Golf requires good mobility in the shoulders and thoracic spine in order to reach a solid and repeatable top position in our backswing. Here are a few exercises to help lift our hands whilst also developing better rotation in our upper body.
Lat stretch with roller
This exercise releases any tightness down the side of the body, which allows us to lift our arms and move well in the shoulders.
Lay on your left side with a foam roller just underneath the top of your arm. Bring your left hand out above your head with the back of your hand on the ground whilst your right hand holds on to the roller.
From here rock back and forth 10 times, move the roller down an inch and rock back and forth a further 10 times. Repeat moving down one more time on left and then roll over onto your right.
Lat stretch on the ground
Once you have released any tension with the roller it is good to stretch the muscles out.
Start in an all fours position and place your right hand in front of your left with your thumb pointing up. Take a deep breath and as you exhale slowly lower your chest down to the ground, feeling the stretch all down your right side. Hold for 15 seconds and switch to your left. Repeat so you stretch twice on each side.
Thoracic spine mobilisation with a foam roller
Your thoracic spine is your upper back and this area holds you in good posture and rotates throughout the swing. Similar to earlier with the roller this exercise releases any tightness in your upper back so we have more movement.
Start by placing the roller a third of the way down your back, hips on the floor with your feet under your knees. Support your head with your hands if you need and lift your hips off the ground. From here you can roll your body up and down the roller and allow it to release any tightness. Spend up to 1 minute doing this.
Disassociation stretch
Now we have mobilised our upper back we are going to work on more rotation through this area.
Start by getting into a push-up position and make sure your body is in a straight line from shoulders to heels. From here try to maintain a good stable posture, engage your core and lift your right hand up towards the sky, rotating your shoulders. Keep your belt buckle pointing to the ground throughout the movement, so the rotation is in your upper back. Hold this for 3 seconds, return your right hand and repeat 5 times on both sides.
