[PHOTO: Ross Parker – SNS Group]
The ankle joint is truly amazing. When you consider its roll in movement (running, jumping, kicking, you name it) and the amount of torque and force it absorbs as we do whatever we do, you might think ankle twists, sprains and fractures would be a lot more common. It should be obvious that the ankles play a huge role in a quality golf swing. And it’s not just providing the ability to maintain golf posture from setup through impact. The ability to flex your foot upward (dorsiflexion) is very important. But so is eversion and inversion, the fancy way of saying the lateral movement of the joint towards and away from the body.
So when we say rolling your ankles is not necessarily a bad thing in golf, we’re not talking about what happened to Tony Finau at the 2018 Masters [below]. Though he amazingly played the tournament after this disastrous sprain in the Par-3 Contest prior to the main event.
Healthy ankle mobility allows golfers to generate, store and transfer energy into their golf club and eventually the ball. Furthermore, it allows the ankle to absorb and dispel forces that would otherwise lead to pain and injuries. Look no further than Scottie Scheffler to understand how much energy is handled by the ankle joints.
To keep your ankles functional and healthy, Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer Courtney Weber has a few simple exercises you can do that will improve range of motion – both laterally and up and down. Interestingly, female golfers often struggle more with dorsiflexion (flexing upward) because they wear heeled shoes that promote the opposite (plantar flexion).
“Most players are neglecting one of the most important aspects of the golf swing, ankle mobility,” she says. “Your ankles are the foundation for power, control and overall play on the golf course. They play a crucial part in ground-force reaction, where you transmit power from the ground into your swing. Your ankles assist in a smooth weight shift from backswing to downswing, which decreases a player’s lateral movements (swaying or sliding). Limitations in your ankles also negatively impact form in various lower-body exercises, which in turn increases your chance for injury. Your swing starts from the ground up, so should your training.”
Here are Weber’s recommended moves:
Half-kneeling knee drives
“Start in a half-kneeling position, placing the lead foot about a fist-distance away from the wall. Drive that knee to the wall while keeping your entire foot on the ground. Only go as far as you can before your heel comes off the ground. Do a handful of these and then switch leg positions and repeat.”
Single-leg rainbow passes
“Stand on one leg and lift the other so its thigh is about waist high. Holding a medicine ball in the hand above the lifted leg, raise the ball up over your head and pass it to the other hand. Then bring it down to the opposite side, switch leg positions and repeat in the opposite direction.”
Arch crosses
“Stand with a yoga ball or tennis ball under the middle of your foot. Pivot your ankle in and out letting the ball roll across your foot laterally. Do this several times on each foot.”
