What is the Best Back Stretch For Golfers After Playing a Round

Sheeeeeesh my back can get tight after playing sometimes, can yours?

Here’s one of the best back stretches—and methods to the stretch— I’ve ever found.

We’ll call it a Lat stretch, but ultimately the secret sauce here is breathing.

How to start: -Wrap a towel (or band if you’re a psycho like me and happen to keep one on your person

at all times) around a post, tree branch, golf cart roof handle… anything really, just as long as it’s overhead and stable.

Starting position

-Take a step back, to where whatever apparatus you have is now taught, and then hinge at the waist, pushing the butt back until the hips, ribs, shoulder, neck, and arm are all in a straight line, from the waist to the anchored towel/band. (A towel works better than just holding something with your hand, although that can do in a pinch, because it can move more freely, making it easier to find just the right spot for the stretch.)

Stretched Position

-Gently push your ribs to the side, bending the shoulders slightly away from the now anchored shoulder. You should really start to feel it stretch from the top of your iliac crest (the semi circle hip bone on the side of your hip) through the ribs, and up close to the armpit.

-Go for a 4-7-8 breathing pattern, taking 4 seconds to inhale fully in the nose, 7 seconds to hold your breath and find the spot that stretches most, then 8 seconds to exhale slowly, intentionally relaxing as much as you can on the exhale.

-Repeat, but work to get a little further into the stretch with each rep, using BREATH more than movement to try and increase the sensation.

-After 5 (or so) of these patterns, switch sides and repeat.

You can do this once or twice per side, and it’ll really help prevent over-tightness after a round, and you’ll feel better headed into the next time you play.

#workhard

#playwell

#lifttrophies

-Michael