Winter warm-up – shoulders and torso

Golf physiotherapist BILL McTIGUE continues his series on golf fitness and has a warm-up exercise which will get you moving on a cold winter’s day.

Now that winter is with us, warming up for golf becomes much more desirable and necessary. Not only do your muscles get warm, they wake up and get smarter and faster at doing what you want them to do.

The “shoulders and torso” warm up is a quick and clever way to activate the rotator cuff of the shoulder as well as the arms and upper back. Interestingly, we also prescribe this to clients to help them prevent or recover from “frozen shoulder”.

This simple exercise can be done on the first tee. Take your hands and grip the fingers together in front of your chest, pushing gently and drawing circles with the elbows.

Do this in one direction for 15 seconds and then in the other direction for another 15 seconds.

Then, keeping the fingers locked together, reverse the pressure by gently trying to pull the hands apart, which engages the rotator cuff and makes you work in the shoulders. Draw the circles with the elbows again for 15 seconds in each direction.

Get your shoulders and torso warm with this quick little gem so that you get away to a great start in every round you play! And finally, you should be doing these exercises pre-round on hot days as well.

View the shoulders and torso warm-up exercise

Bill McTigue is the director of mgolf, a golf physiotherapy clinic based in Melbourne’s sandbelt district dealing specifically with golfing injuries, fitness and performance.

Phone (03) 9583 5300 or visit www.mgolf.com.au

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Winter warm-up – shoulders and torso