Pre tee time
Monday June 11, 2012
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While many people with nagging aches and pains will procrastinate when it comes to seeking physical therapy, golfers seem to buck this trend — particularly when their pain affects their handicaps — according to therapists who cater to this unique patient sector.
Greg Specht, PT, OCS, ATC, CSCS, noticed this drive in amateur golfers to do whatever is necessary to pursue their passion on the links, but he wanted to do more than just rehabilitate their injuries. Specht, owner of Specht Physical Therapy in Swansea, Mass., was eager to find a way to help golfers take their games to the next level while simultaneously reducing the risk of future injuries. He discovered the answer in the Titleist Performance Institute — a group of medical and fitness professionals who have studied the swings of hundreds of top tour pros. These professionals engineered a sophisticated golf screening test to pinpoint physical limitations that can inhibit efficiency and, ultimately, cause injuries.
In 2006, Specht started a golf fitness program with his partner Doug Perron, PTA, called iGolfFit, which uses the information from the TPI golf screening test followed by a personalized physical therapy exercise plan. So far, it’s having a dramatic effect on the quality of life of his golfing clients.
"I find that most golfers do not care if their pain is making it hard to walk around the block, but they do want to get out there and play 18 holes again," Specht said. "Golf is something that motivates them to learn to move their bodies better, and once they start the program and see that they are more flexible and stronger, they find that they can do things like play with their grandkids more easily. Golf is the entry point, but at the end of the day we are trying to change their lives in the big picture."
Injury insurance for the future
Like Specht, Melissa Church, PT, MS, CGFI, of Blue Valley Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Overland Park, Kan., uses the TPI screening tool to identify the physical limitations of her patients who are golfers. She completed two TPI seminars to learn how to use the tool and then launched a program, the Golf Fitness Academy, in 2008.
The physical screening includes more than 30 tests that evaluate factors such as trunk stability, torso rotation, shoulder range of motion, grip strength and neck range of motion. The results provide Church with enough information to create an exercise routine tailored to address each client’s specific limitations. The plans typically include 18 sessions, which can be completed independently or with a PT. At Blue Valley, the evaluation alone is priced at $300, and the most expensive package, which includes 18 sessions with a PT, is $1,500.
Although some patients are eager to start the Golf Fitness Academy immediately, Church is adamant they rehabilitate from injuries before they enter the program. For these patients, the golf fitness program is an ideal strategy to help prevent re-injury. Church recently treated a man in his 70s who was suffering from lower back pain because of arthritis and a mild disc injury. Once he was pain-free, he completed the TPI golf screening. Church said this revealed he had restricted neck range of motion, flexibility limitations in his IT band and hamstrings and tight hips. She prescribed flexibility, balance and core strengthening exercises, and he completed four to six workouts every two weeks for several months.
"He felt as though he became much more efficient with his golf swing and had more power after completing the program," Church said. "He was used to having generalized achiness in his hips and back, but now he doesn’t have pain and soreness after 18 holes of golf. He plays golf five days a week and continues to do the exercises."
Golf fitness is a team sport
For Sid Penque, PTA, running a golf fitness program is a new endeavor — and the perfect second career. After retiring from a long career in the auto industry, Penque returned to school at age 59 to earn his physical therapist assistant degree. While still in school, he learned Advanced Care Physical Therapy Aquatic and Fitness Center in New York was looking for someone to launch their golf fitness program, and Penque — a lifelong player — got the job.
"Our primary goal is to help senior golfers avoid or reduce the chance of injury, but it often results in an improved golf game as well," Penque said.
Penque uses four tools to evaluate his clients: the Functional Movement Screen, a balance screen with a balance plate, high-speed video and an OptiShot golf simulator by Dancin’ Dogg Golf. Based on the evaluation, Penque designs an exercise plan to increase flexibility, balance, strength and speed. He suggests his clients do the exercises three to four times per week for three months, then return for re-evaluation.
When Penque evaluated himself, the balance plate test revealed 70% of his weight was on his heels and 30% on his toes. "Balance is critical in the game of golf, and I needed to be putting my weight in my arches, not my heels and toes," he said. "Changing my balance lowered my score, but, more importantly, it changed the nature and quality of my shot. Once you change that, you have the ability to continue to improve."
Although traditional marketing strategies may lure golfers to these programs, Greg Specht has discovered that partnering with local golf professionals and fitness trainers is the best way to attract business. He receives referrals from these local professionals when they identify a need for physical therapy. "I truly believe it requires a team approach because the way the body moves affects the golf swing, and the way that you swing the club affects the body," Specht said. "Once a PT can help the body to work better, golfers are more able to participate in a lesson with a golf pro or a session with a physical trainer." •
Heather Stringer is a freelance writer.
Greg Specht, PT, OCS, ATC, CSCS, noticed this drive in amateur golfers to do whatever is necessary to pursue their passion on the links, but he wanted to do more than just rehabilitate their injuries. Specht, owner of Specht Physical Therapy in Swansea, Mass., was eager to find a way to help golfers take their games to the next level while simultaneously reducing the risk of future injuries. He discovered the answer in the Titleist Performance Institute — a group of medical and fitness professionals who have studied the swings of hundreds of top tour pros. These professionals engineered a sophisticated golf screening test to pinpoint physical limitations that can inhibit efficiency and, ultimately, cause injuries.
In 2006, Specht started a golf fitness program with his partner Doug Perron, PTA, called iGolfFit, which uses the information from the TPI golf screening test followed by a personalized physical therapy exercise plan. So far, it’s having a dramatic effect on the quality of life of his golfing clients.
"I find that most golfers do not care if their pain is making it hard to walk around the block, but they do want to get out there and play 18 holes again," Specht said. "Golf is something that motivates them to learn to move their bodies better, and once they start the program and see that they are more flexible and stronger, they find that they can do things like play with their grandkids more easily. Golf is the entry point, but at the end of the day we are trying to change their lives in the big picture."
Injury insurance for the future
Like Specht, Melissa Church, PT, MS, CGFI, of Blue Valley Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine in Overland Park, Kan., uses the TPI screening tool to identify the physical limitations of her patients who are golfers. She completed two TPI seminars to learn how to use the tool and then launched a program, the Golf Fitness Academy, in 2008.
The physical screening includes more than 30 tests that evaluate factors such as trunk stability, torso rotation, shoulder range of motion, grip strength and neck range of motion. The results provide Church with enough information to create an exercise routine tailored to address each client’s specific limitations. The plans typically include 18 sessions, which can be completed independently or with a PT. At Blue Valley, the evaluation alone is priced at $300, and the most expensive package, which includes 18 sessions with a PT, is $1,500.
Although some patients are eager to start the Golf Fitness Academy immediately, Church is adamant they rehabilitate from injuries before they enter the program. For these patients, the golf fitness program is an ideal strategy to help prevent re-injury. Church recently treated a man in his 70s who was suffering from lower back pain because of arthritis and a mild disc injury. Once he was pain-free, he completed the TPI golf screening. Church said this revealed he had restricted neck range of motion, flexibility limitations in his IT band and hamstrings and tight hips. She prescribed flexibility, balance and core strengthening exercises, and he completed four to six workouts every two weeks for several months.
"He felt as though he became much more efficient with his golf swing and had more power after completing the program," Church said. "He was used to having generalized achiness in his hips and back, but now he doesn’t have pain and soreness after 18 holes of golf. He plays golf five days a week and continues to do the exercises."
Golf fitness is a team sport
For Sid Penque, PTA, running a golf fitness program is a new endeavor — and the perfect second career. After retiring from a long career in the auto industry, Penque returned to school at age 59 to earn his physical therapist assistant degree. While still in school, he learned Advanced Care Physical Therapy Aquatic and Fitness Center in New York was looking for someone to launch their golf fitness program, and Penque — a lifelong player — got the job.
"Our primary goal is to help senior golfers avoid or reduce the chance of injury, but it often results in an improved golf game as well," Penque said.
Penque uses four tools to evaluate his clients: the Functional Movement Screen, a balance screen with a balance plate, high-speed video and an OptiShot golf simulator by Dancin’ Dogg Golf. Based on the evaluation, Penque designs an exercise plan to increase flexibility, balance, strength and speed. He suggests his clients do the exercises three to four times per week for three months, then return for re-evaluation.
When Penque evaluated himself, the balance plate test revealed 70% of his weight was on his heels and 30% on his toes. "Balance is critical in the game of golf, and I needed to be putting my weight in my arches, not my heels and toes," he said. "Changing my balance lowered my score, but, more importantly, it changed the nature and quality of my shot. Once you change that, you have the ability to continue to improve."
Although traditional marketing strategies may lure golfers to these programs, Greg Specht has discovered that partnering with local golf professionals and fitness trainers is the best way to attract business. He receives referrals from these local professionals when they identify a need for physical therapy. "I truly believe it requires a team approach because the way the body moves affects the golf swing, and the way that you swing the club affects the body," Specht said. "Once a PT can help the body to work better, golfers are more able to participate in a lesson with a golf pro or a session with a physical trainer." •
Heather Stringer is a freelance writer.
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Monday June 11, 2012