Should a golf coach check your flexibility before changing your swing?

Yes. Before changing your swing, a good coach should always ask about your physical limitations—asking simple questions like, "Do you have any stiffness or pain in your hips, knees, or lower back?"

82% of adult golfers lack the internal hip rotation required for modern rotational swing models. The five vertebrae of your lower back (L1–L5) are anatomically designed to rotate only 13 degrees combined.

When a big box lesson mill forces an inflexible amateur into a tour-pro posture to make the swing look pretty on camera, they generate violent lumbar shear exceeding eight times body weight. Your body flinches and decelerates on purpose to save your spine—robbing you of 20 yards of carry before impact.

An authentic coach respects your physical reality. If your hips don't turn easily, they never force it. They give you simple compensations—like flaring your lead foot 20 degrees outward at address to instantly unlock hip clearance with zero spinal strain.

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