By Pam Owens, Special to Lone Star Golf
More than all of the other joints used in the golf swing, your shoulders move in extremely broad ranges to allow the arms to create speed through impact. It’s important that you understand the crucial shoulder positions needed in both the backswing (loading phase) and downswing (exploding phase).
World-class golfers are able to flex either arm across their chest, as well as achieve around 110 degrees of external shoulder rotation. When you notice clubface and path issues in the backswing or downswing, the problem could be your shoulders’ lack of mobility and ability to control the club’s position and swing arc. Limited shoulder flexibility, control and strength leads to overuse of the spine, which leads to standing up in the swing or chopping at the ball with the upper body to gain speed.
Mobility in the golf swing means flexibility and control plus strength. Mobile shoulders are a deciding factor in shot accuracy and distance. Strength, not just flexibility, is required in our shoulder positions of backswing, impact and follow through in order to: 1) achieve power, 2) avoid injury and 3) consistently shape shots.
SWING LOADING PHASE: When moving into our backswing, our trail arm externally rotates to reach up and back. Meanwhile, our lead arm internally rotates and flexes across the chest. These two very different shoulder motions must coordinate with the elbow and wrist to gain the greatest width possible in preparation for the transition.
SWING EXPLODING PHASE: When transitioning into the downswing, our shoulders for a split second should maintain their fully loaded position while the hips and trunk begin to unwind towards the target zone. This is very important for gathering more speed to release at impact. It’s also very difficult to accomplish if you lack strength or stability in the shoulder blades or shoulders. In this phase, the shoulders reverse roles at and after impact to allow the lead arm to externally rotate and trail arm to internally rotate and horizontally flex across the chest.
The first of two exercises to help with shoulder strength and flexibility is called “Shoulder Reach Through Stretch, Load & Lift Off.” It addresses the horizontal flexion and internal rotation of the lead arm in the backswing and trail arm in the follow through. The second exercise is “Shoulder External Rotation Stretch, Load & Lift Off,” which improves your trail arm in the backswing and lead arm in the finish.
We will use a wall and possibly a towel or very light weight. Also, do not move into any painful ranges or force your shoulder into deep ranges you cannot control.
Place your wrist on the wall at chest height with shoulder in internal rotation. You should feel a slight stretch across the back of the shoulder. You may need to close the angle slightly by positioning your body closer to the wall. Leave a little room for movement and be careful to not overstretch in this position. Use deep breathing as you maintain this stretch for 2 minutes.
After you’ve completed the full 2 minutes of the stretch, your shoulder is now prepared to load on both the chest and the rear sides. Using an isometric contraction, gradually press your wrist into the wall for 10-20 seconds, then quickly lift the wrist off the wall by closing the angle on the front side of your shoulder for a 10- to 20-second isometric contraction. Repeat the loading phases for a total of 1-3 times on both shoulders.
Pro Tips: Eliminate compensatory movement from the elbow or torso, as they will try to replace the work from the shoulder. Cramping in the contracting area on the front side of the shoulder is common and just means that you are working in a new or weak range. You may also hold a 1- or 2-pound weight to advance the load portion of the exercises.
Position your forearm against a door jam or corner of a wall at chest height. Rotate your trunk open until you find a gentle stretch across the front of the shoulder. You may need to pad the space between the wrist or elbow and wall. Hold this stretch for 2 minutes. Reposition your trunk about halfway through this stretch to carefully deepen the angle.
After you’ve completed the full 2 minutes of the stretch, your shoulder is prepared for loading. Using an isometric contraction, gradually press your wrist into the wall for 10-20 seconds for the internal direction of force. Then quickly lift your wrist/forearm off the wall to achieve more external rotation of the shoulder for another 10-20 seconds. Keep the elbow connected to the wall. Repeat the load and lift off phases for 1-3 times on both shoulders.
Pro Tips: You might achieve an additional 3-8 degrees when lifting off. If you achieve much more, then re-position your trunk to golf posture so the load and lift off phases will be closer to the outer limits of your current external shoulder.
Since shoulders move in such great range and are more vulnerable to injury we need to train with consistency and caution. With mobile shoulders you’ll have way more fun playing consistently and strategically shaping your shots. I look forward to your questions or comments on how these exercises work for you!
Pam Owens is the Director of Fitness for Royal Oaks Country Club in Houston and the owner of Pam Owens Fitness. A two-time Golf Digest Top 50 Fitness Professional, Pam helps golfers all over the world get lean, bendy and powerful with online or in person coaching. For a free golf warm-up and for more resources, click here.
