By: Erin Minogue Physiotherapy | July 29, 2024 | Golf, Mobility, Thoracic Spine
Golf season is well underway and is an activity that allows people from all ages and stages in their life to participate at multiple levels from recreation to high level competition. Some of you may be avid golfers who enjoy working on your golf game year round while others may simply look forward to the social aspect of weekly gatherings with friends and family throughout the summer. Perhaps you experience stiffness or pain with your swing? Or wonder why certain muscles are sore the next day after golfing? This is not something you have to live with!
One of the questions we commonly hear in the clinic is “ how can I improve my golf swing?” Every individual has a different way of swinging which is directly related to their experience and training with the game of golf, as well as the mobility of their neck, back, arms, hips and legs. For the purpose of this blog, we have decided to focus on The Thoracic Spine, or “T spine” for short. The Thoracic Spine is located between your neck and lower back and consists of 12 vertebrae with multiple key muscles1 that are involved in rotation and extension of the spine, breathing and the respiratory system (lungs and rib cage), as well as movement and stabilization of the shoulders and scapulae2. If the T-Spine is stiff or limited in mobility, other body parts such as the neck, arms, hips or legs will compensate for the lack of movement when swinging a golf club. For example, a stiff thoracic spine can lead to compensations such as an “armsy” swing, lifting your body up and out of a good golf posture. Lack of movement in the Thoracic Spine can be caused by poor posture and/or muscle tension related to prolonged sitting or standing in a slouched posture, forward head posture, lack of muscular strength, and repeated movements or overuse injuries to name a few.
Regardless of the level and/or intensity of your golf game, it is important to include a warm-up and cool-down routine before and after your round of golf. Warming up before you hit your first ball and cooling down with targeted stretches after finishing your last hole will help prepare your muscles and joints to move more freely, reduce the risk of injury, and help prevent stiffness and soreness the following day3. We understand that time is a limited resource and want to simplify the process in choosing the best exercises.
Therefore, we divided the exercises into our favorite upper body (arm/torso) mobility and lower body mobility (leg/hip) movements to improve your golf game. The first series of exercises (#1 & #2) are recommended to be performed at the golf course. Exercises # 3-5 are intended to be performed at home on a daily basis with optional equipment such as a foam roller, resistance bands and/or dumbbell. Consistency is mastery. Best evidence shows that performing stretches on a consistent basis (daily) is more effective in achieving long term benefits of soft tissue flexibility (muscle, tendon, ligaments) and muscle strength. The stretches and strength based exercises in this blog are designed to improve and elevate your golf swing. For your convenience, we have also included progressions for Exercises # 3-5. A progression is a word to describe the next level or a step higher in difficulty that builds on the previous level of mobility and/or strength. It is important to follow the progressions in an orderly fashion. In the clinic, we talk about progressions with the metaphor of climbing a ladder. On a ladder, the steps are evenly spaced and intended to go from the first to the second, and so on. If some of the rungs on the ladder were missing, it would be difficult to start on the 10th rung without having any steps below to get there. Similar to a ladder, it is important to perform the first progression and not jump right away to the 2nd or 3rd progression.
1 Borstad JD, Ludewig PM. The effect of long versus short pectoralis minor resting length on scapular kinematics in healthy individuals. Journal of orthopaedic & sports physical therapy. 2005 Apr;35(4):227-38.Available from:https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK538319/ (last accessed 13.4.2020)
2 Cramer GD, Darby SA. Clinical Anatomy of the Spine, Spinal Cord, and Ans. 3rd ed. St. Louis: Elsevier Health Sciences; 2014
3 Thomas, Z. M., & Wilk, K. E. (2023). The golfer’s fore, fore +, and Advanced Fore + Exercise Program: An exercise series and injury prevention program for the golfer. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 18(3). https://doi.org/10.26603/001c.74973
Exercise 1 - Upper Body Mobility
Having proper mobility and range of motion in your upper body is essential for golf. It allows you to swing fully, and swing safely.
Tip: A perfect time to do a set of these stretches would be right before your golf round, treating it as your warmup. A proper warmup can help you perform to the best of your abilities, reduce the risk of injury, and prevent stiffness the next day. One set can be done on the first tee-box, or even in the parking lot before your round as a quick pre-round warm-up.
Cool Down Tips: Simply perform each warm up exercise backwards. Start with your shoulders and end with your torso. Using a golf club or the side of the golf cart for support is a great option.
Each exercise should be done in 2 sets, each with 6-8 reps.
Exercise 2 - Lower Body Mobility
An often forgotten part of the golf swing is how much lower body movement is involved. Mainly in the hips, but also in the knees and ankle joints. Your lower body is the base of support for your golf swing, meaning it is very important to maintain your mobility and strength.
Similar to Exercise #1, one set of these stretches before your round would serve as a great warmup. Your lower body will be thanking you the next day!
Cool Down Tips: Simply perform each warm up exercise backwards. Start with your hips and end with your hamstrings/calves. Using a golf club or the side of the golf cart for support is a great option.
Exercise 3 - Thread the Needle (Foam Roller)
This is the third and final stretch on our list. This exercise is meant to be performed at home on a daily basis. It requires a foam roller, but we have also included a variation without one. Thread the Needle is an exercise focused on increasing range of motion for the golf swing, and stretching out your posterior shoulder and multiple levels of the thoracic spine.
Variation Without a Foam Roller:
Exercise 4 - Shoulder and Spine Mobility
This exercise is meant to strengthen your shoulders, back, and spine. It has many different progressions designed to fit your current skill level. Depending on which version you do, you may need an exercise ball, or a resistance band.
If you have trouble getting into that position, or feel more comfortable standing upright, try this:
If you require more of a challenge, or do not have a band, try this variation with an exercise ball!
Still not hard enough? Combine both versions into one for the most difficult progression
Exercise 5 - Spinal Twists (Foam Roller)
The 5th and final exercise on our list is a spinal rotation using a foam roller. Similar to Exercise #4, this strengthening exercise also includes a progression to fit a wide variety of people!
Looking to improve your strength even more? This variation includes more resistance
Final Thoughts
Taking time to properly warm up and cool down is essential for golfers. It will help improve your performance and reduce the risk of injury. Don’t skip these important steps.
If you have persistent pain or have sustained an injury that you feel is affecting golf swing or every day function feel free to give us a call at 306.402.7713 or book an Initial Assessment through our website. Contact Erin Minogue Physiotherapy today to schedule a consultation and begin a program tailored specifically for you.
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