What an amazing year of golf 2015 shaped up to be! We witnessed Jordan Speith churn out 2 major championships, a world number one ranking, and a cool $22 million paycheck at the year’s last tournament. We all cheered for an Aussie’s brief stay at number one and PGA Championship winner, Jason Day, and a photo finish in South Korea where the US won the President’s Cup. All in all an unbelievable and fun year of golf it was.
Now with the off season in full effect, players are grabbing some much needed rest and recovery. Shortly followed by hours of more practice with their coaches on swing, fitness and health, and mental preparedness. Their team of coaches, medical staff, and fitness trainers will work together to prepare their pro to be in tip top shape come the start of next season.
What makes you, the fan, any different than these pros, in respect to their golf game? The answer is nothing. The love for the game and joy that comes with walking the course is the same for pros and us regular folks alike. When you head to your local club, you may have a coach or golf pro helping your game and/or swing mechanics. Outside of the course, you may have a trainer or workout routine you follow to improve power and driving distance. But do you have medical support to rely on when injuries occur?
Here at Premiere Spine and Sport, we have two certified TPI Medical providers ready to help you recover and/or prevent injuries.
Earlier this summer, Dr. Brink and I travelled to St. Louis and Long Beach to learn new skills to help golfers of all levels improve performance, recover from injuries and prevent future injuries. In St Louis, we learned the biomechanics of a swing pattern as well as how to maximally utilize the human body during the golf swing with Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization (DNS). DNS is a simple concept and methodology that allows the body to regain its original neurological functions, as seen in babies. The specific movements that newborns engage in so effortlessly, can be found within a golf swing. By following a stability/mobility model, we can help you reestablish those neurological functions that will allow you to perform those movements with greater ease.
In Long Beach, we were instructed by world renowned strength and conditioning coaches, and golf pro instructors at Titleist Performance Institute (TPI). TPI is a world recognized institute that works with pro golfers all around the world to help capture data to improve their game and prevent injuries. At TPI, we learned new movement assessments and screens that will allow us to identify potential injuries specific to different types of golf swings and faults.
Unlike the pros, most of us sit all day at our regular day jobs and then think we can go out and play like a pro. Unfortunately, extended sitting often results in our hip flexors and back muscles becoming over active, while our gluts and core muscles get shut off. This is a recipe for poor mechanics and increases the chance of injuries. We can provide the correct guidance on getting these areas working and, in conjunction with your golf coach, we as a team can help you become a better golfer.
Act like a pro, play like a pro, be treated by a pro. Surround yourself with an amazing and supportive team to help you get to the next level. That means having your golf coach, fitness trainer and medical staff at your finger tips to help you continue to play year-round golf at a high level.
What are you waiting for? Get assessed now for a better round of golf tomorrow, or to recover from an injury that’s preventing you from enjoying the great game of golf.
