Experience Better Golf

“Pelvic Tilt”

The Core of Your Golf Posture

The Biomechanics: Arching and Flattening Your pelvis is essentially a bowl of water resting on top of your legs. "Pelvic Tilt" refers to your ability to tip that bowl forward (Anterior Tilt, spilling water out the front) or tip it backward (Posterior Tilt, spilling water out the back).

To maintain dynamic posture during a golf swing, your lower back and abdominals must be able to smoothly control this tipping motion. If your pelvis is frozen in one position, or if you physically do not know how to isolate your hips from your upper body, you cannot effectively transfer energy from your legs to your arms.

The Golf Connection: The Domino Effect Inability to control your pelvic tilt leads to severe posture faults and is the #1 predictor of lower back pain in golf:

  • [Link: Loss of Posture]: If you cannot isolate your pelvis, your entire torso must lift up when you swing, pulling you completely out of your spine angle.

  • [Link: Early Extension]: A frozen pelvis usually results in thrusting the hips straight toward the ball at impact to generate fake power.

  • [Link: Reverse Spine Angle]: Golfers who start in an extreme "S-Posture" (too much anterior tilt/arched back) restrict their ability to rotate, forcing the spine to lean backward at the top of the swing.

The Self-Screen: The Pelvic Tilt Test

Test your motor control and lower back mobility. You will need a mirror or a friend to watch you.

  1. The Setup: Get into your normal 5-iron golf posture. Cross your arms over your chest.

  2. The Test: Keeping your head and shoulders perfectly still, try to arch your lower back (sticking your tailbone up), and then try to completely flatten your lower back (tucking your tailbone under like a scared dog).

  • ✅ PASS: You can smoothly isolate the movement, arching and flattening the lower back without your shoulders or head bobbing up and down.

  • ❌ FAIL: The movement is incredibly shaky/stuck, or your entire upper body has to physically stand up and crunch down to make your hips move.

The Protocol: Rebuilding Motor Control

If you failed, your brain has lost the neurological connection to your pelvic floor and lower abdominals.

1. Supine Pelvic Tilts By lying on the floor, we remove gravity and isolate the specific muscles needed for the movement.

  • Setup: Lie on your back with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Slide your hand under your lower back—you will feel a natural gap between your back and the floor.

  • The Action: Using your lower abs, crush your hand by flattening your lower back completely into the floor. Your tailbone should tip slightly upward.

  • The Breathing Protocol: Take a deep breath to relax. Exhale forcefully through your mouth as you crush your back into the floor. The hard exhale naturally engages the deep core muscles required for the tilt.

  • Reps: 15 reps, holding the flattened position for 3 seconds each time.

2. Standing Cat-Cow

  • Setup: Stand in your golf posture. Place your hands flat on your thighs just above your knees for support.

  • The Action: Push into your thighs and round your entire back up toward the ceiling (tucking the pelvis under). Then, let your stomach drop toward the floor, arching your lower back.

  • The Breathing Protocol: Inhale deeply as you arch your back. Exhale completely as you round your back, pulling your belly button tight to your spine.

  • Reps: 10 slow, continuous cycles.