Golf Mobility Routine: 5 Exercises to Unlock More Range of Motion In Your Swing

Your mobility in certain key body segments will play an integral role in your golf swing.

Sufficient range of motion, and strength through that range of motion, is one of the key things separating the pro’s from average Joe’s. While you may never develop a pro quality swing, you can absolutely use golf specific mobility training to help you add club head speed, reduce aches and pains, and knock a couple of strokes off your handicap. That’s one of the reasons the Fit For Golf App has an entire section devoted to Golf Warm-Ups & Mobility Routines.

If you would like to be able to wind your body up powerfully, get the nice high hands you see on tv, and unwind with an efficient sequence, you better have a body that can make those movements.

In a recent article Golf Mobility Exercises For Club Head Speed, I explained how hand path length influences club head speed, and the role mobility plays.

This article is less on theory and more of a quick demo of exercises you can start doing right now, everyday, to improve your mobility for golf.

I provide 5 exercises that when done frequently will improve your golf swing mobility.

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.

2. Spine Flexion & Extension (Cat-Cow)

What it does:
Improves spinal mobility. Various parts of the spine (lumbar, thoracic, cervical), go through a lot of movement in the swing. There is flexion & extension, rotation, and bending side to side. If the spine is too stiff and restricted in movement, you’re fighting a losing battle. From years of sitting hunched over a desk or steering wheel, many adults have lost a huge amount of spinal mobility, making the golf swing much harder.

Bonus:
As well as being mobile, it also pays dividends to be very strong in the muscles of the midsection and back. These 4 core strength exercises for golfers will help you build strength on top of mobility: 4 Core Exercises For Golfers.

How to do it:
From an all fours position, slow round (flex), and then arch (extend) your spine, through as big a range of motion as you can. Keep your arms straight so the movement is coming from your spine. Go slow and controlled and work through as big a range of motion as you can. Tailbone and chin crunching as close together as possible, then stretching away as far as possible.

Prescription:
20 slow and controlled reps. One flexion and one extension counts as one rep.

3. Thoracic Spine Rotation

What it does:
Thoracic rotation is what most golfers refer to as “shoulder turn.” What’s really turning is your thoracic spine, which is made up of our mid back and ribcage. This exercise will hone in on that segment and increase the range of motion. This will give you the ability to turn more in the golf swing, valuable for speed and sequencing.

For more info on club head speed determinants check out: Club Head Speed – Reverse Engineered.

How to do it:
Get in a half-kneeling position and place the tips of your fingers on your temples. Rotate your chest as far as you can in one direction, and then the other. Try to increase range of motion a little bit on each rep. The seated position restricts your hips from turning, isolating the thoracic spine.

Prescription:
20 reps in each direction.

4. Shoulder Circles

What it does:
Increases shoulder mobility. Mobility at the shoulder joint is very important in the golf swing. In particular shoulder flexion or “arm lift” mobility on the lead arm is very important. If shoulder flexion mobility is restricted, which it commonly is, you will likely struggle with making your swing as long as you would like. This is a problem for generating desirable club head speed and distance.

The exercise shown is simple, but usually done haphazardly. Make sure to follow the cues to get benefit.

How to do it:
For this exercise I want you to feel like your arm is an iron bar. From your shoulder to your wrist will remain fully extended throughout. Imagine drawing as big a trace as possible with the fingertips of each hand. Reaching out in front as far as you can, overhead as high as possible – grazing your biceps off your ears as they pass your head, then behind as far as possible. When you switch directions, follow the same process.

Slow and controlled, arms fully extended, absolutely maximizing range of motion. Most people just swing their arms around when doing this, and do not challenge their shoulder range of motion.

Prescription:
10 reps in each direction.

5. Cervical Rotation

What it does:
The neck is an often forgotten about area in golf. In reality, cervical (neck) rotation mobility is very important. In the backswing we are trying to generate a big shoulder turn while keeping the ball in our vision. The shoulders (or as you now know, thoracic spine) will turn much more than the neck. This places a big rotational stretch on the neck. If you can’t handle this, you will stop turning your shoulders early.

How to do it:
Slow turn your head in one direction as far as you can, come back to the center, and then repeat in the other direction. Take your time and try to gradually increase range of motion on each rep.

Prescription:
10 reps in each direction.

How to Use This Golf Mobility Routine

Do these five moves daily as a mini mobility routine or as part of a warm-up before your golf practice sessions and workouts.

Just 3–5 minutes done daily can:

• Improve range of motion in key areas of the body for the golf swing.
• Increase rotation and hand path length, a big determinant of club head speed.
• Reduce stiffness and potentially ease some aches and pains, especially from golf.
• Gently prepare your body for more comprehensive training.

Complete Golf Specific Training Programs

The Fit For Golf App also has extremely structured and comprehensive gym and home training plans for golfers covering mobility, strength, explosive power, and more. If you want a structured plan that combines mobility, strength, and speed training for better performance, download the app and start your free 7-day trial today. Everything you need for golf fitness in one place.

The Program Matcher Feature will help you find the best program for your current needs.

Start your 7-day free trial