Golf stretches belong in your warm-up, as long as they come at the right point. Here is the three-step order we use at LinksHP.
Key takeaways
- Warm up in three steps: get warm, stretch what is stiff, then move like your swing.
- Keep pre-round golf stretches brief and targeted. Skip the long total-body routine.
- Finish with dynamic, swing-like movement to prime your nervous system.
- Save longer holds for after your round or a non-golf day.
Golfers are often told to stretch more. That is reasonable advice. However, it depends on what you mean by stretching and where it sits in your warm-up. Here is how I think about it.
What is the best warm-up before golf?
At LinksHP we use a simple three-step order. Each step builds on the one before it.
- Get your body warm. Start with something that lifts your heart rate and gets the blood pumping. A brisk walk, marching on the spot or light skipping all work.
- Stretch what is stiff. Stretch the areas that feel stiff today, or that are commonly tight for you. Keep each stretch brief and within comfort. If nothing feels stiff, move on to step 3.
- Finish with a dynamic warm-up. Move through the patterns of the swing, such as trunk rotations, leg swings and arm circles. Then build up your swings gradually. You want to feel the flow of the movement. This also primes your nervous system for the power and speed the swing demands. For a full routine, see our golf warm up exercises guide.
The order matters. Warm muscles stretch more comfortably. Dynamic movement last means your body is ready to swing, not just loose.
Why does a poor warm-up matter for your lower back?
As practitioners, we often see more lower back strains in golfers who skip their warm-up. We also see them in golfers whose warm-up is poorly structured. A common example is going straight to full swings with a cold, stiff body. Another is a long stretching routine that never ends with movement like the swing.
The swing asks a lot of your lower back. It has to pass force between your hips and upper back at speed. If your hips and upper back are stiff, your lower back often picks up the slack.
This is what we see in clinic, not a finding from a study. As you will read below, the research on warm-ups and injury is mixed. Even so, a good warm-up costs very little and gets you ready to swing.
Our team includes TPI-certified practitioners and an ASCA-certified strength and conditioning coach. TPI stands for Titleist Performance Institute. ASCA stands for the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association. TPI screening looks at how your body moves and how that links to your swing. That is why our warm-up targets the hips and upper back first.
Already sore after a round? Read our guide to lower back pain after golf.
Which golf stretches are worth doing?
These areas tend to come up for golfers. Use them for step 2 when they feel stiff for you. Before a round, keep the holds brief. After a round, hold each stretch for around 20 to 30 seconds, two or three times. There is no proven best dose, so treat that as a reasonable starting point.
- Hip flexor stretch. Kneel on one knee and tuck your pelvis under. Then gently shift forward. Tight hip flexors are common if you sit a lot.
- Glute and piriformis stretch. Lie on your back and cross one ankle over the opposite knee. Then draw the knee towards you.
- Thoracic rotation (open book). Lie on your side with your knees bent. Open the top arm across your body. This helps your upper back turn, so your lower back does not do all the work.
- Cross-body shoulder stretch. This one suits the lead shoulder, which takes a lot of load in the backswing.
- Forearm stretches. Extend your arm and gently pull your fingers back, then down. Do both directions.
- Hamstring stretch. Keep it gentle and within comfort.
A stretch should feel like a firm pull, not sharp pain. It should not cause pins and needles.
When else are golf stretches useful?
They also help after you play, or on a non-golf day. Your muscles are warm then, and you are not about to ask them for speed.
I think of it as maintaining the range you need. If a movement stays stiff or restricted, be a bit more deliberate about it. This matters most when it affects your swing or causes discomfort.
How often should golfers stretch?
A few times a week is plenty for most people. More is not necessarily better, and stretching will not fix a strength or control problem.
If you need to stretch the same area constantly just to feel okay, that is worth an assessment.
Do stretches matter for swing speed?
Less than people hope. The research below explains why.
What does the research say?
The strongest evidence is about what not to do right before playing. These are mostly small studies on skilled golfers over short time frames. They show the immediate effect, not what happens if you stretch regularly over months.
Does a long static stretching routine hurt your drive?
One study of young competitive male golfers (Gergley, 2008) used 15 players. Each added 20 minutes of total-body static stretching before an active warm-up. Clubhead speed fell by about 4 per cent. Distance fell by about 5.6 per cent. Accuracy fell by about 31 per cent. The comparison was an active warm-up alone.
Is dynamic stretching better than static stretching for golf?
Another study (Moran and colleagues, 2009) compared dynamic stretching, static stretching and no stretching. Dynamic stretching produced higher clubhead and ball speeds. Static stretching did no better than no stretching.
What does the review of golf warm-ups conclude?
A systematic review of golf warm-ups (Ehlert and Wilson, 2019) covered 23 studies. Dynamic and resistance-based warm-ups tended to enhance performance. Static stretching was inferior and potentially detrimental. The evidence for warm-ups preventing injury was mixed and inconclusive.
What I take from that: a long static routine should not be your whole warm-up. The research favours dynamic, swing-like movement last. Our short, targeted stretching in step 2 is a clinical approach. I do not know of a study that tests this exact sequence.
When should you get your golf stretches checked?
If a stretch reproduces sharp pain, or you get numbness or tingling, book an assessment. The same applies if tightness keeps coming back in the same spot.
Physiotherapy appointments with me at our Cromer clinic run on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8am to 4pm. You can book online here. You can also learn more about physiotherapy at Links.
Want to see how your body moves in your swing? A SwingLAB session uses a TPI movement assessment to find out. For a guided approach to flexibility and strength, have a look at our Clinical Pilates & Fitness Classes.
This article is general information, not personal medical advice. If you have an injury or cannot weight-bear, see your GP or an emergency department. The same applies to severe or sudden swelling or pain. Otherwise, book an assessment rather than self-diagnosing from a blog post.
