As with most golfers, you probably spend money on the best equipment and occasional lessons in hopes of improving your game. However, did you know you may be overlooking the most important aspect of your golf game? Knowing how to use and move your body properly is critical to improving your golf game and avoiding injury.
Professional golfers understand the importance of keeping their bodies in pristine condition. Along with countless hours on the course, top golfers also commit a great deal of time to working with an expert team of strength and conditioning trainers, mind coaches, dieticians, and sports therapists to ensure they are at the top of their game.
Having worked with the European Golf Tour, we know the benefits of working with a therapist for golfing and health in general.
Case Study
Let’s take Pete; 10 years ago he was diagnosed with a bulging disk that left him in severe pain. He was in his second year of a golfing traineeship and his wife and he were expecting their first child.
Even just walking could be excruciating. He would have to stop every 100 metres to try and stretch and relieve the pain. He could not straighten his left leg and his left foot would occasionally go completely numb.
He was taking strong painkillers almost every day and it was affecting his mental state, golf game. It was also making him nervous that he wouldn’t be able to take care of their newborn. He had to do something!
Isy Fergusson
Pete was referred to Isy Fergusson, a sports therapist at Elite Performance Therapy with experience in treating and rehabilitating sports injuries.
Along with working with the Ladies European Tour for her 3rd season, Isy had just finished a stint on the Asia Tour working with physiotherapists Will Carlos and Karen Bull. Pete was immediately drawn to someone who had worked with such high profile athletes and physiotherapists.
What is a Sports Therapist?
A Sports Therapist is a health professional who has the knowledge, skills and ability to: utilize sports and exercise principles to optimize performance, preparation and injury prevention programs, rather than by using drugs or surgery.
What does a Sports Therapy do ?!
- Look closely at a client’s body and how it moves
- Help a client understand how their body moves and prescribe exercises to get it moving optimally
- Provide education in movement, not just treatments
What are the benefits of Sports Therapy ?
Sports therapy can help address a variety of issues including:
- Posture
- Alignment
- Balance
- Flexibility
- Strength
- Power
The Sports Therapy Process
Our first meeting with Pete was spent discussing his symptoms, getting an MRI, and coming up with a targeted approach on how to best tackle his bulging disk pain. His biggest concern was being able to lift my newborn in and out of a cot and help his wife as much as possible.
Learning to use your body correctly
Before my treatments, I assumed my back was the source of the entire issue. However, I quickly learned that a variety of supporting muscles and areas in my body — hamstrings, weak glutes, poor pelvis movement — had been neglected for too long, leaving me susceptible to back issues.
After six months of intensive sessions twice a week, I was in a position to start doing exercises on my own at home. Over the last decade, I can happily report I no longer have issues with my back. Thanks to the knowledge and dedication of Isy and my commitment to the exercises, my golf swing feels strong and I am able to get into golfing positions I could never have dreamt of before.
Pete, Golfer suffering with a bulging disk
Who can benefit from Sports Therapy ?
The best time to take care of our bodies is before an injury actually happens. Along with treating ailing bodies, sports therapists like Isy help educate patients on what their bodies are capable of, how to make their body stronger, improve your golf game, and less prone to injury. Most sports therapists will offer classes outside of treatments, whether Pilates based, strength specific or otherwise.
What do golf coach do ?
An experienced golf coach can help you improve your golf game by:
- Pointing out technical golfing errors based on swing fundamentals
- Prescribing drills and practice routines to follow
- Identifying what you need to work on based on what your body’s current potential
- Explaining how to become better and addressing the specific areas of your game and body need improving
- Referring you to a good sports therapist to truly help take your golf game to the next level
How can a golf coach and Sports Therapist compliment each other ?
Whether you are struggling with an injury or want to learn how to optimize your body’s movements to improve your golf game. A golf coach and sports therapist can keep in close contact and communicate together to help you by:
- Providing tips to help with elbow pain during a golf swing.
- Addressing poor shoulder turn during a golf swing.
- Helping you learn to prevent your hips from sliding during your golf swing.
- Addressing left knee collapse during a swing.
- Preventing your arms becoming disconnected during your golf swing.
Want to learn if we can help your golf game ?!
Sports therapy improved both my overall health and my golf game and I highly recommend it to anyone struggling with an injury or looking to optimize their golf performance.
Pete, Golfer suffering with a bulging disk
For more information or to have a chat do contact us here or call Isy directly on +34 635 508 964.