 | Hip Hinge to Improve Your GolfThe hip hinge is one of the most fundamental movements for normal activities of daily living but also extremely important for the golf swing. The hip hinge involves a controlled bending at the hips by pushing the butt backwards.... |
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 | Golf Fitness Assessment-Single Leg Balance - The screen that we hear the most groans with during ourgolf fitness assessments is the single leg balance screen. Almost every golfer knows that they are goingto be bad at it. The funny part about itis that it is probably the easiest fitness characteristic to get better at,quickly. The screen measures youroverall balance and highlights any proprioceptive imbalances from left to rightas well as overall “core” stability. Our bodies use 3 internal control systems to helpmaintain balance throughout the golf swing: eyes, ears (inner ear), and t... |
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 | Fitness Fridays - Grip StrengthGrip strength is one of the best overall tests for total body strength. Numerous studies demonstrate a high correlation with grip strength and swing speed and golfing proficiency. Greater grip strength allows you to handle the forces transferred through the hands and wrists during the golf swing, which means... |
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 | Fitness Friday - Vertical ThrustHave you ever noticed that many kids have a large jump during their downswing? The reason is because the jump (vertical thrust) is one of the first power sources developed in kids. The vertical jump is also a technique used by some of the most powerful golfers in the world. This has become very apparent in recent... |
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 | Nutrition During Your RoundThe Importance of Nutrition during the Round - By Dr. Nick Curry - Who grabs a hot dog and beer on the ninth whole? Who feels sluggish by the end of the round? Nutrition during the round is just as important as pre and post round nutrition, but is often overlooked. Here are some quick tips to keep you fueled on the golf course. First and foremost, hydration! Even just a little bit of dehydration can have performance consequences. Thirst is not a good indicator to drink up. By the time you are thirsty you are already dehydrated! ▪ Daily wate... |
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 | Calf Stretches to Improve GameAnkle Mobility By Dr. Nick Curry -The ankle is one of the most commonly overlooked areas when trying to improve mobility and flexibility. We have talked about the overhead deep squat numerous times and how failing the overhead squat can be detrimental to your golf swing. One of the most common reasons we see a failure of the overhead deep squat is a lack of ankle mobility. Decreased ankle mobility, specifically dorsiflexion (bringing your foot towards your head), can be a result of a number of restrictions. The most common restrictions are tightness in the calf/achill... |
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 | Explosive PowerArm Chopping Power - The ability to deliver explosive speed with the arms is one of the most important aspects for power in the golf swing. We call it the Arm-Chopping motion, because the arms need to start up over the trail shoulder and explosively fire down across the body to over the lead hip. Many players tend to eliminate this power source by trying to keep their arms pinned to their chest during the downswing. This may help improve accuracy but it will definitely limit power development. Here are some examples of exercises we incorporate to develop arm-chopping... |
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 | Trunk Rotary PowerTrunk Rotary Power By Dr. Nick Curry Usually when we are talking about developing power with golfers the first thing that comes to their mind is rotation exercises, or rotary power. While it is only one of the four primary sources of power it is definitely a major one. The primary muscle groups we work when training rotary power are the abdominals, primarily the obliques. To develop rotary power, you must challenge the core. At its most basic concept, we challenge the core by maintaining a solid, stable trunk while the extremities perform the movement. This is where... |
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 | Creating More PowerIn your Swing using Vertical Thrust By Dr. Nick Curry Have you ever noticed that many kids have a large jump during their downswing? The reason is because the jump (vertical thrust) is one of the first power sources developed in kids. The vertical jump is also a technique used by some of the most powerful golfers in the world. Despite vertical thrust power being arguably the greatest source of power it is one that is often neglected by golfers. Learning how to use the ground and adding more vertical thrust can add tremendous power to your golf swing. We utilize some... |
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 | Low Back Pain in GolfLow back pain is the most common injury we see in golfers. - It is estimated that more than half of you reading this article will experience low back pain that will affect your performance at some point this season. And at least 50% of you have missed 3-6 weeks of participation in the past because of the pain. That is a big deal! The most common cause of injuries in amateurs is mechanics. So here’s the best part, low back pain is very preventable! The six most common mechanisms of injury are: Poor body mechanics Poor swing mechanics Excessive Pract... |
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 | Fitness Program MistakeDo the Opposite to Increase Speed - One of the most common mistakes I see golfers make with their fitness programs is trying to be too “golf specific” and replicate the golf swing with their exercises. Most of the exercises to increase power and speed have nothing to do with a swinging motion. In fact, when we do include rotary/swinging movements we actually train in the opposite direction more frequently. This is a theory that was given the name “The Big Break Theory” by TPI Advisory Board member, Dr. Tom House. We have noticed that there seems to... |
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 | Pelvic Tilt Test- A Great Test Overall - The Pelvic Tilt Test is a great test for overall mobility of the hips and the lumbar spine and a player's ability to control the position of the pelvic posture. 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. Begin by setting up into a normal five-iron set-up posture with your arms across your chest (hands resting on shoulders). Once the starting position has been established, tilt the pelvis anteriorly or forward, increasing the arch in the lu... |
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 | Visual System Part 2 - Visualization- Visualization is a powerful tool - B oth positively and negatively. Can you visualize the putt dropping in the cup, or missing? Can you visualize your shot shape? Can you visualize your alignment? How accurate is your visualization? Visualization is the process of creating internal mental images, largely with the mind and partly with the eyes. While this is mostly a “mental” skill your visual system still plays a small role. You can only visualize images as well as you can see them with your eyes. If your eyes are out of focus... |
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 | The Visual System:Part 1 The Visual System:Part 1 - A PuttingGame-Changer The development and use of your visual systemhas an impact on every aspect of your golf game. How you can read a putt, how you align yourbody, how you maintain your balance, and how well you see the target and visualizeyour shot are all dependent on your vision or are influenced by vision. Today’s golfer relies heavily on the use ofrangefinders or GPS, unless you are playing highly competitive golf and can’tuse one. However, around the green isone place on the course where your vision can have a major impact. We... |
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 | The Three R'sThe Three R's - A Guide To Treatment and Exercise As we move into the off-season for golf we will be seeing more and more people wanting to start exercise programming. It can be very tempting to jump right into strength training exercises or doing the latest exercises you have seen on social media. However, there is definitely a progression of exercises that all individuals should go through to reduce the risk of injury and to get the most out of the programming. If you skip steps and start doing strengthening exercises around a dysfunctional movement pattern, then you... |
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 | The Seated Trunk Rotation Test The Seated Trunk Rotation Test The Seated Trunk Rotation Test is designed to identify how much rotational mobility is present in the thoraco-lumbar spine. Good separation between the upper and lower body is important to help generate speed and maintain a stable posture during the golf swing. Many golfers lack true thoracic spine rotation. The lack of rotation may cause you to create excessive lumbar spine rotational forces or overuse the shoulder joint to compensate for limited thoracic spine mobility. Performing the Seated Trunk Rotation Test In a seated position, r... |
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 | Toe TouchToe Touch We often associate the inability to touch our toes with tight hamstrings. While the Toe Touch Test is a great test for overall mobility in the spine and hamstrings, it can also help identify a hip problem versus a lower back/core limitation. We aren’t just looking for whether or not you can touch your toes. We also want to see your ability to demonstrate good hip hinge or forward bend. This range of motion is important for golfers because any restriction in hip hinge mechanics can lead to poor address and dynamic posture. Players will tend to get too roun... |
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 | Take the Lat TestThe Lat Test - The Lat Test evaluates shoulder flexionwhich includes the flexibility of the latissimus dorsi muscle group, shoulderjoint restrictions and scapular motion limitations. The lat muscle spans the entire back andinserts onto the arm. Tightness in the lat can lead to loss of spinal postureanytime the arms are elevated, such as during the backswing. Also, the latmuscle can limit the ability of the player to rotate their shoulders on thebackswing or the follow-through. The lat muscle is a powerful internal rotatorand adductor of the humerus. Therefore, it is a major contribut... |
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 | The Perfect MealTHE PERFECT MEAL - Example Recipe Sheets Each meal should consist of fresh, minimally processedfoods. This includes protein, vegetables, smart carbohydrates and healthy fats.This is good information to know, but how do you turn these foods into adelicious meal? Flavors, seasonings and cooking methods are they key to makingyour meal perfect. 1 - CHOOSE YOUR INGREDIENTS When choosing your ingredients, there are a couple of thingsto consider. First, what are you in the mood for? You’ll be more likely toenjoy your meal if it consists of foods you actually wantto eat.... |
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 | Stop Wasting Time ExercisingStop Wasting Time Exercising The number one reason I hear why people don’tincorporate fitness into their day is “time”. Now let’s get real, I believe that anyone can find that time if theyreally make it a priority. But I getit. Between work, kids, golf, etc. itcan be challenging to make the time. IfI asked you to find 60 minutes in a day only 3 days per week, you couldprobably do that. What about 45minutes? 30 minutes? I think we are just kidding ourselves if wesay we can’t find 30 minutes in a day to devote to our health and fitness. You don&rs... |
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 | Loading the CoreLoading the Core The first few tests we take golfers through when performing a TPI golf physical screen are to look at how well you can control your “core”. We first look at your ability to tilt your pelvis forward and backward and then your ability to dissociate your upper body from your lower body. The ability to perform these movements is critical to have a proper kinematic sequence, which is essential for swing efficiency and transfer of power. One of the primary muscles involved in these movement patterns is the external oblique abdominal muscle. This muscl... |
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 | Over the TopOver the Top - Over-the-Top is perhaps the most common swing characteristic among high handicap golfers. It usually occurs because of overuse or over-dominance of the upper body during the downswing. As a result, the club is thrown outside of the intended swing plane, with the club head approaching the ball in an out-to-in motion. This creates a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the clubface is open. This can create a lot of issues if your “misses” are potentially going in two different directions. This over-the-top characteristic can rob you of p... |
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 | Early ExtensionEarly Extension Early Extension occurs when the hips and spineof a golfer start to go into extension, or straighten up too early, on thedownswing. This can be seen when the pelvis moves closer to the ball on thedownswing. The lower body does not easily rotate through impact, instead itpushes forward and the person stands up. Players will often complain of being stuck ortrapped with their arms on the downswing. This is because the lower body hasmoved into the space where the arms need to go. The result can be a block orhook as the hands and arms desperately try to deliver th... |
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 | Reverse Spine AngleReverse Spin Angle A Reverse Spine Angle is any excessive upper body backward bend or excessive left lateral (for right handed golfers) upper body bend during the backswing. Essentially it is when your spine/head is angled toward your target during the backswing. This swing characteristic makes it difficult to start the downswing in the proper sequence, because the lower body is in a position that usually limits its ability to initiate the downswing. The upper body tends to dominate the swing when the lower body can’t start the downswing or has a limited ability to initiate... |
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 | Hit The Golf Ball FurtherI think just about everyone wants to hit the ball farther. We have covered a lot of topics on how to increase power and speed in your golf swing. But we haven’t really gotten into the “why”. Once you understand the why I believe it is much easier to apply those principles into your training. |
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 | HydrationHydration on the Course It's finally starting to get warmer and we are seeing the temperatures jump up pretty quickly. These high temperatures can sneak up on us and it’s important to keep up on hydration- especially when playing a round of golf. In order for our bodies to function, we have to replenish its water stores. After all, the body is made up of 70% water! Proper hydration will help you: Make better decisions on the course Minimize muscle soreness after golf or your fitness routine Manage stress on and off the course Maintain your ability to drive the ball... |
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 | Mobility MayMobility May In celebration of ‘Mobility May’ it seemed only fitting that we talk about mobility. Mobility and flexibility, or lack of, is one of the most common reasons golfers come to our facility. Most people think that mobility and flexibility are the same, when in fact they are two very different concepts. Flexibility is the ability of a muscle, or muscle group, to lengthen passively through a range of motion. Mobility is the ability of a joint to move actively through a range of motion. Mobility also takes into account the component of motor control with the... |
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 | Is Your Neck Killing your GameIs Your Neck Killing Your Game Many golfers have limited range of motion with their golf swing. Limitations during the back swing can be particularly problematic. There can be numerous factors for these limitations. Decreased external rotation with the lead hip, limited internal rotation of the trail hip or limited thoracic rotation are some of the common culprits. One area that is often overlooked with the golf swing is cervical rotation, or turning your head side to side. Many people don’t think that movement will have an impact on your swing but it is actually one of th... |
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 | Do you know how to Practice?Do you know how to Practice? Let’s face it, hitting golf balls on the range just isn’t as fun as playing a round with your buddies. But let’s say you go out to the range every once and awhile to work on your game. Did you know that how you practice (how most people I see on the range practicing) could be actually hurting your game? Or at the very least not helping. Blocked vs Random - Let’s talk about the different styles of practice first. There are 2 main styles of practice, Blocked and Random. Blocked practice is when you go out and hit the sam... |
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 | Teaching an Old Dog New TricksTeaching an Old Dog New Tricks Have you ever stood over a golf ball with full confidence only to hit a terrible shot and just wonder how in the world you just did that? Have you ever wondered why you need to keep working on the same swing drills over and over? The answer is in how our brain learns skills. There are 2 types of skills, motor and cognitive. Motor skills are like riding a bike or swinging a golf club. Cognitive skills are like learning a new language or mathematics. Our brain stores these skills in 2 completely different ways. For example, if you learned... |
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