Stretching To Maintain Swing Length

DennisMiller

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Mar 25, 2014
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Miami, Florida
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ST-180
#1
I saw a short video of my swing with the driver the other day. Now that I've recovered from the shock well enough to write coherently, I'm curious what some of you older guys do to maintain your swing length. What I had been doing is obviously not working.

There's a lot of information on the web, but I'd rather ask my friends what you found actually worked.

In the meantime, it just occurred to me, since I'm going to physical therapy for my left knee, I could ask my "therapists"...

One thing I started, which feels like I really feel it is, I bend over just enough to place my left palm on the outside of my right knee, then rotate to the right, reaching up and around with my right hand. Sometimes I'll do it with a 2 lb weight. I'll do it in the opposite direction too, right hand on left knee, etc.

I have a small investment in gadgets, a flexible rubber shaft with a heavy ball on the end, a stretching pole and a swinging stick that tells me my swing speed. I don't mind spending more money if I could buy something that works. What have you got? What do you do?

Thanks...
 

MTR

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f0re
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EU
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#2
TPI screen test to baseline & follow up with recc exercises. All online with basic tools if any.
 

LOS

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#3
Dennis if you have a "Physio" it would best to ask them as they will have a "goal" for you and should know whwt will work and what doen't.
That aside in order to keep my rotation farly flexible I use the "Reclining Twist" Yoga exercise.
 

DennisMiller

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#4
I had a local friend suggest Yoga. I know nothing about it, but I have access to free beginner classes at the local Jewish Community Center a couple miles from my house. When I go to physical therapy on Wednesday of next week, I want to speak to Chris and Jennifer, the PT people, but if my orthopedist, Dr Stanziola, is coming in early enough, I'll hang around to ask him too.
 

DennisMiller

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#5
I have physical therapy at 7 AM on Wednesday morning and I'll hang around for an 8 AM appointment to see my Orthopedist and hear the results of my MRI. I've already started making a few notes so I remember to ask him about the stretches and yoga.
 

2klix

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#6
I saw a piece on Sky Tv golf channel by coach Ollie Foster. He talked about how we sit more often and general posture not good so need stretches to help golf swing. I couldn’t find whole clip only the intro but search Ollie on YouTube he has other stretch and exercise videos: Ollie Foster fitness on Sky Golf
 

DennisMiller

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Location
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Killian Greens Golf Club
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ST-180
#7
The physical therapist suggested 2 stretches.

One is a matter of holding onto a door frame or post with the left hand at shoulder height, then turning away from it to stretch.

The other requires a wall. He showed me how to place my left elbow against the wall as high as I can and to lean into it. You can also do that stretch from side to side, but you have to be careful not to do it too hard that way.

I started today. When I'm back on the PGA Tour, I'll be looking for the Mizuno rep to come looking for me. :)
 

Steve Smith

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Joined
Jun 16, 2014
Local club/country
Newcastle upon tyne
#8
I saw a short video of my swing with the driver the other day. Now that I've recovered from the shock well enough to write coherently, I'm curious what some of you older guys do to maintain your swing length. What I had been doing is obviously not working.

There's a lot of information on the web, but I'd rather ask my friends what you found actually worked.

In the meantime, it just occurred to me, since I'm going to physical therapy for my left knee, I could ask my "therapists"...

One thing I started, which feels like I really feel it is, I bend over just enough to place my left palm on the outside of my right knee, then rotate to the right, reaching up and around with my right hand. Sometimes I'll do it with a 2 lb weight. I'll do it in the opposite direction too, right hand on left knee, etc.

I have a small investment in gadgets, a flexible rubber shaft with a heavy ball on the end, a stretching pole and a swinging stick that tells me my swing speed. I don't mind spending more money if I could buy something that works. What have you got? What do you do?

Thanks...
Dennis, the dream of reaching the horizontal is a pile my friend....

I watched a video of Brooks with a driver and the clubhead did not quite reach the horizontal...

The whole thing is the shoulder turn ...

If you make a good turn with the shoulders and body then it does not matter where the club head is at the top of the swing as long as it is on plane.....

So I would not worry about club position... the body turn and shoulder turn is more important
 

Steve Smith

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Jun 16, 2014
Local club/country
Newcastle upon tyne
#9
The physical therapist suggested 2 stretches.

One is a matter of holding onto a door frame or post with the left hand at shoulder height, then turning away from it to stretch.

The other requires a wall. He showed me how to place my left elbow against the wall as high as I can and to lean into it. You can also do that stretch from side to side, but you have to be careful not to do it too hard that way.

I started today. When I'm back on the PGA Tour, I'll be looking for the Mizuno rep to come looking for me. :)
Do not listen to the method that the teachers promote.... ie restrict hip movement and turn against restriction....

Tiger Woods early career had no hip turn and ruined his back trui
The physical therapist suggested 2 stretches.

One is a matter of holding onto a door frame or post with the left hand at shoulder height, then turning away from it to stretch.

The other requires a wall. He showed me how to place my left elbow against the wall as high as I can and to lean into it. You can also do that stretch from side to side, but you have to be careful not to do it too hard that way.

I started today. When I'm back on the PGA Tour, I'll be looking for the Mizuno rep to come looking for me. :)
I think that we have to look after our spine as we get older...
Butch Harmon destroyed Tiger Woods back with his ridiculous approach....

He is a snake oil salesman...

The modern method of no hip turn, left heel flat on the floor is ridiculous...

Jack Nicklaus and Johnny Miller hit the ball a mile with a 90 degree hip turn and their left foot practically on the toe at the top of the swing....

Tom Watson gained 20 yards by lifting his left heel and turning his hips more on the backswing aged 59 and should have won the 2009 Open...
It is all a load of rubbish, follow the "modern method" if you want to end up at the back clinic..
Tripe!!
 

DennisMiller

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Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Location
Miami, Florida
HCP
Old Age
Local club/country
Killian Greens Golf Club
Irons
MX-1000
Driver
ST-180
#10
Sorry I haven't replied to the recent posts, but I apparently didn't click on the notifications thingy and haven't been on the computer much last week. I didn't realize anyone came to visit.

Steve - I absolutely agree there's no way I'll get the club to parallel, not unless I have a 90 degree bend in my left arm. Right now, I'm barely getting my left arm parallel to the ground. I do think I can stretch that a bit.

Secondary to that, I do not have much hip turn and part of my stretching has to do with my neck. If I turn my hips to a certain extent, my head follows and I literally lose sight of the ball on the ground. I have a long way to go.
 

DennisMiller

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Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Location
Miami, Florida
HCP
Old Age
Local club/country
Killian Greens Golf Club
Irons
MX-1000
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ST-180
#11
To revive this old thread, I've taken a couple bad falls since April and I'm in physical therapy again, this time to work on my injured shoulders. The routines they do at 7 AM have helped me feel pretty good on the first tee, better than any stretching I've done just before a round.

The previous stretches I've been doing have helped me regain about 15 degrees of comfortable motion with my backswing. I don't really see longer distances yet.

And Steve - In Brandel Chamblee's book, he talks about the "secret" of going up on the left toe in the backswing, with photos of the greatest players leaving no doubt it can be incorporated to help the turn and make it work.
 

DennisMiller

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Joined
Mar 25, 2014
Location
Miami, Florida
HCP
Old Age
Local club/country
Killian Greens Golf Club
Irons
MX-1000
Driver
ST-180
#12
I'm reviving this old thread again... I'm hoping maybe my experience could apply to the thinking of other old farts in the forum.

My wife is perfectly fine now, after a heart attack back in May. She just finished 36 sessions of prescribed cardiac rehab, so we are looking at gyms to join, so she can continue something similar to the therapy she was getting, but also for me to do more to stretch my swing. The stretches my Orthopedist showed me are OK, but my swing is still shorter than I'd like it to be.

Just because of my height, (6'7"), my short swing is still longer than some people my age, (73), so without much effort, I can still move the ball off the tee a bit over 200 yards. I'm running into an interesting problem though.

As my swing got longer by about 20 degrees, my swing went up slightly. Now, I'm sort of between regular and senior flex recommendations. For the time being, I'm sticking with senior flex, as long as I can control it. It's more an obvious issue with the driver and fairway woods than for iron play.

I'll be interested to see how the stretching class and senior strengthening classes work out. All the gyms offer something similar, so I'm sure so far that's some things I'll be doing.
 
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