Over the years I have come across a lot of smart people in the field of rehabilitation, fitness and sports performance. Of the many things I have learned, I’m always making sure that each of my clients are doing exercises that are specific to their own unique problems and goals. With that being said I want to describe a systematic approach to exercise that will help those that do not have personal coaching.

An interesting concept I have been utilizing for the last year or so, is a joint by joint approach to rehab, fitness and performance of golfers. This concept was first discussed by Mike Boyle and Gray Cook, two leaders in the area of sports performance. The idea is that each major joint (or area of the body) has a tendency to function more as a mobile joint, or as a stable joint. Yes, they all require a certain degree of each, and joint injury plays a role, however, this concept tends to hold true.

This mobility/stability concept occurs in an alternating pattern, and if this pattern is changed then dysfunction and compensation will occur. The normal pattern is shown below.

Foot – Stable
Ankle – Mobile
Knee – Stable
Hip – Mobile
Pelvis/Sacrum/Lumbar Spine – Stable
Thoracic Spine (upper back) – Mobile
Scapulo/Thoracic (shoulder blade) – Stable
Gleno-humeral (shoulder) – Mobile
Elbow – Stable
Wrist – Mobile
Cervical Spine – Stable

Regarding dysfunction in the body, we can use the low back as an example. If you do not have good mobility in the hips and in the upper back (thoracic spine), then the low back will give up some of its stability to obtain more motion when needed in those areas. A tight upper back & hips are big causes of low back pain in golfers.

A training error I see all the time is golfers focusing on strengthening their core in a dynamic and sometimes violent manner. This will not only lead to low back injury, but in fact it’s the hips and upper back that often times need improved mobility. That would not only help prevent injury, but also improve the overall golf swing.

So take a good look at the above table and make sure you have mobility where it is needed and stability in the ares where it is needed. Then let this be a guide in your selection of golf specific exercises.
Good Luck!

Posted under Exercise Tips

With all the discussion regarding the health care bill being developed in congress, I have one thing to say…..it’s confusing. We certainly will not have a clear picture until after it is actually implemented. And who knows when that will be!

With that being said, I believe it is more important today than ever before to take responsibility and focus on our own health. I have always been an advocate of preventive medicine, especially after seeing thousands of patients move through the orthopedic physical therapy clinics I have worked in for over 15 years.

I have learned through experience that a lot of the orthopedic typed injuries that occurred on a daily basis could be prevented. In my profession we know this as a fact. So my question here today is, does your fitness program utilize preventive principles? Common sense in training can help with prevention up to a point, but what I am specifically referring to is exercise selection.

Exercise selection should be specific to each individual’s needs. We all function a little bit differently. In other words our body has specific problem areas that need to be addressed with corrective type exercises in order to reach optimum performance, as well as prevent overuse type injuries. For example in the golf swing you need to make sure you have good hip mobility and stability, along with good trunk control as the forces generated in the swing move through the body. Otherwise increased stress can occur in the low back, leading to back injury.

So I believe it is important to have a fitness professional that can asses your current physical capabilities and then prescribe appropriate exercises that will help address any problem areas. Staying healthy and injury free not only keeps you the golf course, but keeps you feeling good. So make sure you are doing the right exercises specific to your body.

Posted under Golf Injuries

I can’t remember where I first heard the explanation concerning the engine and transmission of the human body as it relates to human movement, but I want to talk about it today. What I am referring to, is the way in which the body uses it’s muscles to accomplish powerful movements. It doesn’t matter whether it is a daily functional movement such as lifting a suitcase, or a complex sports skill such as hitting a golf ball, this principle applies.

I have often talked about and described the importance of the butt muscles, or gluteals in powering human movement. Therefore the gluteals are considered the engine and are often times under utilized or lack horsepower. They are under utilized because they become weak or are shut down due to other changes in the body. They may not function optimally because of muscle tightness in the front of the hip or neurologically impaired. The bottom line is, they need to function correctly to avoid over compensation from other muscles, and have the power necessary for daily activities and sports skills.

Now, the second part of my description involves the core musculature of our body. I think many people train the core improperly because of their belief that the core needs to be strong. Yes, the core needs appropriate strength, however its function is more like the transmission of the car where by it controls and transmits forces throughout the body. It takes that power generated by the gluteals and distributes it in a controlled manner to the appropriate location. Depending on the demand, the core muscles along with the nervous system can accelerate or decelerate the power moving through the body.

The concept of stability is often times used with this transmission of forces and is an appropriate way to describe it. In the golf swing for example, body segments gain speed as the generated energy moves through the swing, but at the same time stability and control is needed to slow down the segment as the energy moves to the next segment. This is seen in the swing, as the hips move faster than the legs but then the shoulder release is faster than the hips and the arms are faster than the shoulders. Then energy passes through each segment all the way to the club face which should have the greatest speed at impact.

My point here is that you need to make sure to train the engine so it has the horsepower needed for powerful movements (and proper function) and the core should be trained in a way that it can control the forces being transmitted out.

I’ve attached an exercise here that helps you gain a basic understanding of gluteal control and function. You need to be able to perform this before moving on to more advanced exercises. Also for those of you with a history of back pain this is essential. More on that later. So try this exercise first.

Lie down on the floor with your knees bent as shown. Stay relaxed throughout your body and focus in on your butt muscles. Contract both sides at the same time. Make sure the pelvis doesn’t move much. If you are able to do this then try one at a time. Perform 30 quality reps on each side. If you can do this then you can move on to a standing position. Good Luck

Posted under Exercise Tips

Have you ever tried hammering a nail with a screwdriver (maybe you have)? Have you ever tried opening a can without a can opener? Have you ever tried hitting a golf shot from the middle of the fairway with a putter?

Well, whether you believe it or not, if you don’t have the right tools for your exercise program you may also not get the results you want.

I’ve heard many people say, “I know how to exercise, I can do it myself.” This may be true, but how many people do you know that start a fitness program only to let it fall by the wayside?

Many people have told me they have tried exercise but it really didn’t help their golf game.

If you’ve tried a lot of different exercises and nothing seems to be working, maybe it’s time you asked yourself if you have the right tools. Having the right tools can make all the difference in the world.

Grab my free golf fitness report (on the left) now, and begin moving toward improved fitness and a better golf game!

Posted under Exercise Tips