Physical Conditioning

Physical Conditioning

One of the key elements of your improvement plan is developing a golf specific fitness level. If we are serious about our attempt to improve, one of the smartest things we can do is reduce the interference that our bodies impose on our games. Once that is done, if we choose, we can further enhance our potential by getting serious about fitness for golf.

Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) has conducted extensive research and testing in an effort to understand the link between the body and the golf swing. They developed a series of screens that test a player’s physical ability to execute a swing that is fundamentally sound without creating injury.

As an example, TPI research found that over 64% of golfers either "early extend” and/or "lose posture” in their swing. The screen that is used to test a player’s ability to perform these movements correctly is called the "overhead deep squat test.” Over 70% of golfers failed to perform this test optimally and nearly 50% of golfers completely failed the test even after two accommodations to make the test less rigorous!

Just because you are unaware of how your body is holding you back
doesn’t mean that it isn’t.

Some of the ways that your body interferes with your game include:

  • Poor strength and flexibility in any of a number of parts of your body leave you working harder than you need to the find power you want.
  • Instabilities and inflexibilities undermine your rhythm. This makes both contact and direction difficult to predict.
  • Fatigue invites inconsistent, sloppy and careless swings.

How can we help to ensure that your body is not holding you back?

The TPI Certification gives us the tools to help. During your lessons we are trained to recognize interference caused by body issues. We are also able to use functional screening right then and there to verify what we are seeing. This preliminary screening assesses your ability to make one or more of the movements required in the golf swing.

If a physical issue is confirmed, we refer you to one of our fitness partners where a comprehensive screening will be completed. The result of that screening will reveal one of two findings:

  1. Your fitness level is better than your golf skill level so improving your game is still possible without having to start a golf specific fitness program.
  2. Your body is interfering with your swing in a way that will limit your ball striking unless you first address your physical needs. Once the physical interference is removed, ball striking improvement is once again possible.

If your body is interfering with your game, a TPI Certified Fitness Program is your key to success. Because of our relationships, our students enjoy the benefit of close collaboration between trainer and golf professional. Together, we consult regarding your fitness and swing goals, to develop a truly customized and uniquely effective program. Bottom line, your golf specific fitness influences your performance so if you are serious about your game, you need to have it evaluated.

If you are serious about Mastering the Game and shooting lower scores, click to learn more about TPI.