Fitness & Warm-Up · Drill
Breathe Your Way to a Bigger Turn
Part of our fitness & warm-up programs for back or age. Build a program with it
Sometimes your rib cage and spine limit your turn. Your breath can help. Sit in a chair and turn as far as you can. Note where your shoulder points. At your limit, take a big breath in and feel your ribs expand. As you breathe out, try to turn a little more. Do this three times. Next, put your hands behind your head. Turn, then lower your back elbow to bend sideways. Come back up and turn further. Do both directions.
The drill
- Sit and turn as far as you can.
- Breathe in deeply at your limit.
- Breathe out and turn more, three times.
- Hands behind head: turn, then side bend.
- Do both directions.
Why it works
Your rib cage moves with each breath, and tight ribs and spine joints can limit how far your upper body rotates. Breathing in expands the ribs, and breathing out lets them settle and relax, which often gives you a little more turn. Sitting in a chair locks your hips in place, so the extra turn comes from your rib cage and spine, not from your lower body.
Common mistakes
- You let your hips and knees swing around to gain turn.Keep your feet flat and your hips square to the chair, and turn only your chest and shoulders.
- You hold your breath or take a shallow breath at your limit.Breathe in slowly until you feel your ribs widen, then breathe out fully as you turn a bit more.
- You force the turn or the side bend with a jerk.Move slowly and stop at a firm stretch, and stop if it hurts.
How you'll know it's working
- Your shoulder points further around on the third breath than it did on the first turn.
- Your turn feels smoother and less blocked when you stand up and make a practice swing.
- Your turn looks and feels similar in both directions, or the tighter side improves.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: Keep your arms crossed over your chest and skip the side bend until the breathing turn feels natural.
Harder: Do the drill standing with a club across your shoulders, keeping your hips still while you turn and breathe.
Common questions
Can breathing really increase my golf turn?
It can help you use the turn you already have. Breathing out lets your ribs and muscles relax, so you may reach a little further, though it will not fix a stiff joint overnight.
How often should I do this drill?
You can do it as part of your warm-up before a round or practice session. Doing it a few times a week also helps you get used to the feel of a fuller turn.
