Golf stretching exercises to improve your golf swing

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Golf stretching exercises can be very beneficial in improving your golf swing. They can become useful through the implementation of a golf fitness program where targeted muscles involved in the swing are addressed with certain types of stretches.

Golfers of all levels must understand that the execution of a biomechanically efficient golf swing requires certain joints of the body to be mobile as well as certain muscles to be flexible. If certain joints within the body are immobile or muscles are "tight", the ability to execute the golf swing will be affected. The typical result of such situations is that compensations within the golf swing occur in an attempt to overcome these limitations within the body.

The process by which the golfer can alleviate these compensations caused by limited joint ranges of motion or muscle "tightness" is through the execution of golf stretching exercises within a comprehensive golf fitness training program. In order for the golfer to implement stretching exercises for the swing correctly, it is imperative to understand which joints require mobility and what muscles must be flexible in order to execute the golf swing.

To answer this question we can turn our attention to the Mobility/Stability Pattern of Human Movement. This principle states in order for human movement to occur efficiently, certain joints of the body must be mobile while other segments of the body require stability. The Mobility/Stability Pattern of Human Movement indicates the joints of the ankle, hip, thoracic spine (upper back), shoulder, and wrist must be mobile in order to execute a biomechanically efficient golf swing.

This information indicates what muscles require flexibility for the swing. In order for a joint to be mobile the muscles surrounding the joint must be flexible. If the muscles surrounding the aforementioned joints are "tight", the joints will be immobile, thus causing difficulties in the execution of the golf swing. As a result, stretching exercises for the golf swing will focus on the muscles associated with the ankle, hip, thoracic spine, shoulder, and wrist.

Once the golfer understands which muscles require flexibility for the swing, the final step prior to the implementation of golf specific stretches is to understand when to perform flexibility exercises for the swing. Ideally, flexibility exercises should be performed before a round of golf or practice session, after a round, and on non-playing/practice days. Each of these flexibility sessions requires no more than 10-15 minutes to complete, thus making it a reasonable program to complete for almost any golfer.

The next step in this process is simply the implementation of golf stretching exercises into a golf swing improvement program. Over the past weeks we have been building such a program to perform after a round of golf or practice session. We term this golf stretching program as the post-round program and as result should be executed after playing or practicing.

An additional exercise to implement into this program is the Posterior Shoulder Capsule Stretch. This exercise focuses upon the musculature of posterior shoulder. To execute the posterior shoulder capsule stretch, lay with the right hip in contact with the floor, legs straight, and the right upper arm perpendicular to the shoulder capsule. Bend the right elbow to 90-degrees so that the right upper arm is resting on the floor.

While keeping the shoulder capsule and right upper arm on the floor, grasp your right wrist with the left hand. Slowly press the right forearm forward towards the floor. Continue to press the forearm down until a stretch is felt in the right shoulder and hold for the 30 seconds. Discontinue immediately if a pinch is felt in the right shoulder, and do not allow the right shoulder to elevate or roll forward during the exercise. Repeat with the opposite arm. Remember to pay strict attention to technique with this exercise, go very slowly with the pressing of the forearm and do not aggressively press the forearm to the floor.

Golf stretching exercises are very beneficial in developing the required levels of flexibility for the golf swing. If limitations exist in terms of mobility or flexibility within the body, execution of a fundamentally sound golf swing can be hampered. To learn more about Sean Cochran and his golf fitness programs go to http://www.seancochran.com