Improving Flexibility for Golf Swing/Right Sided Flank Pain

[PatrickB]

Greetings-The golf swing is unique in terms of requirement of the extreme amount of combined spinal lateral flexion and rotation as well as requirement of spinal thoracolumbar and lumbar extension. Specifically being a 68yo male with DOMUS I would like to get input for stretching exercises to not only improve my flexibility but to lessen DOMUS after playing a round of golf.  Additionally I have performing the chair lateral bending flexibility exercise but am getting sharp right sided flank pain when laterally bending to my right. I would also appreciate your input regarding the right sided flank pain.  Thank you

[Kit_L]

On 7/11/2026 at 3:40 AM, PatrickB said:

extreme amount of combined spinal lateral flexion

Patrick, I checked with a number of authoritative sites before writing this, but the golf swing does not require extreme lateral flexion—what it does require is good thoracic rotation (without over-rotating the lumbar spine) and good thoracic extension, which most aging males have lost years ago. Start here, where the most important cue is to lift the chest (the start of thoracic extension) before you try to rotate the shoulders. If you do not, all the rotation will be in the lumbar spine:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwpSMCenE4Q

On 7/11/2026 at 3:40 AM, PatrickB said:

male with DOMUS

Do you mean Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS), or something else? 

On 7/11/2026 at 3:40 AM, PatrickB said:

sharp right sided flank pain when laterally bending to my right.

Not uncommon—none of us is symmetrical. The secret here is to bend away from the R side two or three times before trying to bend to the right and (this is important) breathe in deeply and lift your ribs up in the process before you've bend to the right – some people's ribs actually jam against the top of the pelvis in this movement and lifting the chest up can allow the ribs to clear the top of the ischial tuberosity, as it's called. And if it is not that but something else, bending away from that side before you try to bend to that side will stretch it out and relax whatever muscles are cramping.

For a golfer, one of the critical parts of this exercise is to genuinely try to reach your fingers as far away up end of the ceiling and away from the hip as you can once you've gone as far as you can to the side – in this additional movement, the trapezius muscles are actually stretching latissimus dorsi, and this provides an effective stretch. Tight latissimus dorsi is the number one reason people do not have good thoracic extension.

Another effective way of stretching the same muscles (and something that is good for the whole body and tends to straighten it) is to simply hang from a bar as relaxedly as you can – and once you think you've relaxed fully then think about "how do I press the bar up away from me even higher?" – that engages the trapezius muscles in the same way and you'll get a much stronger stretch in the lats as a result.

And the best way to improve thoracic extension (in addition to hanging as mentioned above) is to use an exercise that targets everyone's stiffest part of the thoracic spine. This is easy to find: all you have to do is try this exercise:

https://stretchtherapy.net/piano-stool-back-bend/

You may not have a piano stool handy, but if you have access to a gym, then all you do is duplicate the same movement over any padded bench, putting the edge of the bench on the stiffest part of the thoracic spine – and bringing the stretch on by lowering the hips. Most people will try to bend in their lumbar spine, which you don't want – that edge of the bench has to be placed on the stiffest part of the back and you need to use a little tail tucking movement – flexing the lumbar spine slightly, – to keep the stretch out of the lumbar spine. That way the weight of the legs will bend the thoracic spine backward rather than the lumbar spine. And in the process, you simply position the bench away from something that you can hang onto so that you can duplicate what Olivia is doing.

If you cannot duplicate that movement with the equipment you have access to, please comment and I will come up with something else.

[PatrickB]

Hi Kit-Thank you for your reply and suggestion. I have begun implementing your recommended modification to the chair spinal rotation exercise by lifting my chest prior to the shoulder rotation. As you mentioned in your reply this seems to increase thoracic rotation as well as reduce lumbar rotation. This is a welcome change. Thanks. Yes, DOMUS (delayed onset muscle soreness). Any recommendations regarding DOMUS would be appreciated. Your reply is spot on regarding my right sided flank. My pain feels exactly like my ribs (and thinking my intercostal m.)  are jammed with intercostal cramping. Thank again for your recommendations. The Piano stool back bend that Olivia demonstrated is doable and work in progress. That recommendation is also greatly appreciated. My best Patrick.

[PatrickB]

Hi Kit-Yes, DOMS not DOMUS. My mistake. Thanks Patrick 

[Kit_L]

5 hours ago, PatrickB said:

As you mentioned in your reply this seems to increase thoracic rotation as well as reduce lumbar rotation.

Yes, definitely. Once you get used to doing it (and do it a few times each session, with contractions every second session), you can add a tail tuck (roll the top of the pelvis back to first flatten, then in time flex the lumbar spine), and this will enhance this effect. In time, you'll be able to rotate the shoulders about 90° in relation to the pelvis, and you'll be a lot more flexible than most people. Your swing will improve, for sure.

[PatrickB]

Hi Kit-My question is concerned with the piano stool back extension exercise which I have just started. I am experiencing sharp right sided latissimus dorsi and right rib pain. Again I am asking for your input and if appropriate recommendations for modifying. Thanks Patrick

[Kit_L]

Without see you try to do this, I cannot. Too many variables. 

Before trying the same exercise the next time, do this one immediately before:

https://stretchtherapy.net/hanging-side-bend-variations-for-trunk-pain-relief/

And I request that you try any new exercises for at least two weeks before asking for assistance again—trying anything for the first time is likely to produce anomalies. Please experiment with angles and load, and see if you can work out a way through, that makes the exercise doable. You are trying to remake a lifetime of existing patterns, and this does not happen with one, or twenty, attempts.

[PatrickB]

Hi Kit-Will do and thank you.

Patrick

[Kit_L]

And have you started the hanging practice yet? This too stretches latissimus dorsi. Combined with the exercise linked to immediately above, the piano stool exercises will be able to be done, in time.

[PatrickB]

Hi Kit- Have attempted dead hangs before (both with feet touching and without) but stopped because of latissimus dorsi cramping. Although I have never attempted performing a dead hang (latissimus contraction) then tried to engage my trapezius (trapezius contraction) with an upward pushing movement (. Thank you for the input. I did not consider the role that the trapezius m plays in latissimus dorsi function.  Also haven't yet attempted the hanging side bend variations for trunk pain exercise. Yes, so true this is a movement pattern I developed over a number of years and will take time to change my established movement pattern. Thanks again. Patrick

[Kit_L]

I have never heard of latissimus dorsi cramping while under stretch—in my experience, and the experience of the thousands of students we have worked with over the years, hanging always relieves a cramp—this is fundamental to how the body works. Contractions, whether part of something else, or the first part of the pull of a chin up, can cause the muscles to cramp, but letting the body relax in that position and letting the body's weight stretch the same muscles and always relieves the cramp. Cramping is an involuntary contraction of the majority of the muscle fibres of a muscle involved, and only lengthening that muscle can relieve a cramp. It may be that the sensation you're feeling in your body are not a cramp. I'm going to outline the exercise I am recommending once more.

Get a good grip of the bar, with your feet still on the ground, and then slowly bend your knees so more and more of your weight comes on your arms and hands gently, so you can adjust to the sensation. Before the full weight of your body comes on (so while your feet are still lightly touching the ground), and with your elbows pressed completely straight using your triceps, gently pull up just an inch or two – hold that for a few seconds then take a breath in and let your body's weight stretch your lats so your shoulders come up closer to your ears. Repeat this three or four times, concentrating on letting yourself go down lower after each small contraction. The elbows must stay straight during this to ensure that only latissimus dorsi works in the small pulling part. That is all I would do for the first week or so.

And then, as a separate action on another occasion, after you do the small contraction, and let yourself hang down experiencing your full body's weight, that's when you think about pressing the bar up away from you. This activates trapezius – and the activation of trapezius in this position inhibits latissimus dorsi. Inhibit here means that the nervous system sends a message to latissimus dorsi to relax so that trapezius can activate – this happens at the same time. This is called the reciprocal inhibition reflex – you can look it up. Trapezius elevates the shoulder girdle; latissimus dorsi depresses it; they do the opposite movements. All muscles in the body are paired in this way except the tongue. When one of the pair activates, the other is inhibited and we have used this fact of how the body is organised as a very powerful method of stretching – it is one of the three reflexes we work with all the time.

And when you do make the time to do the hanging side bend, I think you will find out just how tight your latissimus dorsi are—and loosening these will have a major beneficial effect on your swing. Both exercises are essential for you. Stop doing the piano stool stretch for now; Olivia will be chiming in with a gentler suggestion.