Hi Shannon, I'm learning that much of the challenges with my golf swing relate to my lack of flexibility & mobility (I now know the difference between the two!), particularly in my hips. While my external hip rotation is ok I've discovered that I have almost no internal rotation in either hip. To address this I've been focusing on your 90/90 stretch for internal rotation, as well as the hip sleeper stretch. In both stretches I have virtually no movement of my leg when I try to rotate internally and feel resistance (musculature not structural). In the 90/90 stretch, my sit bone on that side is way off the floor. I'm assuming I should just keep at it and at some point I'll begin to see some progress. Should I be doing PAILS and RAILS at this point? Also, I need to sit on two yoga blocks and move against the wall to get the right posture for the hip sleeper stretch. Is this ok? Thanks!
Internal Hip Rotation
Hi John,
Thanks so much for your question. A lack of internal rotation is one of the most common hip issues we see with golfers. I would recommend continuing with 90/90 and hip sleeper stretch and holding for a full 2 minute stretch with deep breathing. I would recommend PAILs and RAILs at 30-50% and done daily in the beginning. I would also recommend adding a second set. This means you hold for a 2min stretch, 10-20s PAIL and 10-20s RAIL then hold for another 30second stretch in the new range and then PAIL and RAIL again for 10-20s. The second set may help you improve your mobility more effectively. I will also say however that internal rotation is the first motion to be restricted when there is an actual joint issue. If you continue seeing little to no improvement you may need a professional to assess your hips to determine if there is anything deeper going on. I hope this helps!