Have you finally realized the importance of flexibility and stability to the game of golf? How many times has your teaching pro told you that your swing is being limited by your inflexibility? Is that inflexibility and instability affecting your life and daily activities as well as your game? Most importantly, is it creating or contributing to pain?
Pain + golf = inconsistency, higher scores, compensation and permanent injury!

So what are you doing about it? I think the biggest question I get from my clientele and others is, “What is the biggest issue for the average boomer to senior golfer?”

My answer is always the same: Mobility and stability of the areas that should be mobile and stable. From the 25 handicapper to my PGA Tour winners, most everyone I see have varying degrees of immobility and instability throughout their body. It is these two primary issues that cause the most swing faults, pain and inability to perform at optimal levels.

One of the easiest ways to think about how a healthy body works was illustrated by Mike Boyle, with a mobility and stability stacking system.

Normal Pattern
Foot – Stable
Ankle – Mobile
Knee – Stable
Hip – Mobile
Pelvis/Sacrum/Lumbar Spine – Stable
Thoracic Spine – Mobile
Scapulo-Thoracic – Stable
Gleno-Humeral/Shoulder – Mobile
Elbow – Stable
Wrist – Mobile
Cervical Spine (C1/C2) – Mobile
Cervical Spine (C3-C7) – Stable

If you mobilize those areas that need to be mobile (blue), and stabilize those areas that need to be stable (red), then your body will be able to perform at the level you want and know it can. For now, let’s focus on a few of the most important parts of this system: the hips, the core and the thoracic spine.

As a professional who has worked on hundreds of clients over the last ten years utilizing hands-on therapy such as trigger-point massage and Muscle Activation Techniques, I can tell you that muscle and fascia adhesion has created havoc in my clients’ bodies. A majority of clients who come in with pain have been told by the medical establishment that they have an “itis” (arthritis, osteoarthritis), tears in the joint capsule, torn ligaments or a creative combination of ailments. Prescribed common “fixes” include joint replacement and extended use of various anti-inflammatory remedies.

Quite often, after a single tissue-therapy session, the same patients feel as if they never had the problem they came in with. This further illuminates the value of this information, especially if you feel stuck in the medical establishment quagmire, and have a gut feeling that there is a better and easier way to solve your problem. These recommendations are for you to spend a few minutes a day treating yourself.

It is vital to consider that when we move, there is a complex mix of neurological and neuromuscular activity working together in synergy to create the complex patterns of human movement. And we know that human movement involves muscular contraction and relaxation. But, in order to have optimal muscle contraction, there must be freedom in the muscle fibers and fascia that encases each muscle. The trouble comes when there is a trigger point (TP) or adhesion preventing the muscles from contracting, relaxing or sliding on top of each other.

A common example of a trigger point is the one you get in the mid-trap area of the neck, between the neck and shoulder. You usually get that one from stress, poor posture and repetitive stress at a seated work place.

An example of fascia adhesion is carpal tunnel syndrome. This is where the fascia, which looks like the casing of a hot dog, gets stuck to fascia of other muscles that surround it. Another food analogy is when spaghetti gets stuck together at the bottom of the pan, disabling the individual pieces of spaghetti from moving independently.

Trigger points and adhesions will both lead to pain, decreased joint range of motion, decreased circulation and a diminished ability to properly re-educate good movement. It is for these reasons that it is vitally important for the mature golfer to perform the recommended stretches and exercises every day.

Now that you have a better understanding of the debilitating nature of immobility, let’s look at instability. The most important area of the body to be stable is the core. This is the region from the pelvis and sacrum, to the lower thoracic spine (mid back). The core is crucial because it is where the body’s center of gravity is found. If there is instability of the core, it will open up the spine, sacrum and hips to injury, compensation and inefficient movement

The core’s job is to stabilize the sacrum, pelvis, hips and lumbar spine. Unlike what many people think, the core does not create rotation. Think of it as an anti-rotator. In the golf swing, the core is only responsible for approximately 20 degrees of rotation, while the hips and thoracic spine together create 65 degrees of rotation! Knowing this, you want to think of the core as the place where the lower body and upper body are separating, and that’s where we get all of our power, stability and balance. If your core is weak, all of the important characteristics of the swing are in jeopardy, and you will never be able to play the golf you desire.

With your increased awareness of mobility and stability, let’s look at some solutions you can do at home that will begin to change your game from the inside out.

1. HIPS (MOBILE)

A. Foam roller

Goal: glute max, glute medius/minimus, Iliotibial band (IT band)

• Lay on top of foam roller on the floor.
• Lay such that your hips sit at a 45-degree angle, and your bottom leg is softly bent with the foot flat on the floor while the top leg is bent at a 90-degree angle.
• Both hands should be on the floor behind you.
• Now slowly begin to roll up and down on the roller so as to “roll out” the Glute Maximus (1) and the trigger points you find in them. The Glute Maximus is a powerful hip extender and stabilizer of the sacrum and pelvis.
  Roll through all spots in the glute max area, then roll over onto one side so that the bottom leg is straight, top leg bent, foot flat on the floor in front of the down leg.
• Your elbow and forearm should be on the floor.
• Now move up and down on the roller using the forearm and the top leg to move the bottom (relaxed) leg.
• This is working the Glute Medius and Minimus (2) that are responsible for lateral hip stability.
• You can move up and down and side to side to “seek and destroy” all trigger points and adhered tissue.
• Now you want to work all the way down to the knee, doing the same thing. This area is known as the Iliotibial Band (IT Band) (3), and stabilizes the knee.
• Now do the other leg.

B. Tennis Ball

• Position the ball on your lower back area looking for any uncomfortable trigger points. Position the ball against the wall, then lean against the ball, moving up and down/back and forth. You’ll find plenty to work on. If not, continue with the steps below.
• Start position is to place the tennis ball up against the wall, and you against the ball.
• Start at glute max at the bottom of the sacrum (tailbone) and work up and down and side to side to find the spots that are uncomfortable.
• Now go into the glute medius and minimus, which is higher up the sacrum, and around the top of the hip bone (ilium). Go to the hip bone.

2. LOWER BACK (STABLE) TENNIS BALL

All you’re essentially doing is placing the ball through all of your low-back area looking for any uncomfortable trigger points. So if just put the ball against the wall and lean on it, then move up and down and back and forth, you’ll find plenty to work on. If not, continue with the following exercise.
Start at side of hip and work down toward sacrum (base of spine) then work ball up along side of spine to the bottom of the rib cage and laterally along bottom of rib cage.

3. THORACIC SPINE (MOBILE)

A. Foam Roll (Be careful when doing this. Do not force!)

Set 1- All vertebrae from bottom of shoulder blades to top of shoulder blades. (Note: Grab behind neck and squeeze head. Inhale and slowly exhale with pursed lips as you extend over the roller. Continue to exhale, and hold at bottom for 3 seconds. Do each vertebrae at 3 reps of 3-second holds until you don’t feel a stretch at the top of the shoulder blades.)
B. Tennis Ball

All you’re essentially doing is placing the ball through all of your upper mid-back area, and looking for any uncomfortable trigger points. So if you just put the ball against the wall and lean on it, then move up and down and back and forth, you’ll find plenty to work on. If not, continue with the following exercise.
Standing against wall, start high working low through the entire trap and rhomboid (the place between your shoulder blades up to the base of your neck), searching for those uncomfortable spots.

STRETCHES FOR MOBILITY

1. EXERCISE BALL LAYOVERS

• Sit on ball and slowly walk yourself out on the ball so that you end up lying over the ball into spinal extension. (WARNING: If you get dizzy doing this, stop immediately!)
• By now you should be laying completely over the ball so that you are looking behind you at the floor or the ceiling (1).
• Relax in this position for as long as you feel you need to.
• Carefully roll over onto one of your sides so you can stretch the side of your body (2).
• The top leg and top arm are going to be fully extended out. The bottom hand will grab and pull down on the top hand. This will increase the stretch through the Latissimus Dorsi (lat) and the low back.
• Another trick is to keep your hips in this position and rotate forward to stretch more to the low back, and rotate backward to stretch more of the oblique.
• Roll to other side and repeat.

2. EXERCISE BALL CHEST STRETCH

• Place arm on top of ball with elbow at 90-degree angle.
• Make sure that your hips and knees are also at a 90-degree angle.
• Keep ball close to the armpit without actually allowing the ball to touch the pec.
• With control and relaxation, lower your upper body toward the floor using the opposite arm as the movement monitor.
• By now you should feel a nice stretch in the pec, and possibly the arm where the pec attaches.
  Hold the stretch you just created for 5 seconds, then inhale, hold your breath and push your arm and forearm into the ball. Hold for 5 seconds.
• Exhale and allow your body to sink closer to the floor, which will be closer than when you started!
• Repeat this relax/contract sequence 3-5 times, then switch sides.

EXERCISES FOR STABILITY

1. EXERCISE BALL HIP EXTENSIONS/BACK ON BALL

Beginners-2 sets/10 reps
Intermediate-2-3 sets/15 reps
Advanced-3 sets/15 reps
“222 Tempo” (two seconds up, two seconds hold, two seconds down)

• Lay on the ball so your face is parallel to the ceiling.
• Knees are at 90-degrees and in the space of the hips.
• Keep belly button down toward spine, and shins vertical.
• Keep both held the entire time.
• Lower your butt toward the floor, keeping your shins vertical the entire time.
• Lift back up and go as high as you can, and squeeze your glutes at the top.

2. SQUAT

Beginners-2 sets/10 reps
Intermediate-2-3 sets/15 reps
Advanced-3 sets/15 reps
“222 Tempo” (two seconds up, two seconds hold, two seconds down)

• Chest up.
• Neutral spine (stick butt out a tiny bit).
• Draw belly button to spine without changing spine-HOLD.
• 60 percent of your weight in your feet should be in your heels.
• Begin squat movement by lowering butt like you were going to sit on a chair.
• Be sure that your knees are over your toes, chest is up, and you are balanced.

3. PRONE COBRA

Beginners-Hold in “up” position for 20-30 seconds, and rest for 10 seconds.
Repeat for a total of 9 reps.
Intermediate-Hold in “up” position for 45 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds.
Repeat for a total of 4 reps.
Advanced-3 sets/15 reps-Hold in “up” position for 90 seconds, and rest for 15 seconds. Repeat for a total of 2 reps.

• Lay prone on the floor.
• Head should be neutral, just like you were standing.
• Place arms at 45-degrees to the body, with palms down.
• Arch upper body off floor and roll arms/hands so they are facing
  toward your head. (Squeeze your shoulder blades down and together.
  Think of your arms creating this move.)
• This is the position you want to hold.
• 60 percent of your weight in your feet should be in your heels.
• Begin squat movement by lowering butt like you were going to sit on a chair.
• Be sure that your knees are over your toes, chest is up, and you are balanced.