Golf is not a game that requires great strength or stamina. Let’s face it, any game you can play where they drive beer out to you while you’re playing it isn’t exactly one demanding world-class athleticism! However, there is one physical area where you can greatly improve your ability and lower your scores by working to improve. That’s flexibility. And it’s not hard to do for most of us, even older golfers.

Inflexibility causes all kinds of problems with the golf swing. Probably the biggest detriment is the tension it creates as we try to force our bodies into positions that are required in the full swing. If you suffer from a flexibility problem, you’ve probably experienced this on the course when you tried taking a long backswing to hit a long tee shot or a long second shot on a par-5 hole. You feel that tension that borders on pain as you try to find a bit more power. And then, of course, that tension causes you to get all out of whack coming down into impact and you end up hitting a weak shot or one that slices or hooks. Been there? I know I have!

Fortunately, there are some simple and quick exercises you can do that will improve your flexibility in no time. One of the best ways is to swing your driver at home in the yard 50 times a day. Take full swings and don’t rush it. Just going through the full swing motion daily will make you more flexible. Alternatively, play more golf! Same principle.

If you’re already pretty flexible and just want to improve to gain an extra 5 or 10 yards, try this one. Take a long club and place it behind your neck and along your upper back so that your hands rest on either end. Then pretend you’re addressing your golf ball for a shot. In that position, slowly stretch so that the left end of the club points at the ground (for right-handers). Keep your spine straight and mimic the motion of the backswing. Then come back to center and continue until the other end of the club is pointing at the ground. Do this slowly! Try to feel the stretch in your lower back, hips, and shoulders. This one stretch, done regularly, will really help your flexibility.

Finally, if you find that your lack of flexibility seems centered in your lower back (very common for older golfers), try this one. Stand with your knees straight and your feet close together. Keep the knees straight and reach down toward the ground in front of you. Only go as far as you can without any pain. Hold that position for at least 10 seconds, then slowly raise back up. Repeat this 10 times each day and in no time you’ll feel looser on the golf course.

It’s also a good idea to do these stretches just prior to teeing off before every round you play - especially on chilly days.