The two main physical areas to focus on over the winter are thoracic mobility and hip stability.
Thoracic Mobility
We need the thoracic/trunk area of your body to be able to rotate ideally at least 60-70 degrees in comparison to your pelvis and be symmetrical i.e. be able to rotate the same both right (backswing for right-handed players) and left (downswing). Stiffness here and a common swing fault is to be steep in your backswing or even worse to have a very inconsistent swing plane.
A great way to improve this mobility is to get yourself a foam roller. Place it on the ground and lay on perpendicular to your spine with your knees bent and your hands supporting your head and neck. In this position first roll gently back and forth from your shoulder blades to the middle of your trunk for a minute. Follow this up with keeping the roller still between your shoulder blades and pivot over the roller five times.
Hip Stability
The most important area of the body to be stable during the golf swing is the hips and pelvis. If we are physically weak here it often leads to swing faults such as swaying and sliding.
To strengthen this area, grab an exercise band and sit on a table. Loop the band around your feet and place your hands either side of the leg you want to strengthen. Keeping the other leg still rotate the leg you are strengthening as far away from the stationary leg until you can go any further, hopefully at least 45 degrees. Hold this position for a section before slowly returning the rotating leg to the start position. Complete 3 sets of as many repetitions as you can with 30 seconds rest between each set.
Greg Redman | Team Canada Head Physiotherapist and Strength Coach