3 Ways to Improve Your Swing

Written By Jennifer Stawarz, MSPT

Are you a baseball, tennis or golf player? These are just a few sports that require mobility, stability, balance and proper alignment for efficient movement - sports that ask us to repetitively swing our arms either overhead or across our bodies cause an incredible demand on our shoulders, spine and hips. Common injuries include rotator cuff impingement and tears, tendonitis, bursitis, sprains, and back pain.

In order to prevent any injuries from happening, athletes who participate in these rotational sports can benefit from improving thoracic spine mobility, hip flexibility and range of motion, and increasing core stability. The following are some of our favorite moves to incorporate in order to get the most of our your swing, for any sport!

Increase thoracic spine mobility:

OPEN BOOK EXERCISE!

•Lying on your back place the top leg over to the side and keep the knee held down. Take the top arm over to the opposite side of the body to the held down knee and rotate the torso to increase the stretch through the thoracic spine. Keep the pelvis stable so that the stretch is felt in the mid-upper back. Hold the position for a count of 5-10 and repeat several times each side.

Increase hip mobility:

PRONE HIP INTERNAL ROTATION!

•Lie facedown on the floor with knees touching and bent at a 90-degree angle. Let your feet fall to the sides, lowering them as close to the ground as possible while keeping your knees together, bent at the same angle, and hips on the ground. Pause at the lowest point and return to the start, repeating several times for up to 2 minutes.

Increase core stability:

Some athletes have difficulty maintaining a stable core during swinging motions. We love the ROTATIONAL PALLOF PRESS EXERCISE!

•this move incorporates weighted rotation away from the torso using resistance from a band, with the intention of building core strength. Stand with your arms outstretched holding onto a band that is anchored to the wall at waist height. Pull the band into your chest and hold with both hands and press arms away from chest as you twist your torso away from the band until you get a full quarter rotation, keeping core engaged. Maintain your rigid stance and straight arms. Return to the neutral position in a slow and controlled manner. Your arms should be extended in front of you. Repeat 2 minutes on each side.

Magna Physical Therapy is a Golf Medicine Center that offers golf specific physical therapy and golf fitness programs designed for golfers of all ages. In addition to assessing any golf injuries that you may have sustained, we'll create a personalized physical therapy and/or fitness program based on your body’s natural flow of movement including strength, posture, balance, flexibility, swing type as well as your personal goals. Our center provides the ability to hit balls indoors using our Net-Return System for maximal results. Get the most out of your golf game and call Magna Physical Therapy & Sports Medicine for your first assessment and individualized plan! Follow us on Instagram check out our latest Reel for swing inspiration and to see our Canton Clinic Manager demonstrating his baseball and golf swing.