Yes, the 2021 Golf Season Is Just 6 Months Away!

Yes, you read that correctly. The 2020 season is over for those of you who live in the northeast or the midwest. How will next season be different for you?

Will it be different at all? 

Do you have a plan to make it different? 

Shiny Object Syndrome

Far too often amateur golfers look to the latest equipment to help them improve their golf game. The newest driver on the market, a gadget that measures club-head speed, golf Apps, 3D swing analyzers, swing sensor gloves, GPS watches, and so on. 

Don’t get me wrong-a set of properly fitted clubs can go a long way in helping you play golf better! No doubt! BUT, you, the golfer still have to swing the club and hit the ball with the center of the clubface for all that technology to do its magic. 

The Magic Pill 

While great clubs and technology can play an important in improving the performance of any athlete, it’s not the magic pill amateur golfers are looking for. Amateur golfers already own the most important piece of equipment they could ever have. Their own bodies. 

I learned a saying from Paul Chek, author of The Golf Biomechanic’s Manual. “Give Wayne Gretzky a broomstick and he’s still going to score a goal on you.”  In other words, it’s that athlete that makes the equipment look good, not the other way around.

“Once you exhaust ball and club technology you are left with you.  It’s your body that’s in controls where the ball goes. Your game will be either enhanced or limited by your physical abilities.” __Brett Cohen, Founder, NY Golf Fitness Guru

Tell me if this sounds familiar to you?

• You are losing distance off the tee with every passing year. 
• You experience back, elbow, or shoulder pain. 
• It takes you longer to recover between rounds and that affects the frequency in which you are able to play. 
• You’re concerned that your body won’t last as long as your desire to play the game. 
• Your golf pro tells you you are a little “too handsy” with your swing.

These are the kinds of things I hear from the golfers I work with all the time. These are just symptoms of a body that is not working efficiently. 

What If? 

• You could swing without aches and pains? 
• Drive the ball further than your buddies? 
• Play more often and for more years? 
• Be more consistent off the tee? 

What would that be worth to you?

For the golfer who wants next Spring to be different, you are going to have to make this Winter different.

Golf is an evolving sport. Yes, I said sport. It’s not just a game anymore. If you follow the PGA/LPGA Tour, it’s clear that fitness is playing a huge role in the success of the golfers out there. You have players like Bryson DeChambeau beefing up and bombing it off the tee as well as the 50-year-old Phil Mickelson recording higher swing speeds now than he did as far back as 2016! 

What’s Their Secret? 

It’s not a secret. It’s called fitness! These players are spending more time on their bodies as they are on their game to stay injury-free, play 10 months a year, and stay competitive with the rest of the field.

Just looking like you’re in shape isn’t going to help your golf game and just playing golf isn’t going to improve your fitness to the point where you will see differences in your game. You need to do both.

 Golf fitness isn’t a fad, it’s a movement that will only become more relevant and integrated in the future.

Where Do We Start?

If you were to Google golf fitness it will lead you to a path of confusion. There’s no shortage of information out there for you to sift through. Instagram and YouTube videos are plentiful. And then there are the quote, unquote “golf fitness exercises” in your favorite golf magazine. But how do you know what YOU should do to help YOU play golf better? You don’t! That’s the problem. 

First off you need to know where you want to go. What do you want out of your body and your game? There’s an old saying, “If you don’t know where you want to go, any road will take you there.” So first things first. What are your goals? 

Next, we need to know what are your needs? In other words, what can your body do and what can’t it do in relation to what it needs to do to perform a mechanically correct golf swing? We learn this by performing a screen. This is the foundation of your golf fitness program.

Everything starts with an assessment. The screen tells us what to prioritize in your program so you get to your desired outcome in the shortest amount of time. The screen allows me to create a customized exercise program for your goals and your needs to accelerate your results.

I devise the plan, all you have to do is follow it and do the work. Yes, you will have to work for the results you want. Sorry, no magic pill I’m afraid. 

The lower your score on the screen the bigger the window of opportunity is for them to improve the body and their game.

What Makes Me Different? 

Unlike many other TPI certified trainers, whether here in NYC or online, I ONLY work with golfers like you. I have never worked with a professional golfer. I work with average golfers, all-male, most around my age (59 as I write this article), so I understand first hand what it feels like to wake up in an aging body. And I’ve been working with this population for more than two decades! 

 
Let’s face it. You’re not going out on the PGA tour and you’re not going to get to play in The Masters. You want an exercise program that not only allows you to play golf better but helps you do everything else better as well, and this program does just that. 

 
What Others Are Saying: 

 
“I am a high handicap golfer in my mid 60’s who needed someone to help me learn to perform the requisite physical movements required to hit the golf ball further (and still stay on the fairway). I have had a number of trainers and golf instructors over the years; Brett is by far the best in helping me achieve my potential.” _ Al Hurley, NYC 

 
“I just wanted to let you know I had my best round ever today. I played a match in a season-long tournament and the guy I was playing also had a rood round. I shot a 70, 1 under par. Not bad for someone that scored poorly on the TPI screen. One of the guys was asking if I’ve been taking lessons, and I said not really, but that my golf fitness guy had me doing exercises that fixed my sequencing and that made a huge difference in my game. Thank you”!__David Shaw, NYC 

 
Brett’s Bottom Line: 

 
If you make it this far into the article are way ahead of 90% of the other golfers out there. You did a Google search to look for help. You know that your body is not letting you do the things you want to do with the golf club and you need help. You just don’t know where to start.  Maybe you are already exercising on your own or with a “regular” trainer but just not seeing the results carry over to your game. I get it! It’s not enough to just exercise. You needed intelligent and targeted exercise to get incredible results and that’s what I do. My job is to help you figure out what it is you need to play your best golf so you don’t have to!

Who Is This Program For? 

You’re the kind of golfer who understands what it takes to get your game to the next level. You’re committed, hard-working, and you’re addicted to golf. If this sounds like you we are going to get along very well, very well indeed!   

When it comes to improving your golf game, your first stop is always your body. A body that is flexible, strong, balanced… and able to generate power on demand. Once you change the way you move you have the potential to change the way you play. It’s the only way to get to the next level. 

If you are committed to playing great golf at the beginning of next season, not the end, then give me a call, and let’s get you started on the journey to feeling better, moving better, and playing golf better in 2021.

“This review is long overdue. I have had a great experience working with the NY Golf Fitness Guru for over two years. The commitment to his workout programs and training, his in-depth expertise in golf fitness, his vast knowledge in physiology, biomechanics, nutrition, and ever-expanding certifications have lowered my handicap in half, prevented injuries, and has facilitated competing and winning my club championship and two other medals play events. As a physician, I recommend him highly to anyone seeking a dedicated, highly trained knowledgeable personal trainer that wants to move better without pain and stay healthy.”__Dr. Howard Zaiff 

Request A Consultation: You deserve to Play Golf Better! Let’s talk (917) 596-8485

Captain Kirk is clearly a golfer!

Have you ever heard a golfer say they want shorter drives? Of course not! Power gives you the ability to hit the golf ball far.

   Every golfer wants it! No golfer doesn’t want it.

Bomb The Balls Past Your Buddies

"My longest drive used to be 240 yards with an average of 225. I’m averaging 245 now and have hit several 270 yarders and one 280! Gonna be a fun season." Thanks, Brett! __Ken, NYC 

If you sprint, throw, and jump you can convert that speed to your golf swing. If you don’t have these qualities you cannot express them in your swing, no matter how good your coach is.

Taking My Golfers To The Next Level – TPI Power 2

I’ll do anything I can to help my golfers achieve longer drives, so I have decided to sign up for TPI Power Level 2. The Power Level 2 course included over 5 hours of online tutorials, a 7.5-hour live workshop held on November 21, 2020, and a golden ticket to the mother ship in Oceanside, CA when this COVID CRISIS is over! 

Hosted by TPI Co-Founders Dr. Greg Rose and Dave Phillips as well as TPI Advisory Board members Jason Zuback (5x World Long Drive Champion) and Liam Mucklow (founder, The Golf Lab), TPI’s Power 2 Certification webinar is dedicated to the art of increasing swing speed and covers all aspects of hitting the ball further including:

• The Science Of Power – Motor unit recruitment, muscle fiber types, the potentiation effect, and the physics of projectiles.
• Clinical Observations – The Big Break Theory, Overspeed Training, Overload Training, The Rules of 4, and Muscular Loading principles.
• Power Matrix – Learn the four main power sources: Vertical Thrust, Rotary Power, Chop Power, and Wrist Release Power. Then incorporate all four of these sources into TPI’s 4X4 Power Matrix, a simple system to help design effective power development training programs.
• Power Swing Techniques – Swing modifications that can be used to generate more clubhead speed.
• Screening For Power – Learn the TPI power screen, the first step in determining potential physical limitations with you or your client.
• Loading The Links – Identify problems in the kinetic chain and how to address these issues with simple coordination drills.
• Club Fitting For Power – Learn the latest findings in club fitting considerations.

 Here’s to a 2021 season filled with Longer Drives & Lower Scores! Brett The Golf Guy

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. 

"Golfers are athletes, and like other athletes, they require a well- designed conditioning program in order to excel in their chosen sport." – Paul Chek, author of The Golf Biomechanics Manual 

"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…

If you love to golf, but your back hurts when you swing a club, know that you are not alone. The movements needed to effectively swing a golf club can put pressure on the low back. Studies show that low back pain is the most common ailment from golfers of all ages. Low back pain appears to come from the asymmetrical nature of the swing, as well as from overuse from people who golf regularly. 

Some low back pain comes from flaws in swings, especially when people do not have strong core muscles or endurance. With limited internal hip rotation, the low back suffers from having to compensate. Some people experience back pain while carrying their clubs over one shoulder. 

As golfers prefer to be on the links rather than at their local chiropractor’s office, asking them to sit out is not an option. Although back pain from golfing is a good reason to visit a chiropractor, especially since they can help golfers understand how to prevent back pain. Fortunately, there are many methods that can help. They include adjusting mechanics, reducing the duration of playing or practicing, wearing different shoes, and using a cart rather than carrying the clubs. If you cannot find relief in any of these tips, it might be best to take a break from the game and let your back recover. 

1. Warm-Up Before Every Game

One of the most important tips for preventing low back pain is to warm up. You should never just start playing. The swinging motion is enough to cause pain in the low back, but if you warm up you should be able to avoid issues. You can  stretch at home if the course is nearby, or you can do your warm-up when you arrive. 

It is important to stretch the areas of the body that get the most use while playing. This includes the shoulders, torso, core, hips, and hamstrings. There are several reclined hip and hamstring stretches you can do at home before you leave, including laying down and hugging the knees to your chest. You can bring one knee at a time, then both. 

You can also do reclined twists while laying on your back at home. Gently bend the knees toward your chest, then drop them to one side. Look away from your knees. To increase the stretch, use your hands to push the knees closer to the ground. 

When you get to the course, you can stretch your shoulders. Hold a golf club in both hands behind your back and lift. You can add a twist, too. You can also hold the club over your head and try to lower the club behind your head. Do not do toe touches if you have low back pain. But you could do a balancing knee lift if you do not have time to stretch at home. 

Once you’ve stretched a bit, the next step in your warm-up should start swinging a golf club gently. Some golfers warm up by going to the driving range, increasing the size of their swing as they warm up. Start with the lightest clubs, then progress to the woods. 

2. Get Your Swing Under Control

Many golfers have flaws in their swings, which can cause and eventually exacerbate low back pain. Instead of trying to fix your swing on your own, get to a pro, and have your swing evaluated. Research shows that the biomechanics of your swing can affect your body, and pro shops often have the tools that are needed to evaluate where problems exist. 

If your swing has kinks in it, your low back and hips can begin to hurt. The moment of impact can be painful. You would be surprised how quickly your pain disappears when your biomechanics are working the way they should. A pro can tell you if you are slouching, twisting too much, not following through, or doing something else that puts unnecessary pressure on your low back. 

3. Carry Your Bag on Both Sides 

If you must carry your bag, you must switch sides after each hole. Golfers often have a preferred side, and when they never alternate sides, back pain of all types can occur. When you make a concerted effort to carry your bag on both sides, you create balance in your body and reduce the chances of experiencing pain on the links.

Walking the links is good for the body. But you can also avoid back pain by driving a cart. If you must stand while holding your golf bag, be sure that you stand with good posture so you have even pressure on your feet. You can also find relief if you use a backpack style golf bag so you can spread out the weight of the clubs. 

3. Swing On Both Sides

Part of the problem with low back pain and golf swings is that most people only swing from one side. While you might not want to start swinging from your weak side right away, you can start to practice swinging from both sides at a driving range. 

 When you swing from both sides, you add balance to your body. It helps relieve the pain in your low back that can happen from overuse on the dominant side, especially if you are using your low back to compensate for weaknesses in the core and hips. You can also add swings on the other side when you are warming up. 

 4. Pay Attention to Your Posture

When you are standing waiting for your friends, pay close attention to your posture. Are you standing evenly on both feet? Are you slouching? Are you using your golf club as a crutch? The way you stand between your swings can affect your low back pain. Stand with your spine straight, your shoulders back, and your weight distributed between your feet. When you are out on the links, avoid using your phone so you do not put added pressure on your neck, too. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: 

This blog was written by Dr. Brent Wells (see his bio below). Back pain is the number one reason golfers leave the game of golf. And the job of medical professionals like Dr. Wells and fitness professional like myself is to give golfers the strategies and tools they need to keep them healthy and playing the game they enjoy. Follow these tips and you WILL be playing golf better!

Brett 

About Dr. Wells

Dr. Brent Wells founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab in 1998. He is currently leading 10,000 Alaskans to more active and pain-free lifestyles without drugs or invasive surgeries. He brings a progressive and highly innovative approach to chiropractic care in Anchorage. Dr. Wells continues to further his education with ongoing studies in spine conditions, neurology, physical rehabilitation, biomechanics, occupational ergonomics, whiplash, and brain injury traumatology. He is also a member of the American Chiropractic Association and the American Academy of Spine Physicians.

​​​​WARNING! Don’t read this article unless you want to Play Golf Better! 

I see you’re still here…. Good! Let’s continue.

If you do want to Play Golf Better you’ve come to the right place.

Who Are You? 

Well if you are like the rest of the golfers I work with you are male, between the ages of 30 and 75, you can’t think about anything but golf, you want to improve your performance on the course, you want to play the game whenever you want, and for as long as you want without getting injured. 

Maybe over the years, you’ve accumulated some injuries or you’re experiencing some aches and pain that are effecting your game and your life. Maybe you’ve gotten massages or have seen a physical therapist or chiropractor, but still feel out of balance and not quite performing the way you think you should. Your game frustrates you because you know there’s more inside of you but you just can’t seem to get it out.  

You’re not alone. Guess what. All of my clients came to me with the same set of frustrations.

This is what David W. (at age 29 said in his health history questionnaire on April 17, 2019)

Complaints:

• I feel stiff and blocked in my body, my movement are restricted. 100%
• I fee back pain. 

Goals:

• If you could change one thing about your golf game what would it be? HIT IT STRAIGHTER
• Lower my handicap (Current handicap – 4) – 2019

I trained David from April through July 2019 and then he had to stop because he was getting married in September and just had too much going on. It wasn’t until March this year that I heard from him again. Safe and sound and living with his parents in Florida during the initial stages of the Coronavirus Pandemic, David started his training again with me online. Yes, online using FaceTime.  He and II have continued to meet online once a week since April. 

So what happened to David’s game? 

David is now a scratch golfer, has no back pain, and drives the ball 300 yards off the tee regularly at just a 145lbs. Don’t believe me! Read it for yourself.

Imagine yourself a year from now.  How does your body feel each day? What is your fitness like? How is it different from where it is now? What’s the impact this improved fitness has on your golf game and in other areas of your life? Is the kind of success David had even possible for a guy like me? 

Well, I can’t guarantee the same successes for everyone. So much of it depends on where you are starting at, what your goals are, and how much time and effort are you willing to put into achieving your goals? 

My Big Promise

What I can promise is to teach you how to take control of your health and your fitness. Bust up some myths and really try to reshape the way you think about fitness and what it takes to get your body in shape to play golf better.

How? 

It comes down to this simple three-step formula. 

Step 1: Analyze Your Body

The very first thing I do is look at how your body moves and how that may be contributing to your aches and pains as well as how it is effecting your golf game.  

Step 2: Mobilize Your Body

In order to get you playing better, I have to get you moving better. This is where the real work is. We have to "ungunk" years of knotted up tissue in your body, stretch it, and begin to balance it out. 

Step 3: Recondition Your Body

The final step is the key to better golf. In order to use flexibility, mobility, core strength, you have to learn to move differently. It’s analogous to uploading new a new software program on your computer so the hardware can work more efficiently.

Brett’s Bottom Line:

• You now have a choice. You can get help from an industry expert like myself with a proven system for success. OR
• You stay in the same cycle of frustration. 

I’m offering a free 30-45 minute golf fitness consultation call. In this call, we will get an insight to what’s going on with your body, your game, your goals, and what the next steps should be. If we are a good fit, we move onto the next step. And if for some reason we’re not at least you’ll have a better idea of what it is you’ll need to do to reach your goals in the future. All you have to do it email me for an appointment or call (9170 596-8485

 Does It Work?

"Since I started working with Brett, I’ve seen my clubhead speed increased by almost 10 mph, and now I consistently average over 100mph on every swing. My longest drive used to be 240 yards with an average of 225. I’m averaging 245 now and have hit several 270 yarders and one 280! Gonna be a fun season." _ Thanks, Brett! _ Ken D. 

Philip Alfred Mickelson, arguably one of the best golfers of all time, will turn 50 on June 16th, 2020. Mickelson has won 44 events on the PGA Tour, including five major championships: three Masters titles (2004, 2006, 2010), a PGA Championship (2005),^, and an Open Championship (2013).

Mickelson is one of 12 players in the history of golf to win three of the four majors. He has won every major except the U.S. Open, where he has finished runner-up a record six times.

Mickelson has spent over 25 consecutive years in the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. He was inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in 2012.

In this recent candid interview with Ed Mylett, Mickelson reveals his secret formula that YOU  will need if you want to be able to pull away from the masses, sharpen your skills and your mental preparation and bring home a WIN. Whether you are trying to win in sports, in business, in your relationships, in your faith, in your fitness, or in any area of your life, the formula is the same! Learn how one of the most successful athletes trains his brain in PREPARATION to win and how to turn visualization into your victory.

Visualize Your Victory

The very first question Ed asked Phil what the difference is between the #50 player in the world and the #1 player in the world. 

His answer:  When it comes to the #1 player on tour and the #50 player on tour he said: "The ability to visualize and see shots before they happen. So a lot of people have the ability to execute the shot but if you can’t see the shot you’re trying to execute you’ll never be able to hit it. The players that see the clearest, that visualize the clearest, rise to the top. And those that are just slightly behind tend to not see things as clearly."

The Evidence 

Visualizing and mental preparation are every bit as effective to your success on the course as physical preparation. There was a study done 25 years ago involving free throw shots in basketball. The study broke the subjects into three groups. Group one only shot free throws. Group two was only able to visualize throwing the free throws. And the third group was able to do both, visualize and shoot. The result: the ones that visualized solely performed every bit as well as the group that was able to both visualize and shoot. And the group that had no visualization was quite a bit behind the other two groups.

So when you visualize, you want to visualize perfection. The end result. You visualize hitting the shot the way you WANT to. Not the way you DON’T want to. 

Phil On Fear

"Playing golf with fear is a recipe for failure. You cannot visualize what you don’t want to have happen, you have to visualize what you do want to have happen." 

"I  see a lot of players struggle with when things go bad and their inability to control their thoughts and refocus on what the want to have happen and the thought of what they don’t want to have happen continues to enter their mind over and over and they don’t have the ability to push that out and refocus on what they actually want to have happen." 

Controlling Your Thoughts

How do you control your thoughts? The ancient tradition of meditation. When you are meditating you are trying to control your thoughts, not eliminate them. You cannot eliminate your thoughts. But you can control what it is you are focusing on. When you are meditating, thoughts will enter in from all different areas and you have to be able to push out the thoughts you don’t want to have and refocus on the ones you do. That ability to control your thoughts will ultimately lead to success in whatever your line of work is.

"That ability to control your thoughts will ultimately lead to success I believe in whatever your line of work is because you have to see what you want to have happen. You’ve got to be able to control your thoughts".__Phil Mickelson 

Living In The Now

Having a bad shot is part of golf. By its very nature, it’s a game of imperfections. But when you do you need to put it behind you and refocus on what it is you want to have happen, not on what just happened.

"Every golf swing I make I’m trying to create a certain feeling and create a certain shot. I’m not trying to fix the previous swing."

"I see a lot of people try to fix what went wrong before and they are working out of the negative rather than creating the shot they want that’s right in front of them." "I have a belief that even if I have a few bad shots my next one is going to be great and I see coming off exactly the way I want to. I feel it before I hit it and then I try to create that." _Phil Mickelson

Staying Hungry

How does a guy who is about to turn 50, who’s already cemented his place in history to be so driven and hungry at this stage in his life? "What drives me is my passion and love for the game of golf and the challenge to try to do something that others can’t." 

"Winning major championships as I get older in life or winning PGA tour events as I get further along in my life, that becomes a greater challenge than it was before. It’s a greater work ethic, I appreciate it more, it forces me to get in the gym." 

Phil On Fitness

If you look at pictures of Phil at the 2006 US Open he was the heaviest he’s ever been. 

Phil today. He eats better, takes care of himself better, he understands and appreciates the elements of nutrition and overall fitness to help him perform better far more now than when he was younger. Phils attributes much of his fitness success to his TPI guided workouts that focus on improving his flexibility and strengthening his core. 

According to his trainer, Phil performs golf-specific strength/endurance exercises that work multiple muscles at the same time using medicine balls, physio balls, and resistance bands. Not weight training exercises that isolate muscles. 

Phil is now stronger than he’s been in a long time and his swing speed faster than it’s ever been and he’s hitting it longer than he ever has. His improved fitness and swing speed gives him the ability to go out and compete with the young players of today. Phil still thinks he can win major championships in his 50’s and I’m sure he can.

"I give a lot of credit to (TPI Certified Trainer) Sean Cochran and him staying up on new techniques working with Dave Philips, Greg Rose and the guys at TPI and having our workouts being designed to elongate my career…"

His Secret To Success

When asked what makes him special, what allows him to have elevated himself to the level of athlete he is his answer: 

"I will do whatever it takes to succeed". "A lot of people have talent, but not everybody is willing to do whatever it takes".

We all deal with setbacks and failures, both in golf and in life. But its how you react to them that will determine your ultimate success in life. Phil came in second place in the U.S. Open six times! You can see that a failure or as a success. If you see that as only a failure, you will probably never rise about that point. If you see it as a success, your chances of changing things the next time are much greater. "We can’t let our failures hold us back. It hurts, it stings, but we have to put it behind us and learn from those mistakes and not that hold us back because we have to refocus on what we want to accomplish."

You need to think about your next performance as your next opportunity.

Phils Final Words Of Wisdom

•  Surround yourself with people who see your same vision and support you. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: 

Visualization is powerful on its own. But when you combine it with physical practice is a great way to get yourself ready because you only see yourself doing it the proper way, hitting the shot perfectly. 

When you are visualizing, don’t just see the shot you want to make, you also need to feel what it will feel like when you make it. Mickelson describing his 2004 win at August National with an 18-foot putt on the 12th hole, "I stood behind that putt and saw it go in over and over and then I let that feeling of what the stroke was going to be-enter my body. And as I walked up to the ball I tried to maintain that feeling, that sense of what it feels like to create that stroke and that role. I’m letting the feeling of what it feels like to create that shot through all the many hours of practice. And I try to hold that feeling so that I can over the ball and just recreate it and just let it happen."   

 Your mind gravitates with what it’s most familiar with. So if your mind is most familiar with the perfect shot you gravitate in that direction. If you are obsessed with the fear of failure of something then that is likely the result you will get.   

Golf is Back

In the past several weeks, many of the largest and most popular golf resorts in the country have either reopened or will by early June.

I have clients in Florida and right here in New York that have been playing golf for weeks now. 

And after being under quarantine due to COVID-19 for the past 2 months your body may not be so ready to just rip it down the fairway. 

Beat Your Buddies

If you want to beat your buddies then you have to do things they aren’t doing. And I can tell you from years of experience, most amateur golfers DO NOT WARM-UP before they play!

If you are reading this blog you are likely a golfer. And you want to play golf better.

You know you need to improve your fitness and the way you move in order to do that.

In the past, we would meet in the gym to do that. This is where fitness is done, right? It was until COVID-19. Now the gyms are closed and we don’t know when or if they will open again. So do you give up on your dream of playing golf better? 

The Good News

Golf courses in NY have been opening up (with restrictions of course) but you can play golf again. Yeah! Something to live for! 

It’s crazy out there!

We are in a new world, living a "quarantined life". Chances are you’ve been feeling the effects of isolation, both emotionally and physically and it’s tough to find the motivation to get back into the swing of things.

After months of social distancing, no strength training sessions in the gym, and more social media than you’d like to consume in a lifetime, you may be feeling a little off track. Who wouldn’t be!

It’s been two months now since the COVID-19 lockdown. Chances are you’ve been feeling the effects of isolation. I know I have…

The Problem 

You’re stuck at home. You don’t have access to the gym or gym equipment. You don’t know what to do. You have fallen off track. Your commitment to fitness has regressed.                                                                                   

      You eat more, move less. 

I have a question for you?

Are you as active as you used to be or as you’d like to be now that you are stuck at home?  Have you gotten stuck in the pattern of waiting for things to "get back to normal" to get back to your exercise routine again? Perhaps you’re slightly skeptical about whether or not you can get a great workout if you’re not in the gym.

Maybe some of your regular exercise routines aren’t so habitual anymore. Your gym workouts have been replaced by walks through the neighborhood and a walk to the refrigerator.

Why you lost mojo

Pre-pandemic, it was part of your routine to hit the gym en route to or from the office. Now that you work from home, the pull of work and family can easily derail you from your workout habits.  One of the best things to keep motivated is to stay in a routine. You take that away, you throw it for a loop, and it’s really hard to motivate on your own. 

It’s  easy to get off track when you are stuck in isolation and have other things going on in your life. I get it! I’m stuck in isolation too.

If your motivation to exercise during the pandemic is as elusive as a six-pack of toilet paper was in April, that’s not surprising — and you’re not alone. It’s totally fine and totally normal to have your motivation wane, but what are you going to do about it?

Reasons to stay active

Don’t try to hang on to what was a few months ago. It is in the past and it’s not coming back. At least not anytime soon.

The Solution-Looking Forward 

Yes, the gym is closed and you fell off track, but that doesn’t mean throwing in the towel indefinitely! It’s been 2 months. Time to get into a training routine. I will provide you with all you need to know about online training and help you determine if it’s right for you.

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about what online training is and how it works. Let’s dive deep into everything you need to know about online training.

Online training is really the same as gym training but at a distance.

• Coaching: unlike watching your favorite trainer do their own workout on Instagram or Facebook live, with online training you are working with a coach with real "face to face" communication while training. No cookie-cutter workouts can lead to injury and generally fail to get desired results.
• Training technique: with a coach you are working with someone who has specific knowledge of you, your goals, needs, injuries you may have and they can tell you when you’re doing exercises correctly or incorrectly.
• Custom Program Design: with a coach you’ll get 100% customized programming based on your goals, needs abilities and equipment you have access to.
• Accountability & Support: With a coach, you’ll have a personal connection with a real human being (not a screen) that actually cares about you, your goals, your stress level, and how you are doing!
• Nutrition & Recovery: Training with a coach online you’ll get tailored guidance to your needs and struggles, without all the generalization and stuff. 

Other Benefits of Online Training:

• No commuting time. 
• No crowded gym floors.
• No loud and undesirable music.
• No waiting to get into the locker room or shower. 
• Freedom in scheduling. Less demand for prime-time early morning hours. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: I don’t pretend to know how to navigate all the uncertainty that has come with this pandemic, I do know that I am still here and will continue to support you (in any way that I can). I don’t know exactly what the future will look like but I do know it will never look like the past.  Let go of the past and accept things as they are, not as you wish them to be. Then we can have a really accurate conversation about how to move forward.

You can still get coached through during this time with challenging and effective workouts that leave you feeling confident and proud. And you can continue to get stronger every week.

To set up your FREE trial workout send me an email: info@nygolffitnessguru.com or give me a call (917) 596-8485. I look forward to helping you. Brett 

If you didn’t catch Part 1 of this article click this link below. 

https://nygolffitnessguru.com/2020/04/30/the-best-2-stretches-for-golfers-part-1-golf-fitness-nyc/

Now let’s move on to Part 2

The Reverse Wall Squat 

This year marks the 50th anniversary of Earth Day.

What are they doing? They are all training on-line… that’s what.

Regardless of whether you’re a ranked PGA professional or a 50+ amateur golfer from NYC we all share something in common right now.

We are stuck at home with no end in sight. 

In a recent episode of the Coach Glass podcast, Jason Glass (my TPI coach) and strength coach to PGA players, Adam Hadwin, Andrew Putnam and Mike Weir – mentions that he is training his players from home using FaceTime during the COVID-19 lock-down. 

 To listen to the episode click the link below. The references to his athletes is about 40 minutes in if you want to fast forward. 

https://www.jasonglassperformancelab.com/2020/03/25/cgp-ep332-adjusting-your-dreambig-in-a-changing-world/

Does On-Line Training Work? 

Here’s what Tom has said: 

Did you know that a huge portion of the immune system is found in the gut. Some studies show as much as 70-75%.

It’s important to note that the digestive system and immune system are closely intertwined; the lining of the intestines creates antibodies that help protect the body, according to John Hopkins Medicine. That’s why, if you’re concerned about boosting your immune system and staying healthy, one of the FIRST things you should do is take a closer look at your gut health.

If your gut is unhealthy, your immune system will be compromised. And during the COVID-19 Pandemic, the last thing we want to have is a compromised immune system! 

There has never been a more important time than now to make sure your gut is as healthy as it can possibly be.

What Can You Do NOW?

1) Focus on food quality. Eat organic whenever possible. Generally, when we think of food we think of it as a source of calories or energy. The macro-nutrients (carbs, protein, fats) are the building blocks for the body machine. It’s that simple.. Right? But actually food is primarily a form of genetically essential information. So one of the aspects of that is that each food has a microbiome. If the food is organic or biodynamically grown, it’s full of beneficial microorganisms.

2) Consume a probiotic such as Kombucha.

Simply put, kombucha is a fermented drink. Kombucha is made by adding bacteria and yeast and sugar to a mixture of black or green tea.  Juice, spices, fruit or other flavorings are often added to enhance the taste of the beverage.

History shows people have been making and consuming kombucha for thousands of years and the drink has become increasingly popular as a potential source of probiotics, which are live organisms that help balance the intestinal flora, according to a December 2015 review in the Journal of Chemistry. "It’s easy to drink and digest, and it allows you to replenish your gut with good bacteria and restore your digestive health," says Dr. Zenhausern.

Potential Benefits:

Numerous health benefits have been attributed to drinking kombucha including the following: 

Of course you are….It’s April and now is the time you thought you’d be out there on the greens getting your 2020 season started..

Unfortunately the Coronavirus changed those plans dramatically. 

​​On Friday the 13th of March I went to work to coach three of my golfers in a row (6 a.m., 7 a.m., 8 a.m.)

By Saturday the 14th the world had changed! FOREVER..

The change was so drastic it reminded of how Dorothy from The Wizard of Oz must have felt when she went over the rainbow and arrived in Munchkinland!

Where am I? 

The New Normal

As much as we talk about, none of use truly know when it’s going to be safe enough to go back out into the world and work, and play golf. Let’s be realistic.. It looks like it’s going to be a while (months, not weeks).

So what can you do while you’re stuck at home in quarantine to stay sane, stay healthy and scratch that golf itch? Well A LOT! 

New Services

For a long time now you’ve been able to get free exercise advise on YouTube and there are a number of golf specific training program that offer some great training ideas for a very low monthly cost. But here’s the problem with all of the above. They are all canned, non-person, non-specific and offer no accountability. 

The people that train with me on a regular basis do so not just because I am helping them move towards their goals but because the appointment we have with each other keeps them accountable AND they want a step-by-step, personalized, guided program by an expert that will take them from where they are to where they want to be.

Covid-19 got you stuck at home? Still thinking about golf? 

I know I am! If you’re reading this you have been forced into physical isolation but that doesn’t mean we have to be in social isolation. As golfers we still can come together in community here on-line. It’s all we can do. 

If you want to be strong and resisilient enough to take on whatever comes your way you have to be physically fit first. By doing that you are prepared for whatever may come. So you need to eat well, get adaquates amount of sleep, stay hydrated and of course move.. move well and move often, every day! Don’t know what you should be doing? I’m here to help. 

"Now, more than ever it’s key to maintain and improve your physical fitness and overall well being."

I have created a daily productivity schedule that allows for two workouts a day. One in the morming and one in the afternoon. Even though we can’t be in the gym there’s plenty of things we can do at home with little or no equipment at all.

One of the tools I have at my disposal to help golfers stay strong is my TPI Pro account. TPI Pro allows me to create a custom golf workout for any golfer depending on what they need, what equipment they have, and how much time they can dedicate to each workout. 

If you are a current golf fitness client I have been doing this for you all along. If you are not a current golf fitness client I am offereing this service to you at half off my normal in person training rate. I can post your program on a calendar for an indefinite amount of time and change it at any time. All you have to do is let me know what you need.

Maybe I can’t work with you 1 on 1 right now but I can still create great programs for you to do on your own and give you motivation prior to and answer any questions along the way as well as follow up with you on a daily or weekly basis to see how you are doing. We can even schedule live video sessions using FaceTime, Zoom or WhatsApp.

There are over 600 exercises and golf drills to chose from and the programs are customized to your needs. 

 Brett’s Bottom Line: 

I want you to know that I’m here for you. At NY Golf Fitness Guru I’m trying to spread as much strength and service to the golf community as I can in this somber time. While I can no longer train people in-person I can stil create personal training strategies to help you achieve your fitness and wellness goals. 

We’re all in this together, on behalf of NY Golf Fitness Guru, I’m wishing you the very best. 

Today, March 21st is the first day of Spring and Spring typically signals the unofficial beginning of the 2020 golf season here in the Northeast part of the country. But unlike any time in history the World is on pause due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. 

By executive order we’ve all been told to stay home and away from others by our local and federal governments and with good reason. Know one knows how this virus will manifest, and how long it will take to see the cases flatline and eventaully get back to some sense of normalcy. 

As much as we’d all like to be back in the gym and out on the course we’re stuck at home – alone. 

So rather than focusing on what we can’t do right now, let’s focus on what we can do – so that when we do get a chance to play golf again we are in the best possible positon to play golf a high level.

 #1: Work on Improving Your Flexibility/Mobility 

Having worked with hundreds of golfers over the years it is with 100% certainty I can say the golfers with the lower handicaps have more flexibility and mobility than those with less range of motion in all the places we need to have it. Where do you need mobility? As shown in the model below we need mobility at the following segments: The Big Toe (Not shown), Ankle, Hip, Thoracic Spine, Shoulder, Wrist. 

Tissue density or the tightness of our muscles is one of the biggest restricting factors we have when it comes to playing golf at a high level and the f irst step to improving flexibilty and mobiltiy is to improve the soft tissue quality of our muscles and fascia.  We start to do that by applying pressure or massage to the body using special tools designed for the job. 

I have been using massage tools like these made by Rad Roller since 2007. In 2018 I was one of the first ever to take and complete the RAD GOLF MOBILITY CERTIFICATION.

As well as the RAD MOBILITY 1 and MOBILITY 2 courses on-line and in person. 

My recommendation: 

• Spend 10-20 minutes performing self-massage (SMR). This can be a few minutes in the morning and a few minutes to close out the day.
• This will help to increase blood flow, improve muscle balance and posture, reduce boht physical and mental stress. 

Need a RAD MOBILITY Tool? Click the link below and get what you need. Not sure what you need? Ask me and I’ll guide you. 

https://lddy.no/fwt2

Start With Your Feet

Most golfers are focused on their hands when they should really be focused on their feet.

Through the use of force pressure mapping experiments such as those done by BodiTrak Sports we know the feet have a far greater influence on the flight of the ball than the hands do.

Most people are going to have a lot of problems with that inner arch and towards the BIG TOE and we need that to be able to move in those segments for life, sport, and especially golf.

We are going to start from the feet and work from the ground up. We don’t want to roll the feet, but rather put pressure on various points and hold them until we get a release. Follow these guidelines from Dr. Emily Splichal, a NYC based podiatrist and human movement specialist. 

#2: Improve Mobiltity and Stability Simultaneously With Stick Mobility 

I purchased my Stick Mobility equipment and golf mobility course a full year ago. And it’s only because I have been stuck home this past week that I’m able to finally get into the course and put the tool into practice. 

The course was co-created and is co-taught by PGA Tour Pro Coach Ben Shear. I’ve been using the tool for a week now and believe it to be the most valuable tool I’ve ever used for improving mobility, stability and body awareness all at the same time.  

If you go back and look at the Mobility/Stability model above you will see that above and below every mobile segment is a stable segment. Having mobility and not being able to control that mobility in a standing functional positions and patterns is meaningless. By using StickMobility we can create tension into the ground and/or the stick (which is flexibile). This engages key stabilizers in the body and provides the nervous system with feedback as to where your body is in space. This is essential because to truly own our movements we need to be able to perform them in a standing dynamic patterns. I will be using this tool with all of my golf clients when we are allowed back into the gym. 

Using StickMobility Will: 

• Allow you to get your body into positions you were not able to without the sticks.
• Once you own those positions it will help you have a more consisten, efficient and effective golf swing.
• Help you reduce the risk of injuries. 
• Allow you to hit the ball further.

 #3: Work On Your Swing Mechanics

If you are stuck indoors the best tool I know of for practicing your swing is the Twitch Trainer.

"The Twitch Trainer and their progressive conditioning program, Twitch Movements, are specifically designed to reprogram a wavering rotational sequence. Awakening the athlete within. The result; a fluid, repeatable, powerful golf swing."_ Ryan Steenberg (inventor of the Twitch Trainer)

Because the device is a soft fabric it’s very safe to use indoors and the instructional videos are free on their website and begin with improving function of key stabilizers on the ground, followed by a series of standing patterns that will improve and increase mobility in your T-spine and hips. The two most important mobile segments for golfers. 

Later into the program Ryan takes you through swing patterns that are similar if not the same as those used in the SuperSpeed Golf System. While the Twitch trainer is not an overspeed training system like SSG, by working on these patterns and swinging the device in both directions you will see improved coordination and increases in speed as a result. Give it a try. It’s a lot of fun and a perfect tool to use indoors. 

 #4: Add Speed To Your Swing

By far, the best system for adding speed to your swing is by using the SuperSpeed Golf System. Just before the virus broke worldwide I was able to attend a SuperSpeed Live workshop in NJ. In fact, I was the ONLY golf performance specialist on the east coast to attend. In the three weeks prior to the live event I completed my 3 levels of SSG certification.  

If you can get outside you should be using this system and get your swing speed moving in the right direction. If you are interested in getting started and don’t know how, just ask me. I will get you full directions and tracking sheets to measure your progress. Don’t have a set of SuperSpeed Clubs yet. Order them now by clicking this link. https://superspeedgolf.com/ref/bcohen/

#5: Take An On-line Golf Lesson

My friend Steve Pietsch (the teaching pro over at Premier Indoor Golf) is offering online lessons via the skillestapp. The app is free to download and is really an amazing tool! So you can still have a professional golf coach do what coaches are supposed to doing. Watch you, advise you, guide you to get you to where you want to go-faster than if you were to go it alone. Email: STEPHEN@PREMIERINDOORGOLF.COM 

#6: Work With Me From The Comfort Of Your Home

Hey guys, there’s still plenty we can do from home. My clients already have documents that lay out a series of exercises for flexibility, mobility and stability at their fingertips. I can also create custom workouts using my TPI Pro Site which will give you both a written and video version of the exercise. I can certainly create exercise programs that do not require equipment. Easy-peasy! You just have to ask. 

Need accountability and guidance? I’m here for you. We can arrange for a face-time or skype lesson which will only count as half an in-person lesson. 2 for 1, what’s better than that!  

Brett’s Bottom Line: 

I believe that self-care and movement is absolutely vital at a time like this. Our lives may be on pause, but our bodies don’t have to be! I know that being quarantined at home makes this a bit challenging and limiting. Which is why I am commited to offereing FREE resourcs to help you stay active and reduce both physical and mental stress.

We’ve got to help each other through this. Even though distance is keeping us apart, it’s distance that will keep us together and alive when we reach the other end of this.

After this is over I look forward to seeing you all once again. 

In the meantime STAY CONNECTED via text, phone or my social media platforms. 

I’m here to help. Let’s stay active while we’re stuck.

FOCUS ON YOUR HEALTH

In this article I am not going to give you more directions on how long you should wash your hands for or how to make homemade sanitizing gel. We’ve all heard enough of that! 

But what I am going to tell you is that your best defense against this or any other virus is to become an in hospitable host to any sickness or disease. 

Number 1- MAKE YOUR BED YOUR BUSINESS

Everyone I know loves sleep. No one I know gets enough of it. If you want to be a healthy human you have to make sleep a priority. 

Let’s get right down to brass tacks. Sleep is the #1 way to naturally strengthen your immune system.

When we sleep, our bodies repair and restore vital systems that help keep us alive. This includes muscular, skeletal, and cellular repair during our REM stages of sleep. If we are not getting adequate REM sleep, our bodies will not recover and we will be more susceptible to illness.

A consistent lack of sleep will disrupt hormonal balance in the body and depress the immune system. And the last thing we need right now is a depressed immune system!  Too little sleep over time can put you at greater risk for obesity, heart disease, and diabetes (all diseases). Or another way of saying a body that’s not at ease.

Research by Dr. Aric Prather  out of UC San Francisco on another type of Coronavirus – the common cold – demonstrated that "people who sleep six hours a night or less are four times more likely to catch a cold when exposed to the virus, compared to those who spend more than seven hours a night in slumber land."

Tips on Getting A Good Nights Sleep: 

• Avoid/Limit caffeine after 2 p.m.-Caffeine has a half-life of about six hours. That means  if you have a coffee after 3 p.m., you’ll still have half the milligrams of that coffee drink floating around in your blood stream at 9 p.m. (when you’re supposed to be winding down and getting ready for bed). This will surely disrupt the first sleep cycle which occurs betwen 10 p.m. and 2 a.m. (the time when the immune system is repairing itself). 
• Avoid These Other Stimulants-including nicotine, sugar and exposure to artificial light and electromagnetic pollution. Electromagnetic pollution is coming out of the electrical outlets in your wall, and all the plugged in appliances in your home. Not much you can do about that these days. BUT, you can limit or eliminate exposure to artificial light. Start to turn down the lights in your home an hour before bed time and shut off the TV, computer, I-Pad and cell phone as well. Constant exposure to light signals the brain that it’s time to wake-up. Get in a habit of shutting things down and spend the last 30 minutes of your day winding down. Roll, stretch, meditate. These all have a parasympathetic effect (repair and recover). 
• Entrain Your Brain-Your brain doesn’t know the difference between a Monday and a Saturday. When we were younger we could get away with staying up late on Friday or Saturday nights and get back to normal rather quickly. Not so much anymore. Your body does best on a consistent rhythm so aim to get to bed around the same time every night-no matter what!

Number 2- DRINK PLENTY OF WATER

I have been teaching and preaching the important of proper hydration since becoming a CHEK trained Holistic Lifestyle Coach back in 2003! We had to read these books by Dr. F. Batmanghelidj, M.D. (You’re Not Sick, You’re Thirsty and Your Bodies Many Cries For Water).

Here’s a quick summary. 

• The amount of water you should drink is half your body weight in ounces per day/minimum. In other words, if you weigh 150lbs. you need to be drinking at least 75 ounces of water per day. 
• You should start your day with up to 25% of that amount upon waking.
• Water energizes you because it improves digestion and elimination, flushing out toxins, junk and fat.
• Water is one of the primary ways to neutralize free radicals in your body. 
• Water improves mental clarity and memory.
• Water makes up 70% of your fascia and muscle. If you don’t have enough water in your tissues, you can rest assure that your fascia won’t be healthy. If you want to be more flexible you need to drink more water.
• Water helps to carry oxygen to your body cells, which results in properly functioning systems. It also works in removing toxins from the body, so drinking more of it could help prevent toxins from building up and having a negative impact on your immune system.
• Water carries nutrtients and oxygetn to your cells and regulates body temperature. 
• Proper hydration helps to normalize cortisol levels (the body’s stress hormone).

Number 3-MAKE MOVEMENT YOUR MEDICINE

As a society we simply don’t move enough! Most of us do not purposefully build physical activity into our day. Technology has robbed us of our natural inclination to move and it seems to be getting worse and worse. (Heck, it’s why I have a job in the first place). Do you think there were any personal trainers 100 years ago? I don’t think so. To get from place to place, to mow the lawn, to do the laundry, to get food, we were moving.

If you want to be a healthy person you need to move, to exercise. It’s that simple.. Things that don’t move die.

When a stream stops running, the oxygen to the living organisms gets cut off and everything in it chokes to death and dies.

"If you are not moving, you’re dying!"

This doesn’t mean that you need to spend hours and hours in the gym every day. You just need to move, and you need to find a way to do that on a regular basis. That means you need to spend some time each day and week covering the most important aspects of movement as it relates to your health and longevity. Your movement commitment should include elements of the following.

• cardiovascular(aerobic and anaerobic) 
• strength training to maintain muscle mass and to allow you to continue to do the things you need to do, want to do, and like to do easier and better 
• flexibility and balance training that utilize multiple muscle groups and cross multiple joints in order to challenge the nervous system

Daily movement will help to prevent injury, recover more quickly, and improve your resilience to disease. 

Number 4-EAT NUTRIENT-DENSE FOODS 

This should shock any of you but nutrient dense foods (regardless of whether it’s plant or animal) comes from nutrient dense soils. In order for soil to be nutrient dense it needs to have a plentiful amount of microorganisms living in it. That means the soil needs to be organic (not have been fertilized with chemical fertilizers, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides) which destroys the microorganisms in the soil, the plants that grow out of them, the animals that eat those plants and the humans that eat those plants and animals.

It’s a closed cycle.

The more chemicals and toxins we are exposed to, the worse our health becomes. 

Basic rules for eating: 

• chose organic
• eat local and seasonal foods
• avoid packaged and processed foods
• if it packaged and has more than 4 ingredients you probably shouldn’t be eating it
• if there are words on the label you cannot pronounce-don’t eat it
• unless you are a vegetarian your meat sources should be hormone free/free range
• eat mostly plants
• not too much

Number 5-MINIMIZE STRESS

We can’t live without stress nor should we aim to eliminate it. Life will be stressful and if it doesn’t show up in one area of your life it will surely show up in another. The problem is continued stress without recovery. The main stress hormone (cortisol) is directly tied to nerve cells in the brain, the hippocampus.

Stress comes in many forms:

• physical stress (too much or too little exercise)
• chemical stress (having to detoxify ourselves from agricultural chemicals and/or prescription medication)
• electromagnetic stress (higher than ever these days with the constant bombardment of extremely low frequency pollution being omited by out electronic devices)
• nutritional stress (eating too much, eating too late, not eating enough, consuming too many foods that contain artificial ingredients, preservatives, colorings and so on)
• thermal stress (too cold/too hot for extended periods of time) Humans enjoy 72 degree temperatures for a reason.
• physic or mental stress (*often referred to as "stinkin thinking" the easiest way to reduce or eliminate this is to limit your exposure to the media (TV and newspapers) as well as social media outlets, which help to spread hysteria of the Covid-19 virus faster than the virus can spread itself. 

 Brett’s Bottom Line: 

Your health is your job. You can’t outsource it to anyone else. While there are certain precautions we can and should be taking to avoid contracting the Corona virus or any virus for that matter, the best way is to stay as healthy as possible.

The healthier you are the less likely you will become infected with something that can make you sick. Is it guaranteed? No, no one is bullet proof, but these strategies will make you bullet resistant. 

If you’ve watched the tour players over the last 3 – 4 years you’ve seen these! They are SuperSpeed Clubs

Has this ever happened to you? You go take a golf lesson and the pro shows you what you look like at after impact and then an image of a PGA or LPGA professional after impact and says, "Hey ____, I’d like you to move your body the lead side more like____." ​​

Not shifting your weight correctly onto your lead side in the downswing is a swing characteristic defined as Hanging Back by the way. And this is just an example of the point I’m about to make. The result of hanging back is often accompanied by premature release of the wrist angles, as the player is trying to advance the club with their arms rather than with the correct weight shift and pivot.

Know Before You Go

In order to get the most of the vast amount of golf knowledge your pro has and for them to help you get the most out of your lesson it’s crucial that your instructor knows what you’re physically capable of so that when you start looking at your golf swing—you don’t try to make changes that you just won’t be able to make. We don’t want to try to make a change that CAN’T happen. That would be and is extremely frustrating! 

How Do You Know?

The Titlelist Performance Institute has developed a simple process that those of us educated by TPI use to assess what you’re capable of doing physically as it relates to a mechanically correct golf swing. That process is known as the Level 1 Screen. The screen tells us how your body relates to your golf swing. This is what we call The Body-Swing Connection. In other words, if you can’t do ‘A’ you will likely reproduce ‘B’, ‘C’, or ‘D’ in your golf shot.

In the video  you can get some insite to how the process is used on the best in the game.

Is your golf swing is the way it is because of the way your body is moving? Are you struggling with a particular shot or club because how your body is moving? The only way to know that for sure is to perform a physical screen to see what physical attributes you might be struggling with so we know what’s holding you back from doing the things you want to do with the club. 

 Stop Banging Your Head Against A Wall!

If you are taking golf lessons and practicing but feel like you’re not progressing as fast as you’d like it’s likely that your own body is holding you back. Eliminate the frustration and get screened to find out what you can and cannot do and then decide if you want to try to change your body so you can change your swing.

Bretts Bottom Line:

Physical limitations WILL show up in your golf swing.

"If I could give just one piece of advice to golfers of all levels, it’s to be physically assessed by a competent professional. A well-trained professional can identify key areas of weakness or imbalance and develop a highly effective exercise or rehabilitation program. It’s no guarantee that you’ll remain injury free, as the golf swing puts incredible forces on the body, but it puts the odds in your favor." – Dr. Greg Rose, Titleist Performance Institute

Give me a call. (917) 596-8485. Let’s Get Started. It’s time to take charge of your game!

"The reason I play at such a high level and hopefully will continue to play at such a high level for the next 10, 15 years, is because of the work I did in the gym." __Rory McIlroy

What If You Don’t

As I sit down to write this (January 12, 2020), we had a high temperature of 66 degrees in New York City. But despite that spring like temperature I  assure you it’s still winter, at least until March 19th. That’s almost enough time to get you in golf shape for the 2020 season. 

Yes, spring is near and it’s time to start thinking about getting in golf shape for the 2020 season.

What Does It Mean To Be In Golf Shape?

Simply this: Having the physical ability to produce a consistent shot with minimal risk of injury. 

Now if you are like the vast majority of my current clients (a male over age 50) your golf swing is probably not going to look like the pros. And sadly that’s what most teaching professionals will compare you to. They want you to get your body is the same positon as (fill in the blank pro).. Sorry, not gonna happen.

The fact is the average amateur golfer is not physically capable of performing the requried body movement that are involved in getting into the postion to produce a mechanically correct golf swing. 

And the reason for that is they lack adequate flexiblity and mobility to rotate from where they need to rotate from.

Mainly the hips and thoracic spine. 

So to be fit for golf we need to pursue performance, not appearance. It’s irrelevant how big your muscles are if you can’t get into a position to use them correctly. Suffice it to say most of you can be out driven by an average female college golfer. They are not bigger or stronger than you are but they likely move better than you do. They have the physical abiltiy to get into postition to deliver a powerful and consistent golf swing, with minimal risk of injury. 

Where Do We Start? 

The Loading Phase

As discussed in Part 1, in rotational sports such as golf there is a loading phase and an unloading phase. For golfers, the loading phase begins when the hands move the club away from the target line on it’s way to the top of the backswing. In order to do this effectively, the athlete needs to move their upper body over a relatively fixed lower body. This stretches out what anatomically known as the Anterior Oblique Sling.

If you haven’t had a chance to read Part 1 click the link below to take you to the article and get caught up.

https://nygolffitnessguru.com/2019/09/19/a-dissertation-on-disassociation-your-guide-to-the-ultimate-golf-swing-part-1-golf-fitness-nyc/

Your Must Know What Your Sport Requires! 

I’ve asked every golfer I’ve every trained this question: What part of your body starts the downswing sequence? Surprisingly many cannot give me a clear and concise answer. Well now that we know the upper body initiates the backswing sequence it should be apparent that the lower body begins the downswing sequence. And it does. BUT, if you don’t perform the backswing sequence correctly it will be nearly impossible to do so. Remember, some of the results of taking your hands too deep to the inside were early extension of the hips, flat shoulder plane, and reverse spine angle. All of which will make it nearly impossible to maintain dynamic posture and keep the club on plane. 

The Kinematic Sequence

Using data collected from 3-D motion analysis systems we can look how golfers transfer speed or energy throughout their bodies. The way golfers get energy to the club is known as The Kinematic Sequence. The amazing thing is that all great ball strikers have a remarkably similar kinematic sequences of generating speed and transferring that speed throughout their bodies. 

The Unloading Phase

The efficiency of generating speed starts in the lower body which then transfers that speed into the torso, then into the arms and into the club. This means that regardless of style (the way the swing looks), in order for it to be efficient, the downswing sequence needs to begin with the lower body.

The correct Kinematic Sequence is the key to a powerful, repeatable and consistent golf swing.

If you look at the best players in the world – when they get to the top of the backswing the first segment to move is going to be the pelvis (the lower body). The second segment is the thorax/toro, then the arm and finally the club.  

The Perfect Downswing 

The perfect downswing begins at set up. The best players start with a neutral spine at address. That means their spine is basically a straight line that represents the letter ‘I’. An ‘I’ spine gives you the best opportunity to rotate the torso efficiently. If you set up to the ball with either a ‘C’ spine posture or ‘S’ spine posture you will limit your ability to turn from your thoracic spine and more than likely compensate by rotating too much from your lumbar spine. This will eventually lead to irritation, inflammation, pain, injury and eventually surgery . 

The ‘I’ spine at set up affords you the opportunity to disassociate your upper body from your lower body and take the club away from the target without losing your origninal postural lines at set up. Once you get your arms to the top of the backswing it’s time to begin the downswing sequence. Remember, in transition, once we’ve loaded, we want the lower body to initiate the downswing transition towards the target while the upper body is loaded or is still loading. 

Can You Disassociate Your Lower Body From Your Upper Body?

There are two tests those of us trained by the Titleist Peformance Institute use to determine how well you can separate or disassociate your lower body from your upper body. Those tests are:

The Pelvic Tilt Test

The Pelvic Tilt Test is a great test for overall mobility of the hips and the lumbar spine and tests the golfer’s ability to control the position of their pelvic posture in the swing. 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. If the player cannot separate or disassociate their lower body from their upper body they might just stand up or move their lower body too soon in the downswing transition simply because they do not have the ability to control the pelvis .

 What I’m Looking For….. 

So the first thing I’m looking for in the The Pelvic Tilt Test is how you set up. Is your posture neutral or does your spine look like the letter ‘C’ or an ‘S’? If it’s a ‘C’ or an ‘S’ this test is going to be very difficult for you to perform the Pelvic Tilt Test.

Next  I’m going to ask the golfer to arch and flatten the lower back (lumbar spine) without the upper body moving. If the golfer has difficulty with this then I’ll hold onto the shoulders to see if adding stability to the upper body will help them to disassociate.

The Pelvic Rotation Test

Like the Pelvic Tilt Test, the Pelvic Rotation Test is checking for the player’s ability to move the lower body independently from the upper body. This time to rotate the pelvis back and forth without movement in the upper body. This an important skill for properly sequencing the downswing and generating good separation between the upper and lower body. This movement requires good mobility of the spine, hips and pelvis, along with simultaneous stability of the torso.

 What I’m Looking For….. 

The upper body has to stay perfectly still while the lower body rotates back and forth. It’s critical that the motion is rotational in nature and not side to side.  When you cannot disassociate the lower body from the upper body we usually see the body moving together as a unit OR the lower body moving side to side like a dog who’s happy to see you wagging its tail.

​​

If the player has difficulty with this test, once again I’ll hold onto the shoulders to see if the pattern improves. If it doesn’t it may be we need to work on both lower body mobility as well as the coordination of the movement pattern.

This pelvic rotation test is critically important in the downswing sequence because as you know if you are working on path and plane, it’s the lower body being able to separate itself from the upper body that drops the club into the slot.

To see these screens being performed on two golf pros check out this Youtube video of my buddies Andy Proudman and Piers Ward of Me and My Golf get screened by Dave Phillips of the Titleist Peformance Institute. 

Brett’s Bottom Line:

Being able to disassociate the lower body from the upper body is a major power source in the golf swing. When you can perform the torso rotation test, the pelvic rotation and pelvic tilt test without the compensation, now we have a formula for a powerful and repeatable golf swing.  This is why the screening process is so important. The screen tells you how your body relates or effects your golf swing (the body-swing connection). This is critically important becuse if you are working on getting better and trying to improve your swing and your body is not moving the way it needs to to allow you to do the things you want to do with the club you’ll be effectively banging your head again the wall because you just can’t do it. You could be hitting golf ball after golf ball trying to improve your game and your pro cold be telling you the right things, but physically you don’t have the ability to do it. But once you’re armed with the information from the screen you can take that to your coach and either work around those physical limitations or try to break through them in the gym. 

In part 1 and part 2 of this article we are going to go deep into what the term disassociation is and why it’s such an important concept for rotational athletes such as golfers to understand, and a skill they need to be able to perform. ​​​​

  You’re probably saying to yourself, "what does that squat have to do with the golf swing".

​​Though golf is a sport that doesn’t literally require you to have a fit looking body, it is still quite easier for physically fit individuals to swing harder, have better focus and improve faster in this game.

And having the flexibility and strength are two of the most important attributes of any golfer, whether you are a newbie or a professional.

But all these traits can’t be attained if you are not physically fit and overweight. PGA Tour’s top golfers commonly have perfect physical physique, which is one of the reasons why they are so successful in the first place.

Yes, getting in shape plays a big role on your swing improvements and if you haven’t figured it out, it is time for you to eat and drink right!

Why Weight Loss is Important?

The benefits of weight loss aren’t just for your golfing abilities, but for a whole lot more. Some of the desirable effects of slimming down include:

* Better focus and concentration

* Lower blood pressure

* Improves strength and energy

* Fastens your metabolism

* Reduces your risks of chronic diseases (diabetes, etc.)

* Lessens joint pain and inflammation

* Better cardiovascular health

* Slows down aging

So even if this doesn’t improve your game, you will certainly boost your overall health.

Weight Loss Programs

Any weight loss program consists of a diet plan, exercise program or both. A combination of both has been shown scientifically to have greater effect in energy, fat loss and overall body mass reduction.

To be able to get consistency in your game, being strong isn’t the only thing you need to improve on but you also need to strengthen your core.

To do this, you need several exercises to help improve both your golf game and your weight.

This includes full body stretch, squats, planks, hip crossovers, pushups, rowing and cardio workouts.

For your diet, it is important to have a fat-free, low-calorie and high-protein diet. Avoid sugary foods and drinks such as sodas, cakes, ice creams and many others.

These practical tips won’t just benefit your game, but it will promote weight loss and helps improve your overall well-being.

Reasons Why Losing Weight are Difficult?

Now if you attempted to lose weight but failed miserably, then you are not alone with your struggle. Thousands or even millions of people can’t seem to lose weight and there are some notable reasons why.

One reason is doing ill-advised fad diet. If you found a free-diet book online, don’t easily be deceived as these types of "freebies" online are just going to lure you into buying their own diet products. So they are not sincere in helping you succeed.

I recommend that you just cut back on carbs and fatty foods such as rice, pastas, potatoes, breads, processed foods and many others. These are just some of the worst foods your weight loss program. Phen-Alternatives.com has an in-depth guide regarding some of the worst foods for weight loss.

Another reason is skipping breakfast. Most dieters think that starting the daily meal in lunch time will do great weight loss favor for them. But it actually doesn’t.

What you need to do is not to skip breakfast and eat your normal morning meal within the first 30 minutes of waking up.

Last and the most common reason why golfers or dieters are having a hard time losing weight is their lack of physical activities.

As mentioned above, dieting alone is neither going to significantly reduce your weight nor the best way to maintain the weight you’ve already lost.

You need to exercise!

A 15-minute workout, preferably cardio or strength training, will definitely promote dozens of health benefits to your body while enhancing your golfing abilities.

Conclusion

Why do you need to lose weight? Golf has players with the best body shapes, just look at the aging but still physically fit Tiger Woods.

Aside from improving your swing, coordination, focus and balance, losing weight has dozen more perks for you.

Playing your next round does give you some slimming advantages. But it is much more ideal if you continuously following a plausible weight loss program to help increase your chances of winning.

Aside from improving your swing, coordination, focus and balance, losing weight has dozen more perks for you.

Playing your next round does give you some slimming advantages. But it is much more ideal if you continuously following a plausible weight loss program to help increase your chances of winning.

Article contributed by: Perly Rodolfo

Popular Diet Pills

To hit the golf ball correctly with maximum compression and clubhead speed, a golfer must come into impact on the correct inside swing path. To swing consistently into the ball on the right path, the golf swing must be easy to repeat. This means the backswing and downswing must be on a similar plane, eradicating any need for complicated adjustments during the downswing transition.

The more accurately a golfer can groove a good takeaway, a good wrist hinge into plane and effective top of the backswing position, the easier it becomes to swing down on the right line. Practicing the golf swing in slow motion gives a golfer the best chance of building a swing they can trust to hit crisp iron shots and straight powerful drives.

Via https://pixabay.com/en/golf-swing-golfer-golf-swing-sport-club–970892/

​​Perfect Golf Swing Slow Motion Takeaway Drill

* Take a golf club, take up a normal stance and then pull the club through the hands until the butt of the shaft touches the tummy.

* The takeaway should be in one piece with the club, hands, arms and shoulders turning together.

* Practice swinging away from an imaginary ball in slow motion keeping the club shaft connected to the tummy which will ensure everything moves away in one piece.

* The club should not travel back more than three feet away from the ball and should be swept slightly round and ‘inside’ as the shoulders turn.

Train the Hands to Rotate onto Backswing Plane

Once the club has moved away three feet or so from the ball the hands must start to hinge the club onto the correct backswing plane.

To locate the correct backswing plane when the one piece takeaway is complete, the wrists should hinge or ‘cock’ the club up so the butt of the shaft points roughly towards the ball. The face of the golf club should be vertical with the toe pointing towards the sky.

This move must be carried out keeping the left arm straight.

This position is commonly known as the half way back position. The more accurate a golfer locates this position, the easier it becomes to find the most effective position at the top of the back swing

As a golfer swings to the top in slow motion, they should keep the butt of the club pointing to an imaginary line drawn from the target, through the ball, into the distance.

As the arms move the club to the top, the shoulders should complete a turn through 90 degrees.

There should be a feeling of separation between the arms, which are now travelling on a more upright plane, and the shoulders, which are turning on a more shallow angle.

At the top of the backswing the club should point directly at the target and be horizontal to the ground.

Training the Downswing in Slow Motion

The more accurate a golfer locates the top of the backswing, the simpler the downswing becomes.

The key to a good downswing transition is to keep the arms swinging down in the same plane as they travelled on during the completion of the backswing.

The legs, hips and shoulders should react to the arms swinging down – the feeling should be of the butt of the club pointing at the ball during the first few inches of the downswing.

Although a golfer wants to hit the ball a good distance, instinctively moving fast from the top, if the first few inches of the downswing are made slowly and accurately, the better the ball will be struck.

The Correct Impact Position Release

As the club comes into impact on the correct inside swing path, the hands must release the club at the ball, so the face is square to the target. The slower this is practiced the easier it is to rotate the club into the correct position at speed. Practice the move of squaring up the club in slow motion, and even hit a few balls in slow motion with a full swing, to rehearse the impact position accurately.

The maximum clubhead speed comes from being able to strike the ball squarely. If a golfer only practices their swing at full speed, there is little chance of perfecting the basic fundamentals. Similar to a pianist practicing a piece of music, or a formula one driver easing themselves round the track in practice, take the speed out of the golf swing and it will start to operate much more efficiently​​.

Article contributed by: Brian Jame  (brianjamegolfer@gmail.com)

It was the year 2007. I was attending a Functional Movement Screen certification course with Gray Cook in Boston, MA. In the back of the room was a Perform Better representative and on the display table was this thing, this stick, something I’d had never seen before. It was a Tiger’s Tail massage stick.

I had no idea what it was for or what to do with it, but I bought it anyway. And so it began, my fascination wtih the art and science of self-myofascial release.

Over the last 11 year I’ve taught all my clients how to use the variety of tools for self-myofascial release to both prepare and recovery from exercise, holding many of my own workshops along the way. 

Now it’s my time for me to learn. On Saturday, November 10th I will be participating in a four hour Golf Specific Self-Myofascial Release course (SMR) with Nick Mueller .

Nick Mueller is the Director of RAD Golf Education and is a TPI Level 3 strength and conditioning coach as well as a fascial stretch therapist. Nick teaches the RAD Golf education course for trainers, coaches, golf pros and anyone and everyone else looking to educate themselves on how to improve their game with easy-to-integrate mobility and recovery methods. Nick teaches these strategies all around the world and recently returned from teaching the same material in Bejing, China! 

Why I’m Taking This Course

Simply to learn what I don’t know. Just because I’ve been studying this methodology doesn’t mean I can’t learn something new.

"If you are not willing to learn, no one can help you. If you are determined to learn, no one can stop you." __Zig Ziglar

Going through the on-line tutorials I have already learned that some of what I have been told over the years is simply myth, not fact. I want my clients to have and use the latest tools, technology and science available to improve their body and their game. 

What Is SMR Good For? 

All of us that enjoy swinging the club are often prone to injury, whether from back pain, elbow tendonitis, repetitive use and more. Many of us are also looking for easy-to-use tools and techniques that can help give us an edge on our game. A sound mobility, recovery and injury prevention plan can help protect against these injuries and offer you the advantage you are seeking to remain on the green longer and driving the ball farther!

Self-Myofascial Release (SMR) is a common practice for warm-up and recovery. By learning when and how to perform specific techniques you can improve your club head speed and driving distance, hip and shoulder mobility, spinal rotation and more!

 What We Will Be Learning​​

• Discuss the biomechanics of a golf swing and determine which movements are required in order to create the most efficient golf swing possible.

• This course draws on the latest research on SMR, mobility, recovery methods, neuroplasticity and motor control training.

• Integrate a variety of RAD SMR techniques using the most anatomically-designed SMR tools on the market.

• Practice applying the RAD Trio to multiple case studies – an assessment that guides you to the precise locations of the body that present with a mobility impairment so you are not guessing.

• Don’t chase the pain and try to address symptoms; find the root cause.

• Apply release techniques from head to toe, as well as active mobility and stability drills that will make lasting changes to your game!

Would You Like To Join Me? 

The class is open to anyone who would like to learn more about the art & science fo SMR, not just fitness professional. If you would like to take the class just click the link below to register. 

https://www.radroller.com/collections/rad-education-school

The class is being held on Saturday, November 10th, 2018 at golf and country club, Golf & Body, NYC – 883 Avenues of the Americas, 3rd Floor,  New York, NY 10001

See you there.. 

Brett The Golf Guy 

Get to work, go to meetings, do the shopping, pick up the kids and make dinner — your schedule is packed. You’re supposed to add exercise in their somewhere, as it’s a crucial part of self-care, but it just doesn’t always seem possible. That’s not the case if you know how to integrate workouts into your busy lifestyle. Here are some tips to do precisely that. 

Keep it Short

You don’t have time to run around the park for an hour? Then don’t. According to Verywell Fit, a fitness site staffed by physicians and trainers, even a five-minute walk outside boosts your mood, lowers your blood pressure and raises your heart rate. You don’t necessarily have to increase the time of your workouts, either. Focus on the intensity.

In fact, one-hour runs may not be the best way to burn fat or get in shape anyway. High-intensity interval training, or HIIT, kills calories in just 20 minutes or less through a succession of exercises such as burpees, lunges, and toe-taps done in bursts with short rests in between. These workouts involve strength-training so you’ll build muscle while trimming down.

Another way to shorten the time it takes to work out is to save on time driving or walking to the gym. Setting up a home gym can be the perfect alternative. Consider using an extra bedroom, garage, or basement for this space.

Enjoy Yourself

Exercise doesn’t have to cut into your entertainment, either. You should pick exercises you enjoy. Do you like to dance? Signing up for lessons is like joining the gym. Other workouts that double as fun include rollerblading, ultimate Frisbee, Ping-Pong, swimming, Wii Sports, paddle-boarding … you get the idea. There are literally dozens of activities that will burn calories while brightening your day, and they’re even better if you bring some friends along to share in the good time. It’s not hard to stay motivated when you’re having fun.

Chill Out

So the workout’s done. Now … ready, set, sleep! That doesn’t work, does it? You’re going to have to give your body time to cool down before hitting the sack or just chilling with the family. That’s where yoga, Pilates and tai chi come in. They’ll help you relax and provide some other surprising health benefits as well.

Yoga, for example, increases strength and flexibility while reducing stress and taking your mind off of your worries. Tai chi and Pilates achieve much of the same through a series of slow coordinated movements and mindful breathing. Best of all, you can do all of them at home. All you need is some quiet space where you won’t be distracted.

Hit the Kitchen

A healthy diet is another important element of self-care that doesn’t have to take up your whole evening. In fact, Greatist has compiled a list of 52 meals that can be made in 12 minutes or less that incorporate a healthy variety of veggies, dairy, meat, and nuts.

Getting all those ingredients is another timesuck involving lengthy trips to the grocery store and market, but there’s a fix for that, too. Fit it into your fitness routine by riding a bike. That’ll burn between 90 and 300 calories over the course of 20 minutes, depending on your weight and intensity, while toning up your glutes, hammies, and calves.

Max Your Weekend

Fitness doesn’t stop during the weekend. In fact, this is the best time to get in shape as you’ve finally got some time to get out in the sun. Plan a short getaway to the woods or mountains for a hike, which burns calories while hitting your core and relieving stress from the long week of work. You could also opt for a day at the beach and a swim in the sea.

Remember not to push yourself too hard. Real gains come from consistency, so come up with a routine that you can stick to, and don’t be afraid to add something crazy. Salsa lessons anyone?

Article contributed by Sheila Olson www.fitsheila.com 

Among certain circles, the amount of exercise you do can be worn as a badge of honor, whether that’s by having a low resting heart rate, going through a new pair of running shoes each week, or not being able to stand up after a workout. If fitness is your goal, that’s all well and good, but for overall health, it’s important to keep a balance between your workout routine and other ways to improve your well-being. Here are a few things to keep in mind.

Decide on Your Goals

What is your reason for exercising? If you’re only interested in general health and fitness, you might need to do less than you think. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends that you do strength training twice a week, plus 150 minutes of moderate intensity aerobic exercise per week, including brisk walking. Time spent doing vigorous exercise counts double, so 75 minutes of intense exercise a week is also OK. However, you need to do at least 10 minutes in one session for it to count.

So if you spend 20 minutes walking to work Monday to Friday, that’s 100 minutes in the bag already. Another 25 minutes of vigorous exercise, and you’re there. Doing more exercise is OK, but if you hit this minimum, you have the choice to save some time in the gym and work on other areas of your life.

Listen to Your Body

Maybe you have exercise goals beyond general health, for example, building muscle with weight lifting or competing in a 10k. In this case, you’ll likely be exercising for more than the recommended levels. That’s fine—these recommendations are minimums. However, doing too much can be as bad as doing too little. If you are very sore after a session, your muscles will be weaker and less able to absorb shocks. This puts more stress on your ligaments and tendons, potentially leading to injuries. Overtraining can also impair your overall health. If you notice any symptoms of overtraining such as irritability, frequent infections, depression, insomnia, or a lack of progress in your training, take a week or two off.

Improve Your Sleep Habits                                                                                                   It might sound counterintuitive, but those eight hours you spend unconscious and not moving each night are crucial to your fitness level. As Amerisleep points out, quality sleep, in conjunction with an exercise program, leads to better athletic performance and better hormonal balance and helps you lose weight. So how do you improve sleep? For starters, use white noise to dampen out sound, block light with heavy curtains, and limit your caffeine and alcohol intake. Around 45 minutes before bedtime, switch off all screens and dim the lights. Artificial light from TVs and phones can trick the brain into thinking it’s still daytime, and a darker environment triggers the release of hormones that initiate sleep.

Create a Relaxation Regimen

The benefits of exercise largely come during the time periods between workouts, when the body is resting, recuperating, and repairing the damage done by the training. That’s why it’s important to create a relaxation regimen, which gives the body a chance to work its magic. Try getting into a calming hobby such as knitting, coloring books, or yoga. You could also set aside an area of your home to use as a meditation space. Even 10 minutes of meditation each day can significantly increase relaxation and reduce stress levels. You should also take steps to ensure you’re getting plenty of quality sleep; if you’re having trouble drifting off at night, consider using a white noise machine and high-quality pillows to maximize comfort.

Conclusion: 

Ultimately, the amount of exercise you do depends on your goals and what your body is able to handle. But whatever you’re aiming for, make sure you take a balanced approach by listening to your body and taking regular downtime. If you do this, you’ll see big improvements in your health and fitness while minimizing the risks posed by overtraining.

Article Provided By Susan Treadway 

Using a Major Life Transition to Form Good Habits

With so many stressors out there, it’s no wonder many of us fall into bad habits. Smoking, abusing substances, eating unhealthy foods, failing to exercise every day, and falling into unhealthy relationships are all examples, and these behaviors can affect both your physical and mental health. When a period of transition occurs — such as a move, leaving a job or a relationship, or seeking treatment for a substance abuse or mental health disorder — it’s the perfect opportunity for you to start forming good habits.

Exchanging bad habits for good ones can have a major impact on your life. From boosting your self-confidence and esteem to helping you live a healthier lifestyle, there’s no limit to the things you can do once you get an idea of how to get started. The key is to begin slowly and map out a plan that will be easy for you to follow so that you can succeed and stay motivated. With the first success, you’ll be empowered to move on.

Keep reading for some great tips on how to form good habits.

Reduce Stress  

If you’ve recently had a job change or a setback in your career, think of this as an opportunity to reduce stress. Our jobs are a major contributor to the way we handle stress and anxiety, so changing things up could be beneficial. Consider taking on a position with fewer responsibilities, or move from full to part-time and pick up a side gig that makes you happy.

Clean Up and Declutter

Cleaning and decluttering your home can help boost your mental health, so if you’re moving or have recently divorced or separated from your partner, think of this as a chance to streamline your life. Go through your belongings and decide which ones you want to keep, which ones can be sold or donated, and which ones you can put into storage to prevent them from taking up space in your new home. If you do opt for self-storage, keep in mind the overall average price of a storage unit booked in New York City over the past 180 days is $91.36.

Focus on Yourself

If you’ve recently found that your relationships are taking a toll on you, take some time out for yourself and focus on your needs. Negativity in our interactions with others can affect our self-worth and our ability to see value in others, but stepping back and making an effort to spend time making yourself happy can do the opposite. Practice self-care and learn to enjoy being alone by meditating or engaging in a healthy activity, such as yoga.

Turn Your Health Around 

Many people find that after a health scare (either for themselves or a loved one), they are inclined to take better care of themselves. Use this time to learn what the best-balanced diet is for your needs, how to work in exercise every day, and how to get good sleep each night. You might do some research online and consider the easiest way to begin new routines in these areas. All of these things can have a dramatic effect on your health, both now and in the future.

It’s not always easy to make major healthy changes to your lifestyle, but with some careful planning and a positive attitude, you can turn your bad habits into good ones in no time. Talk to your friends and family members about your goals in order to have some accountability, and consider keeping a journal where you can write these goals down to stay motivated.

Article Contributed by Susan Treadway

Magnesium; What Is It?

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. Found in bones, teeth, and red blood cells, magnesium serves as a building block for DNA and is an essential element required for proper functioning of the nervous, muscular, and cardiovascular systems.

Because magnesium supplements can interact with some medications, it’s important to discuss the need for a dietary supplement with a healthcare provider before taking one.

Why We Need To Supplement

Modern farming techniques have caused a depletion of magnesium in the soil, and our reliance on highly processed food also means we get less. Water-softening technology has stripped drinking water of magnesium, contributing to our deficiency.

Magnesium and Anxiety

It’s estimated that nearly half of Americans are magnesium deficient. A magnesium deficiency is difficult to diagnose due to its wide distribution throughout the body and symptoms associated with other health conditions. But early signs of a deficiency might include everything from irritability and muscle weakness to an irregular heartbeat.

Another common sign of a magnesium deficiency is cramping. Cramps can affect any muscle in the body but are most common in muscles or muscle groups that span two joints – e.g. the calf muscles of the lower leg (gastrocnemius) and the hamstring muscles of the rear thigh. Muscle cramps can last anywhere from a few seconds to minutes, and a muscle cramp in a particular location may also reoccur multiple times until it finally goes away.

Cramping occurs when the normal mechanisms controlling muscle contraction and relaxation become temporarily impaired. Genetics are also known to play a role (some people are simply more prone to muscle cramping than others all other things being equal) as does age (muscles in the elderly are more prone to cramping than in younger people).

However, most scientists agree that "true cramps" – those we normally associate with vigorous exercise, fatigue, and dehydration/electrolyte imbalances etc. – are caused by hyperexcitability of the nerves that stimulate the muscles, which also explains why much attention on preventing cramps has been focussed at minimizing this excitability through optimum nutrition and conditioning protocols.

Some studies have shown that a 6% carbohydrate-electrolyte sports drink can help delay the onset of exercise-induced muscle cramps in endurance activities such as distance running, but not prevent them entirely.

Moreover, magnesium supplementation has also been shown to help sufferers of "night cramps", which involves nocturnal muscle cramping (normally in the legs). 

*In my personal experience I have had many clients over the age of 60 over the years who have complained to me about "night cramps" in their legs. I recommended a magnesium supplement of 400 mg/day, and in all cases, the cramps went away. 

If you drink a lot of water but run to the bathroom soon after, it means that your body is not absorbing the water. You are low on electrolytes and will be dehydrated at the cellular level, while also feeling thirsty during the day.  One of the ways to solve this problem is to make sure you are drinking quality water from spring, glacial or artesian aquifers. These sources already have a naturally high mineral content. 

You can also put a pinch of natural sea salt in your water and just give it a shake. You won’t taste it and it will help add the necessary electrolytes to make it easier for your cells to absorb the water. 

What Is BodiTrak?

BodiTrak for Golf

BodiTrak products give teachers, coaches and golfers the tools to visualize and better understand the golf swing, to make improvements faster and track success.

"Whatever we do with the golf club is reflected in the ground." _Mark Blackburn

BodiTrak for Performance Assessment

In this video, TPI instructor Lance Gill explains how he uses BodiTrak to perform the Overhead Deep Squat ​. A very informative test that is part of the Level 1 screening process, and how the results on the test can show us if that athlete is loading laterally or are they able to keep their center of pressure well balanced during the squat.

Below, BodiTrak instructor Daisy-May Kenny demonstrates an medicine ball overhead slam using the BodiTrak 

• More information –> enhanced coaching
• Enhanced coaching –> quicker athletic improvement.
• Athletic improvement –> playing golf better FASTER. 

"Adding Distance To Drives And Years To Lives" 

Have you ever wondered what allows the pros hit the ball so far? Of course you have. I have never met a golfer that wouldn’t like more yardage. Longer drives gives you the potential for lower scores and isn’t that what golf is all about! 

Vertical Thrust Is A Must

The ability to create large vertical thrust is a must if you want to hit the ball a long way. When we look at PGA players we see that some of the longest hitters are also the biggest jumpers. The average tour player can jump somewhere between 20″ – 22″ vertically. If you can jump over 20″ you can likely generate ball speed over 165mph. 

"The higher you can jump, the further you can hit the ball."_Dr. Greg Rose, TPI

We can test vertical jump by simply marking a wall at arms length, then jumping as far as you can over that point. The difference between them is your vertical jump. If you don’t have the ability to check a vertical jump we can also use the broad jump to test for lower body power production. The goal distance for the broad jump is 120% of your height. So if you are 72 inches tall (6 feet) you should be able to jump 86 inches on a broad jump. If you can measure up to these numbers then you have the potential to create incredible vertical thrust forces.

Ground Reaction Force

Ground reaction force is any equal and opposite reaction of you pushing into the ground which goes back into the golfer. As you begin the downswing transition, because the feet don’t go anywhere – we get a force coming from the ground that goes back through the body which  is followed by a thrust up, which is what allows you to steal energy from the ground, transfer it into your lower body, then the trunk, arm, club and into the golf ball. (the object of destruction). 

The best players in the world harness that vertical thrust power into rotary power. 

"Bigger squat = more vertical force. More vertical force = more rotational power potential. More rotational power = longer drives."_Rory Mcilroy 

The main reason the squat is so key to developing vertical thrust power is it has the same general motor pattern. A loaded squat is simply a slowed down jump. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: 

Creating an explosive ground reaction force will shallow out the driver, create a positive attack angle, gets the power starting in the lower body so it can be transferred through the core, and then the arms. And that is how you hit the ball a long way! Let’s get jumping! 

Let’s suppose for a moment that you are one of those golfers (like Jordan Spieth above)  that understands the relationship between fitness and your ability to play golf to the best of your ability.. Let’s just say…. 

So if you are going to the gym you want to optimize the time you spend there and derive the most benefit you can from it, right? Of course you do. You’re a successful person who has little time to waste. Then the first thing you need to ask yourself is:

What benefits would you like to see from the work you are putting in and the time you spend there? 

If you’re there because you want your exercise to help you with your golf game then you need to know what physical qualities YOU need to improve upon in order to play golf better. Which means YOU need to know which physical qualities are necessary to be a good golfer. With me so far? 

The physical qualities that better golfers have are: 

• flexibility
• mobility
• stability
• balance
• strength
• power
• cardio-respiratory efficiency 

Think of each of these physical qualities as buckets. How would you know which of these buckets you need to fill? 

Assess and Address

The best way of know which of your buckets needs filling is to assess and prioritize. And the best way to assess what YOUR physical needs are is to have someone who understands how to measure them with a screening process.  That’s essentially what a screen does. It tells the screener what it is you can or cannot do. Whether or not you have any physical limitations that are adversely effecting your golf swing. And when it comes to being fit for golf, those screens are measure and compared to by what "better golfers" can do. 

Check out this great video of Me and My Golf along with TPI Co-Founder Dave Philips going through some of the physical screens. 

Mistake #1: You Have No Plan

I’m sure you’re familiar with the Benjamin Franklin saying, "If you fail to plan you are planning to fail," and another wonderful quote by the brilliant Zig Ziglar, "If you aim at nothing, you will hit it every time."

FACT: The average amateur golfer does not have the knowledge of how to put together a complete training program nor are they familiar with all the elements that are required for their success.

For your exercise program to be successful you first have to start with the end result in mind. Where do YOU want to go? Then find out where you are physically in relationship to that end result and then reverse engineer a plan that will take you there. 

Every athlete loves to get in an intense workout, but no one likes the recovery period afterward. Instead of just dealing with the soreness and waiting for your body to recover on its own, here are seven foods you can eat that will help speed up the recovery process and get back in the weight room quicker.

1. Beetroot

One of the main reasons athletes get sore after workouts is because of the inflammation that occurs. Beetroot contains nitrate and phenolic acids, both of which contain anti-inflammatory properties that aid in the recovery process.

In a study done by University of Northumbria, participants who ingested beetroot juice reported less muscle soreness and performed better in athletic examinations than those who took a placebo in the days following their intense workouts.

Beetroot can be cooked in almost any way, but is most commonly baked or boiled. However, many choose to drink it as a juice, mixing the beetroot with carrots, lemon, and ginger.

2. Watermelon

Watermelon isn’t just for those hot summer get-togethers with family and friends anymore – it can also become a staple of your post workout diet. Watermelon will help supply you with Glycogen, which your muscle cells burn through during aerobic and anaerobic exercise.

Aside from boosting depleted Glycogen levels, Watermelon is high in – you guessed it – water, making it perfect for rehydration. Watermelons also contain essential electrolytes that you lose while sweating.

The best time to eat (or drink) your watermelon is immediately following your workout. There is a two-hour window in which your body absorbs carbohydrates over twice as fast as it does in periods not following exercise, so not only will you get to enjoy the great sweet taste of Watermelon, but you will get to do so knowing that it is speeding up your recovery process. That’s the definition of a win-win.

3. Cottage Cheese

When you go through an intense workout, especially one that involves weight lifting, developing small lesions on the muscles is common. Enter cottage cheese, which is not only high in water content (at 79%), but also in protein, which helps the body rebuild the damaged areas of the muscles.

Cottage Cheese is an even better post-workout food if you happen to exercise before going to bed due to the high levels of casein and whey protein it contains, which means you will be building muscle all throughout the night.

4. Fish

This probably comes as no surprise. Foods that are high in protein and low in fat are almost always going to be ideal foods to help you recover after a strenuous workout. Almost all fish fit those criteria. Some of the more popular fish used for post-workout meals are cod, tilapia, and, of course, salmon.

Salmon, for example, contains Omega-3 fatty acids, protein, dietary cholesterol, B Vitamins, Zinc, Selenium, and is known to boost testosterone. The versatility of fish is a major benefit as it will acquire the taste of your seasonings fairly simply, allowing you to perfectly customize your recovery meal taste.

BONUS TIP: If you are feeling adventurous you could step outside your comfort zone and try some Octopus. Yes – octopus. Just one three-ounce serving of the tentacled creature contains a whopping 25 grams of protein in a three-ounce portion.

5. Quinoa

It’s pronounced "keen-wah", not "quin-o-uh". You’re welcome for the avoidance of any future embarrassment. Regardless of how you pronounce it, however, quinoa is exactly the type of food you need to be eating after an intense workout. Quinoa has even been dubbed a "super crop" by the UN because of its health benefits.

Quinoa is amazingly high in amino acids while also containing more calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium than barely, corn, or wheat. It is also one of the few plant foods on earth that is considered a complete protein, and even though it is not technically considered a grain, it still counts as a whole grain food. In other words, the perfect food to help your body recover after you pushed it to the max. 

One of the best parts about having quinoa after a workout is the fact that it can be prepared in as little as 15 minutes, giving you extra time to work out.

Conclusion:  

Don’t let a hard workout set you back because of the soreness that follows. Make sure you are doing everything in your power to give your body the correct fuel it needs to repair itself. Start with the seven foods listed above and you will be well on your way to continued intense workouts and achieving your fitness goals.

Article Provided by:  Dan Jenkins, who writes fitness and health articles for Supplement Critique. 

Many people know the benefits of physical fitness; not only does it keep you healthy, it can boost your self-esteem, keep you social, and help elevate your mental health. For those who are battling an addiction, exercise can help in all those ways and more. It’s important for people in recovery to feel that they are in control of something, and working out can provide structure to the day and allow you to plan out exactly what your activities will be.

Staying fit can help you create a healthy plan for the long-term; having a routine you can stick to will keep you motivated and may push you toward making good decisions. It can also help you practice mindfulness, which is often associated with yoga and meditation. Activities like running, walking, and swimming are great ways to focus on your breathing and stay in the moment, allowing you to push away negative feelings like stress and anxiety. Keep reading for some great info on how physical fitness and addiction recovery are linked.

Find an activity you love

Engaging in physical fitness doesn’t have to be all about hitting the gym for a workout; you can find an activity you enjoy — such as yoga, swimming, or golfing — and do it often, getting the benefits of both exercise for your body and relaxation for your mind. Reducing stress and anxiety is essential in preventing an addiction relapse, and practicing an activity that you enjoy will boost your mood and help you find healthy ways to cope. 

Sleep better

Getting daily exercise is one of the best ways to keep your overall health up, and that includes getting enough rest. Good sleep is essential for all of us, and individuals who are in recovery often have a hard time getting to sleep or staying there. Working out for at least 30 minutes a day will help release chemicals in your brain that will help you feel happy and relaxed, and all that physical activity will allow you to fall into bed ready to sleep at the end of the day. 

Treat your bones and muscles right

Regular exercise in the form of an activity like golf can help keep your bones, muscles, and joints healthy. Not only that, all the walking required can help reduce the risk of stroke and heart attack and can boost brain and memory function. Keeping your hip and knee joints in good shape can decrease the risk of falls and injuries, making golf a great way to stay in shape. ​

Create a long-term plan

Mixing a workout with something you enjoy — such as a sport — can help you stay motivated enough to keep it up, meaning you can create a long-term plan for your health. Focusing on feeling good will boost your self-esteem and confidence, allowing you to experience positive personal growth on a new level.

Get social

Exercise can help you get social, something that’s often difficult for individuals in recovery. You may have lost connections you once had, or perhaps you feel it’s in your best interest to move away from the people who used to be big influences in your life. Joining a golf club, a running group, or swimming at the local YMCA can help you make new connections with like-minded people.

Conclusion: 

Supplementing your recovery with physical fitness can help you feel good about yourself while you practice self-care, something that is essential in order to heal. Talk to your friends and family about your plans, and set attainable goals in the beginning in order to stay motivated. With a little preparation, you can make your recovery a success.

Article credit to: Susan Treadway 

It’s finally here! Summer Starts NOW!

Warm weather, barbecues, vacations, the beach..and of course golf!

Remember when we were kids, how fast summer went by and how long the school year felt in comparison?  From Labor forward we anxiously awaited that moment for the bell to ring to signify the beginning of a 10 week break from school. And it the what seemed like the blink of an eye the next thing we knew we were   out shopping with our moms for school supplies….

                               Now that we’re older it seems as though time speeds up and the days, months, and years go by faster than ever. The time between Memorial Day and Labor Day seems to disappear in like 2 seconds. 

One of the reasons for this is as we age our perspective of time does change and the other part of it is most of us are just not taking advantage of the season and getting out and doing……….

When you were a little kid life was about moving and experiencing. Every day was a new adventure that  began when your eyes opened and didn’t end until you collapsed into your bed at night.

You ran, played, kicked stuff, crawled, rode your bike and hung out with your friends – you did life. Every day was a new experience and those experiences made us into the adults we are today.

As we get older we tend to replace experiences with stuff. Sometimes it’s stuff we can afford and it takes years to pay off. The sun, sand, fun, the experiences – they come in limited quantities. Like everything else they have an expiration date.  Often times we look back at time past with regret wishing we would have done this or that.

Even though Labor Day is still 10 weeks away it comes fast. So make sure you take advantage of the season and get outside and play. Whether it be a walk in the park, going for a bike rid, doing some gardening, getting in a round of golf or even jumping in a lake, make the time to get outside and move and experience life.

Have a Great Summer –

DO LIFE, DON’T LET LIFE DO YOU! 

Most golfers now know that improving one’s fitness is an important component to improving one’s game. But many do not have a solid grasp of basic nutrition and supplementation concepts and how important they are to improving performance. 

When a golfer plays multiple days in a row that can lead to being sore and being sore can throw off a player’s swing and ultimately ruin his or her game. 

Pre and Post Round Nutrition Has Many Benefits: 

• Promotes recovery
• Optimizes hormonal response to exercise
• Minimizes post exercise muscle soreness
• Enhances the repair of connective tissue

Post-Round Nutrition

The same basic principles apply to Post-Round nutrition as Pre-Round nutrition with one exception. Post-Round is the optimal time to add some carbs in the form of starches to your meal. Extended periods of exercise deplete the body of glycogen (blood sugar).. so you want to replace those as fast as possible after your training or play. The window of opportunity is about 30 minutes. And this is when the body is ready for some higher glycemic index carbohydrates. So we’re talking about things like: white rice, white potatoes, fruit, etc. would be appropriate for this time. Don’t forget the protein! The more nutrients we can get into the muscle (in the form of carbs and amino acids) that will help replenish the muscle tissue and prevent muscle soreness, which will allow the play to return to play or practice the next day and get the most out of it.

The Hormonal Aspect

Exercise is stress and your body produces the hormone cortisol as a stress response. When you eat a meal containing carbs and proteins (replacing the glycogen-which will help prevent muscle soreness) you lower those cortisol levels faster, giving it the best chance of recovery.

Brett’s Bottom Line:

Nutrition, pre-round, during and post-round will play a huge role in how well you recovery from play day-to-day. Start off your day with a good breakfast. Hydrate and snack on the course every 3 – 4 holes and be sure to replenish and refuel with a post-round meal than combines all three macronutrients (protein, fat and carbohydrates. To benefit optimally from your post-round meal try to consume it within :30 to :60 minutes after the round. This is when the cells are most receptive to replenishment. 

"Adding Distance To Drives And Years To Lives"

Hopefully you’ve started your day with a glass or two of water and a good quality breakfast to maintain that blood sugar.

(if you missed that information click on this link to read the blog)

https://nygolffitnessguru.com/2018/06/10/do-this-before-you-tee-off-pre-round-nutrition-golf-fitness-nyc/

Now the key is to maintain that throughout the round. My recommendation is to have something to eat about every 3 – 4 holes. So the question is always-well what do you eat? The things to consider here are: what foods are available to you? Do you need to pack something or does the club offer high quality choices? And will you be able to digest it comfortably? (examples: nuts/seeds, jerkies, trail mix, celery-peanut butter).

Don’ts: soda, sports drinks, alcohol, hot dogs and chips.. These food are high in sodium or sugar and will ultimately dehydrate you and have no nutritional value. 

Sports Drinks:

Most sports drinks have more sugar than you need. The typical sports drink will have about 17grams per ounce, which is quite a bit. The game of golf doesn’t require that amount as you aren’t using that many carbs walking around the course. The are also filled with artificial colors and dyes. None of which your body needs to be consuming, during golf or ever for that matter. 

Energy Drinks

The chief ingredient in these drinks is caffeine and too much caffeine can be detrimental to your game if you are over-caffeinated. jittery hands, etc.

Brett’s Bottom Line:

Sports drinks and energy drinks – not needed for the game of golf. If you are properly hydrated with water will do you just fine.

 So what do you eat and drink to stay hydrated and energized throughout the round? 

Hydration Do’s: When available – drinking water is going to be your first choice. Another great choice (if available is coconut water). Coconut water contains 5 essential electrolytes: potassium, magnesium, sodium, calcium, and phosphorus. Key nutrients in rehydrating after sweaty endurance work.

Eating Do’s – Healthy Snacks For On – Or off The Course

When it comes to snacking on the course your best bet is to pack it yourself. Get some small ziplock bags and fill them with unsalted nuts: peanuts, cashews, almonds, etc. and some dried fruit. Creating your own trail mix. 

Otherwise the following make some great snacks too:

Mehret Bars

Mehret Bar was created as a whole food alternative energy bar designed to deliver delicious, pure, instant fuel for active bodies. They are: Organic, Hand-Made, Gluten-Free, Non-GMO, Vegan, Grass-Fed, High Protein

· 100% organic
· wheat-free
· gluten-free
· raw (never heated above 95 degrees)
· soy free
· high protein
· high fiber and delicious!

​​To Order Your Mehret Bars

Click Here: http://www.mehretbar.com/store/c1/Feature d_Products.html

Julie’s Real  

A popular snack with the players on the tour (especially Jordan Spieth), Julie’s Real uses only 100% all natural, good-for-you ingredients to create exceptionally tasting almond butters, cashew butters and grain-free granolas. All of her products are hand-crafted in small batches and are sweetened with real vanilla beans and a touch of real honey. Her products are Paleo, Gluten Free and they’re Real Good!

To order Julie’s Real

Click Here: https://www.juliesreal.com/collections/frontpage 

Julie’s Real can also be found in Whole Foods Markets and Fairway

Brett’s Bottom Line:  

To play 18 rounds you need energy and real energy comes from real food. Avoid highly processed foods, sugar, salt, alcohol and caffeine on the course. Stay hydrated and keep your blood sugar levels stable by stacking approximately every 3  – 4 holes.

Specializing in helping golfers, just like you, improve your health and shoot lower scores.

In a previous blog I spoke of the need to have a complete breakfast before you head out for a round of golf. And I realize that many of you might have a very early tee off time and not have much time to prepare a complete breakfast.

Nevertheless, you still need nutrition if you want to play your best golf. No time to cook? I’ve got just the thing. My favorite protein shake I call the Chocolate Chunky Monkey. 

This shake will take you just a few minutes to make as long as you have all the ingredients on board. It tastes delicious and is highly nutritious. Here’s what you’ll need. 

• Blender
• 1 cup of ice
• 3/4 cup of organic sugar free almond milk
• 1 banana
• 2 scoops of Tera’s Chocolate Grass Fed Whey Protein Powder
• 1 generous tablespoon of organic, natural peanut butter
• 1 teaspoon of cacoa powder
• 1 tablespoon of coconut oil

Directions: 

Place all the ingredient in the blender, let it spin for about 45 seconds and voila, you have a healthy, nutritious breakfast filled with healthy fats and protein you can drink straight away or take on the road with you. Enjoy and play great golf. 

"Adding Distance To Drives And Years To Lives" 

Brett

If you’re a parent you wouldn’t let your child go to school without eating breakfast.

Why?

Because you know that a nourished body means a sharp mind.

Studies have shown that kids who eat breakfast perform better academically than kids who don’t.

So why would you think of going to play golf with eating breakfast? 

You’re really just a BIG KID…..

Pre-Round Nutrition – Begin Your Day With Breakfast

If you’ve every taken a golf lesson you more than likely have experienced the following:

You go in for a lesson and the instructor takes a video of your swing. Then they take the video of you swinging and put it up next to a video of a professional golfer swinging and say something like this: "see where___________ is at the top of the backswing, I need you to get your arms up to that position at the top of the backswing." 

Golf coaches have been saying things like that as long as there’s been video but have been doing so without the knowledge of what you can physically do. If you cannot physically do what that professional golfer can do then is that the ideal position for you to try to get into? 

Here’s the problem with that model.

The average amateur golfer is not physically capable of performing the required body movements that are involved in a mechanically correct golf swing. 

It’s like trying to put a square peg into a round hole!

"A Golf Pro is basically telling you that we think this is the best way to express our physiology to move the ball. But if you physically can’t do it you’re going to spend thousands of hours working with a pro who has become a master at addressing your movement compensations…If you show up with the full capacity to move the way a golf pro wants you to -you can use their expertise to become a better golfer because you possess the movement foundation to do so. That’s the central difference between a golf pro and a golf fitness professional." __Kelly Starrett, author of The Supple Leopard 

If a golf pro knew you couldn’t get into a positon they wouldn’t be asking you to. 

There Is A Better Way!

Here’s what you should be doing: 

• Have a golf pro evaluate your swing.
• Have a golf pro or golf fitness professional evaluate your body.
• Once you know what you can and cannot do in relation to what is desired of a mechanically correct golf swing you can decide to work around it or break throught it. 

If you don’t test, it’s just a guess!

So let’s say the golf pro notices that you have a tendency to lift up in your back swing. This loss of posture characteristic is commonly a result of a lack of mobility in the thoracic spine (in other words, the abiltiy to rotate your rib cage around your spine).

Without this knowledge you’d just be guessing whether or not you just can’t physically do what it is they are asking you to do or – you are just not getting the concept. 

The Cross Roads

If you’re struggling with doing the things you want to do and it’s not because you just don’t "get it" then you have a choice to make: 

• You can adopt a swing style that matches your body type and physical abilities OR
• You can work on improving how you move and eliminating the physical restrictions so you can have the ability to play the game at your full potential.

So How Do We Measure Efficiency?

Watching a golfer swing with your eyes or analyzing 2D video is fine for measuring style, but is not an accurate way to measure a golfer’s efficiency. 

Determining a players efficiency can only be done using 3D motion capture techniques and/or physical screens. 

With the aid of 3-D motion analysis systems such as the K-Vest/K-Coach, researchers have been able to indentify the true measurement of a good golf swing. Using data collected by these 3-D systems; we can look at how golfers generate speed and transfer that speed or energy throughout their bodies. This tranfer of energy throughout the body is known as the "Kinematic Sequence".

What Makes A Golf Swing Efficient?

The common thread amongst all great ball strikers is this – they all have a remarkable similar kinematic sequence of generating speed and transferring that speed throughout their bodies. 

All great ball strikers begin by generating speed from their lower body and transferring that speed through the torso, into their lead shoulder and arm and finally into the club. What style they use to accomplish this sequence is completely unique to each player. 

"At TPI we don’t believe there’s one way to swing a golf club. We believe there are a infinite number of ways to swing a golf club. But we do believe there’s one efficient way for every golfer to swing and it’s based on what their body can physically do."_Titleist Performance Institute 

So in other words, it doesn’t matter if your swing looks like Tiger Woods or Jim Furyk, or if it has some really weird style. What we do care about is whether or not it’s efficient? In other words, is it reproducable, and is it powerful. And proper sequencing is the key to repeatablility, consistency and power.

"Like so many others, I took regular golf lessons but resisted the notion that I was out of shape. I have been working with Brett for 3 years and I now understand what I believe to be true for virtually every golfers over 50, namely that we are physically unable to produces the swing that our pros are teaching us." __Mark Cusick 

 END OF PART 1 

Is Your Hydration UP TO PAR?

This is a continuation of my Last Longer On The Golf Course Series. In part 1 & 2 I covered both Passive and Active Recovery & Regeneration strategies. 

This article is going to focus on the importance of Hydration and how that relates to performance and recovery. 

Why is Hydration So Important?

• the main reason is that your body is 60-70% water.
• you need to replace that fluid on a daily basis.
• your brain is 80% water.
• research has shown that just a 1-2% loss in water weight will effect your ability to think. In a 200lb. person that’s only 2-4lbs. of water.. that’s easily lost in a round of golf on a hot summer day. Lack of hydration effects your ability to think and it will have an effect on your short and long term memory, it will effect your reaction time, and your ability to make clear decisions on the course. COURSE MANAGEMENT.
• Another key reason to stay hydrated is because it effects your joints. You’re joints have synovial fluid which lubricates the joints. And that synovial fluid is produced by (you guessed it) the water that you drink.
• So if you are walking around in a dehydrated state your body will prioritize the supply on board and the first priority is alway brain function (the main computer).. and leave your joints behind.. So staying hydrated is one of the weapons against low back and shoulder pain.. (two of the major complaints amongst amateur golfers).
• Another reason is to help to maintain strength throughout the round. Tests show that people that lifted weights perform better when they are hydrated. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: You really want to make sure that your hydration is up to par to create that foundation for performance as well as recovery. Your ability to drive the ball from Tee 1 to Tee 18 will decrease if you are dehydrated.  How Much?

Take your bodyweight, divide in 1/2 and that’s the amount of ounces you should consume each day.. coffee/tea/soda/alcohol do not count. ONLY WATER. e.g. If you are a 200lb. male that equals 100oz. of water or 3 – 1 liter bottles. When to Drink?

The timing of when you drink water is important as well. In the morning you want to drink about 25% of your daily intake right when you get up.. So before you consume your first caffeinated beverage of the day-drink your water. 25 oz. to 50 oz. for a 200lb. player. because in the morning you wake up in a dehydrated state. You haven’t consumed any water in about 8 hours (I hope you are sleeping 8 hours) and you lose water to: respiration, perspiration and urination.

As the day goes on and you’re playing a round of golf. That same 200lb. player will need to drink 50oz. throughout the round of golf and the remaining 25% around meals.

Brett’s Bottom Line:  Drinking water upon waking will give you a renewed sense of energy, it starts detox process, helps you move your bowels. etc. Staying hydrated throughout the day and the round will keep you flexible and sharp on the course

Sports Drinks:

Most sports drinks have more sugar than you need. The typical sports drink will have about 17grams per ounce, which is quite a bit. The game of golf doesn’t require that amount as you aren’t using that many carbs walking around the course. They are also laden with artificial dyes and a host of other chemical compounds which your body simply doesn’t need to detoxifying. In fact in a recent NY Times Article it was found that eating a  banana had comperable benefits to drinking a sports drink with none of the downside. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: Sports drinks are not needed for the game of golf. If you are properly hydrated with water will do you just fine. Energy Drinks

The chief ingredient in these drinks is caffeine and too much caffeine can be detrimental to your game. If you are over-caffeinated that can create jittery hands, etc. As with the sports drinks, energy drinks also contain artificial colors and flavors that you simply want to stay away from. If you drink caffeine in the form of coffee or tea, do so in the morning but stay away from it while you play.

Brett’s Bottom Line: Hydration is the foundation of health and performance. Remember, drink half your body weight in ounces daily, more if it’s hot and you sweat a lot on the course. 

"Adding Distance To Drives And Years To Lives" 

Who wouldn’t like to lose a few pounds? The thing is that for your body to change your habits have to change. If you do the things you’ve always done, you’ll get the same results you’ve always gotten!

 \

STEP 1. Eliminate Grains, Starches & Alcohol

• Do you frequently experience a pull or a slice?
• Do you often feel "stuck’ or "trapped" on your downswing? 
• Do you ever experience back, elbow, shoulder or neck pain after playing a round of golf?

I know this can be very frustrating! 

So why is this happening? Well, it could be you need some instruction on what to do with your body and the club. Who couldn’t use some help there! It could be that your clubs don’t fit you properly. It also could be you need to put some more time in practicing. But did you consider that it could be you?

"Your swing is developed around your physical abilities and limitations."

Well, what does that mean? Let’s say you are getting good instruction, you had your clubs fitted properly and you practice your little heart out but you still are struggling to play the way you’d like to play, then it’s time to look at the person holding the club. 

How your body moves and how that effects the golf swing is known as the Body-Swing Connection.  

Most amateur golfers that struggle with power and consistency do so because they don’t have the physical pre-requisites necessary to get into and maintain a positon to deliver a powerful and consistent golf swing. 

What All Good Ball Strikers Have In Common

Regardless of style, all good ball strikers generate speed and transfer energy throughtout their bodies to the ball in the same sequence. The most efficient sequence of how they get this speed to the club head is callled the "Kinematic Sequence".

All great ball strikers begin generating speed from their lower body and transfer that speed through the torso into their lead arm and then into the club. What that means is that the hips start the downswing, the trunk/torso begins to rotate, next the shoulder/arm starts to fire carrying that energy into the club.

What style they use to complete this task is completely unique to each player. 

The same sequence used to initiate force from the top of the backswing to impact is used to decelerate the body after impact. In other words, the lower body begins to slow down first, then the torso, then the lead arm and the club shaft. 

What Causes Efficiency Breakdowns? 

Without the ability to initiate the downswing with the lower body, a player can easily dominate the downwing with the upper body, forcing the swing to come over-the-top or cast. 

A good Kinematic Sequence requires the following physical factors: 

• The ability to separate movements of the lower body from the upper body (disassociation). The ability to separate the lower body from the upper body allows the upper body to lead in the backswing and the lower body to lead the downswing. (Reduced spinal and hip mobility causes limited pelvis-to-thorax separation.) 
• Core stability to help maintain posture and thorax stability is essential.  Any loss in posture can force the torso and arms to fire first in transition.
• Good balance on each leg, especially the lead side, is paramount for proper weight shift. Limited weight shift towards the lead leg can reduce the lower body’s contribution to generate power during the swing. Therefore, players who do not have adequate single leg balance will try to produce power from their upper body by chopping down or throwing the club over-the-top. 

Brett’s Bottom Line:

Style doesn’t matter-efficiency does! To be a good golfer it’s paramount to develop a  good Kinematic Sequence. The ability to transfer energy efficiently throught your body.

A good Kinematic Sequence is the key to power, consistency and accuracy.

While lessons, practice and good equipment are also necessary components – they are mute if you can’t get into position to swing the club in the right sequence.

Regardless what your goals are on the golf course, unless you address your physical needs you are not maximizing your chances of success.

Identifying and improving upon physical restrictions is the key to unlocking your true playing potential. 

"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!"_Brett Cohen

P.S.

Hey, let’s face it. The biomechanics of the golf swing – complicated. Functional anatomy of the human body – complicated. Put them together. Well, you get the point. That’s why after taking my first Level 1 Cerfifcation in 2010 I will be repeating it for the 5th time on Monday May 7th & Tuesday May 8th revisiting my Level 1 material with Dr. Greg Rose, Dave Phillips, Lance Gill and Jason Glass. (The BIG Guns).. These are the guys that have been testing and training the tour players for 2 decades! 

Don’t try to figure it out on your own when there’s an expert waiting to help you. All you have to do it call (917) 596-8485. Let’s get you started improving every day. 

In part one of this three part series I wrote about the importance of having a recovery & regeneration mindset and some of the active forms of recovery. In part two of this series I will discuss some of the passive forms of recovery & regeneration necessary to help you play golf better! 

#1: When it comes to recovery & regeneration there’s nothing more powerful than sleep! 

Sleep patterns are the #1 factor in the recovery process. Why? While you’re sleeping, your body works to repair muscle stress that has occurred during exercise. Our bodies were designed to work in harmony with the cycles of the sun.

It’s just that today, modern man stays up way past sundown using artificial sources of light. These lights stimulate the nervous system, which continuously produces awakening hormones, making it that much more difficult to fall asleep. 

It’s important to know that our Physical Repair Cycle occurs between approximately 10 p.m. – 2 a.m. And our Psychological Repair Cycle between 2 a.m. – 6 a.m. When you miss any of those important hours you are likely to feel "exhausted" and leave yourself susceptible to illness and injury. 

Coaches Tips: 

• Bed by 10:00 p.m.!!!!
• In general, aim for 7.5-8 hours/night.
• The longer you sleep, the longer you experience REM(rapid eye movement), a period marked by increased brain activity and muscle relaxation.
• When you’re getting enough sleep you’re helping the recovery process!                                                                                                                                                                                                                              "The harder you train, the more sleep you need to recovery; otherwise you will fall victim to injury and overtraining". -Brett Cohen

#2: The Second Passive Recovery Strategy is Ice or Cold Therapy

Ice and cold therapy have been used in sports performance for a very long time. Traditional methods includes: 

• Ice packs (placing an ice pack on a specific area of the body for 15 – 20 minutes) 
• Ice baths (Immersing your feet and legs in an ice bath for 15-20 minutes after a long day on the course)
• Hot and Cold contrast showers and immersions ( Hot water rushes blood away from your internal organs to the skin. Cold brings blood from the surface to your internal organs to keep them warm. Alternate 2 -3 min. hot with 30 sec. – 1 min. cold.)

In recent years, cryotherapy chambers have been studied and used to help treat issues of inflammation and recovery amongst general population clients and athletes alike. As of recently, there have been noted very possible benefits of the modality not just for rehabilitative and preventative use, but also for enhanced performance in the training room, sports fields, and yes, most importantly, the golf course.

In episode182 of the 18Strong Podcast with Jeff Pelizzaro, Dr. Melvin Deese and Evan Hugall from Impact Cryotherapy discuss the increased use of cryotherapy chambers and how they are used to help treat issues of inflammation and recovery amongst general population clients and athletes alike.  As well as the very possible benefits of the modality not just for rehabilitative and preventative use, but also for enhanced performance in the training room, sports fields, and yes, most importantly, the golf course.

Coach’s Tip:

• Cold therapy decreases post-workout inflammation in muscles.

#3: The Third Passive Recovery Strategy is Massage

Benefits of massage include: release of trigger points, adhesions & scare tissue, relaxation, improved circulation and relief of muscle tension. Massage helps improve flexibility and decrease soreness.

Contraindications:

• Wait to get a post-race or post-workout massage for at least 2 hours after playing or training. Lactic acids needs a chance to buffer to a neutral pH before it gets moved around.

Coach’s Tips:

• Massage can help improve performance, increase endurance and help lower fatigue levels.
• Massage reduces recovery time!

END OF PART 2

The key to doing anything longer is dependent on the following criteria: 

• Your level of conditioning (fitness).
• Your ability to recover from the stresses of exercise and activity.
• Proper fueling and hydration strategies (nutrition).

This is the first of 3 articles what will cover all the above strategies so you have the knowledge and tools to last longer on the golf course. 

{Part 1}

If you love golf as much as my clients do you will want to play golf 2 – 4 times per week during the season. Sometimes playing 2 – 3 days in a row. That’s a lot of golf for an amateur athlete. Yes, I said athlete. Golfers are athletes. Golf is not just a game, it’s a sport. A sport requiring the physical abilities to get into position to perform a mechanically correct golf swing – powerfully, repeatedly, and with minimal risk of injury. 

The amount of force it takes to swing a golf club is equivalent to the force needed to serve in tennis, hit a hockey slap shot or throw a boxer’s cross. Golf is a rotational power sport that requires: flexibility, mobility, stability, balance, strength, power and cardio-vascular and muscular endurance.

If you want to perform like a professional athlete you have to do the things professional athletes do! Professional athletes train for the game. 

(below is my colleague Damon Goddard with Jordan Spieth) 

• 17 of the last 20 Major Championships were won by players advised by a TPI Certified Expert
• 27 of the top 30 Players in the World Are Advised by a TPI Certified Expert 
• 52 of the last 63 PGA Tour Events were won by players advised by a TPI Certiifed Expert

"I give a lot of credit to [TPI Certified trainer] Sean Cochran and him staying up on new techniques working with Dave Phillips, Greg Rose and the guys at TPI and having our workouts being designed to elongate my career…"__Phil Mickelson

 In Part 1 of this article we will cover:

• The importance of the recovery & regeneration mindset.
• What is recovery & regeneration? 
• The difference between active and passive recovery.
• Active recovery methods. 

What Is The Recovery & Regeneration Mindset?

Recovery & Regeneration is a lifestyle philosophy.  A recognition that you need to plan ways to recover-mentally and physically from training and sports participation.

What Recovery & Regeneration?

Regeneration is the process of repairing muscle cells and other soft tissue that have been damaged from the hard work of training and exercise. It’s the restoration of damaged living tissue to normal function as well as the balancing of hormones. 

Regeneration = Reloading

"Recovery is the limiting factor in performance. The harder you train, the more often you play, the more recovery you will need; otherwise you will fall victim to decreased performance levels and/or injury." _Brett Cohen

What Is The Difference Between Active and Passive Recovery?

Active recovery requires YOU to take an active roll in the process. You are doing the work. That work involves the strategies of rolling and stretching.   

Rolling

By rolling I am referring to the process known as self-myofascial release. SMR simply means you are applying pressure to muscle and fascia with tools such as rollers, sticks and balls. These self-massage products (such as these made by RAD) can be used before, during and after activity. They improve circulation and will help to loosen tight muscles, thereby enhancing mobility and reducing the chance of injury. 

Rolling after a long day on the course will help relax muscles that have tightened up during the day, and assist in flushing out metabolic waste resulting in decreased recovery time and less muscle soreness. 

Post Event Stretching

Stretching after any athletic event is a good means or reducing post-exercise muscle soreness. When muscles fatigue, they tighten and the blood flow through them is reduces. To prevent unnecessary and unwanted muscle soreness after golf, it is a good idea to perform post event stretching.

In post-event stretching we are doing the opposite of pre-event. Now we want to isolate major muscle groups used in golf and hold them in a stretch position typically for :30 seconds or longer.  

What To Stretch

~Neck side flexors ~ Lateral flexors-oblique abdominals ~Lumbar erectors

~ Hip rotators ~Hamstrings ~ Rectus abdominis

          ~Rectus Femoris 

Low Intensity Cardio

"Light exercise" (low intensity exercises) such as walking or riding an indoor bicycle will increase circulation, pumping blood and nutrients into your muscles, helping to accelerate the recovery process.

Brett’s Bottom Line:

• Recovery & Regeneration could be the difference between reaching and NOT reaching your training and performance goals. 
• To get superior performance out of your training, you need to combine quality work with quality rest.
• The better and more rapidly you recover, the more quickly your body adapts to the stress of exercise and the sooner you can do another high-intensity workout.
• Regeneration through tissue manipulation is crucial for the body to experience the gains made through training.
• To get the most of your muscles and fascia: Hydrate, Manipulate, Elongate.

End of Part 1