Pain Sucks! 

Pain, suffering in discomfort caused by illness or injury. Who the hell wants that! Especially when it can be avoided.

For golfers, especially amateur golfers, pain is the number one reason they leave the game, and back pain is the number one cause of that.

Approximately 70% of golfers are playing in pain or have played in pain! Playing in pain takes the fun out of the game.

Common Causes Of Low Back Pain In Golfers

 

In Western society, we are used to referring to the site of pain as “the problem” and subsequently treat the symptom, not the cause. Unless it is a trauma-related injury, the site of pain isn’t the problem, it’s just a symptom of dysfunction somewhere else. Let me explain. 

You see your body is made up of a series of joints. Some of those joints or segments are designed to move in more than one direction. We refer to those joints or segments as mobile joints. The joints or segments above or below are designed to only move well in one direction. Those are known as stable joints. This philosophy or concept of how the body works is known as the Joint-By-Joint approach and it’s the approach the Titleist Performance Institute has adopted when evaluating how a golfers body moves and how that relates to their swing or pain problems. We call this The Body-Swing Connection. 

 

Let’s use the low back as the example here. The low back or lumbar spine region is primarily a stable segment. The hips and the thoracic spine, the segments above and below, mobile segments. 

All golfers know that golf is a rotational sport. But what is supposed to rotate (the hips and thoracic spine) often don’t, or not well enough to prevent issues with the lower back. 

How Do We Know? 

We don’t guess, we assess. The TPI Level 1 movement screen helps me to identify if you are struggling with hip mobility and/or thoracic spine mobility. And I can tell you from 10 years of performing these screens that most of you will struggle with one or both of these. Even if you don’t have back pain, lack of mobility in these segments is effecting your golf performance. 

Strengthen Your Core​​

Not that long ago, the medical/therapy and fitness industries were focused mainly on strengthening “the core” for low back pain patients. That’s what the core is for, to prevent unwanted movement.

Renown physical therapist, Shirley Sharman states, “During most daily activities, the primary role of the abdominal muscles is to provide isometric support and limit the degree of rotation of the trunk….A large percentage of low back problems occur because the abdominal muscles are not maintaining tight control over the rotation between the pelvic and the spine at the L5-S1 level.”

So the main function of the core musculature is to limit the motion of the trunk at the lumbar spine. We definitely want a strong, functioning core that can resist unwanted movement during a dynamic rotational ballistic movement like the golf swing.

But no matter how strong your core is or how often you go to the chiropractor unless you unlock your hips and T-spine low back pain will always be a problem. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: 

If you want to swing the club pain-free you need to know what your body can and cannot do and how that is effecting your body and your game. Any physical restrictions you might have can correlate to common unwanted swing characteristics as well as injuries common to golfers. 

Once we know what works and what needs work then I can tailor a corrective exercise program for you to help you overcome pain, swing without fear and play the game you love for years to come. 

 What My Clients Are Saying

“I am a board-certified dental specialist who had suffered occupational back pain and stiffness for over 15 years. Brett has shown me how to stretch, strengthen, recognize, and head – off pain before it emerges. In short, Brett has made me pain-free! I am thrilled to be his client.”_Peter B., NYC 

 
Getting Started

For your free phone strategy session just call (917) 596-8485 or email me at info@nygolffitnessguru.com 

Let’s get you started swinging pain-free! 

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 to you in a report 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, 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 Stocksbury, 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

​​Did you ever meet a golfer who wouldn’t want to hit the ball farther if they could? 

If you’re struggling with consistency and complaining about a loss of power not being able to do this move is likely the culprit.

So what is this magic move? 

It’s called a pelvic tilt.

As you see in the above illustration the simplest way to think about the pelvic tilt is to compare your pelvis with a bucket of water. If I asked you to pour the water out of the bucket you would need to tilt the edge forward, that motion is known as an anterior tilt. That tilt increases the arch in your lower back opposite your belly button.

Now can you tilt the water back in the bucket? That movement is known as a posterior tilt. Sounds simple enough, right? Oh, I forgot to mention…you need to be able to do this WITHOUT moving or disrupting your upper body! 

Think you can do it? 

Ok, let’s try. Get into a 5 iron posture with your arms folded across your chest. Without moving your upper body tilt your pelvis forward increasing the arch in the lumbar spine. Once this move is accomplished, tilt the pelvis posteriorly or backward, removing the arch from the lower back.

Test Objective For The Pelvic Tilt Test

The Pelvic Tilt Test is for overall mobility of the hips and the lumbar spine and a player’s ability to control the position of the pelvis and stay in posture.

NOTE: Proper execution of this test will yield a forward and backward tilting of the pelvis with minimal leg/knee movement and limited upper body forward and backward movement. And the movement should be nice and smooth and easy. No jolting or vibrations while moving from one position to the other. If you can do it but there is a lot of movement in the rest of the body we call that the “shake and bake”.

No “Shake and Bake” 

 

The ability to move and control the position of the pelvis is critical for optimal power transfer from the lower body to the upper body during the golf swing.

​​Having Trouble? 

Well, statistics show most of you will. Statistics from the Titleist Performance Institute show that 65% of you will have some difficulty with some or all parts of this movement pattern as opposed to 38% of PGA players.  If you struggle with this movement pattern then this is your first Body-Swing connection (how your body movement can affect your golf swing). In other words, is your golf swing the way it is because of the way your body is moving. Are you struggling with a particular shot or part of your game because of how your body is moving?

Signs of Trouble

• Your starting posture already has your pelvis tilted too far forward. We call that ‘S’ Posture at address and it looks like this. Setting up wtih ‘S’ posture brings your weight forward, onto the toes and your toes are like the brakes of a car, your heels the accelerator, so you are starting your swing with the parking brake in the ON position! 

What causes this forward tilt of the pelvis? Well anatomically, tight hip flexors. Practically, being in the seated position most of your life.  

Look familiar? The average amount of hours my clients spend seated (at work) is 10! That doesn’t include your commute, sitting at the breakfast and dinner table, and being in the fetal position while you sleep. So you are spending most of your life with your hips flexed. That makes them tight and weak. But more importantly, it makes your glutes and abs (the King and Queen of the golf swing) long and weak.

‘S’ posture is also a common cause of Low Back Pain in golfers and Low Back Pain is the #1 reason golfers leave the game!  

Other Signs Of Trouble 

• You can’t move your pelvis at all. This is very common amongst my older clients. They see me doing it and when they try to do nothing happens. The pelvis is locked.
• You can tilt forward but struggle tilting backwards. 
• When you try to move your pelvis you just stand up.
• You can do it, but your body vibrates or shakes while making the move. 

All of these are signs of weak glutes and a weak core. 

Do I Really Need To Be Able To Do That? 

Unequivocally, YES! But only if you want more power and consistency in your swing. 

So all of the best players in the world do this, it’s just that it’s happening so fast you don’t see it. A better golfer will address the ball with a forward tilt of the pelvis and a straight spine. That spine resembles the letter ‘I’, I for IDEAL.

 

As that player goes into the top of the backswing that curve will increase (or extend). Now, here is where the magic move happens. In the time it takes to get from the top of the backswing to impact the lumbar spine goes from the extended position (anterior tilt) to the (posterior tilt) position (tail bone tucked under) or flattening of the lower back. It’s just hard to see that because it’s happening at such a high speed.

What muscles are responsible for creating that posterior tilt? You guessed it! The King and the Queen, the glutes, and the abs. 

How Does This Effect My Power And Consistency?  

Well, let’s think of this. Imagine your legs are the prongs of an electrical plug and your torso (aka ‘the core’) is the outlet itself. As you go into the posterior tilt you are connecting the legs into the trunk. This connection is what transfers energy generated from pushing into the ground with your feet to the lead shoulder, arm, club, and finally the ball. If you cannot create or control this pelvis motion you are likely going to moves your hips towards the golf ball too early in the downswing sequence. This move is known as early extension because the hips extend (or straight up) too soon in the swing and disconnects the legs from the torso.

No connection, no power. 

Additionally, when the hips move forward too soon there is a dramatic loss of your body angles with effects your path and plane. The hips tend to get in the way of where the hands should be and this typically results in an upper-body dominant swing pattern and a loss of power and consistency.

Golfing Is Like Jumping

Yes, golfing is a controlled jump with a turn! If you think of any ground based rotational athletes: a tennis serve, a volleyball serve and slam, a basetball dunk, and so on, the athlete drops down towards the ground in order to use the elastic energy to go back up. If you look at the athlete above you can see in the position second from the right there is a little curve in his low back but that curve reverses itself while he’s still in the air. That is the transition from anterior to posterior tilt and it’s what’s responsible for generating energy from the ground up. 

Watch the clip below as legendary Long Drive Champion, Jason Zuback demonstrates how to create a powerful golf swing. 

​​Brett’s Bottom Line: 

Being able to create and control the pelvic tilt motion is critical to more power and consistency in your swing. Movement patterns or motor patterns are built around physical limitations. Physical limitations don’t magically fix themselves. Not even the newest, most expensive driver can help you move your pelvis like Elvis.

If you want to do that, you need to fix it in the gym (or at home) with an exercise strategy designed specifically for that purpose.

Put that dumbbell down dude. That’s not gonna help your golf game! 

What’s Next? Would You Like Some Help With That? 

This is how we can work together if you want more help. Yes, I’m serious about taking action and want to ‘get clear’ on a strategy and game plan by talking to the coach. Call (917) 596-8485 or email me at: info@nygolffitnessguru.com.

We will set up a complimentary :45 minute strategy session phone call and go over what you need and if we make a good fit for one another. If we do then we move onto scheduling your physical screen and see what your boyd is physically capable of so that when you are working on your golf swing you don’t try to make changes that you just won’t be able to do. Working on something that can’t happen is very frustrating and takes the fun out of the game.  

“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!” 

I get it! 2020 has been weird and complicated, to say the least! 

First, it was COVID-19. Then the George Floyd protests and looting that followed. NYC, what was considered one of the safest big cities in America, became a battleground, seemingly overnight. 

Don’t Let Your Health And Fitness Take A Holiday

Gyms in NYC have been closed down in NYC since the onset of the pandemic. The last day I was in a gym was on Friday, March 13th. (yes, Friday the 13th). In case you didn’t know, the gym I use for clients that don’t have a gym in their residential building is Velocity Sports Performance located at 133 E. 58th St. on the 6th Floor. 

On August 17th, NYS Governor Cuomo made an announcement that gyms would be allowed to reopen on August 24th, but at only 33% capacity. 

But wait, there’s more….later that same day New York City Mayor, Bill de Blasio said…

“Based on the reality in New York City, we won’t start before Sept. 2,” he said. “The priority, especially given the proximity to Sept. 2 to Sept. 10, priority is going to be on the inspections we need to do for child care centers and schools. We are going to work through how to balance that.”__de Blasio 

Are You Not Entertained? 

While our local politicians battle it out, don’t put your health and fitness on holiday! 

As I stated in an article I wrote back in March, the healthier you are the less likely you will become infected with something that can make you sick. Your health is your job. You can’t outsource it to anyone else. While there are certain precautions we can and should be taken to avoid contracting the Coronavirus or any virus for that matter, the best way is to stay as healthy as possible.

Remote Training Program

While gyms remain closed, and even after they are open training from home is your best option. It’s safe, it’s healthy and it’s efficient. Several of my most dedicated clients have been training from the safety and comfort of their homes since April. One of them winning his club championship in the senior division and another winning his club championship in the partners’ division. 

You are either getting stronger or you’re getting weaker. We never stay the same! 

“Brett is a great golf fitness coach and has made a positive impact on my game. Through improved flexibility, core strength, and proper sequences, my golf game has made quantum leaps.  Most importantly, during this time  of Shelter-in-Place, having Brett available for coaching via FaceTime is invaluable.”__Tom H., NYC ​

I Have A Question For You…

As of the writing of this article, 8-23-20, I have not heard from the owners of Velocity Sports Performance as to if or when they will reopen. As mentioned earlier in this article, the governor stated they can open on 8-24-20 and should not be mandated closed any later than 9-2-20. Reality check. I don’t know if that location will ever open again. I hope so! So if you want Longer Drives, Lower Scores & Fewer Injuries. Don’t delay, start today.