Golf Shoes for Ankle Inversion and Limited Hip Mobility

[bakere]

As I am learning and developing as a right handed golfer I am starting to use my left hip more and correctly (clearing out to the left, maintaining the tush line etc). However, from my younger years as a basketball player and track sprinter I have poor left hip internal/external rotation and a subconscious fear of ankle rolls. The combo of these two problems has hampered me from moving my left hip correctly/enough. 

 

I found that when I practice on mats with minimalist tennis shoes I hit better positions in the swing. I noticed that I am using left ankle inversion to borrow range of motion from my left hip. However, this only works with short irons and wedges, because as soon as I add speed my right foot slips out from under me.

 

When I get on hard ground (Ohio clay here) in my current golf shoes (Nike Roshe G Tour spiked), I do not/will not invert my ankle, I am guessing because of the shoe design and the amount of inversion it would take to get rolled to the position my body is looking for.

 

Long term my goal is to increase left/lead hip mobility, but as an immediate workaround I'd like to see if there are any shoes that might assist me.

 

Any recommendations for golf shoes that:

-Are spiked

-Flexible sole

-Low to the ground, or roll to the outsides easily.

 

Thanks for you input.

[MattM97]

FJ HyperFlex? 

[st1800e]

Not spiked , but I’ve found ECCO Biom H4 to be very stable.  They are spikeless, but have excellent stability particularly in the side to side motion.   I’m sensitive to what you describe, multiple ankle sprains, and undiagnosed left ankle broken in basketball in my teens which hampers me 50 years later. 

[bakere]

8 hours ago, MattM97 said:

FJ HyperFlex? 

Those look promising, do you know if there is a big difference between generations? It looks like last years are on big discount right now. The current model is very expensive but cosmetically looks better.

[bakere]

8 hours ago, st1800e said:

Not spiked , but I’ve found ECCO Biom H4 to be very stable.  They are spikeless, but have excellent stability particularly in the side to side motion.   I’m sensitive to what you describe, multiple ankle sprains, and undiagnosed left ankle broken in basketball in my teens which hampers me 50 years later. 

Thanks for the reply, do you roll your left ankle as you swing? That's what I am currently doing in my minimalist tennis shoes when I practice on mats and it does not hurt or send scary alert signals to my brain. My swings hit positions I am looking for when I am rolling the ankle. However in my spiked shoes on the course they are much wider and stable to it is harder to roll my ankle, so my brain sends the signal "do not do that", so I never really open/rotate my left hip due to lack of flexibility.

 

So paradoxically I want a shoe that almost encourages or at least doesn't discourage ankle rolling

[st1800e]

18 minutes ago, bakere said:

Thanks for the reply, do you roll your left ankle as you swing? That's what I am currently doing in my minimalist tennis shoes when I practice on mats and it does not hurt or send scary alert signals to my brain. My swings hit positions I am looking for when I am rolling the ankle. However in my spiked shoes on the course they are much wider and stable to it is harder to roll my ankle, so my brain sends the signal "do not do that", so I never really open/rotate my left hip due to lack of flexibility.

 

So paradoxically I want a shoe that almost encourages or at least doesn't discourage ankle rolling

Hi, I misread your first post, and your subconscious fear of rolling ankle.  
I like the Ecco shoe because it discourages a sway and forces me to focus on  proper shoulder and hip turn.

As you mention gaining hip range of motion will help, and I’m familiar with that quest. 

[MattM97]

31 minutes ago, bakere said:

Those look promising, do you know if there is a big difference between generations? It looks like last years are on big discount right now. The current model is very expensive but cosmetically looks better.

 

Should be similar enough they won't drastically change a model. 

 

I mean Byrson uses these and he's got a very aggressive foot roll at the end. 

[bakere]

Good point about Bryson, I should probably check out what Spieth wears too, he is the king of rolling that ankle. Thanks.

[st1800e]

2 minutes ago, bakere said:

Good point about Bryson, I should probably check out what Spieth wears too, he is the king of rolling that ankle. Thanks.

Scheffler as well.  

[MattM97]

4 hours ago, bakere said:

Good point about Bryson, I should probably check out what Spieth wears too, he is the king of rolling that ankle. Thanks.

 

Speech wears UA the UAs are pretty sturdy from what I remember in store and Scotty wears Nike I think same as yours.

[bakere]

Thanks for the insight, I usually just buy online without trying things on because the price is better, so your UA commentary probably saved me some return shipping!