Do you long for greater golf-specific flexibility in your body? Do you dream of executing a backswing without compensating by dropping your shoulder, or bending your elbow, or lifting your foot or whatever it is you find yourself doing to force your non-compliant body to generate any power?
There is no question flexibility is important to your golf swing — everyone can agree on that and pretty much everyone already knows it. So what, if anything, do you do about it on a consistent basis?
To increase your strength, power and endurance for golf you don’t need to work out every day. Three times a week will get you results. But to see gains in flexibility you need to stretch every day. It’s really that simple. If that seems unrealistic, keep in mind you don’t need to do an excessively long, complicated stretching routine every day. Just five or ten minutes a day, if done consistently, can realize benefits.
Your body’s general level of flexibility and specific areas of tightness are determined by a number of factors including genetics, age, and whatever type of activity you perform repetitively.
If you have a general level of body awareness, you probably know of at least a few muscles that would benefit from stretching. Although I prefer a more dynamic movement-based flexibility program (utilizing active movement to lengthen and loosen muscles) because it’s more functional for golf, for many people static stretching (holding a stretch position) works just fine. Frankly, the most important type of program is the one you do on a DAILY basis.

Try to remember:
1. At the very minimum, stretch your neck, chest, shoulders, low back, hamstrings and calves.
2. If you practice static stretching, hold each stretch for ONE minute, every day.
3. For dynamic stretching, start with a limited range of motion and increase slowly. Continue the movement for 30 seconds to one minute, every day.
4. Incorporate a golf warm-up program into your golf game and if it helps, stretch at intervals during the round - this is a supplement to, not a substitute for, a daily stretching program.

Here’s a couple of stretches to get you started:
Dynamic Hamstring Stretch
Stand on one leg and swing the other leg in front of you, then behind you, keeping your upper body as still as possible. Keep your leg as straight as you can throughout the movement. 15 reps each leg.

Static Hip Stretch
Place your golf club on the ground for support and stand on one leg. Bend your knee and cross your other leg over as shown. Using your club for support, sit back until you feel a stretch in your hip (if you are seated, lean forward as much as you can). Avoid rounding out your back. Hold for one minute. If you are uncomfortable attempting this stretch as shown, sit on a bench or chair instead then perform the stretch as described.

Pritam Andreassen is the owner of The Strength Connection, LLC, specializing in the development of strength and power for golf. For more information, visit http://www.strengthconnection.com/ or call 206-579-8927.