External rotation, shoulders and how it affects your swing
External rotation of the player’s shoulder and the ability to maintain scapular stability in the golf stance is key to achieving an efficient and consistent swing. Typically when external rotation is limited, players lose range of motion in the golf stance due to a lack of scapular stability which is intimately related to external rotation and this in turn to the entire mechanics of the scapula, the mobility of both the dorsal and thoracic spine and the rotator muscles.
Players with very limited external shoulder rotation are easily detected by observing their posture or stance, they usually have forward shoulders, kyphosis (very pronounced curvature), C-posture in the golf stance, forward head, in addition to being more likely to make technical errors related to this limitation and can be:
1. Loss of posture.
2. Chicken wing.
3. Angle opposite to the back.
4. Anticipated extension.
On the other hand, limitation in external rotation may be the consequence of other factors such as: scapular instability, overdeveloped internal rotators (very tight), capsular tension, injury or weakness in the external rotators or scapular muscle weakness.
Here are some exercises related to these factors:
Exercise 1, to improve scapular stability
Scapular retraction lying prone “W”: Lie face down (prone position) with arms in the “W” position and thumbs pointing upwards (OK position), put your forehead on a mat or cushion if you need to align the cervical area, it is important that the cervical spine is as aligned as possible with the dorsal spine.
From the starting position, perform a scapular retraction (imagine that you want to bring the scapulae together and at the same time stretch the chest area), keeping the fingers in the ok position.
Exercise 2, to free up internal rotators
Dorsal stretch with foam: Sit on your heels (if you can reach and if there is no pain, but if not you can leave the buttocks higher), rest your hands on a foam (it can also be a fitball). Inhale through your nose. From the initial position slide the foam or ball (fitball) as far as you can, without taking the buttocks off the heels (or without moving the pelvis). Exhale as you move the foam away.
Exercise 3, to strengthen external rotators
90/90 External shoulder rotation: Lie supine with both arms bent at ninety degrees (elbows aligned with shoulders and wrists with elbows) and legs bent. Inhale through your mouth. From the starting position, perform an external rotation (photo) with both arms at the same time, in a slow and controlled manner, avoiding lifting the shoulders (try to keep them stable at all times, as in the starting position). Exhale through your mouth with each rotation.
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