Fitness & Warm-Up · Drill
A Daily 90-90 Hip Routine
Part of our fitness & warm-up programs for tight or stiff, back or age. Build a program with it
Tight hips can lead to lower-back pain. This routine helps loosen them. Sit on the floor with both knees bent at right angles. Roll side to side and compare how each hip feels. Then sit tall and try lifting your hands off the floor. To go deeper, keep the hip pressed down. Push the knee away to make space in the joint. Slowly turn your belly button over the front leg. Keep that hip down, or the stretch won't work.
The drill
- Sit in a 90-90 position.
- Roll side to side.
- Sit tall, hands off the floor.
- Press the hip down and push the knee away.
- Turn over the front leg.
Why it works
The 90-90 position puts one hip in internal rotation and the other in external rotation. Golf needs both. Your trail hip turns inward in the backswing and your lead hip turns inward through impact. When the hips lack this rotation, the lower back often twists to make up the difference. Keeping the hip pressed down stops you from escaping the stretch by shifting your weight, so the rotation comes from the joint.
Common mistakes
- Letting the front-leg hip lift off the floor as you turn.Press that hip down before you turn and stop turning the moment it starts to rise.
- Slumping back and propping yourself up with your hands.Sit tall with a long spine and lift your hands off the floor, or move your hips a little further from the front foot.
- Forcing the turn quickly or bouncing into the stretch.Turn your belly button over the front leg slowly and hold at the point where you feel a firm stretch, not pain.
How you'll know it's working
- Rolling side to side feels more even, with less difference between your two hips.
- You can sit tall with your hands off the floor and keep the hip down.
- Your turn in a practice swing feels freer and your lower back feels less pinched.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Keep your hands on the floor or on a block for support and turn over the front leg only part of the way.
Harder: Sit tall with your hands off the floor, press the hip down, push the knee away and hold the full turn over the front leg for longer.
Common questions
How often should I do the 90-90 hip stretch for golf?
The routine is built as a daily drill that takes about 10 minutes. Do it on both sides each time and stop if it hurts.
Why do tight hips cause lower back pain in the golf swing?
When the hips don't rotate enough, the lower back is asked to twist more to complete the swing. Loosening the hips lets them share that work.
