Top 21 Hip Stretches for Golf to Unlock Power and Flexibility

On the course, you feel it when your hips are tight: your swing stalls, shots lose distance, and aches show up by the back nine. Hip Stretches for Golf target the joints and muscles that drive rotation and power, making them a core part of brilliant stretching routines and strategies. By combining these moves with the best stretching excercises, you can build mobility that lasts and prevents stiffness. This article shows simple mobility drills, targeted stretches, and timing tips designed to unlock a smoother, more powerful golf swing with greater consistency, distance, and comfort on the course, all by improving hip flexibility.
‍
Pliability's mobility app puts those drills into short, guided sessions you can follow before practice or play, helping you build hip mobility, core stability, and glute activation without wasting time. Use it to track progress and keep your warm-up consistent so you hit more fairways and feel better through 18 holes.

What Golfers Need to Know About Hip Mobility

The hips are the engine of the golf swing. “The biggest gear in the whole sequence of the golf swing is the hips,” says Leo Rooney, director of performance at Urban Golf Performance. When the hips rotate well, they pass force from the ground through the legs and into the torso and arms.

When they do not, that force fades as it moves up the body, and the rest of the system works harder to make up the difference. Think of your swing as a chain of motion, poor hip rotation creates weak links above it and adds stress to the spine and shoulders.

How Better Hip Rotation Drops Lower Back Pain and Helps Your Swing

Increasing internal and external hip rotation can reduce lower back pain and improve your swing. If the hips rotate less than they should, the lower back, which is built mainly for bending and straightening, must twist and absorb forces it was not designed to take. That extra rotation and torque show up as discomfort and as swing breakdowns.

If your thoracic spine also lacks motion, “the lower back becomes a pain sandwich in between,” Rooney says. Lower back problems are common in golf; one study found they account for about 25 percent of golf injuries, with some reports as high as 54 percent, which points to this being a frequent mechanical issue.

The Hips' Job During a Swing: Power Transfer, Rotation, and Stability

During the backswing, your rear hip internally rotates as the hips close, and during the downswing, your front hip internally rotates as both hips open toward the target. The hips should rotate around the body’s central axis, not slide laterally toward the heels or toes. Proper sequencing matters:

• Feet
• Legs
• Hips
• Torso
• Arms
• Hands
• Club

When the hips start the downswing, they set the timing and path that let the torso and arms deliver speed into the clubhead. Watch whether your hips rotate or whether they sway; the difference shows up in shot shape and contact.

When Hips Stop Rotating: Common Swing Flaws and Pain Triggers

Limited hip rotation commonly causes early extension and loss of posture. Early extension is the lower body moving forward toward the ball during the downswing. Loss of posture refers to any significant deviation from the angles you set at address.

Both force the arms to chase power, ruining the sequence. You might feel the club get stuck behind you or notice thin, fat, or inconsistent shots. Over time, the lower back and hamstrings take more load and irritation builds, showing up as stiffness or pain after a round.

Quick At-Home Test: Check Your Hip Internal and External Rotation

Sit tall on the edge of a chair or table. Keep your torso steady and feet on the floor. For internal rotation, rotate the thigh inward so the foot swings outward; the thigh should move at least 30 degrees from neutral.

For external rotation, rotate the thigh outward so the foot moves inward; the thigh should move at least 40 degrees from neutral. Repeat on the other side and compare ranges. If one side underperforms, it will likely show up as swing compensation.

How to Improve Hip Mobility: Practical Stretches and Drills You Can Do

Rooney runs a hip mobility sequence that creates quick, usable gains, and you can get noticeable improvement right away. Do the sequence at least three times a week for lasting changes, and use parts of it as a warm-up before the range or a round.

• Controlled hip rotations: Sit or stand and slowly rotate the thigh through its full internal and external range, five to eight slow reps per direction. Focus on smooth movement, not force.
• 90 90 drill: Sit with one hip at 90 degrees front and the other at 90 degrees back. Rotate the hips to move from the front 90-degree position to the back 90-degree position, eight to ten times on each side. This trains both internal and external rotation.
• Figure four or pigeon style stretch: Cross one ankle over the opposite knee while seated or on the floor, and lean forward to open the glutes and external rotators. Hold 20 to 30 seconds and repeat twice on each side.
• Kneeling hip flexor with rotation: From a kneeling lunge, drive the hips forward to feel the front of the hip, then rotate your torso away from the front leg to add external rotation. Do eight to ten reps per side.
• Supine knee drops: Lie on your back with knees bent, feet flat. Let one knee drop across your body while the pelvis and hips rotate, then bring it back. Perform eight to ten controlled reps on each side.
• Glute bridges and single-leg bridges: Activate the glutes with sets of 8 to 12 reps. Add single-leg versions to build rotational stability.
• Banded lateral walks and clamshells: Use a loop band to strengthen hip abductors and external rotators, two sets of 10 to 15 reps.
• Thoracic rotation drills: Spend a few minutes on thoracic mobility to allow the upper back to move freely without forcing extra rotation into the lower back.
  

Start sessions with dynamic movement and finish with a few longer holds where you feel tightness. Perform the whole mobility routine three times per week and use shorter versions before practice. Begin with two sets of each drill and increase as mobility and comfort improve.

Related Reading

• Best Stretching Exercises
• Why Does Stretching Feel Good
• Does Stretching Burn Calories
• Does Stretching Help Sore Muscles
• Most Important Muscles for Golf
• Why Do Athletes Stretch Before a Game
• Does Stretching Build Muscle
• Stretches to Do Before Working Out
• Leg Stretches Before Workout
• Full Body Stretching Routine
• Golf Stretching Routine
• Chest Stretches After Workout

Top 21 Hip Stretches for Golf to Prevent Injury and Boost Performance

1. 90 90 Hip Mobility Drill: Open Internal and External Rotation

Sit with both knees and hips bent to 90 degrees. Reach your arms straight in front and clench your fists to create body tension. Keep weight centered and heels down. Slowly open the trailing knee like a book until it stops, then rotate the opposite knee inward to the same position on the other side. That is one rep. Do two sets of 20 reps. To regress, place your hands behind you and press into the floor for leverage.

Muscles targeted: External rotators, internal rotators, glutes, and deep hip rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

This drill restores internal and external hip rotation so your lead leg can turn through on the downswing without forcing your lower back. Use it before a range session to improve rotary range of motion.

2. 90 90 Hip Stretch: Deep Glute and External Rotation Release

Sit with the left knee in front at 90 degrees and the right knee out to the side at 90 degrees. Place your hands on the floor on each side of the front thigh. Keeping a straight back, hinge forward slowly and bring your chest toward your thigh. Rise back up and repeat. Perform two sets of eight reps per side.

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, piriformis, external rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It frees the posterior hip so your trail hip can load and your pelvis can rotate smoothly during the backswing. Try it before hitting to reduce swing resistance.

3. Half Frog With Rotation: Adductor Length With Thoracic Rotation

Start on all fours. Draw your right knee out to the side with the ankle lined up under the knee. Extend the left leg straight with the sole flat and toes forward. Press through the hands to straighten the arms and alternately rotate the upper back, reaching one arm up toward the sky, then the other. Adjust hip height to change intensity. Do two sets of eight reps per side.

Muscles targeted: Adductors, inner thigh, hip stabilizers, and obliques during rotation.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

The adductors assist lower-body rotation and stability. This move improves lateral mobility and sequencing between the hips and thorax for a cleaner transition.

4. Tactical Frog With Internal Rotation: Loaded Internal Rotation Drill

Begin on all fours. Move the knees wider than the hips and sit back to your heels. From this position, lift the hips, then lift and rotate one foot off the ground away from your body. Return the foot and sit the hips back. Alternate legs for two sets of eight reps. If you feel pinching, adjust knee spacing.

Muscles targeted: Adductors, internal rotators, glute medius, and deep hip rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

This trains internal rotation under a partial load so your lead hip can accept rotation during the follow-through without compensatory spine motion.

5. Hip Decoupling: Create Joint Space and Reduce Stiffness

Place the left knee on the ground and the right knee in front at a 45-degree angle. Rock forward into the right knee and then return to the start. Repeat two sets of eight reps per side. You can also open the raised knee directly to the side for variation.

Muscles targeted: Hip capsule mobility, hip flexors, glute complex.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It creates space in the hip joint and reduces compression after long sitting periods, allowing freer pelvis rotation in the swing.

6. Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch for Hip Mobility: Long Lunge With Overhead and Side Reach

• Phase 1: Kneel with left knee down and right leg in a lunge. Hold a golf club with both hands and raise it overhead. Keep the low back neutral. Hold for 45 seconds on each side.
• Phase 2: Rest the right arm, hold the club upright, and bend laterally toward the raised hip, reaching up and over with the opposite arm. Hold 45 seconds. Complete two to three sets per side.
  

Muscles targeted: Hip flexors, psoas, quadriceps, and obliques when laterally bending.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It lengthens the psoas, allowing the pelvis to tilt and rotate without pulling the lumbar spine, which in turn improves follow-through and reduces strain on the lower back.

7. Kneeling Hamstring Stretch: Loaded Posterior Chain Lengthening

Place your golf club under the kneeling leg. Keep your hips facing forward, with your knee bent, toes pulled toward your shin, chest up, and back straight. Gently shift the hips back until you feel the hamstrings. Hold 45 seconds per side. Complete two to three sets depending on your mobility.

Muscles targeted: Hamstrings, distal glutes, posterior chain.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

A more receptive hamstring lets the pelvis hinge correctly in the downswing, maintaining posture and improving contact consistency.

8. Seated Piriformis Stretch: Chair-Friendly External Rotation

Sit upright in a chair. Cross your right ankle over your left knee and hinge forward from the hips with a straight back. If knee pain limits you, sit back slightly and press the knee down with your hand to open the hip. Hold 45 seconds per side and do two to three sets.

Muscles targeted: Piriformis, gluteus medius, and deep external rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

This reduces tension that can block hip rotation and cause early spine compensation during rotation.

9. Supine Twist: Gentle Hip and Lower Back Mobility

Lie on your back with knees bent. Cross your right leg over your left and drop both knees to the left while the arms form a T. Let the knees fall with relaxed control. Hold 45 seconds per side and complete two to three sets.

Muscles targeted: Lumbar rotators, glutes, obliques, deep hip rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It improves transverse plane mobility so your torso can rotate over a stable pelvis, aiding sequencing between thorax and hips.

10. Spiderman Stretch with Rotation: Lunge to Thoracic Rotation

Step forward into a deep right lunge and place your right hand inside the right foot. Rotate open to the left, reaching upward. Swap hands and rotate to the opposite side. If needed, keep the back knee down. Repeat rhythmically for 8 to 10 reps per side.

Muscles targeted: Hip flexors, adductors, thoracic spine, and glutes.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It links hip mobility with thoracic rotation, so your upper body can clear through the swing while the hips unload efficiently.

11. Tick Tock Trunk Rotations: Controlled Trunk Range and Motor Control

Hold your club behind your back with your arms resting on it.

• Phase 1: Bend side to side through the mid and lower back.
• Phase 2: Keep hands on the club and rotate the trunk while keeping hips square.
• Phase 3: Hinge forward at the hips with chest up and rotate. Complete ten rotations in each direction.

Muscles targeted: Thoracic extensors and rotators, obliques, and spinal stabilizers.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It increases thoracic rotation and trains the spine to move independently of the hips, allowing you to create separation between the upper and lower body.

12. Thoracic Extension Over Foam Roller: Thoracic Opening for Better Rotation

Lie with the foam roller under your upper back. Place hands behind head and gently arch over the roller, letting head and neck relax. Add gentle rotations to the right and left while holding the extension. Repeat ten times at three different thoracic levels by shifting the roller.

Muscles targeted: Thoracic extensors, scapular stabilizers, and posterior chain connective tissue.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

Loss of thoracic extension forces extra motion into the lumbar spine. This exercise restores thoracic mobility, so rotation comes from the mid back rather than the low back.

13. Pigeon Pose: Deep Glute and Hip Capsule Release

From a low lunge with the right foot forward, slide the left knee back and lower your hips so the right shin is in front. Square the hips to the ground. Use a block under the front hip if needed. Hold 30 to 60 seconds, then switch sides.

Muscles targeted: Piriformis, gluteus maximus, hip capsule.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It releases tight posterior hip tissues, allowing the trail hip to load and the lead hip to rotate smoothly through the finish.

14. Figure Four Stretch: Closed Chain Hip External Rotation

Lying supine with knees bent, cross the right ankle over the left knee forming a 4. Pull the left knee toward the chest to increase the stretch. Hold 20 to 30 seconds, then switch. For a seated version, sit with legs extended, cross the right ankle over the left knee, and press the right knee gently toward the floor.

Muscles targeted: Glutes, piriformis, external rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It reduces lateral hip tightness that limits rotation and turn power, helping you generate speed without straining the spine.

15. Seated Spinal Twist: Controlled Rotational Mobility

Sit with legs extended. Bend the right knee and place the foot outside the left thigh. Rotate the torso to the right and put the right hand behind for support. Hold 30 to 60 seconds, then switch sides.

Muscles targeted: Obliques, lower back, glutes, hip rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It trains controlled rotation while stabilizing the pelvis, allowing you to create torque in the backswing and deliver it through impact.

16. Seated Butterfly Stretch: Inner Thigh and Groin Opening

Sit with knees bent and soles together. Pull the feet toward the body and, keeping the back straight, gently press the knees toward the floor. Hold 30 seconds and repeat three to four times.

Muscles targeted: Adductors, groin, and hip internal rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It increases the medial hip range, allowing you to shift weight and rotate the pelvis more freely during weight transfer.

17. Hip Circles: Dynamic Hip Joint Warming

Stand with feet shoulder-width apart and hands on hips. Slowly rotate the hips in a full circle clockwise, then counterclockwise. Perform 10 to 15 rotations each way. Add a resistance band around the ankles for more challenge.

Muscles targeted: Hip flexors, extensors, abductors, adductors, core stabilizers.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

It primes the hip capsule and surrounding muscles for multi-directional motion that the golf swing demands.

18. Internal Hip Rotations: Restore the Lead Leg Turn

Sit or lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Let one knee drop inward toward the midline while keeping the pelvis level. Actively bring the knee back to center. Perform two sets of 10 to 15 reps per side. Alternatively, perform seated internal rotations with the foot on the floor and rotate the thigh inward.

Muscles targeted: Internal rotators of the hip, glute medius, and deep rotator cuff of the hip.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

Internal rotation on the lead leg is required for a full release into the follow-through. Improving this range limits compensatory lumbar rotation and reduces back pain risk.

19. Glute Bridges: Build Posterior Chain Drive and Pelvic Control

Lie on your back with knees bent and feet flat. Drive the hips up by squeezing the glutes until the body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Lower with control. Perform 10 to 15 reps.

Muscles targeted: Gluteus maximus, hamstrings, posterior chain, core stabilizers.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

Strong glutes create a stable platform for rotation and help transfer ground reaction force into the club head.

20. Clamshells: Hip Abductor and External Rotator Activation

Lie on your side with knees bent and feet stacked. Keeping feet together, lift the top knee while the pelvis stays stable. Perform 10 to 15 reps per side.

Muscles targeted: Gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, external rotators.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

This exercise improves lateral stability so the hips resist unwanted tilt during the swing and maintain a consistent plane.

21. Banded Hip Abductions: Load the Frontal Plane

Place a resistance band around the ankles. Stand tall and step one leg out to the side against the band tension. Return controlled. Perform 10 to 15 reps per leg.
Muscles targeted: Gluteus medius and minimus, hip abductors, lateral stabilizers.

Why It Helps Your Golf Swing

Strong and responsive abductors keep the pelvis level during weight shift and support a balanced, repeatable rotation through impact.

Related Reading

• Pre Golf Stretches
• Stretching for Runners
• Dynamic Stretches Before Workout
• Stretches for Gymnastics
• Stretching for Bodybuilders
• Golf Shoulder Stretches
• Stretches Before Bench Press
• Static Stretches for Football
• Stretches for Weightlifting
• Golf Stretches for Back
• Golf Stretches for Rotation

Benefits of Hip Flexibility for Golfers

Hip flexibility governs how far and how freely your pelvis and torso rotate. More hip rotation gives you a wider backswing and a fuller follow-through, which translates into more clubhead speed and cleaner contact.

When your hips move well, you avoid compensations in the lower back and shoulders, so your swing stays repeatable under pressure. Gaining just five to ten degrees of extra hip rotation often shows up as a few extra yards and fewer mis-hits during a round.

Keep Your Turn: Increased Range of Motion for a Fuller Backswing

Tight hips block a complete turn. Stretching targeted at the hip flexors, adductors, glutes, and piriformis restores internal and external rotation and lets you load the trail hip on the takeaway. Combine dynamic hip openers before a round and focused static stretches after play to maintain length.

Strength work that targets hip extension and single-leg control improves joint health and supports the new range. Add occasional massage or soft tissue work to release trigger points in the glutes and hip flexors so that mobility gains stick.

Stand Taller: Better Posture and Cleaner Swing Mechanics

Restricted hips force posture changes:

• A tucked pelvis
• Rounded upper back
• Early extensions are a common compensation

Open hips allow the pelvis to tilt and rotate correctly, supporting a neutral spine throughout the swing. That alignment reduces swing flaws caused by poor posture and helps the shoulders and thoracic spine do their share of the work. When the chain from hips to shoulders moves smoothly, your strike quality improves, and your body feels less fatigued over 18 holes.

Hit Harder, Control Better: More Power and Precision from the Hips

Power starts at the ground and transfers through the hips into the torso and arms. Better hip mobility increases the separation between the pelvis and chest, so you compress the coil and release it.

Train technique, core stability, and explosive hip extension together: practice loaded turns and controlled medicine ball throws to build coordinated torque. Add glute activation drills and plyometric moves to translate mobility into measurable clubhead speed and better shot control.

Stay On Your Feet: Improved Balance and Smoother Weight Transfer

Good hip mobility improves single-leg stability and proprioception. That means a smoother weight shift from back foot to front foot and cleaner impact positions. Use single-leg RDLs, balance board drills, and slow rotation drills to teach your nervous system to move with control through the swing. When your hips can rotate freely, you keep your center of mass over the base of support and miss fewer shots to the heel or toe.

Protect Your Body: How Flexibility Lowers Injury Risk

Flexible hips reduce strain on the lumbar spine, knees, and groin by distributing forces across more tissues. Strength training increases bone density and reinforces tendons and ligaments, making the joints more resilient to repetitive swing stress.

Better hip mobility also improves posture, which lowers the risk of neck, shoulder, and back pain. Regular mobility work, combined with progressive strength routines, reduces both acute sprains and chronic overuse problems that sideline golfers.

Practical Gains: Small Flexibility Wins That Show Up On The Course

Small, consistent gains matter. Adding a few degrees of rotation can make your takeaway smoother, cut your slice, and increase distance on par 5s. Improved hip opening can also make it easier to recover from awkward lies because your torso can adjust without forcing your lower back. Track simple metrics:

• Degrees of internal and external rotation
• Single-leg balance time
• Number of clean strike shots in a practice session

These measures make progress tangible and keep training motivating.

Training Plan: How to Build Flexibility Without Losing Strength

Train mobility three to five times per week with short sessions that focus on control. Pair mobility attention with two strength days that include single-leg work, hip hinges, and core stability. Add one session of plyometrics or explosive medicine ball rotations to convert mobility into power. Keep sessions brief and specific, mobilize the hips, then load them through movement patterns that mimic the golf swing.

Pliability: Mobility App for Flexibility and Performance

Pliability offers a fresh take on yoga for performance-minded people and athletes through daily updated programs and a unique body scanning tool. Sign up today to get 7 days free on iPhone, iPad, Android, or on our website and try our mobility app to improve flexibility, reduce pain, and enhance range of motion.

How to Incorporate Hip Stretches into Your Golf Warm-up Routine

Start with this tight, time-efficient sequence that fits into a standard pre-round ritual. Total time is about six to eight minutes.

• Two minutes of light cardio to raise heart rate.
• Two minutes of dynamic hip moves:
  
  • Walking lunges
  • Forward leg swings
  • Hip circles.

• Two minutes of short static hip holds:
  
  • Figure four and seated butterfly, 20 to 30 seconds on each side

• Finish with 30 to 60 seconds of easy breathing and bodyweight squats to reset posture.

Light Cardio Start: Wake the System in Two Minutes

Begin with brisk walking, easy jogging in place, or a few laps on a practice area. The goal is to increase blood flow through the hips and legs so the tissues respond better to movement and stretching. Move steadily but without sprinting so you stay fresh for the first tee.

Dynamic Hip Moves: Swing Into Motion

Use movement that reflects the golf swing. Walking lunges with a torso twist activate hip flexors, glutes, and core. Front and side leg swings free up hip flexion and external rotation, eight to twelve reps per leg. Add standing hip circles and slow knees up to prime hip mobility and balance. Keep the range smooth and controlled so the joints are warm without strain.

Static Hip Stretches: Deep Openers You Can Hold

Choose two or three static hip stretches and hold each for 20 to 30 seconds.

• Figure four lying glute stretch: Lie on your back, cross one ankle over the opposite thigh, and pull the uncrossed knee toward your chest.
• Seated butterfly: Soles together, knees drop toward the floor, press gently on the knees with elbows.
• Hip flexor lunge: Kneel on one knee, drive hips forward, and keep spine long. Hold steady breathing while you relax the target muscle.

Finish With a Short Cool Down: Reset Breathing and Balance

After mobility and static work, stand tall and take three deep diaphragmatic breaths. Do five slow bodyweight squats or a few slow practice swings focusing on rotation rather than power. This helps the nervous system switch from warm-up to ready without jarring the hips before the first drive.

Dynamic Stretching Explained: Why Move First

Dynamic stretching uses momentum and joint travel to raise temperature and prime motor patterns. It prepares the hip rotators, adductors, and glutes in a way that static holds do not. That makes dynamic work the best opener before hitting balls or teeing off, and it reduces the need for long static holds, which can blunt power if done first.

Improving Hamstring Flexibility: Practical Steps for Golfers

Tight hamstrings limit hip hinge and reduce rotational freedom. Combine active hamstring drills, such as straight leg raises and band-assisted leg swings, with controlled static holds after play. Additionally, pair hamstring work with hip flexor stretches, as a shortened hip flexor shifts the pelvis and can make the hamstrings feel tighter. Try a 3 x 20-second approach, two dynamic rep sets followed by one static hold.

Stretching Other Muscles That Affect the Hips

The hips do not work alone. Tight hip flexors, calves, adductors, and lower back all change how your hips move. Add these quick options:

• Kneeling lunge for hip flexors
• Downward-facing dog or standing calf wall stretch for calves
• Side lunges or standing groin stretch for adductors
• Seated spinal twist for lower back rotation

Use two rounds of 20 to 30 seconds per side where needed.

Hold Times and Repetition: The 20 Second Rule and How to Use It

Hold static stretches at least 20 seconds to allow the muscle to relax and elongate. Repeat each hold two to four times if you need deeper mobility. For dynamic moves, use eight to twelve clean reps. Breathe slowly and avoid pushing to pain. If a joint feels sharp or unstable, back off and reduce range.

Preventing Hip Injuries on the Course: Habits That Help

Limit repetitive strain by alternating practice with rest and by varying shot types during a session. If you feel progressive tightness, stop and do a short mobility set rather than powering through. Add strength work once or twice a week for glute medius, single-leg deadlifts, and side plank variations to improve hip stability and load tolerance.

Pick the Right Golf Shoes: Support That Protects Your Hips

Choose shoes with stable midsoles, firm arch support, and reliable traction. A shoe that allows excessive foot pronation or slips during the swing forces the hips to compensate. Try shoes on later in the day when feet swell and test them with a few practice swings to feel how they influence balance and rotation.

Swing Mechanics That Spare Your Hips

Keep weight centered and avoid lateral sway during the swing. Initiate rotation with the torso while letting the hips follow as a powered hinge, not the sole driver. Sequence:

• Ground force into the left foot
• Rotate hips
• Upper torso
• Release through the arms

Practicing this pattern during warm-up with slow swings reduces peak loads on the hip joint.

Posture That Keeps Hips Healthy

Set up with a natural spine angle, knees soft, and weight balanced over the arches of your feet. Lift the chest slightly and keep the chin neutral to allow thoracic rotation. Use your core to control rotation range so the hips do more work for power and less for stability.

Key Terms Every Golfer Should Know

• Flexibility: The ability of a joint to move through full motion.
  
  • Example: Improving hip flexibility helps you turn through the ball.
• Injury: Damage to tissue caused by excessive force or repetition.
  
  • Example: Sharp hip pain during a swing requires an immediate stop.
• Fatigue: Muscle tiredness that alters movement quality.
  
  • Example: Late round fatigue can make you sway and stress your hips.
• Routine: The set of warm-up actions you repeat before play.
  
  • Example: A short hip routine keeps mobility consistent.
• Breathing: Controlled inhalation and exhalation that aids relaxation.
  
  • Example: Steady breathing helps you hold static stretches without bracing.

Related Reading

• Groin Stretches Football
• Soccer Warm-Up Stretches
• Stretching Exercises for Golfers Over 60
• Best Stretches for Soccer Players
• Dynamic Stretching for Soccer
• Best Stretches for Tennis Elbow
• Best Golf Stretches
• Gymnastics Stretches for Beginners

Improve Your Flexibility with Our Mobility App Today | Get 7 Days for Free on Any Platform

Pliability offers a modern take on yoga and mobility designed for athletes and performance-minded people. The app contains an extensive library of high-quality videos that teach hip mobility drills, glute activation, groin stretches, and hip rotator work that improve flexibility, reduce pain, and restore range of motion.

Daily updated custom mobility programs match your goals and current limitations, and a built-in body scanning tool highlights tight hips, limited internal rotation, and weak stabilizers. 

How Pliability Improves Hip Mobility and Your Golf Swing

Hips are the engine of a powerful and consistent swing. Improved hip rotation, stronger glute medius activation, and better hip internal and external rotation allow a fuller backswing, cleaner transition, and smoother follow-through. When hips move freely, you reduce compensations in the lower back and hamstrings that cause pain and loss of distance.

Body Scan and Custom Mobility Programs That Pinpoint Hip Issues

Pliability's body scan identifies asymmetries in hip rotation, limited abduction, or deficits in glute activation, and then creates a targeted mobility plan. The program adapts as your range improves, prioritizing drills that build hip joint stability, balance, and functional range of motion. Progress tracking shows which stretches and activation moves actually increase swing-friendly mobility and which areas need more attention.

‍