The Hip External Rotation (Side Lying) Exercise (also known as the Clam) is perfect for developing and maintaining your hip mobility and pelvic stability for a more efficient golf swing, and to help to prevent injury.
The Hip External Rotation (Side Lying) Exercise forms part of the Golf Injury Prevention series of innovative and dynamic exercises that will help to protect you from pain and injury by building strength and stability around your most vulnerable areas, while improving mobility, balance and joint function.
Figure 1. Hip External Rotation (Side Lying) Exercise Video.
Steps
- Start by lying on your side, with your knees bent at about 90 degrees, and your ankles, hips and shoulders all in a line.
- Keeping your heels touching, slowly lift your top knee up as far as you can.
- Slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
- Switch sides and repeat.
Do not allow any movement through your torso during this exercise – focus on keeping your pelvis and lower back completely still.
You should feel it working the outside of your top hip.
How Will It Benefit Your Golf Swing?
Your hips play a very important role in making an efficient golf swing, and it is crucial that you are able to move your hips independently of your pelvis and the rest of your torso.
Good mobility and control in this area is necessary for good swing mechanics, enabling you to rotate properly and efficiently through impact, and for taking the stress off your hip joint to prevent injury.
The Hip External Rotation (Side Lying) Exercise is perfect for developing and maintaining your hip mobility and pelvic stability.
Target Muscles
This exercise mainly involves your gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, and piriformis, and to a lesser extent your transversus abdominis, internal obliques, and external obliques.
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