Ankle Mobility Limiting Your Golf Swing?

When you think of the golf swing and mobility, you probably think of specific joints.  Those joints that come to mind are probably the spine, shoulders, and hips.  But my guess is that you’re not thinking about the ankle… The ankle??  Yes, the ankle.  So the real question is, why and how is ankle mobility limiting your golf swing?

Why Are The Ankles So Important For Golf?

First and foremost, golf is a power sport by nature as the swing takes less than 2 seconds to complete.  For that to occur, golfers generate large amounts of force directly from the ground, using the only joints that are in contact with the ground.  The ankle and the foot.

Titleist Performance Institute has been performing years of research on professional and amateur golfers and have found a direct correlation between ankle mobility and loss of posture in your golf swing.  More specifically, early extension (1,2).

For anyone who doesn’t know, early extension is when your hips and pelvis move closer towards the ball, which typically occurs in the downswing.  This will cause you to stand up and lose posture during the swing.  Early extension is a killer for the golf swing as it usually results in a reduction of power (the ball doesn’t go as far) and causes inconsistent shots (usually a block to the right or hook to the left for a right handed golfer).

But How Does Ankle Mobility Limit My Golf Swing?

When you’re in the setup position, you’re going to be in a slight bend at your hips and have some bend in your knees.  When you bring the club into the backswing, you should stay relatively in the same hip and knee bend positions.  However, what some of the best golfers in the world do on the downswing is that they will squat down even more to utilize the ground and generate as much force as possible.

To perform the squat motion in the downswing, there needs to be an adequate amount of ankle mobility.  If you lack ankle mobility, you may end up on your toes.  But what will more likely happen, is that you will early extend in the swing.  As a gentle reminder, early extension causes inconsistent shots and a loss of distance.

How Can I Test Myself To See If My Ankle Mobility Is Limited?

Luckily, there is a very simple test to see if your ankle mobility is limiting your golf game!  Please watch the video to below to see how you can test yourself at home.

What Can I Do To Improve My Ankle Mobility If It’s Limited?

If you passed the test above, congratulations!  There is not much more for you to worry about right now, but you can use the tips below to make sure that your ankle mobility does not get worse.

If you did not pass the ankle mobility test, my apologies.  But there’s always room for improvement!  So let’s go through some tips that will help to improve your ankle mobility by watching the video below.

I hope this article and the videos were helpful to you in learning more about how ankle mobility may be limiting your golf game.

Please reach out to me if this was helpful so I can know that I’ve helped you out.  Also, if you tried this and feel if you’re doing something incorrectly or not seeing any change in your mobility, please don’t hesitate to reach out to me so you can get on the right track!

If you would looking to get started on your own golf performance plan, you can schedule a no-obligation call or in-person appointment with me for no charge at all to get started.  I want to help you move better, get stronger, and swing faster, so you can be your best on and off the golf course!

If you haven’t gotten them yet, I made 9 FREE workouts with your golf performance in mind.  Here is the link to grab those 9 free workouts.

If you want some more help with working on early extension in the golf swing, make sure you check out this video below.  You can also check out this article!

References:

1.) Titleist Performance Institute Level 1 Seminar Manual. Oceanside, CA: Titleist Performance Institute; 2020

2.) Finn C. Rehabilitation of low back pain in golfers: from diagnosis to return to sport. Sports Health. 2013;5(4):313-319. doi:10.1177/1941738113479893