In the first two parts of this series, we looked at how top players train connection and balance to build a swing that holds up under pressure. In this third part, the focus shifts from the swing itself to something that is often overlooked: how the body prepares to turn before the club ever moves.
During the 2025 Walker Cup, my student Jase Summy, a standout at the University of Oklahoma, regularly used a simple resistance band stretch to prepare his body for one specific goal: creating enough internal rotation in his right hip to make a full, athletic turn behind the golf ball.
At first glance, the stretch looks basic. In reality, it addresses one of the most common limitations of the modern golf swing, and one that affects amateurs far more than they realize.
Why internal hip rotation is important
Many golfers assume that a short or restricted backswing is a swing fault. In reality, it is often a mobility problem. When the drag hip cannot rotate internally, the pelvis has difficulty rotating freely. The body then looks elsewhere for movement, which often manifests itself in the form of a swing of the ball, an arm-driven backswing or a hurried transition.
Elite players understand this distinction. They don’t force a bigger bend; they create the physical capacity for one.
Improving internal rotation in the trailing hip allows the pelvis to rotate around a stable base instead of sliding sideways. This allows the upper body to roll more naturally, creating better balance and sequence as the swing transitions toward impact.
Internal hip rotation stretch
In the exercise (pictured above), Summy anchors a resistance band and uses it to guide his trail hip into internal rotation while maintaining the position. The movement is controlled and purposeful, not aggressive. The goal is not to stretch harder, but to prepare the body to move correctly.
A subtle but important detail is his foot position. Instead of letting the foot flare outward, Summy squeezes the trailing foot slightly inward. This small adjustment increases the demand for internal rotation in the right hip and deepens the stretch, making it easier to feel the pelvis rotating behind the ball rather than drifting sideways.
Because the band creates light resistance and the foot remains slightly inward, the stretch promotes a true spiral. The hips rotate, the upper body is loaded and the movement remains centered – exactly what top players want to feel at the top of the backswing.
This is a stretch that Summy uses not only during warm-up, but throughout the day, especially before practice sessions and competition rounds, as it directly supports how he swings the club.
How it can help recreational golfers
For casual golfers, the message is simple: Better swings often start away from the ball. If making a full turn feels restricted or forced, the problem may not be with the mechanics at all.
Spending a few minutes improving hip mobility (while paying attention to simple details like foot position) will make it easier for you to pivot effortlessly, reduce compensation, and create a backswing that feels more connected and controlled.
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