Golf isn’t just a game of skill—it’s a full-body workout that demands mobility, stability, and power. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or a seasoned pro, preparing your body with targeted physiotherapy exercises can enhance your swing, reduce injury risk, and keep you playing pain-free. This mobility golf prep routine focuses on key areas: hips, thoracic spine (mid-back), shoulders, and core. Let’s tee off with these five essential exercises!
Golf Mobility Exercises
Warm-Up: Do 5-10 minutes of light walking or dynamic stretches before starting.
Frequency: Perform this routine 3-4 times per week, or as a warm-up before hitting the course.
Listen to Your Body: If you feel pain (not just discomfort), consult a physiotherapist.
Hip Flexor Stretch with Rotation
Why It Helps: Golf requires explosive hip rotation. Tight hip flexors can limit your backswing and follow-through.
How to Do It:
1. Start in a half-kneeling position (one knee down, other foot forward).
2. Push your hips forward slightly to feel a stretch in the front of the downed hip.
3. Rotate your torso toward the front leg, holding for 5 seconds.
4. Return to neutral and repeat 8-10 times per side.
Golf Benefit: Improves hip dissociation for a smoother, more powerful swing.
Thoracic Spine Windmills
Why It Helps: A stiff mid-back restricts your ability to rotate, forcing compensations in your lower back or shoulders.
How to Do It:
1. Hold a golf club behind your back, resting it in the crook of your bent elbows.
2. Step forward with your right foot into a slight lunge.
3. Rotate your upper body to the right, keeping your hips stable.
4. Return to center, step back, and repeat on the left side.
Golf Benefit: Boosts upper body rotation for a wider backswing arc.
Shoulder CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations)
Why It Helps: Healthy shoulders are crucial for club control and preventing strain during repetitive swings.
How to Do It:
1. Stand tall with arms relaxed at your sides.
2. Slowly raise one arm forward, up overhead, then back behind you in a smooth circle—keep it controlled.
3. Reverse the circle. Perform 5 reps per direction, per arm.
Golf Benefit: Enhances shoulder mobility and stability for consistent swing planes.
Dead Bug Core Activation
Why It Helps: A strong core keeps your posture solid and transfers power from your lower body to your club.
How to Do It:
1. Lie on your back with arms extended toward the ceiling and knees bent at 90 degrees.
2. Engage your core by pressing your lower back into the floor.
3. Extend your right arm overhead and left leg out straight, then return to start. Alternate sides for 12 reps total.
Golf Benefit: Builds core control to prevent energy leaks in your swing.
Standing Hip Controlled Circles
Why It Helps: Dynamic hip mobility prevents stiffness and supports weight shift during your swing.
How to Do It:
1. Stand on one leg, holding a wall or club for balance if needed.
2. Lift the other leg and “draw” large circles with your knee—5 clockwise, 5 counterclockwise.
3. Switch legs and repeat.
Golf Benefit: Improves balance and hip fluidity for better weight transfer.
Conclusion
By incorporating these physiotherapy-inspired moves, you’ll unlock your body’s potential for a more fluid, powerful golf swing. Hit the range or course with confidence—your body’s ready!
Want more golf related exercises?
Stay tuned for our next post on how to build a more powerful swing!!
Did you know Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic offers TPI assessments? The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) assessment is a specialized evaluation that analyzes how physical limitations in your body may be affecting your golf swing. It includes a series of movement screenings to identify mobility, strength, and stability issues that could impact your performance and increase injury risk.
Both Erin and Liam are TPI-certified and can help you improve your golf game with personalized recommendations and exercises. Call the clinic at (905) 849-4576 for more information or reach out to Erin (erin@sheddonphysio.com) or Liam (liam@sheddonphysio.com) directly! ⛳🏌️
