RANGE OF MOTION is always a top priority for me as a golf coach, to mobilize those who are immobile. Certainly, every single one of us at some point in time has slept wrong on our neck and when we arise from our slumber, it feels as though we are the caped crusader wearing a cowl or we just got into an automobile accident, and we are stiff. In both cases, we cannot turn our necks. Now, correlate that to the compression of our backs in our daily lives. We need our thoracic spine to turn in the golf swing. How much of a turn you ask? 90° in the backswing, 90° in the follow through. That is 180° rotation on the transverse plane. Personally, I would like to see mobility up to 120° each direction, up to 240° total. It is certainly better to have the range of motion and not NEED it, than it is to need the range of motion and not HAVE it.
How does “the turn” change the power game? Here’s why:
1: Your swing becomes proper. The more the body turns, the less the arms have a duty in the swing. Most golfers attempt to “muscle” the ball down the fairway, forcing the arms to do the work. The key to the golf swing is that the arms are along for the ride. Other than the grip, the arms will move faster when there is little tension. If every muscle in the arm is firing, you will lose speed. In your turn, ground reaction force travels from the feet, through your body, to the club. Turning gives you “earth power,” much stronger than arm power.
2: Quality of life. If you are playing golf three to five times a week and you are constantly sore, I would like to point out to you that you are golfing wrong. Chances are you have little mobility. By increasing your body’s full range of motion, you can enjoy life and that is powerful.
3: More time to apply force. The more mobility you have, the longer the turn in the backswing can become, and once your lateral weight shift has been applied to the lead side, you have more time to apply force in the downswing. A car five feet from a wall when you slam on the accelerator will do some damage, but a car 50 feet from the wall will do more damage as it has more time to gain speed.
So, if you do not have it, how to do you get it? Time and effort. Being Titleist Performance Institute Certified, I have knowledge of where you can access the most up to date and thorough list of exercises on planet earth in regard to golf. Go to Drills & Exercises | TPI (mytpi.com) and before you set yourself to your heart’s desire, click on the advanced filter/search link, then scroll to the bottom of the page and select the body part that you would like mobility in. It is literally that simple.
Now, why do all of the TPI experts exist if the exercises are all on the website? We exist to ASSESS you. We are the second set of eyes that can see if you are using a different means of achieving mobility from a compensation. For example, one of our assessments is the toe touch. Pretty straight forward to execute, but I would be remiss if I did not point out how many times I saw clients bend their knees slightly to get to their toes. Do not cheat your diet, do not cheat your mobility. To find a TPI expert near you, click here: Find a TPI Certified Expert | TPI (mytpi.com)
-David