Performing this dynamic warm-up movement, or static cool down stretch using a suspension trainer is one of my favorites. This is an essential addition to your routine golfers because you need to promote optimal muscle length before or after a long round! The side of your body that is closer to the ceiling is where you should be feeling the stretch. The Latissimus Dorsi is a LARGE pulling muscle which play a huge role in extending, internally rotating, and adducting your gleno-humeral joint. Tight Lat’s often manifest in an internally rotated/rounded shoulders position (especially with arm elevation), this is due to it’s action of internal rotation at the shoulder. This can limit shoulder mobility, especially overhead! This stretch also hits the Teres Major, Lat's little helper! The internal and external obliques action on each side of the body is same side lateral flexion. The external oblique's action is rotation towards the opposite site of the body, whereas the internal oblique's action is same side rotation of the torso on a fixed pelvis. The oblique's are activated to stabilize the ribs as well as as the pelvis, which tend to be sore after golf! This stretch will help address them! Biggest piece advice with this stretch, BREATHE! Incorporate deep breaths within the stretch to increase torso expansion and muscle length, and decrease muscle tension. Increasing space between the ribs and the pelvis on the target side being stretched will increase the oblique stretch. Incorporate this stretch where you see it's fit, and reap the benefits!
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