Two Things That Affect Your Game More Than Your Golf Swing Coach Can Fix

The clinic has had a real buzz about it lately. Patients coming in ahead of golf trips, getting prepped before heading off to Turnberry or Gleneagles, or simply making the most of a decent run of Scottish weather. Conversations about hip rotation and thoracic mobility are genuinely some of my favourites, and right now I'm having a lot of them.

I haven't made it back on the course myself yet (new baby life is still very much the reality), but being around so many golfers heading out has reminded me how much I love talking about this. So this month I want to go a bit deeper into the two areas of the body that make or break a golf swing.

The Golf Season is in Full Swing. Is Your Body?

Your Thoracic Spine: The Rotation Engine

Your mid-back, from the shoulder blades to the bottom of the ribcage, is designed to rotate. But most of us spend our days at desks, in cars, and on phones, and over time it stiffens up.

When the thoracic spine can't rotate freely, one of two things happens. The swing becomes shorter and restricted. Or the body borrows the rotation from the lower back, which was never designed for it. Do that repeatedly at speed and you have a very straightforward explanation for why so many golfers develop back pain that seems to come from nowhere.

The good news is that thoracic mobility responds really well to the right work. Consistent mobilisation, chiropractic care, and daily movement practice can genuinely change what's available to you.

Your Hips: Where the Power Comes From

A golf swing is driven from the ground up. The hips rotate and drive that force up through the core and into the club. When the hips are tight, that chain breaks down.

Restricted hip internal rotation is one of the most common things I find in golfers. It cuts the backswing short, makes it harder to get through impact cleanly, and puts extra stress on the lower back and knees. Tight hips also tend to create what coaches call early extension, where the hips thrust towards the ball rather than rotating through. It costs accuracy, costs power, and puts the lower back under load it doesn't need.

How Chiropractic Fits In

I want to be straightforward here. Chiropractic care isn't going to transform your swing on its own, and I'd never claim otherwise. What I work with is your body's physical capacity and whether it has the mobility and function to allow better movement to happen.

Think of it less as chiropractic fixing your golf, and more as chiropractic helping your body get out of its own way.

Common signs your body might be holding your game back:

• Reduced shoulder turn on the backswing

• Swaying rather than turning through the ball

• Hips thrusting forward at impact rather than rotating

• Lower back pain during or after a round
  

Whether you're heading off on a golf trip, making the most of the season, or working through something that keeps flaring up, come and see me in Paisley or Stewarton. We'll look at how you're moving and work out what's worth addressing.

The game is a beautiful one. Your body should be helping you enjoy it.

Written by Katie, Doctor of Chiropractic