The 4 moves to save your neck (and back!) out on the course

The reality of being an avid golfer is, without countermeasures, we are physically doomed. The body just isn't engineered to perform the biomechanics required to swing a golf club effectively without inviting excessive wear and tear to its joints and soft tissue.

Not to depress you even further, activities of daily life such as working in front of a computer and staring into a mobile phone only exacerbate issues in one area of the body already stressed by playing golf—the neck.

Tim Neumann of Par 5 Peformance in Cleveland, a Golf Digest Certified Fitness Trainer and one of the very best in America, says it's a common hot spot for golfers because of limitations brought on by ADLs.

"Range of motion can be restricted due to a number of issues such as arthritis or muscular/fascial restrictions," he says. "We see these more often because of desk posture and phones. When your neck is forward, the muscles near the front can become tight and locked. Additionally, scapula are often out of position (anteriorly tilted) with desk posture, which can cause the upper traps (back muscles) to become tight.

"And playing golf with a tight neck can limit your turn and impact your ability to stay in posture, among other negative side effects."

With all that bad news out of the way, here comes some good news from Neumann: He will demonstrate and explain four mobilization techniques that address various tight spots in your neck. You're going to need some type of soft balls for these moves. Neumann is using therapy balls from Tune Up Fitness in these photos.

"Please be aware when performing these techniques to exercise caution," he says. "With neck musculature, do not be aggressive. Rather, work around a 1 or 2 (soft) out of 10 (firm) in terms of pressure" against the neck.

Sternocleidomastoid

To locate your sternocleidomastoid, simply rotate your head to the side and the muscle will become visible and pop up as you rotate (below).

TREATMENT: Take a massage ball and gently pin it between the muscle (closer to the clavicle) and a door frame. Simply look up and away with the ball, lightly repeating this move for 30 seconds.

Scalenes

The scalenes are found next to your sternocleidomastoid. To pinpoint them, simply rotate your head to the side, locate the SCM and move laterally and toward the back of your neck.

TREATMENT: Take a massage ball and gently pin it between the muscle (closer to the clavicle) and a door frame. Look away from the side being pinned because the scalenes help move the neck laterally. As you look away, exhale to enhance the stretch. Do this for 30 seconds.

Suboccipitals

These four muscles are located at the base of the skull on the back side of the neck.

TREATMENT: For this traction technique, use two massage balls bundled together in a tote or similar (like two tennis balls stuck together). Start by lying on the ground and place the balls at the base of your neck. Nod your head so your chin is angled down and compress into the balls gently for up to 10 breaths. After completing the breaths, you can gently nod your head "yes" and then rotate your head "no" for two different ways to work on the muscles.

Upper trapezius

The upper traps are on the top of your shoulders from the base of the neck to the end of your collarbones.

TREATMENT: Hinge at your hips and pin a massage ball between your upper traps and a door frame. Move your head up and away (think, chin up) for 30 to 60 seconds.

If you incorporate these moves into your weekly workout routine, perhaps doing them at least twice a week, you should start to feel the tightness in the upper back and neck lessen, Neumann says.

If you're interested in learning more about Golf Digest's Certified Fitness Trainer program, click on this link.