THE ANATOMY OF A GOLFER
Golf is an very easy, fun and stress-free game, that takes little to no skill to excel at. Said nobody, ever.
Anyone who has played golf will tell you that the slightest change in your swing, setup or stance can have a large impact on whether you are hitting birdies during your round, or needing to hit the bar afterwards to erase some freshly made unhappy golfing memories. There are a few parts of your body that are vital to a proper golf swing, and if they are not properly warmed up, or more importantlly, if they are not functioning correctly, you might struggle to keep the small round white thing on the short green stuff, and instead you could spend some quality time in the long grass hunting for it! (If you find my ball, be a pal and just toss it back out onto the fairway, would ya?)
So before you put on your glove and step up to the tee, have a go at these simple exercises to help you get your body, and the ball, moving in the right direction!
IT’S ALL IN THE HIPS!
1. Hip internal rotation
Flexible and powerful hips are absolutely key for having a good golf swing. You need internal rotation of your hips to allow you to shift your weight onto your left foot (for a right-hander) while keeping your foot planted to the turf during your downswing. There are other hip movements necessary for this part of your swing, namely hip extension, which we’ll address also!
To work on your hip internal rotation, stand with your weight shifted to your left, lift your right knee, and drive it across your body while reaching with your right hand across and behind your left shoulder as far as you can. This should be a elastic, springy movement, and you should return your right foot to the floor after each repetition. Repeat this movement 10x, 3 sets.
2. Hip extension
As discussed already, getting your hips driving forwards on your downswing is an important movement in your full golf swing. Hip extension is another important part of this movement, so lets go through a stretch to help you improve in this area.
Kneel down on one knee and tilt your pelvis backwards so your bottom is tucked under. Next, lean forwards slightly and make sure your trunk is upright to feel a stretch in the front of your hip. Raise your arms overhead, and move your hands forwards / backwards, side / side, rotating left / right for 10 seconds in each direction.
