​Great Hip Stretches for a More Powerful Golf Swing

A powerful swing is a key factor in determining the strength of your golfing game, and it requires a precise and energetic movement that demands a lot of practice and a considerable amount of flexibility. Although a good golfing swing uses almost all the muscle groups in your body, those around the hips are especially important for controlling your posture and driving the rotation needed for an effective swing.

However, some may struggle with this most important of maneuvers, due to the simple fact they lack full mobility in their hip muscles. A poorly executed, vigorous swing can cause serious injury if the muscles are stiff, and the last thing you need is to be out of action when you could be out enjoying the course. Hip restraints can offer protection and support when moving about on the course, but while this can maintain your comfort, it does nothing to improve the health of the muscles.

This is most often a problem for those nearing retirement age, but we don’t all have the time or money to invest in the comprehensive physical training that golf pros undertake daily. However, there are a few simple exercises you can practice to improve your hip flexibility that will get noticeable results when performed regularly, but which won’t eat into your valuable golfing time.

Here are our top exercises for limbering up those stiff muscles and improving your game, without the need to spend hours working out.

Hip Flexor Drills

The hip flexor is the region between your hips on the front of your body and connects to the lower back. Improving the strength and flexibility of this muscle group is vital for not only improving the power of your swing but also for protecting your lumbar region and preventing injury to the back.

There is a simple exercise you can do to work out this group of muscles that doesn’t require anything more than a golf club and a chair. That’s right! You can even do this exercise sitting down.

Seat yourself comfortably, ensuring that your back is straight, and place the golf club behind your shoulders. From this position, simply raise your knees one at a time to a height that feels comfortable, and hold them there for 25-30 seconds. For a visual aid, you can see a video of this exercise here. Repeat this motion three times on each side for strong and supple hip flexors that will make a noticeable improvement to your game.

Hip Drops

This is another simple exercise that will do wonders for loosening up your hip muscles, allowing you to improve your rotation with ease. You need to lie down for this one, so you may want to use a yoga mat. However, if you don’t have one on hand, any comfortable surface will do.

Start by lying on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the floor. From here, drop your knees over to one side and rest there for a few seconds while keeping your back flat on the floor. Only drop your knees as far as you feel comfortable, as forcing your legs to touch the ground when they don’t want to will likely strain the muscles. Repeat this motion a few times on each side.

If you want to step it up a gear, you can lie with both legs flat on the floor, then swing one leg over to the side, keeping both legs straight. Hold this position for around 30 seconds, and then repeat on the other side. These movements are great for limbering up those stubborn hip muscles, improving mobility, and reducing the risk of muscle strain when performing your golf swing.

Single Leg Squat and Reach

If you found the other exercises too easy, you may want to try something a little more challenging. The single leg squat and reach is a fantastic way to improve your hip strength and flexibility, but it is a little more advanced and only advisable if you have decent balance.

You can use a dumbbell for this one, though it’s not essential. Stand on one leg and hold the dumbbell (if you are using one) in your opposite hand. From here, perform a single leg squat while reaching for your ankle with the opposite hand before returning to a standing position with the dumbbell raised up to shoulder height. Make sure to bend at the knees and waist while performing this exercise, and, if you struggle with balance, you could consider steadying yourself against a table with your free hand. Repeat a few times on each side for strong, bendy hips.

These exercises can be performed in around ten minutes and regularly doing so will go a long way in improving the overall flexibility of your hips. This will make a significant impact on your swing, and you should start to see improvements before you know it!