Are You Stretching the Right Way for Golf?

In a recent YouTube video (HERE), I outline some important fundamentals about stretching for golfers. In just over five minutes, I walk through three key types of stretches and explain when to use each one to help improve flexibility and movement — both for golf and everyday life.

Many golfers do some stretching here and there before a round, and some even stretch regularly as part of their fitness routine. But if you're not using the right type of stretch at the right time, you may not be getting the benefits you're expecting — and in some cases, you could simply be wasting your time.

Stretching isn’t just about touching your toes or holding a position for 20 seconds. Different stretching methods serve different purposes, and understanding when to use them can make a big difference to how your body moves during the golf swing. For example, dynamic stretching is generally most appropriate before playing or practicing golf. These controlled, moving stretches help prepare your muscles and joints for activity, increase blood flow, and gradually take your body through the ranges of motion required for the golf swing.

Static stretching, on the other hand, is often better suited to after golf or as part of a separate mobility routine. These stretches involve holding positions for longer periods to gradually improve flexibility in specific muscles and movement patterns. The third category I discuss in the video involves Contract-Relax stretching, which have been shown to be as useful and sometimes better than static stretches.

For golfers, these stretches can be particularly important for areas like the hips, thoracic spine (upper back), and shoulders — all of which play a major role in an efficient golf swing.

Because the video is intentionally short, I didn’t go into some of the additional benefits of stretching, such as relaxation, stress reduction, and overall well-being. Many people also enjoy practices like Yoga or Pilates, which can certainly help improve general flexibility, body awareness, and strength.

These forms of exercise can be excellent for overall health, and I often recommend them to golfers looking to move more and feel better physically. However, they are typically designed for general fitness and mobility rather than the specific movement demands of the golf swing.

Golf places unique rotational and stability demands on the body. To improve how you move in your swing, it often helps to include exercises and stretches that are more directly targeted toward the mobility and control golfers need. That doesn’t mean you need to spend hours stretching every day. In many cases, a short and focused routine performed consistently can deliver much better results than doing random stretches occasionally. If you want to improve flexibility and movement specifically for your body and your golf swing, a more targeted approach is usually the most effective.