Here’s something I’ve noticed after years of covering golf culture: the players who seem to enjoy the game most—and stay injury-free longest—aren’t necessarily the ones grinding hardest at the range. They’re the ones who’ve figured out that golf is fundamentally a lifestyle decision, not just a weekend hobby.
And it starts with understanding what your body actually needs to play well.
The Hidden Bottleneck in Your Game
I’ve had countless conversations with recreational golfers who come to me frustrated. They’re practicing more, they’re taking lessons, they’re buying new equipment—but something still feels off. Their swing doesn’t feel as fluid as they’d like. They can’t seem to generate the power they used to. Their back aches after eighteen holes.
Most of the time, the culprit isn’t what they’re doing on the course. It’s what they’re not doing off it.
Ask most golfers what they think limits their swing, and you’ll hear variations on the same theme:
“More mobility that would allow for a better swing.”
It’s a telling admission. We know something’s holding us back. We just don’t always know what it is or how to fix it.
Hip Mobility: The Unglamorous Game-Changer
Let me get a little technical for a moment, but stick with me—this matters for your next round.
Hip mobility, at its core, is about internal rotation. Think of it this way: when you take your backswing, your right hip (for right-handers) needs to rotate smoothly inward toward your pelvis. Then, through the downswing and follow-through, your left hip does the same work in the opposite direction. That’s the engine of a good golf swing.
But here’s what makes this relevant to your lifestyle: most of us—whether we golf or not—spend eight-plus hours a day sitting. We sit in cars. We sit at desks. We sit on couches. Our hips get tight. Our internal rotation capacity deteriorates. And when we finally get to the golf course, our bodies can’t do what we’re asking them to do.
The domino effect is brutal. Limited hip rotation means limited trunk and shoulder turn, which disrupts your entire swing sequence. Functionally, you’re losing power. Practically? You’re leaving speed on the table.
A lack of internal hip rotation kills your speed.
And I know every golfer reading this wants more speed and distance. It’s the most universal desire in golf. But most players go about chasing it the wrong way—through swing mechanics or club technology—when the real limiting factor is their physical capacity.
The Culture of Quick Fixes (and Why They Don’t Work)
Here’s what I’ve observed in golf culture: we love the promise of a magic bullet. A new driver that adds fifteen yards. A swing tip that suddenly clicks. A supplement that enhances performance. We want transformation without the work.
But the golfers I know who actually improve—and more importantly, stay healthy and enjoying the game—they approach it differently. They treat golf like a lifestyle, which means they invest in the fundamentals of their physical health.
That’s not sexy. It’s not Instagram-worthy. But it works.
The principle here matters more than any specific exercise: consistency beats intensity. A simple hip mobility routine performed three times a week will transform your swing and your quality of life on the course far more than sporadic, complicated training.
Bringing It Into Your Life
So what does this look like in practice?
You don’t need to become a fitness enthusiast. You don’t need expensive equipment or gym memberships. You need about fifteen minutes, three to four times weekly, focusing on the things that actually constrain your swing.
Start with hip mobility drills. There are countless resources available—videos, programs, even TikTok content—but the best ones share a common thread: simplicity. The moves that work are usually the ones you’ll actually do, not the complex ones that feel like you need a degree in kinesiology to execute.
Here’s my lifestyle recommendation: treat your mobility work like you treat your tee time. Schedule it. Show up. Do it consistently. It takes discipline, but not much—maybe the same commitment you’d give to streaming a weekly golf show.
The payoff isn’t just lower scores. It’s feeling good after a round. It’s playing pain-free into your sixties and seventies. It’s having the physical capacity to do the things you love without compensation injuries creeping in.
The Bigger Picture
Golf is a lifestyle sport, and lifestyle changes stick when they’re simple and sustainable. You don’t need to overhaul your entire fitness routine. You need to address the specific bottlenecks in your body that prevent you from playing the golf—and living the life—you want.
Hip mobility is just one piece of the puzzle. But it’s a foundational one. And in my experience, when golfers start paying attention to the unsexy stuff—the mobility work, the consistency, the off-course habits—everything else falls into place.
Your swing will improve. Your body will feel better. You’ll enjoy the game more. And isn’t that what golf is really about?
