Hip and Upper-Back Mobility for Golf: Where to Start

A golf swing asks the body to rotate a long way, quickly, in both directions. Two areas do most of that: the hips and the thoracic spine, the part of the back between the shoulder blades. When they do not move well, the lower back and shoulders make up the difference.

Quick checks

These are not a diagnosis. They are a way to see where you are.

• Seated trunk rotation. Sit tall with a club across your shoulders and turn each way. Compare sides and notice whether you can turn the chest well past the line of the knees.
• Hip rotation. Sit on a bench, knees bent. Keeping the thigh still, swing the lower leg in and out. Compare both hips and both directions.
• Deep squat. Feet shoulder-width, arms overhead, squat as low as you can with heels down.

Large side-to-side differences, or pain, are worth having assessed.

Hips

Internal rotation of the lead hip lets you turn through the ball. Internal rotation of the trail hip lets you load in the backswing. Sitting for long hours tends to limit both.

Useful work includes 90/90 hip rotations, hip flexor stretches and controlled hip circles.

Thoracic spine

Upper-back rotation is what gives you a shoulder turn without lifting the arms or losing posture.

Useful work includes open-book rotations lying on your side, thread-the-needle on hands and knees, and extension over a foam roller.

Make it stick

• Short and often. Five to ten minutes most days does more than one long session a week.
• Control the new range. Follow mobility work with strength in that range, such as split squats, rotational cable work and loaded carries.
• Use it as a warm-up. The same movements prepare you for a round.
• Recheck monthly.

When it is not a mobility problem

Sometimes a joint will not move because of its structure, or because of an injury. If range does not change after a few weeks of consistent work, or if there is pain, see a physical therapist. A swing can be built around a real limit, and your instructor can help with that.