This mobility is crucial to the golfer, not only to maintain proper upright posture throughout the swing but also to allow the body to move smoothly through all rotational ranges of motion. Developing stiffness in the lower back or rounding of the middle back will reduce the ability to rotate properly and will alter proper swing mechanics. This ultimately leads to faulty swing patterns and increased risk of injury.
Variation
Modified Cobra
If the full version of the cobra either causes pain or cannot be done because of limited mobility in your spine, then perform the same exercise but push up onto your forearms. This requires less spinal motion and will be easier to perform.
Pelvic Thrust on Stability Ball
Execution
1. Sit on a stability ball with your chest up and shoulders back, and your lower back in a neutral position.
2. Flatten your lower back by sliding the hips forward (the ball should move slightly forward).
3. Slowly arch your lower back as you slide your hips back under you (the ball should move slightly backward). Keep the chest up and shoulders back throughout the exercise—do not slouch.
4. Return to neutral and repeat.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Rectus abdominis, transversus abdominis, psoas major
Secondary: External oblique, internal oblique, pelvic floor, lower back extensors
Golf Focus
As mentioned in the first couple of exercises, it is very important for a golfer to be able to set up to the ball with a neutral spinal posture. The chest should be up and the shoulders back. There should not be a rounding of the upper back or excessive extension in the lower back. The joints in the spine should be positioned in a manner that allows the greatest amount of rotation when they are aligned in a neutral position (not slumped forward or extended backward). Being able to create a neutral position in the spine allows you to rotate into your backswing, downswing, and follow-through phases easier, with greater movement and less stress on the body. This is an easy but important exercise to perform and master. When this becomes too easy, try the variation. The pelvic thrust and figure 8 exercises provide a safe and controlled means of learning how to move the pelvis for improved posture.
Variation
Figure 8 on Stability Ball
The figure 8 works the same musculature but requires you to control precise movements of the pelvis. As your pelvis moves in a figure 8, your shoulders should not move much and should be pulled back the entire exercise. Perform in both side-to-side and forward-to-backward motions.
Dynamic Child’s Pose
Execution
1. Kneel on the ground, sit on top of your heels, and keep your back straight.
2. Slowly bend forward at the waist, touch your forehead to the ground, and reach as far in front of you as possible.
3. Remain in that stretched position for a few moments, return to the start position, and repeat.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Latissimus dorsi, lower back extensors, serratus anterior
Secondary: Gluteus maximus, intercostals, tibialis anterior
Golf Focus
Correct swing planes are very important for a consistent and efficient golf swing. If your body does not allow you to move freely, then achieving the proper path of the club will be very difficult. Your body responds by finding other ways to move the club through the backswing and downswing, which will greatly reduce efficiency. Shoulder and latissimus dorsi ranges of motion are critical for a correct swing. If either is limited, then the club will be out of position at the top of the backswing, causing compensations within the downswing. Touring professionals might be able to compensate enough to hit a good shot, but this lack of movement will certainly cause loss of power, inefficient swing mechanics, inconsistent ball striking, and potential for injury. For the average golfer, these limitations can make it very difficult to hit the ball straight because each downswing begins on an incorrect path. The dynamic child’s pose will help increase mobility in the shoulders and surrounding musculature so that your body is ready to swing the club on the correct path.
The dynamic child’s pose also will help you achieve greater flexibility of the ligaments, joint capsules, and muscles at the hip, knee, and ankle, which many golfers find beneficial on and off the golf course.
Variation
Standing Side Bend With Overhead Reach
The standing side bend allows you to work the latissimus dorsi and the serratus anterior without putting any pressure on the joints of your lower body. Stand with feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lean your upper body to the left while reaching your right arm overhead toward the left. Repeat with the other arm.
Heel Touch
Execution
1. Lie on your back with both legs in the air. Hips and knees should be bent to 90 degrees.
2. Keeping your knee bent 90 degrees, slowly lower your left leg until your heel touches the ground. Do not allow your lower back to move.
3. Return to the start position and repeat with the opposite leg.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Psoas major, transversus abdominis
Secondary: External oblique, internal oblique, rectus abdominis
Golf Focus
When you address the golf ball, proper positioning is key for setting up the correct swing path. The muscles used to perform heel touches will help prepare your body for the right address position. These muscles, which are used to hold your pelvis and lower spine in the address position, also become very important throughout the swing. If you do not have both the mobility and strength to maintain this position, then the forces of the golf swing will certainly cause you to lose your posture. This exercise will help you increase your ability to maintain proper lower back and pelvic angles, both at address and throughout the entire swing. The importance of this is twofold: First, correct pelvis and lower torso posture allows the body to rotate with much greater efficiency. Second, moving through the golf swing while maintaining proper angles greatly reduces the forces, and therefore the stresses, applied to various joints and muscles.
Variation
Straight-Leg Heel Touch
As you become more advanced, try this variation, which requires much more strength and control from the same muscles. Start in the same position, but instead of touching your heel with your leg bent 90 degrees, lower your leg while straightening the knee completely. Touch your heel with a straight leg, return to start, and repeat with the opposite leg.
Wall Angel
Execution
1. Stand with your back and head flat against a wall, knees bent, and feet 12 inches (30 cm) from the wall.
2. Bend your elbows, and place the elbows and wrists flat against the wall.
3. While keeping your back and head against the wall, slowly raise your arms up the wall without letting your elbows or wrists come off the wall.
4. Return your arms to the start position and repeat.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Deltoid, middle trapezius, lower trapezius
Secondary: Pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, serratus anterior
Golf Focus
The movements of the golf swing require certain parts of the body to stabilize while others are moving. Your arms need to move through a large range of motion with every golf swing. This must be done with relative stability of the torso. If your upper back tends to round excessively forward, then shoulder movement will be restricted and swing faults will develop. Wall angels help train the mobility and strength of the shoulders while the spine stays stable and in an upright position. This mimics the requirements of the golf swing, where proper upper body posture allows for not only optimal shoulder movement but also improved rotation throughout the spine during the entire swing. Once this exercise can be achieved freely and without excessive strain, you will find that obtaining appropriate angles within the swing becomes much easier to achieve. Ultimately, this leads to better and more consistent ball striking as well as decreased injury risk.
Variation
Supine Wall Angel
If wall angels prove to be too difficult for you, then do the same exercise on your back with your knees slightly bent and feet against the floor. This takes gravity out of the equation, making the exercise slightly easier.
Pelvic Disassociation
Execution
1. Start in your 7-iron golf posture with your arms crossed in front of your chest.
2. Without moving your shoulders or chest, slowly turn your pelvis and hips to the right.
3. Return your pelvis to midline, and repeat to the left.
4. Try this exercise in front of a mirror to make sure your shoulders and chest do not move with your pelvis and hips.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Transversus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, gluteus medius, piriformis
Secondary: Psoas major, lower back extensors, quadratus lumborum
Golf Focus
The ability to properly separate the pelvis from the shoulders is an important skill to have. When the pelvis is able to separate from the shoulders at the onset of the downswing and move toward the target, you are able to generate more coil through the core. This creates the potential for greater power on the downswing and greater club-head speed at impact. When a golfer is unable to separate her pelvis from her shoulders, she will rotate her whole body at the same time during her golf swing and will have an over-the-top or out-to-in swing path with her arms and club. She will also have less speed through the ball. This leads to less distance with every club and quite often a slice ball path. The pelvic disassociation exercise will teach you how to move the pelvis independently of the shoulders. When you can do this easily and have done the disassociation strengthening exercises found in this chapter, you will possess the physical attributes to both create and close the separation of the pelvis and shoulder (the so-called X factor).
Variation
Core Disassociation
This variation will also improve your disassociation, but this time you will be keeping your pelvis and hips still while you move your torso. Make sure that you keep your lower body completely still, and allow your torso to rotate both ways while remaining in golf posture as much as possible.
Dynamic Latissimus
Execution
1. Stand 2 feet (.6 m) away from a pole.
2. Grab the pole with a straight left arm, and turn your body until your breastbone is facing your left elbow.
3. Bend your knees and push your rib cage to the left. Feel a slight pull along your left-side ribs.
4. Straighten your left leg behind your bent right leg.
5. The left leg and arm form a U around your right leg.
6. Hold for 20 seconds and repeat on the right side. Perform 3 or 4 times on each side.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Latissimus dorsi, internal oblique, external oblique, rotator cuff
Secondary: Thoracolumbar fascia, quadratus lumborum, intercostals
Golf Focus
It is very important to create mobility within the connections (fascia) that join the lead arm (left arm in a right-handed golfer), the big latissimus dorsi muscles (the wings on bodybuilders), the lower back, and the gluteus muscles. This allows the golfer to maintain a straight lead arm while making a full shoulder turn into the top of the backswing and through the downswing. The dynamic latissimus is a great exercise movement to help increase the length of this area of the body and increase the perceived ease of shoulder turn at the top of the swing.
Variation
Dynamic Latissimus With Golf Cart
To help keep your core and shoulders loose on the golf course, do the same stretch by holding onto one of the poles of your golf cart. This will allow you to keep this muscle loose while playing so that tight muscles do not affect your swing toward the end of the round.
Trunk Rotation on Stability Ball
Execution
1. Lie with your head and shoulders on a stability ball. Push your hips up in line with your knees and shoulders.
2. Hold a medicine ball with straight arms above your chest.
3. Rotate your upper body and arms together to the left 90 degrees. Your left shoulder should now be on the stability ball, and your right shoulder should face the ceiling.
4. During left rotation, the stability ball will move slightly to the right.
5. Return to the start position and repeat to the right.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Gluteus medius, gluteus maximus, internal oblique, external oblique
Secondary: Latissimus dorsi, quadratus lumborum, triceps, hamstrings
Golf Focus
As we mentioned previously, the ability to create separation between the pelvis and the shoulders is an important factor in producing potential energy within the golf swing (often described as the X factor in golf literature). However, if a golfer is unable to close this separation as contact is approached, there will be no transfer of this potential energy into functional, active kinetic energy, and high club-head speeds will not be produced. It is only when the separation is closed that true power can be achieved safely and effectively. Once contact has been achieved, these same muscles help slow the body down during the follow-through phase to keep the joints and ligaments safe. Use this exercise to help you learn how to both create and then eliminate separation between the pelvis and shoulders.
Variation
Trunk Rotation Throw on Stability Ball
Perform this version with a partner to incorporate a little more explosiveness into the exercise. Make sure to keep the same form with the body and hands. If the partner is on your left, release the medicine ball to him as you rotate left, and catch it from him overhead as you are rotating back to the right.
Walking Lunge With Twist
Execution
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Step forward with your left foot, and drop your right knee down just above the ground without letting your left knee go past your toes.
3. Cross your arms over your chest, and rotate your torso to the left.
4. Rotate back to center, return to the start position, and repeat on the opposite side.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus, external oblique, internal oblique
Secondary: Gluteus medius, hamstrings, psoas major
Golf Focus
Maintaining proper body angles during this exercise is just as important as it is during the golf swing. Once down into the lunge, the legs must work a little bit harder to stabilize and resist the movements caused when you rotate your torso. This same principle is needed in both the backswing and the downswing to prevent the sway and slide of the hips. For proper rotation of the torso to occur, you must also have a completely straight alignment of the spine. However, at many points in the swing, this must all be done while the hips, knees, and ankles remain relatively stable. These lunges help you gain this stability and strength in your lower body. The twist portion of the exercise will help you train your ability to rotate your torso around fixed hips. Being able to control both of these will lead to better energy transfer and more consistent ball striking.
Variation
Walking Lunge With Twist With Golf Club
Perform the same exercise, but place a golf club between your hands and upper arms. As you turn, stay upright and keep the club parallel to the ground. This position reduces motion in the upper back and requires you to increase mobility in the lower spine and oblique musculature.
Dolphin to Plank
Execution
1. Start with your forearms and toes on the ground in a plank position.
2. Push your butt up into the air while pulling your tailbone under your pelvis toward your abdomen.
3. You can straighten your knees if you like, but if your upper back rounds, it’s best to keep your knees bent.
4. Hold 30 to 60 seconds. Release your knees to the floor as you exhale.
5. Return to the starting plank position and repeat for the desired number of repetitions (1 to 3).
Muscles Involved
Primary: Rectus abdominis, lower back extensors, psoas major, serratus anterior
Secondary: Pectoralis major, triceps, hamstrings, quadriceps, deltoid
Golf Focus
Unlike hitting balls at the driving range, on the golf course it is rare to find a perfect lie. At times the ball will be below your feet, and at other times it will be above your feet. Sometimes you will be in the rough and sometimes in the sand. Then there are those marvelous occasions when the ball is below your feet and buried somewhere in the rough. To top it off, sometimes you get into a situation where you have one of these lies and you have a long iron or rescue club in your hands. In these instances, it is important to have the flexibility to comfortably get yourself into a good setup position when addressing the ball and then have the strength and stability to maintain your positions as you attempt to progress the ball 200-plus yards onto the green. The moments when you successfully pull off these types of shots on the course are what keep you coming back and help you achieve better and better scores.
Variation
Downward Dog
If the forearm version of this exercise is easy for you to perform, try the exercise with your hands on the ground instead of your forearms, in a push-up type position. From this position, push your butt up into the air while pulling your tailbone under your pelvis toward your abdomen. You can straighten your knees if you like, but if your upper back rounds, it’s best to keep your knees bent.
High Plank Knee-Unders
Execution
1. Start in a push-up position with your hands under your shoulders and your elbows straight. Your body is as straight as a plank of wood.
2. Lift your left foot off the ground slowly, and bend your left knee up to your left hip.
3. Slightly push the left knee under the right thigh; pause.
4. Return to the start position. Repeat with the right leg.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Deltoid, pectoralis major, rectus abdominis, psoas major
Secondary: Triceps, rotator cuff
Golf Focus
When playing out of thick rough, it is important to be able to create proper separation of the pelvis and torso while possessing the strength to maintain your positions while driving the club head through the thick grass. When the body isn’t able to create and maintain the separation, the end result is a loss of club-head momentum and the ball remaining in the rough. Not the most desirable result!
Variation
High Plank With Hip Extension
Try this exercise if the other one is still a little difficult for you. Hold the plank position while lifting one leg off the ground for 10 to 15 seconds. This will strengthen the muscles that stabilize your body and prepare you for the other exercise.
Spider-Man Push-Up
Execution
1. Get into a push-up position.
2. As you go down into the push-up, bend your right knee up toward your right hand while trying to get your inner thigh parallel to the ground. Try to limit pelvis motion by using mostly hip motion.
3. Return to the start position and repeat with the opposite leg.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Pectoralis major, triceps, external oblique, internal oblique, psoas major
Secondary: Gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, piriformis
Golf Focus
Strength and mobility are needed in almost every golf shot. Some shots require more than others. Trying to hit shots that involve both an awkward stance and a high level of power can be close to impossible without proper hip and torso mobility. Many golfers lack sufficient hip motion for normal golf shots, so attempting more difficult shots can easily lead to injury without proper training. Spider-Man push-ups address this need and train upper body and torso strength while simultaneously working on hip mobility. This will allow you to still provide power to shots that lock up your feet in unnatural positions. This synergy of strength and mobility is a common theme within many parts of the golf swing and is needed not only with simple fairway shots but also those that require awkward stances.
Variation
Elevated Spider-Man Push-Up
Perform the same exercise, but place your hands on a bench. This will make the push-up much easier as well as allow more room for the hip to bend and rotate. This variation is for the golfer who either lacks strength for a normal push-up or lacks enough hip mobility to clear the ground.
V-Sit With Rotation and Single-Arm Reach
Execution
1. Sit with your knees bent, legs together, and heels on the ground. Your arms should be straight out in front of you, with both hands grasping a golf club.
2. Lean back slightly until you feel your abs contract. You should have a normal arch in your lower back.
3. Club in hand, reach back with the right arm, rotating your torso and head at the same time.
4. Contract the abdominals on the left side and return to the start position.
5. Repeat on the left side.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Psoas major, transversus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique
Secondary: Lower back extensors, rectus abdominis
Golf Focus
Maintaining a large radius with a straight lead arm as the downswing begins requires a great deal of flexibility between the pelvic, abdominal, and shoulder regions. A limitation in any of these areas will result in a shortened radius (bent elbow) between the shoulder and hand. This results in poor sequencing and decreased power generation. A loss of radius also requires other compensations to occur throughout the body for a square club face to be achieved at impact.
Reverse Woodchop With Medicine Ball
Execution
1. Stand in an athletic position with hips and knees slightly bent and feet shoulder-width apart. Hold a medicine ball in both hands, and reach with the ball just below the outside of the left knee.
2. Keeping your back straight and shoulders back, slowly stand up while rotating and reaching overhead and diagonally to your right. Your weight should be on your right leg.
3. Slowly return to the start position. Perform the desired number of repetitions. Repeat in the other direction.
Muscles Involved
Primary: Rectus abdominis, internal oblique, external oblique, deltoid
Secondary: Quadriceps, gluteus maximus
Golf Focus
The highly rotational aspect of the golf swing causes tremendous stresses on the body, and the fact that golf is a one-sided sport makes the potential for injury even higher. The body hates asymmetry, and when it is present, body movement patterns will change and injury risks will elevate. Reverse woodchops will help to not only ensure rotational mobility but also strengthen motions opposite to those of the golf swing, which will promote physical symmetry and reduce risk of injury. The muscles responsible for these opposite motions can also be seen as decelerating muscles in the golf swing. Deceleration is very important in golf, as it allows for stabilization and the transfer of energy all the way to the club head. So despite the fact that you swing a golf club in only one direction, you must also train the muscles that appear to do the opposite.
Variation
Reverse Woodchop With Cable Machine
You can also use a cable machine for this exercise. Attach a rope to a low pulley and follow the same motion. The use of the cable will make the dynamics slightly different, as the cable motion will be more restricted. This makes correct posture and stabilization throughout the exercise even more important.
