To combine hip strength and lat mobility, try the Statue of Liberty Sweep.

Some exercises are especially valuable because they “kill two birds with one stone.” The Statue of Liberty Sweep is one such exercise – it is great for hip strengthening, while at the same time increasing the mobility of the broad “lat” muscle.

The lat (short for latissimus dorsi) is the only muscle that attaches the spine to the arm. It runs from the thoraco-lumbar fascia to the humerus (the upper arm bone) and has a significant effect on the golfer’s ability to reach across his or her body.

A right-handed golfer turning into the back swing must stretch the left arm fully across the body. Conversely, the right arm must extend fully across the front of the body into the follow-through. A golfer with a tight lat muscle will have trouble performing these actions.

Another key concept to understand is the interaction of one hip to the opposite shoulder and arm. Because of the way the body’s musculature is oriented (the direction of muscle fibers and the depth of the fascial sheaths that encompass the fibers), there is strong interaction between the left hip and the right shoulder/arm complex. The same is true on the other side – the right hip interacts strongly with the left shoulder/arm complex.

What this means in layman’s terms for golfers is that it’s a good thing to be able to stabilize one hip while mobilizing the opposite shoulder and arm. On the back swing (for a right-handed golfer), stabilize the right hip while mobilizing the left shoulder and arm to stretch across the body. On the downswing and follow-through, stabilize (post) the left hip while mobilizing the right shoulder and arm across the body.

To perform the Statue of Liberty Sweep:
Stand on your left leg. Hold your right arm high in the air. Use a golf club touched lightly by your left fingertips for balance.

Bend forward at the hip, allowing the left knee to bend, and sweep the right arm down and across the front of the body. Use a powerful push from your left leg to return to the starting position.

Repeat for 10-15 repetitions. Change legs and repeat from the other side.

Your ultimate goal should be to perform 2 sets of 15 repetitions from each side without using any balancing aids. Follow this exercise with 5-10 golf swings to integrate the benefits into your swing.

Mike Romatowski owns Five-Star Fitness, a golf conditioning and post-rehab facility in Owings Mills, Maryland. Mike works with amateur and collegiate golfers, including 2005 U.S. Open participant Marlowe Boukis and AJGA (Chicago) winner Michelle Grilli.