The first and foremost component of a golf fitness program is to stretch and balance muscles before you work on developing stability, strength and speed.

Some people have good flexibility naturally. For those of us who don’t, flexibility is needed and can be developed, but you have to work at it everyday. Stretching allows the development and maintenance of optimal joint range of motion, so that the golfer can move through the necessary planes of motion.

Flexibility is the single most important physical characteristic likely to influence your golf swing. A tight body creates restricted motion in the swing and produces injuries as a form of compensation. Keep your body “supple” so it doesn’t become a limiting factor in your performance.

Here is a at-home stretch routine that targets muscles that are typically tight in golfers.