Difficulty completing my backswing

[NC Golfer]

I am not able to complete my backswing. My lead arm actually points down in the backswing at 65-70 degrees, not 90 (parallel). What are good exercises to regain range of motion in the backswing? I have a desk job for many years which is not helping and getting over a (target side) frozen shoulder too.

Edited December 29, 2021 by NC Golfer

[Thin2win]

Two totally different answers for you:

1) for more range of motion, work with a sports trainer, a TPI coach or a good physical therapist. I started doing yoga a few days a week this fall and that has me feeling better. 

2) 90* is irrelevant. Watch John Rahm only turn 70 or so degrees. Tempo and swing path are orders of magnitude more important. Don't stress about getting to 90. 

[Shapotomous]

A big plus 1 for the previous post.  Yoga and any other stretching or flexibility exercises will help a lot.  I turned back the clock about 10 years in how my back feels by concentrating on stretching and core strength.

And your most repeatable swing may not end up being the picture perfect Adam Scott or fill in the blank swing due to physical limitations you have.  Get to the best swing you are capable of and don't worry about how it compares to anyone else.  Wrist and elbow damage keep me from a proper wrist set but I finally quit worrying about it and play with the back swing my body lets me have.  

[RickyBobby_PR]

A TPI m2 professional along with a TPI golf pro would be a good start to evaluate any possible limitations and to develop a plan to work on improving them and to develop a swing that works with what your body can’t do.

Completing a backswing doesn’t have to be a 90* plus turn. The turn and swing length marching is what’s important. 

[Kenny B]

You may have physical limitations or you may not be utilizing your body correctly when rotating in the backswing.  That's why an evaluation is important as mentioned above.  If your hips don't turn properly, then your upper body will turn less which limits arm swing.  You just highlighted my last lesson with Monte.  I could not rotate as much as he would like me too.  Could I rotate more? Sure... until a golf ball was in front of me!!  

Chances are you aren't maximizing the rotation you have available, but flexibility exercises will certainly help.

[NC Golfer]

20 hours ago, Kenny B said:

You may have physical limitations or you may not be utilizing your body correctly when rotating in the backswing.  That's why an evaluation is important as mentioned above.  If your hips don't turn properly, then your upper body will turn less which limits arm swing.  You just highlighted my last lesson with Monte.  I could not rotate as much as he would like me too.  Could I rotate more? Sure... until a golf ball was in front of me!!  

Chances are you aren't maximizing the rotation you have available, but flexibility exercises will certainly help.

 

Good call, I do have trouble rotating in the backswing. I can do it in practice and extend the trail leg a little. As you said, put a ball there and it's tough to do. Concentrating on hip rotation makes it easy to lose the flow of a real swing.  

[NC Golfer]

On 12/28/2021 at 10:03 PM, RickyBobby_PR said:

A TPI m2 professional along with a TPI golf pro would be a good start to evaluate any possible limitations and to develop a plan to work on improving them and to develop a swing that works with what your body can’t do.

Completing a backswing doesn’t have to be a 90* plus turn. The turn and swing length marching is what’s important. 

Turns out there's a TPI PT and another golf fitness trainer near my home. I will be checking them out. The TPI web site was helpful to find these folks. Thanks!  https://www.mytpi.com/experts

Edited December 30, 2021 by NC Golfer

[mattpobrien4]

Yoga, as well as any other stretching or flexibility activities, will be quite beneficial. My back feels better when I go back 2 years and focus on stretching and core strength when I was in a Physiotherapy Clinic, and they were so nice and helpful that I was able to recover rapidly from my back pain problems. Their service went above and beyond my expectations.

Edited January 19, 2022 by mattpobrien4

[RickyBobby_PR]

9 hours ago, NC Golfer said:

Turns out there's a TPI PT and another golf fitness trainer near my home. I will be checking them out. The TPI web site was helpful to find these folks. Thanks!  https://www.mytpi.com/experts

That’s awesome. My chiro is tpi certified. He golfs and also weight trains so makes it easy to work with him on any issues I have from golf or powerlifting training.

[NC Golfer]

Went for my Golf PT evaluation! It was an eye opener. It was only an evaluation and I learned alot. How the issue (tightness) is in my thoracic spine (upper-mid back), it's locked up with little rotation, putting all of the motion in the backswing and pressure in my lower back (back pain). Never would have came up with this on my own. Basically, between that and a weak trail hip, tight hamstrings, that is why I can't stay in posture in my backswing and it caused knee pain too.  I think this is a 1,000 percent better than any new driver or swing tip found on youtube. Found this 40 years too late. But, at least I found it and looking forward to gaining flexibility and strength to be a better golfer and feel better. Also, the PT and trainer never received a client lead from the TPI web site. They thought that was cool.  Thanks, to everyone who posted in this thread!

Edited January 6, 2022 by NC Golfer

[GolfSpy AFG]

39 minutes ago, NC Golfer said:

Went for my Golf PT evaluation! It was an eye opener. It was only an evaluation and I learned alot. How the issue (tightness) is in my thoracic spine (upper-mid back), it's locked up with little rotation, putting all of the motion in the backswing and pressure in my lower back (back pain). Never would have came up with this on my own. Basically, between that and a weak trail hip, tight hamstrings, that is why I can't stay in posture in my backswing and it caused knee pain too.  I think this is a 1,000 percent better than any new driver or swing tip found on youtube. Found this 40 years too late. But, at least I found it and looking forward to gaining flexibility and strength to be a better golfer and feel better. Also, the PT and trainer never received a client lead from the TPI web site. They thought that was cool.  Thanks, to everyone who posted in this thread!

Awesome to hear you were able to get to the root of the problem.

Now, how will you solve it?  Were you prescribed specific exercises or an overall regimen to pursue?

[NC Golfer]

13 minutes ago, Getoffmylawn said:

Awesome to hear you were able to get to the root of the problem.

Now, how will you solve it?  Were you prescribed specific exercises or an overall regimen to pursue?

Thanks! The plan is to get hands on treatment, including maipulation. I was surprised that the PT pushed on my back like a chiropractor. 2-3 treatments with the PT, get exercises and then I will get more hands on guidance from the trainer. I'll report back. The first real session is next Wednesday, I'll know more.

[NC Golfer]

ok, 3 visits into the TPI medical golf PT. Lots of progress on the frozen shoulder (stretching and manipulation) and making progress on rotation for the mid-upper back. Have been given the following exercises open book (for rotation in upper-mid back), thoracic extension for the lower traps (using foam roller) and more. Today I was given a really cool one. Get on all fours, put the foam roller parallel (towards arms) to left side, slide right hand/arm palm up and roll through, giving an awesome stretch and rotation - good for the golf turn! Do the same on the opposite side. Next up, seeing the TPI golf trainer! It's seems really expensive when considering it. But, the knowledge you gain is priceless.

Edited January 20, 2022 by NC Golfer