The Science of Offseason Training (Mobility Training)

Part Two – Mobility Training

Welcome to part two of our offseason training series! 
In Part One, we covered the importance of using the time in the winter to increase strength, since that will play a major role in hitting the ball farther going into next season.

Today, we’re shifting the focus to mobility work, a crucial element of golf offseason training that helps you improve your range of motion, rotate more efficiently in the swing, and reduce the aches and pains that may have built up during the season.

What is Mobility Training?

Simply put, mobility training is a category of movement training designed to help you improve your range of motion in a given plane. Mobility training can also be broadly broken down into two categories of exercise:

1. Soft Tissue Exercises

These techniques act as a form of self-massage to release tightness or trigger points in the muscles. Common tools include:

• Lacrosse balls
  
• Foam rollers
  
• Softballs
  

Applying pressure for up to one minute can temporarily increase range of motion. The real value, however, comes when soft tissue work is paired with movement drills to create longer-term mobility improvements.

Soft tissue exercises are also highly beneficial for golfers dealing with low back stiffness. Research shows they can significantly reduce low back pain, making them a key part of effective offseason training, especially if back discomfort affects your swing or endurance during a round.

2. Movement Drills

After soft tissue work prepares the muscles, movement drills help you explore deeper ranges of motion. Golf requires mobility across multiple planes, so these drills can directly improve your ability to make a bigger, more powerful turn.

Below, we break down the key rotary centers for the golf swing, how limited mobility shows up in your swing, and which exercises to incorporate this offseason.

Mobility Training for the Hips

The hips are one of the primary “swing engines” in the body. Creating club head speed (and, subsequently, distance) requires the efficient generation and transfer of force from the ground to the club head. This starts with using your feet to shift weight to your trail side as you move through the backswing, and ultimately finishes as you drive forcefully backwards on your lead leg as you move through your downswing to allow your body to rotate through as you make contact with the ball. 

Why Hip Internal Rotation Matters in the Golf Swing

• Primary plane of motion: hip internal rotation
  The swing relies heavily on hip internal rotation, especially during the transition phase from backswing to downswing. This specific motion helps generate the rotational patterns needed for power and efficiency.
  
• Creates X-Factor Stretch during transition
  As you move from the top of the backswing into the downswing, an efficient golfer will:
  
  • shift weight to the lead side, and
    
  • begin rotating the hips toward the target.
    This sequence causes the lead hip to internally rotate while the trunk “lags” behind. That lag effect is crucial for transferring energy up the kinetic chain and producing a powerful, well-sequenced swing.
    
• Lead hip tightness reduces lag and may increase injury risk
  If the lead hip is tight or restricted, your ability to create this trunk-lag, and therefore efficient energy transfer, is limited.
  Research suggests that insufficient internal rotation or an inability to separate hip and trunk rotation may contribute to low-back pain, especially during repeated swings.
  
• Clear performance benefits from greater hip internal rotation
  Internal rotation isn’t just injury-preventative, it’s strongly tied to speed.
  Internal research shows that when the combined total of trail-side hip rotation + trunk rotation reaches at least 100 degrees, a golfer is 1.51 times more likely to generate a swing speed of 100 mph or higher.
  

If you experience low back tightness or feel restricted in your turn, focused hip mobility should be a top priority in your golf offseason training program. Below is a hip mobility routine that is a surefire way to get your hips moving better! This routine includes one soft tissue release, the TFL release, followed by two movement drills to push the range of motion a little farther. 

Mobility Training for the Trunk

Equally important to the hips in golf offseason training is trunk rotation, particularly the rotation of the thoracic spine. Proper trunk rotation is essential for generating club head speed, maintaining swing efficiency, and minimizing pain.

• Why trunk rotation matters:
  
  • Observe PGA Tour players at the top of their backswing: their shoulders often turn perpendicular to the target.
    
  • This extreme rotation is possible because of effective trunk (thoracic spine) mobility.
    
  • Limited trunk rotation can affect not only your backswing but also your follow-through, reducing speed and efficiency.
    
  • Over time, restricted rotation may contribute to lower back pain due to inefficient force dissipation during the swing.
    
• Muscles involved:
  
  • Obliques: Primary drivers of trunk rotation.
    
  • Lats: Mainly responsible for shoulder movement, but recent research shows they play a minor role in trunk rotation as well.
    
• Benefits for performance:
  
  • Improved trunk mobility allows for a longer backswing and greater range of motion.
    
  • This translates directly into more club head speed and more powerful shots.
    
  • Supports injury prevention by distributing forces more efficiently through the body.

This routine is a foundational part of golf offseason training, helping you maximize rotation, swing efficiency, and power for the upcoming season.

Mobility Training for the Shoulders

Your shoulders ability to externally rotate effectively are incredibly important for establishing consistency in your swing plane. When the trail shoulder is not able to externally rotate effectively, it is much harder to get back into a laid off position at the top of the backswing. This will usually lead to an over-the-top move as you start the downswing. On the lead side, we typically see that reduced external rotation can lead to shortening the follow through and developing more of a chicken wing on the lead side. These moves are major speed killers because of how they influence your contact with the ball! 

If you think your shoulder rotation may be contributing to compensations in your swing mentioned above, here is a simple offseason shoulder routine that will help increase your external rotation and help you achieve the swing plane you’re looking for! 

Golf Offseason Training: Mobility Recap and Key Takeaways

While building strength in the offseason is the #1 key to achieving greater distances next season, a structured mobility routine will help you move better, swing faster, and reduce pain as well. Improving your range of motion is also very important for making sure you are able to effectively address the swing issues you see. 

As you work through this winter, consider pairing mobility work with a Performance Golf Assessment to identify your exact mobility needs and create a customized plan.

If you have questions or want personalized guidance, feel free to contact our team anytime.

Stay tuned for Part Three, where we’ll dive into how to transfer your new strength and mobility directly into your golf swing!

References

1. Behm DG, Wilke J. Do Self-Myofascial Release Devices Release Myofascia? Rolling Mechanisms: A Narrative Review. Sports Med. 2019;49(8):1173-1181. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01149-y
2. Wu Z, Wang Y, Ye X, et al. Myofascial Release for Chronic Low Back Pain: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Front Med. 2021;8:697986. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.697986
3. Smith JA, Hawkins A, Grant-Beuttler M, Beuttler R, Lee SP. Risk Factors Associated With Low Back Pain in Golfers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Sports Health Multidiscip Approach. 2018;10(6):538-546. doi:10.1177/1941738118795425
4. Price D, Ginn KA, Halaki M, Reed D. What is the contribution of latissimus dorsi to trunk movement and control? A systematic review and meta-analysis. Phys Ther Rev. 2024;29(1-3):47-63. doi:10.1080/10833196.2024.2359815