Fitness & Warm-Up · Drill
Loosen Up After Sitting All Day
Part of our fitness & warm-up programs for tight or stiff, back or age. Build a program with it
Sitting all day tightens the front of your hips. Then your glutes don't work well in your swing. Start by rolling the front of each hip on a foam roller. Pause on sore spots for 20 to 30 seconds. Next, lie on your side and rotate your upper back open, like opening a book. Then sit against a wall and drop one knee inward at a time, keeping your seat down. Finish kneeling, turning your upper body while your hips stay still.
The drill
- Foam roll the front of each hip.
- Side-lying upper back openers, 10 per side.
- Seated knee drops, 10 per side.
- Kneeling torso turns, 10 per side.
- Do it on workdays.
Why it works
Long periods of sitting hold your hip flexors in a shortened position. That makes it harder for your glutes to push your hips through and for your hips to turn freely. When your hips and upper back each move on their own, your body can turn in the backswing and through impact without the lower back or arms making up the difference.
Common mistakes
- You roll quickly over the front of the hip without stopping.Move slowly and pause 20 to 30 seconds on a sore spot, breathing out.
- Your hips and knees roll back with you during the side-lying opener.Keep your knees stacked and pressed together so only your upper back and arm rotate.
- Your hips turn along with your shoulders in the kneeling torso turns.Keep your hips square to the front and turn only your ribs and chest.
How you'll know it's working
- Your hips feel looser and less tight at the front after the foam roll than before it.
- Your upper arm moves farther toward the floor in the side-lying opener by the last rep.
- Your first few practice swings feel freer, and you turn behind the ball without strain.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Do fewer reps, such as 5 per side, and use a smaller range of motion in each move.
Harder: Slow each rep down and hold the end position of each move for a few breaths.
Common questions
How often should I do hip mobility work if I sit all day?
Do this routine on workdays, as the steps say. It takes about 15 minutes, so you can fit it in before you play or practice too.
Why do tight hips affect my golf swing?
Tight hips limit how far your lower body can turn and push. Your lower back and arms then tend to compensate, which can make contact less consistent.
