The Titleist Performance Institute or TPI are the industry leaders in golf specific fitness and nutrition.
TPI fitness training is widely used by tour professionals, who rely on the expertise of the TPI staff to help them prevent injury and improve there golf strength and endurance.
I have been trained by the co founders of TPI Dr Greg Rose and USPGA Professional Dave Phillips at the Belfry during 2009 and consequently become a qualified TPI fitness professional.
For those players who are really serious about improving there game I can offer a full physical evaluation on your body and on your golf swing. I can analyse swing faults and from the physical screening see if there is any physical limitations causing the fault. From there I am able to prescribe exercise programmes to help improve the physical limitation and improve swing technique.
Golf Specific Functional Screening Test
The golf specific functional screening process enables me to determine how your body is working throughout your golf swing. This program evaluates all areas of the body and all specific movement patterns. For years, these functional screens have been used only with Titleist Tour Players and are now available to the public. Once limitations are diagnosed, I correlate these findings with the Video analysis of the swing to determine your limitations and prescribe a program that attacks your weakest links.
Below are two examples of swing faults, physical limitations which may be causing the fault and an exercise that can be used to improve the limitation and the swing fault.
Swing Fault: Over The Top
Cause: No separation between upper and lower body
This is perhaps the most common swing fault among high handicap golfers. It occurs due to an overuse of the upper body on the downswing. As a result the club will be thrown on the outside of the intended swing plane with the club head approaching the ball from outside to in. This in turn creates a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the club face is open.
This exercise below helps develop better balance or proprioception in your golf swing. The exercise helps a player to separate the upper and lower body.
Stork Turns (Step-by-step instructions)
Start by standing on one leg and getting into a stable golf posture. Lift your left leg and lock your foot behind your right knee. Trying to keep your shoulders from rotating, begin to rotate your hips back and forth and try to maintain balance. Repeat on the left leg.
Swing Fault: Chicken Winging
Cause: Incorrect release of the golf club.
A Chicken Wing is defined as a loss of extension or breakdown of the lead elbow through the impact area. This swing fault makes it very difficult to develop speed or power
This is a great wrist re-education exercise for the left wrist. This will help teach you the proper release through impact in the golf swing.
Forehand Topspin Drill (Step-by-step instructions)
Grab a dumbbell in your lead hand and get into a good golf posture. Make a short backswing and short follow through back and forth making sure your lead wrist remains straight or slightly bowed (flexed) throughout the exercise. Make sure you turn your body as well throughout the movement.
For more information on golf coaching, contact Richard Hughes Golf.
Check out our YouTube and Facebook sites