Three 'Top Secret' Golf Stretches to Quickly Add 30 Yards to Your Game

If you're like most golfers I meet, you're always looking for ways to get more distance in your game. Whether it's off the tee with your driver, with fairway metals and hybrids in the fairway, or trying to squeeze a few more yards out of your scoring clubs, gaining 10, 20 or even 30 more yards would really help bring your scores down and make your total golf experience much more enjoyable.

So what is the fastest, simplest and most effective way to gain more distance without spending a fortune on the latest, greatest equipment technology, more golf lessons, and/or beating more buckets of balls on the range? As a physical therapist, golf-specific fitness and performance consultant for more than 25 years, I have found that you need to improve functional rotation mobility in two key regions of your body for the increased yardage you are looking for in your game.

1) Middle (thoracic) spine

2) Hips

The physical laws of the golf swing explain how slight increases in rotational speed (1 mile per hour) within your core (hips and spine) will generate much larger gains in swing speed (10-40 miles per hours) and more power through the hitting zone. Faster speed and more power through the hitting zone all translates to greater compression forces to the golf ball to make the ball fly farther.

Functional mobility for improved rotational flexibility (range of motion) in your middle spine and hips is attained through a blend of joint and connective tissue flexibility training with golf-specific strength training, and golf-specific, bio-mechanical swing re-education.

Here are three terrific golf flexibility exercises that, when done properly and consistently, will most efficiently improve your rotational range of motion in your middle spine and hips. I call them my 'Top Secret' stretches because I've never met any golfer who's ever performed these flexibility exercises in the way that I teach them.

1) The Spine Extender

• Lay on your back with your hips and knees bent so your feet are flat on the floor.
• Place a 12-inch long, 1/2 thickness, 6-inch diameter foam roll horizontally across the middle of your spine.
• Clasp both hands behind your head as you gently extend your middle spine over the top of the 1/2 thickness foam roll and allow your head and arms to relax fully to the floor.
• Hold this stretch for at least 10 full golf swing visualizations picturing yourself hitting perfect, full swing drives (or any club you choose) at least 30 yards longer than usual - making sure that you wait long enough to experience the positive, emotional 'feeling' of hitting a great golf shot, and allowing that feeling to sustain for at least 15-30 seconds before redirecting your visualization toward your next full swing.

2) The Spine Twister

• Lay on your back with your hips and knees bent and your feet flat on the floor.
• Position your shoulders and arms on the floor at 90 degrees angles away from the sides of your body.
• Slowly twist your knees and spine to the left making sure that you keep your right shoulder/arm resting flat on the floor.
• When you reach a comfortable, rotated stretch in your right shoulder, chest, spine and hip, then reach down with your left hand and apply gentle downward pressure on the top of your right knee to add extra stretch as needed.
• Hold the gentle stretch for at least 10 full, ideal, golf swing visualizations picturing full swing shots that are flying directly at your intended target and with at least 30 extra yards in total distance.
• Then, slowly return to the neutral, starting position and repeat the stretch in the opposite direction.

3) The Hip and Spine Twister

• Start face down on your hands and knees (quadruped) position.
• Reach your right knee as close to your left hand as possible and touch your right knee to the floor.
• Lift your left knee and cross it over the top of your right leg before touching it to the floor.
• Drop down on your elbows, then slowly slide your left leg back behind you along the floor until you start to feel a gentle stretch in the back of your right hip.
• Finally, place your right hand behind your head and slowly twist your right elbow, head and upper torso up to the right as far as possible feeling the increased rotational stretch in your middle spine and the back of your right hip.
• Hold the complete spine twist for one full swing visualization then slowly untwist and repeat 10-20 repetitions attempting to gradually twist farther on each repetition.
• Then, uncross your legs to the quadruped position and repeat the exercise in the opposite direction.

And, to receive my FREE article called, '5 Killer Golf Strength and Power Builders for Adding 30+ Yards', CLICK HERE , then also click on the 'Request Info' tab on the top left of the page. Complete your contact information specifying your interest in this article, and I will email the PDF - plus a BONUS REPORT called, The Secret To Achieving Your 'Ideal' Golf Swing.