How To Improve Your Golf Game While Avoiding Back Pain, Shoulder Pain & More!
Dr Benny Salanitro, PT, OCS, TPI
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have turned to the golf course as a way to get outdoors for a safe and distanced form of exercise. Over the last year and half there has been an influx of golfers new to the game. Along with these new golfers, the game of golf itself has seen a dramatic change in how it is played. On tour, players are hitting the ball further and harder than ever before, often sacrificing accuracy in attempts to hit the ball as hard as they can. This change in thinking has not only changed how the game is played, but also how we train for golf specific movements.
As golfers attempt to tap into more distance and more swing speed, the risk of injury alternatively also increases. Overuse injuries are common for golfers of all skill levels (particularly the new crop of newer golfers, whose swings have yet to be refined and mastered). Common overuse injury sites include the low back, hip, elbow and wrist. Studies have found that during the golf swing, ground reaction forces can be 6.5-8x your body weight immediately after impact. This force, combined with the repetitive and unilateral rotational forces throughout the golf swing are what often lead to injury. However, with an appropriate screening and training program, injury risk can be reduced and performance can be improved upon. The key to success however is identifying an appropriate training program for each individual golfer.
Titliest Performance Institute, or TPI, has been recognized as the leader in golf fitness and golf health. The founders of TPI have created a program that is used amongst physical therapists, trainers, chiropractors, and golf professionals to help universally speak the same language in regards to an athlete’s physical limitations and how they correlate to a variety of swing flaws. Recent major winners such as Jon Rahm (2021 US open champion) and Phil Mickelson (2021 PGA Champion), have both accredited their work within the TPI programming in helping to improve their game. In the case of Mickelson, he has attributed his work with TPI in helping to provide longevity to his career and has helped allow him to keep up with today’s younger generation of golfers, becoming the first person to win a major at the age of 50.
The key to a TPI evaluation is understanding how each individual athlete’s body moves. The emphasis is that there is not one correct way for everyone to swing a golf club. The importance in utilizing a TPI program is to help make a golf swing that is most efficient for how each individual moves. This means identifying both strengths and weaknesses of each individual athlete and developing a program to address these areas. For some golfers this may mean focusing on improved rotation or mobility from the hips, while for others it could simply be a lack of strength or core stability. Without a comprehensive examination however, it is impossible to identify which areas to focus on.
Understanding how your own body moves is an important aspect in improving your golf game and limiting injury risk. Whether working with a golf professional, a trainer or simply going to the driving range and watching Youtube videos yourself, it is important to understand what movements your individual body is capable of achieving. A golfer can watch a video of Tiger Woods swinging his driver and spend hours trying to recreate his swing, but if that athlete’s body is not physically capable of moving that way they will never be able to achieve that swing pattern. For all golfers looking to improve their game and reduce injury risk, consider utilizing the help of a physical therapist, golf professional or TPI certified specialist. In addition to a full body exam to identify where your body moves well and any limitations you may have, they can help to develop a comprehensive program to emphasize these strengths and target any deficiencies.