Most golf instructors agree that one of the keys to a good swing is proper club takeaway, with the right elbow tucked close to the body (for right-handed players) and the left arm kept more or less straight. But many people have a hard time achieving and then maintaining those positions due to tightness in their shoulders.
Fortunately, there are ways to remedy that problem through stretches designed to improve flexibility in those areas. “What you need to focus on for this problem is stretching the soft, connective tissues in the shoulder, the tendons and ligaments,” says GolfersMD expert Bob Donatelli. “And unlike muscles, which respond better to active stretches, it is best in these circumstances to prescribe low-load, or pain-free, static stretches in order to increase that shoulder range of motion.”
One series of stretches that Donatelli recommends focuses on external rotation of the right shoulder. “Instructors want their students to keep their elbows in on the club take-away,” he explains. “But if your shoulder is tight, your elbow can come flying out in order for you to get the club back far enough. And that can affect swing path and an ability to get the clubface square on impact. It can also cause a loss of power.”
As for the left shoulder, Donatelli suggests stretches to make it easier for golfers to keep their left arms straight, which ensures greater club head speed, and greater power.
“What’s good about these exercises is that they can help a golfers eliminate these two swing flaws that occur primarily as a result of physical limitations,” he explains. “They don’t take more than ten minutes or so each, and they can make a very big difference.”
Check out the following shoulder stretches and watch your golf game improve.
Perfect Golf Shoulder Stretch
Shoulder Flexibility for Better Golf
Flexibility Test, Shoulder / Posterior Capsular
|