There’s been a lot of talk about injuries recently. If you follow golf
regularly, this topic is all over TV and social media, as almost every
week we hear about a player dropping out or missing a tournament due to
an injury. But how can this be since more players now have medical
specialist and physical fitness programs that are there to help them
prevent these problems in the first place?
Well, it’s impossible to answer that question with one blanket
statement, as I firmly believe each injury is unique to each player.
However, I do feel there have been some fundamental changes that have
occurred within professional golf that when taken in the aggregate, may
help to explain why injuries appear to be on the rise.
First of all, the number of professional players competing on an
international stage has increased dramatically over the past ten years.
This is due to the fact that we’ve seen a dramatic rise in the number of
official professional tours globally. Since there are more
professionals competing on a daily basis, it only makes sense that there
would be more total injuries now than ever before. Additionally, the
media coverage that these players receive is relentless. Any injury or
withdrawal can set the 24-hour news cycle and blogosphere into
overdrive.
Second, the length of the competitive season for professional golfers
is increasing. Starting last year, players who want to play a full
season on the PGA Tour were only given one month off for recovery.
Currently, the official 2014 season started in October of 2013 and will
end with the Tour Championship in September of 2014. That is eleven
months of straight competitive golf with no rest. It is not unusual to
see a young player compete five to six weeks in a row without taking a
break. That is a lot for any athlete to handle.
Third, if you haven’t noticed, elite level players seem to be getting
younger and younger each year - from a 14 year old boy making the cut at
the Masters to a 15 year old girl winning the LPGA Tour’s Canadian
Open. Many parents start their kids in golf at a very young age and then
have them specialize only in golf. They spend hours a day hitting golf
balls without any other physical activity. In the past, most players had
a good athletic background. They played baseball, soccer, tennis, track
and many other sports throughout the year. Golf was just one of the
sports they played, not the
only sport they
played. This trend towards early specialization and the lack of full
athletic development could be a major cause of injury or breakdown in
the modern player.
Fourth, we have to look at trends in teaching the game. Over the past
30 years, there has been a fundamental shift in teaching technique
towards something called the “Modern Golf Swing”. This is where the
player is taught to minimize the movement in their lower body during the
backswing and create a large separation between the upper and lower
body. In the past, players would allow their lower body to turn and
rotate with the upper body, even to the point where their lead heel
would come off the ground in the backswing. Could this teaching
philosophy or style be a reason for more injuries in the game now?
Lastly, let’s talk about fitness programs that players perform on a
daily basis. Many players understand the importance of keeping their
bodies physically fit to stay competitive for as long as possible. This
involves getting physically assessed to find their specific limitations
and working with an exercise coach to help eliminate these problems. The
vast majority of players who engage in a regular supervised fitness
program have less injuries, perform at a higher level of competition,
and compete for a longer period of time. The Champions Tour is loaded
with players who would not be competing at such extraordinary levels
without dedicated golf fitness programs.
There is a difference between “fitness” and being “fit to play golf.”
These two concepts often get incorrectly lumped together. Some people
not only appear to be incredibly fit but
are very fit in a
traditional sense of the word. For example, they may be in exceptional
cardiovascular heath, have explosive strength, eat well and train often.
But that does not mean their bodies are properly prepared for the
repetitive demands of the golf swing. Properly developed golf fitness
programs target specific areas that need work. It may be stability for
one player, mobility for another, power in the third and injury
rehabilitation in somebody else. This is not to say golf fitness is the
magic pill that will prevent all injury, far from it. But I am convinced
that a properly assessed player who is actively engaged in the right
training program has a
far better chance of playing for more years and at a higher level.
Now of course there are scenarios where a fitness program can cause an
injury versus help prevent one. I’ve seen this first hand. First, if the
player is doing something beyond their capabilities an injury is always
a possibility. Many high level players are extremely competitive
individuals in every aspect of their lives. If they treat the gym as a
competition and try to “win” in the gym, with more weight and more
repetitions, then injury is only a matter of time. Secondly, if a player
blindly works out on their own, without any initial screening process
or supervision from a trained fitness expert, it is easy to put
themselves at risk. Finally, the “No pain, no gain” rule is just asking
for trouble. My saying is, “Pain equals no gain!”
So is the incidence of injury increasing over the past 10 years across
professional golf? Well, the answer is probably yes. I say probably
because we do not have definitive data yet. But if so, the reason may be
different than what you think.
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There are more professionals playing the game today.
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They have very little down time for rest and recovery during the season.
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They early specialize exclusively in golf to the detriment of their long-term athletic development.
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Players are taught the modern golf swing technique which can place more demands on the body.
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Players might bring their competitive mindset into the gym and engage
in fitness programs that are ill advised or unsupervised.
If I could give just one piece of advice to golfers of all levels, it’s
to be physically assessed by a competent professional. A well-trained
professional can identify key areas of weakness or imbalance and develop
highly effective exercise or rehabilitation protocols. It’s no
guarantee that you’ll remain injury free, as the golf swing puts
incredible forces on the body, but it puts the odds in your favor.
Total Health of Naples is the only facility in town that has
a TPI certified doctor. Our chiropractor, Dr. Michael J. Paralovos has
been certified by TPI since 2009 and since then has treated hundreds of golf
related injuries. Dr. Paralovos originally sought out the TPI
certification as he himself is golf enthusiast and has treated many PGA
touring pros. If your game is being limited by pain, insufficient
recovery contact Total Health of Naples today to see how we can help. Go
to
www.totalhealthnaples.com or
call 239-260-1426 to schedule your appointment today!
Article courtesy of mytpi.com, authored by: Greg Rose, DC
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