5 Reasons Your Body is Affecting Your Golf Game

Glendale Physical Therapy

You can have top of the line Titlist clubs, Nike clothes and shoes, along with ProV1 balls, but one of the most important parts in the success of ones golf game is the BODY. Having tight hips or a rigid thoracic spine can greatly affect the power and accuracy of your game. Here are the top 5 reasons your body is messing up your golf game…

Tight/Weak Hips

 Its all in the hips! An efficient and powerful golf swing must utilize the mobility & stability in the hips to generate power. If you lack rotation in your hips then you will lack power and distance in your swing. Make sure you are stretching your hips daily along with a dynamic stretching routine prior to playing.

Tight Thoracic Spine (mid back)

The other major rotation center of the body is the thoracic spine (12 middle vertebrae). When those vertebrae and the tissues that attach to them get locked down- you lose rotation. Less rotation means less power.

Tight Ankles

Some of the best golfers have mobile feet. Although it can be difficult to see with shoes on, the ankles/feet must have good mobility in order to generate power from the ground.

Core Strength

The core is the link from the upper body to the lower body (the mid section). A strong core can help to keep your spine in the proper alignment and allow you to generate force from the upper and lower body. Sit ups are not going to make you have a functionally strong core- perform rotation exercises in standing so the strength can be transferred to the golf game.

Mobile Neck

A right-handed golfer must have adequate left cervical rotation. As you keep your eyes focused on the ball your body rotates around a fixed head- creating rotation at the head and neck. If you have a stiff neck you could be lifting your head too quickly or losing site of the ball during the back swing.

Having the proper golf assessment along with specific exercises to address your limitations can greatly improve the way you feel and how you perform. We offer these great assessments at our clinic in Glendale! Learn more about it by clicking here.

Dr. Eric Hefferon. PT, DPT, CSCS, GPS, CIDN