Improve your downswing sequencing with this two-step exercise

Does the start of the downswing jam you up? It’s a tricky move—getting your lower body to initiate the action, while your upper body waits to start its rotation through the ball. Moving your lower body independently of your your upper body probably isn’t something that comes naturally. If you want to improve this motion in your swing, Carolina Romero, one of Golf Digest's 50 Best Golf-Fitness Trainers in America, says to try this two-part exercise.

The Half-Kneeling Thoracic Rotation to Side bend

Get into a half-kneeling stance with your lead leg up and bent at a 90-degree angle.

Put your hands behind your head, engage your core, and rotate your torso toward the forward leg. Next, bend your upper body toward the ground. Throughout this movement, your lower body should remain still.

Romero says to do one set of 10 on each side.

“This is a good exercise to work on your upper body/lower body dissociation, which is super important for a good golf-swing sequence,” Romero says. “You want to be able to initiate the downswing with the hips but in order for you to do that, you need to be able to move your upper and lower body separately.”

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The upper-body motion in this exercise requires you to rotate around your thoracic spine (mid back). This is key for improving consistency and building power in the golf swing.

“If your thoracic mobility is good, you’re going to be able to get a really deep shoulder turn and rotate well and stay in posture as opposed to having to compensate with golf swing mistakes in order to get the club back,” Romero says.

As you do this exercise, know that you’re training your body to copy a move that really good players make through the impact zone.

“If you look at great players when they’re hitting the ball, they’re actually side bending completely right before they make contact,” Romero says. “Here, we’re mimicking that motion and teaching the body to get into that position.”

By training your body to get into these positions off the course, you’ll make it a lot easier for your body to make these key moves during the golf swing. With proper downswing sequencing, your ball-striking will be more consistent and you might just find the extra yards you’ve been looking for.