Hip Mobility Exercises for Power in Your Swing
If you are a golf enthusiast, you probably know how important a role your hip mobility plays in powering your swing. If you have a job, a car, and a couch, you’ve likely won the lottery for having incredibly tight hips. This can lead to problems such as lower back pain, knee issues, and you guess it – a weak swing.
Don’t fret, though! No matter your age, there are a variety of exercises you can practice to get your hips in better condition and seriously improve your golf swing. Read these tips from our personal trainers at Get F.I.T. and apply them to your life to see massive results.
The Mechanics of Your Hips in Your Golf Swing
A smooth ‘seesaw’ action in your hips allows you to load and transfer power across your body, either from left to right or left to right. When your hips don’t move as easily, you can’t achieve your maximum potential in your golf game.
With this lack of hip mobility, our trainers often see compensation by swaying or extending their arms too early. Not only does this dramatically reduce the power behind your drive, but it also increases your chance of injury. We don’t want that now, do we?
To address this, we need to improve your loading position and pattern of movement. Your hips and pelvis need to be set up for success so you aren’t unnecessarily rotating and putting pressure on the lumbar spine.
It’s essential that you restore functionality to the hips in your golf swing to not only create more power but to also reduce your risk of injury.
When the hips are properly functioning, your overall range of motion and power will increase!
What Can You Do to Improve Your Hip Function?
Golfers have two main objectives when restoring functionality to their hips:
1. Improve Hip Mobility
Better hip mobility will provide better range of motion for that ‘seesaw’ movement. This is an essential aspect of achieving that ‘load and explode’ action that will increase the power of your swing.
2. Improve Hip Stability
Improved stability of the hips is the necessary foundation from which power is healthily generated. Without this stability, there is a much greater risk of injury in the hips, lower back, and even the knees.
Exercises to Build into Your Training Program
Tactical Frog
In this first exercise, you will start on all fours with your toes against a wall to help maintain proper form. You will then spread your knees as wide as you can and bring your toes together so that you are in a ‘frog’ position. You should already begin feeling this in your hips and inner thighs.
In this position, move your body back so that your thighs are stretching towards your calves and you are resting on your forearms. Focus on keeping your pelvis tucked under and avoid arching your back. Slowly return back to the starting position while keeping your pelvis tucked. As you move back into the stretch, focus on wrapping your elbows in towards your body.
Complete 5-10 reps of this stretch, moving slowly and with control.
Image Courtesy of Premier Fitness System
Tactical Frog End Range ISO
Now we will build off of the tactical frog exercise with an isometric end range hold. With a few pillows stacked or a large pad in front of you, move into the ‘frog’ position as described before. This time, place your forearms on the cushion in front of you. Imagine dragging the pad towards you as you move back into the stretch.
Keep your pelvis tucked instead of dipping into the lumbar extension or arched back. This would lead to early extension in your golf swing. Hold each stretch for 10-15 seconds and repeat 2-3 times.
Loaded Frog to Plank
After your hips are nice and stretched out, you want to practice loading body weight onto the hips. This will help strengthen them in order to build power for your golf swing. Begin in a plank position on your hands with your feet slightly wider than your shoulders.
While keeping your elbows wrapped in towards your body – if you are struggling with this, place a towel in your armpit and hold it there to get the feeling – push back into your hips while bending your knees. This will look like a frog pose, except you will balance on your toes instead of your knees.
Transition back into your plank and repeat this movement 10 times.
Explosive Frog
In this last drill, you will really build strength to create power from your hips. Like the previous exercise, start in a plank but with your feet closer together. Push back into that loaded frog position while pushing your hands into the ground away from your body.
Once you are in this position, push off your feet and spring forward so that your feet are just in front of your hands. You should be in a squat position with your hand back between your legs.
Image Courtesy of Premier Fitness Systems
Keep Training > Exercise for Knee Instability
Spring Forward with Get F.I.T.
When it comes to movement, it’s important that you use the proper form to safely and effectively work your body. The reason your golf swing is stuck not improving may be a result of tight hips and a lack of power.
But don’t worry! Our team at Get F.I.T. wants to see you succeed, so we’ll do everything in our power to help you create your power. Turn heads on the green with your new and improved golf swing by visiting our trainers at Get F.I.T. Call the studio today - (813) 445-3027!
