Upper Body Stretches to Improve Your Golf Swing

Recently, I had the opportunity to receive hands-on instruction from golf teaching guru, Hank Haney. Now, this was obviously a special opportunity since Hank basically only teaches Tiger Woods, and the junior players at his academy in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Hank has a specific golf swing theory that he is confident will allow the golfer to hit the nine main golf shots with consistency, at will. This includes the straight shot, with low, medium or high trajectory, a draw with these three trajectories, and a fade with these three trajectories. If a golfer can swing the golf club efficiently, he or she should feel comfortable hitting any one of these shots when the situation calls for it.

Hank’s theory is that the club shaft should maintain the same angle throughout the golf swing as its starting position at address. This is not the so-called one-plane golf swing. Hank dismisses that idea. However, he does suggest that there is one plane “angle” that the shaft should maintain, on different planes, throughout the golf swing.

Now, although I always felt I had a pretty good shoulder turn, my lesson with Hank indicated that I was not getting the full shoulder turn I need to maintain this one plane angle with a full golf swing. Instead, my left shoulder would drop slightly, and my head would also drop, during the back swing. As a result, I was not making the full shoulder turn that would allow me to swing the club on the consistent shaft angle that Hank indicates will lead to more consistent ball striking. Instead, the angle of my club shaft would at times be too flat or too steep, and ultimately I would need to have exceptional timing to hit the ball straighter.

I’ve stated in a previous article that flexibility is more important than strength for initially trying to add distance to your golf game. In trying to make the fuller shoulder turn that Hank was making me do during my lesson, I realized that I probably need to work on stretching my upper body some more. I will note that I also have a bit of a neck issue related to a skiing wreck when I was a teenager. As such, this may limit how much of a turn I can ultimately make. The swing can still be effective if I must make only a three-quarter swing, and I can still generate power in other ways, but I will make a go out of trying to generate a full swing by increasing my flexibility.

Increased flexibility is so important to improving the golf swing, that even Charles Barkley is working on this as he works with Hank Haney in trying to solve his full swing yip problem. At the same time, he has lost 30 pounds as well. It is no secret now that fitness is one of the big keys to improving your golf game!

With that in mind, in the coming weeks, I will continue to focus my attention on stretching the upper body. Below are descriptions of the primary stretching exercises I will utilize in improving my flexibility. If you want to improve your golf game, I suggest you work on these simple exercises as well!

Back Stretch – Twist

Lay flat on your back, arms out to sides and palms down, with your knees bent and feet flat to the floor. Shift onto your left hip, keeping your back flat to the floor. Lower your knees to the left side, so that the left knee and thigh lay on the floor. Place your left hand on your right knee, and pull the right knee down to floor…at the same time your head should be turned to the right, facing your right hand. Hold for 30 seconds, then slowly switch positions to the other side.

Lying Down Shoulder Stretch

While sitting on the floor, legs stretched out front, and back straight, interlock your hands on the floor behind your back. Slide your feet forward as far as they will go, feeling the stretch in the front of the shoulders. Hold that position for 30 seconds.

Trunk Rotations

Hold a staff or a broomstick behind your neck, with your arms outstretched along the staff. At the golf course, you can do a version of this with your driver, with on hand on the grip, and the other down near the clubhead.

Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, slowly turn your body as far to the left as possible, hold for a second, then slowly twist to the right, as far as possible. Repeat 10 times to each side, and each time try to turn a little further.

Elbow Pull Shoulder Stretch

Standing with your feet shoulder width apart, or sitting in an upright position with your back straight, extend your left arm forward, reach under and slightly behind your left elbow with your right hand, then draw the left arm in toward your body and across to the right. You should feel this stretch in the back and side of your left deltoid muscle of the shoulder. Hold this stretch for 30 seconds, then perform this same stretch with the right shoulder.

Scott Cole