Yoga for Golfers: Where the Rotation Should Come From

A golf swing needs a lot of rotation, and it should come from the hips and the upper back. The lumbar spine is built to rotate only a small amount, so when the thoracic spine is stiff and the hips do not turn, the lower back quietly makes up the difference: at speed, several hundred times a week if you play and practise regularly. That is the mechanism behind a very large share of golfers' back complaints, and it is trainable.

So the useful work is fairly specific: thoracic rotation, hip rotation in both directions, and enough control to stop the lower back volunteering.

What the swing asks for

Turning away from the ball asks the trail hip to rotate internally and the lead hip to rotate externally, while the upper back turns over a relatively stable pelvis. Coming through reverses it, quickly, with the lead hip now taking a considerable load.

Two common restrictions make that hard. A thoracic spine that has spent the week at a desk rotates far less than it is capable of. And hips that are stiff in internal rotation (very common, and often worse on one side) force the turn to happen somewhere else.

Somewhere else is usually the lumbar spine, and occasionally the lead knee.

Where to actually work

Thoracic rotation, seated or on all fours. The single highest-return thing for most golfers. Done slowly, both directions, a few minutes at a time, several times a week.

Hip rotation, both directions, both sides. Internal rotation is the one most people have lost and almost nobody trains. Expect a noticeable difference between sides; that difference is the point.

Separating the pelvis from the ribcage. The ability to turn one without the other is what keeps the rotation where it belongs. It feels awkward at first and it is worth persisting with.

Hip extension and the front of the hips. Sitting shortens them, and a hip that will not extend changes the pelvis position the whole swing is built on.

Enough trunk strength to resist rotation, not just produce it. Unfashionable and useful.

The asymmetry question

Golf is a one-sided sport and there is no need to be alarmed about that. The aim is not symmetry; it is to stop the gap widening to the point where one side is doing something it should not.

In practice: give the restricted side a little more time rather than splitting time evenly, and check both directions occasionally rather than assuming.

What not to do before a round

Long static stretching immediately before playing is not the preparation it was once assumed to be, and there is reasonable evidence it briefly reduces power output. Before a round, keep it moving and short, rotations with a club across the shoulders, leg swings, a few minutes to raise temperature.

Save the longer mobility work for after, or for the days between.

Where a teacher helps

Working out which of the above is actually your restriction. Stiff upper back and stiff hips produce a similar-looking swing fault and need different work, and it is very hard to tell from the inside which one you have.

The other useful thing is honesty about what this does and does not do. Better rotation makes a better swing available to you. It does not install one. That is your coach's job, and the two work well together.

Sessions are thirty or sixty minutes, live on video, at a time you choose, which for most players means the day after a round rather than the morning of one.

Questions people ask

Is yoga good for golf?

For the specific physical requirements of the swing (thoracic rotation, hip mobility in both directions, and the ability to turn the ribcage over a stable pelvis) yes, and those are exactly the things that a week of sitting takes away. It complements coaching rather than replacing it.

Can yoga help golfers' lower back pain?

Often, when the cause is the lumbar spine compensating for a stiff upper back and stiff hips, which is a common pattern. Restoring rotation above and below tends to reduce what the lower back is asked to do. Pain that travels down a leg or comes with numbness needs assessment instead.

Should I stretch before playing golf?

Not with long static holds, which can briefly reduce power. A short moving warm-up through the ranges you are about to use is the better-supported option. Longer work belongs after the round or between rounds.

How often should I practise?

Two or three short sessions a week is plenty to change rotation over a season. Little and often works better here than a long session once a week, because mobility gained is lost again fairly quickly without repetition.