Is Flexibility Overrated for Golf? What the Research Actually Says
Ask most amateur golfers what they need to improve their distance and flexibility comes up almost immediately. Hip mobility drills, thoracic rotation stretches, and band work before a round are fixtures of most recreational golfer routines. The assumption is straightforward: more range of motion leads to a bigger shoulder turn, which leads to more clubhead speed.
The research tells a more complicated story.
What a 2024 Meta-Analysis Actually Found
Brennan and colleagues (2024) published a large research review in Sports Medicine that pooled data from 20 studies, examining which physical qualities were most strongly linked to clubhead speed. The findings are worth looking at carefully.
Jump impulse showed the strongest link to clubhead speed of any physical quality measured. Upper body explosive strength and jumping peak power also ranked highly. Lower body and upper body strength both showed meaningful associations.
Flexibility, by contrast, produced a trivial and non-significant association with clubhead speed.
Jump impulse: zr = 0.82 [95% CI 0.63 to 1.02], the strongest association in the analysis. Flexibility: zr = -0.04 [95% CI -0.33 to 0.26], not statistically significant.
It is worth noting that different studies measured flexibility in different ways, so some caution is reasonable in interpreting this finding. But across multiple assessment methods including the sit-and-reach test and functional movement screen, the pattern held. Flexibility did not significantly predict clubhead speed.
What This Means in Practice
This does not mean flexibility is irrelevant to golf. Genuine mobility restrictions, such as limited hip rotation or reduced thoracic mobility, absolutely need to be addressed. They affect swing mechanics, create compensatory patterns, and increase injury risk. A Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) screen is designed specifically to identify these restrictions and link them to swing faults.
The distinction worth making is this. Once a golfer has adequate range of motion for the demands of their swing, adding more passive flexibility does not add more clubhead speed. The marginal return on additional flexibility work is minimal compared to the return on strength and power development.
The physical quality with the strongest association to clubhead speed is jump impulse, which measures the total force your legs produce when driving through the ground. That is a training adaptation built through progressive strength and explosive work, not stretching.
The Training Pyramid Most Golfers Have Inverted
In practice, many amateur golfers spend a disproportionate amount of their physical preparation time on mobility work relative to strength and power training. The research suggests this is the wrong emphasis for most people who have already addressed genuine restrictions.
Rory McIlroy's strength programme includes trap bar deadlifts, pull-ups and squat jumps as foundational movements. His training is built around producing force, not increasing flexibility. The research on jump impulse and clubhead speed explains precisely why that approach produces results.
“Mobility matters. Once you have adequate range, more flexibility does not add more speed. Strength and power do.”
What the Assessment at ATHLETIC INC Covers
A TPI screen assesses movement quality and range of motion, which encompasses both dynamic and static stability components. It identifies where restrictions exist in the body and links them directly to swing faults. Where a genuine restriction is found, it is addressed. Where adequate range exists, the focus shifts to the qualities that actually drive performance.
At ATHLETIC INC, the assessment goes beyond the standard TPI screen. Force plate testing and key lift assessments are added to evaluate strength and power directly, giving a more complete picture of the physical qualities influencing your game. If your distance has not improved despite consistent mobility work, this combined assessment will tell you why.
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Brennan A, Murray A, Mountjoy M, Hellstrom J, Coughlan D, Wells J, Brearley S, Ehlert A, Jarvis P, Turner A, Bishop C. Associations Between Physical Characteristics and Golf Clubhead Speed: A Systematic Review with Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2024 Jun;54(6):1553-1577. doi: 10.1007/s40279-024-02004-5. PMID: 38424374.
MEET THE AUTHOR
YU HENG CHIN
Physiotherapist & Performance Coach
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Sports Physiotherapy
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