It’s great that you invested in a putt mirror to help improve your fundamental golf skills. A putting mirror plays an integral part as it improves your alignment and helps you dial in on the backstrokes to get an excellent follow-through in your short game.
But when you hit some balls or play 18 holes, you feel tight during and after a round of golf. This happens to most players if they do not do some extra exercises. Golfers need to be flexible to do that swing.
Hence, it helps follow a pre-round stretching routine to get your body ready for play. Here is some foolproof move you can do to get your body loose and limber. So, whether you are practicing with your putting mirror or prepared to play a round of golf, make sure to do these stretches first.
Do a Twisting Stretch
1. Place your legs wider than the hips and rest your right hand on the lower back with the palm facing away from you and inhale.
2. When you exhale, you bend your right knee to reach your left hand to the outside of your right foot.
3. As you exhale, lift your torso up to switch your hands and place your left hand on the lower back.
4. Now, twist towards your left while reaching out your right hand around the corner and follow your hand with a gaze to help exaggerate your twist.
You can repeat the exercises six times and also remember to switch sides. The stretch helps to loosen up the lower back and hamstrings.
Do a Hip Press
We all know how tight hamstrings can place loads of pressure on the lower back. So, to loosen up your hamstrings and hips, do the following:
1. Step with your right foot forward like in a short lunge position keeping both heels flat on the ground.
2. Place both your hands on your hips, or you can hold onto your golf club with one hand to aid in balancing.
3. Next, tuck in your pelvis and engage your left glute to feel it stretching in your left hip quad and flexor and inhale.
4. When you exhale, bend your back leg to extend it to your front leg into the hamstring stretch.
5. Lower your torso keeping the back straight.
6. When you inhale, return to the lunge and repeat.
You can continue doing this stretch six times while breathing in and out.
The Scarecrow Twist
1. Place your feet standing a bit wider than your shoulders. Then, take your golf club and place it behind your neck onto the shoulders using both arms over the golf club to look like a scarecrow.
2. Bend the needs slightly and inhale when you exhale. You twist to the right pivoting into the left foot.
3. In the position, look around the corner to help intensify your stretch.
4. You return to the middle and repeat it on the other side as you inhale.
Continue twisting six times to each side while breathing through it. The stretch helps the spine to help you with swinging your golf club.
The Standing Side Stretch
1. Stand up straight with your golf club planted on the ground using your right hand.
2. Cross your left leg over your right one and reach your left arm up and over towards the club.
3. Open your chest to look at the sky, allowing your hips to move slightly to the left to feel the stretch on your left side.
4. Use your golf club as a balance point and hold the position for five breaths to switch sides.
The stretch opens up your chest and diaphragm muscles while loosening the spine to prevent back pain.
Shoulder Flossing
1. Stand at hip-width with your feet and grab your golf club with both hands.
2. Lift your golf club over the head, and when you inhale, floss your golf club behind you to become parallel to the ground.
3. As you exhale, you return to the original positions. To intensify the stretch, you can inch the hands close together and simplify your stretch to move your hands further apart.
Repeat the exercise up to eight times while breathing through it. This stretch helps reduce back, neck, and shoulder stiffness to increase your range of motion.
