About your golf game… it’s not where you’d like it to be.
Playing golf is hard! And it’s even harder when your own body gets in the way!
Most amateur golfers are men over 40 who are starting to feel the effects of aging and have many more physical limitations than their younger counterparts. One of them is the loss of flexibility (tissue elasticity) which directly affects the mobility of joints. Loss of flexibility and mobility will alter how your body moves. That altered movement will cause you to lose posture either in the backswing or the downswing which results in a loss of power and consistency.
The flight and destination of the golf ball are dependent on the following five factors:
1. Clubface alignment
2. Swing path
3. The angle of attack at impact
4. Sweet spot
5. Clubhead speed
Not having adequate flexibility, mobility, and stability will affect all of the above five factors.
“The average amateur golfer is not physically capable of performing the required body movements that are involved in a mechanically correct golf swing.” __Michael Boyle, TPI Advisor
Your Body – Your Swing – The Connection
The most common complaint I get from golfers is that they want more power and more consistency. What golfer wouldn’t? They also inherently know that they need more flexibility and core strength in order to achieve those goals. In other words, what they are saying is; “their body doesn’t work the way it needs to – to play golf the way they want to.”
Let’s assume you know what to do to create a powerful and consistent golf swing. Being able to do it, or execute the movements you desire will be completely dependent on your physical capacity to perform those movements and coordinate them into one smooth dynamic action.
Well, which is it? Is it your technique or your body?
We don’t guess, we assess. This is where I come in. As a Golf Performance Specialist, I have dedicated the last 10 years of my life to learning, administering, and interpreting the TPI Level 1 Fitness Screen which is designed to do exactly that. Look at how your body moves and how that relates to your golf swing and or current injury complaints.
What Are Your Options?
So let’s just say you get a screen and I determine that you struggle with certain movement patterns. I will then identify you in a report on how those movement patterns may be affecting your golf swing. That’s the body-swing connection. I won’t know for certain unless it is confirmed by your golf swing coach OR video of your swing.
What Next? This leaves you with three options:
1) Do nothing and continue to complain that your game isn’t what you’d like it to be.
2) Modify your swing. Find a golf coach who understands your physical limitations and knows how to teach around them (not treat you like a tour pro and try to have you move like one which is analogous to trying to put a square peg into a round hole) It doesn’t fit!
The downside of this is that the longer and more frequently you play with that limitation, the more likely you develop a physical injury. It always starts like this: irritation, inflammation, pain, injury, and surgery. NOTE: By the time you reach the inflammation stage you are already doing damage to the soft tissue around that joint or segment. Injury is the number one reason golfers stop playing golf and leave the game.
3) Eliminate the restriction. Yes, this is where the real work begins. It’s called EXERCISE. There’s no way around it. You cannot change how you move by being treated by a therapist while lying on a table. It would be nice if it worked that way, but it doesn’t. You have to change how your body moves, and that requires work and time. You do that by following a carefully designed exercise program that conditions the golfer specifically for the sport of golf. Then you will need someone to show you how to use your body AFTER the physical restrictions have been removed. Remove it, the groove it. This is the best time for lessons!
This will restore your power, improve your consistency, and greatly reduce your risk of injury.
“There’s a minimal amount of fitness that has to be involved so you can stop worrying about that piece and can put your thought and mind on what you need to be worrying about, specifically in the short game.” _Brandon Stoocksbury, 2016 Top 50 Growth Of The Game Teaching Professional
Brett’s Bottom Line:
If you are struggling with power and consistency then that’s another way of saying your swing isn’t efficient. An efficient swing means you can repeat it, you can control it and can maximize your power with the least amount of effort. If you can’t, your body is holding you back!
“When your body doesn’t work the way it needs to – to play golf the way you want to, come see the Guru. I can help you Play Golf Better!”
If you want to change the way you play you are going to need to change the way you move. I can help! To find out how to book your FREE 45-minute strategy session by calling (917) 596-8485 or email me at info@nygolffitnessguru.com
