Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Certification
As those who follow us on Facebook/Twitter saw from our risqué post, this weekend was all about golf swing mechanics and human performance. I had the pleasure of attending a Titleist Performance Institute Certification Course over the past week in beautiful Long Beach, CA. This was truly one of the best courses that I have taken! Packed with insightful information about golf, swing mechanics and the human body, I will definitely be transferring some of this knowledge to other sports injuries. Over the coming weeks, I will be writing a series on golf injuries, prevention and performance.
For those of you who don’t know, TPI is a golf specific performance program designed to support all levels of athletes from PGA Tour players to weekend warriors (me). In fact, all 5 golfers currently at the TOP of the PGA Tour standings are supported by TPI teams!
The following is a list of the top 6 things I learned this weekend:
6. The TPI performance movement screen
is a group of 16 tests that give valuable insight into each individual golfer’s biomechanics. This is NOT swing analysis. These tests will reveal where an individual athlete has a “mobility” dysfunction or where they may have a “stability” dysfunction.
Identifying these movement faults allows medical and fitness professionals to design individualized exercise programs in combination with manual therapy, dry needling or soft tissue techniques to improve any areas that are deficient. Ultimately, this will lead to improved swing efficiency, reducing the risk of injury and improving your scores!
5. Reverse Spine Swing Fault is a predictor of future lower back pain
in golfers. If you have a tendency to lean towards your target at the top of the swing phase – that is “Reverse Spine Swing Fault”. Typically, the pain will be in the lower back on the same side as your trail leg. This happens due to a jamming of the facet joints during the swing phase on the way down.
As a PT (Physiotherapist) I will not be analyzing your swing, but there are typical movement faults that predispose you to this faulty swing pattern – I will go into further depth on this in later posts. The take away here is – if you’re not experiencing pain now, it’s only a matter of time until you do….
“Reverse Spine Swing Fault” ——-> Correct
4. Being able to touch your toes and being able to do a deep overhead squat is essential
in striking the golf ball far and straight. Both tests measure the flexibility required to maintain the ideal posture to generate optimal torque for peak distance and accuracy.
Extending the spine too early in your swing reduces the amount of torque you can apply to your shot and ultimately leads to decreased distance.
Correct ————————–> incorrect
3. Women and children have specific requirements
Men generally have about 30% more upper extremity strength that women, however men also tend to be more stiff thus requiring more mobility work.
Women tend to be quite mobile (often hypermobile) and therefore require more stability and strength work in their fitness regimes.
Adolescents have specific requirements from their fitness/rehab regimes, particularly after periodsr periods of rapid growth. During a “growth spurt” the bones grow first and the muscles have to keep up, therefore they tend to be quite stiff. Not to mention the fact that an extra 4 inches of height over a few short months can throw off their co-ordination.
2. “There is no one way to swing a club…
There are an infinite number of ways to swing…but there is one efficient way for everyone to swing and it is based on what their body can physically do”… Essentially, everyone has their own “ideal swing” and it based on their own particular biomechanics. And sometimes that changes over the course of our life as we have injuries, arthritis, etc.
The 16 point TPI Screen is the window into that “ideal swing”.
1. A team approach is the most effective way to build a golfer”
TPI fervently preaches the symbiotic benefits of having 3 professionals as part of your “team”.
Golf Professional: is responsible for analyzing and correcting your swing, specialized skills (putting and chipping), course management, etc.
Fitness Professional: is responsible for designing an exercise regime that will allow your body to get into the positions required with optimal stability to optimize YOUR MOST EFFICIENT SWING!
Medical Professional: is responsible for getting and keeping you healthy. This is where we fit in! We will work with your pro and fitness trainer to ensure that you can play healthy, at the level that you want to, for as long as you want to!
We look forward to working with you and your team to help improve your game and stay healthy!
Contact us to book your 16 point TPI screen today at 780-460-9977 or info@ptadvantage.ca
