GolfDash Blog | Golf Instruction, Online Golf News, Best Golf Deals» Health

Lab Rats, Peanut Butter and Your Best Golf Game – Ever!

doug — Sat, 01 Oct 2011 15:04:02 +0000

In my opinion, today’s mainstream golf teacher is very one-dimensional and can only help players wishing to improve in a very limited way. I know a lot of pros will highly disagree with this view but hear me out.

I’m not saying it’s they’re fault, per say, but a LOT more goes into playing excellent golf than trying to flatten someone’s golf swing or having them line up square.

What if you go to a golf lesson and the instructor wants to to complete a fuller turn but come to find out your body cannot get into that position easily? it might be more of a biomechanics issue than a swing issue. If you don’t have that knowledge how can you assess it.

What if you typically have excellent front nines but in the middle of the round you never fail to produce a number of double-bogeys? Well, could be any number of things including proper nutrition. Did you (or do you) have on a regular basis a couple of sugar coated cider donuts and a large coffee before your typical round? Uhhhh, maybe a peanut butter protein bar and a banana might be a better choice. Maybe that’s your answer (or certainly part of it)

What if you just cannot shake the dreaded banana-slice despite seeing your golf pro repeatedly? Maybe your golf clubs need to be custom-fitted to your unique swing speed and style. I don’t think once, in all the lessons I have taken in the past fews years that any pro has even looked at my equipment. I mean, it might be as easy as changing the weights slightly on your driver.

What is just went through a trying divorce and you’re trying to compete at the highest level? What if you have “unfinished business” that you need to take of to set your mind (and body) free to play your best golf ever? (and coincidentally, have your best LIFE ever!)

I mean who’s looking at the big picture? Who is looking at YOU as an individual golfer who has strengths, weaknesses, challenges, hopes, goals, etc.

What I truly think is missing is a new kind of golf professional. Someone that has a more holistic view of the game. That can assess at a “big picture” level.

What has lead me to this conclusion? Well, I have happily been the Tim Ferris of the The 4-Hour Bodyfor golf. I’ve allowed myself to be a laboratory rat for all sorts of golf experimentation. From getting biomechanically assessed to seeing a sports nutritionist to testing and practicing the latest golf fitness routines to getting custom-fitted for golf equipment to consulting with a sports psychologist and more.

And the more I have explored the more I have found such a big “disconnect” between all these professionals. One has no idea what the other one is doing. They all work in their own silos. You have to piece this all together but if you had someone who had at least a knowledge about this information could really propel your game to (I believe) unheard of levels.

See, it’s the compounded power of all these that make a difference. It’s not just one thing. It’s all of these often small changes working synergistically that produce HUGE improvements in your golf game.

This is big. Really big. 2 years ago a wrote a post about Jon Fitzgerald’s wonderful film, called : Best Golf Film of The Year: The Back Nine.Go find and watch that film. The film is about Jon’s quest to become a pro and shows you ALL the various dimensions he explored trying to get the most out of his game – from fitness to mechanics to state of the art equipment and more. It really shows the type of professionals he had to employ to get the most out of his game.

Sure, you could go out and hire each of these specific knowledge professionals separately but for the average golfer or even the serious amateur it is just not time or cost-effective. So what’s one to do if you want to make a serious commitment to your game?

My answer is: I don’t know. It’s missing. John and I (of GolfDashBlog) have been fooling around with trying to come up with a thorough assessment process to help diagnose some of the issues we’ve seen and how to identify certain patterns in golfers who are seeking excellence in their golf game and who want that extra edge. Patterns that would be unique to YOU. Nothing canned or generic. It would never work that way.

Nothing is really finalized at this point but I’m curious if I’ve totally lost my gourd or if others are interested in hearing more. Let me know.

My Golf Biomechanics Assessment Revealed

doug — Wed, 23 Feb 2011 23:32:44 +0000

As I mentioned in my last post, Off to the Golf Biomechanics Doctor, I had my first Golf Biomechanics Assessment in Boston this past weekend and, man, was it an eye-opener! It completely changed my view of exactly how critical biomechanics are to a solid, repeatable golf swing.

Not knowing exactly what to expect was part of the excitement in doing a test but I did have a *general* idea of what some of those test were because I purchased the Golf Biomechanic’s Manual (make sure you get the latest edition) from the C.H.E.K. Institute (I see they have it on Amazon but it’s the older edition)

Once I arrived at the Beacon Street location in Boston, my assessor, Becky, welcomed me and we proceeded to go upstairs to give me a brief lay of the land. She then escorted me to a room that looked like something from a serial killers torture-chamber.

There were clamps, and calipers, masks, scales, headphones, assorted measuring apparatus – all sorts of strange looking (to me anyway) testing equipment. I thought, “What am I getting into here!”

Anyway, after a brief questionnaire about issues, goals of my golf game, Becky proceeded to lay out a “bird’s eye” of the importance of golf biomechanics to one’s golf game. Stated simply: you need to understand what you are up against and what may be your strengths and weaknesses in terms of biomechanics.

Golf, being all about stability and precision and if, you the golfer, have biomechanics flaws/limitations, it is fair to say, you will be making compensations somewhere in your swing. As I mentioned in the last article, I have found it virtually impossible to assess yourself.

For example, I thought I had fairly decent flexibility – as I work on it on a regular basis but my tests showed different. I also thought I had relatively good posture but found it was comprised in one critical area.

One of the tests (and there were probably around 20-25 or so tests) was to put on headphones (so I couldn’t hear) and a blindfold (so I could not see) then I was asked to turn my head 3 times to each side and then return it to center. Part 2 of the test was to march in place until Becky told me to stop. She explained this ahead of time and the queue to move on the the next part of the test was a slight tap on the shoulder.

When I finished (and removed the headphones and blindfold) I thought “big deal, what was that all about?” and she proceeded to tell me that after she tapped me after marching in place I actually ended up about 2 feet to my right! And I thought I was marching in PLACE! and it also appeared when she told me to rotate my head back to center, my center was actually an inch or so to the right!

Really fascinating stuff. I also found I have rather weak lower abs (again new to me) really tight calf muscles, and my head (probably due to my day IT job) tends to sit much too far forward than is optimal for correct postural alignment in the golf swing (This deserves a complete post as it is that important)

So I was then given specific exercises to help “remedy” these weaker areas. Of course, this is the foundation. Assessment, then remedy weaker areas then build additional flexibility, strength and power on the base. Otherwise you are building on a “un-aligned” and weak foundation.

An added bonus was that Becky also video taped me doing the corrective exercises while talking into the video cam to make sure they were being performed properly. I should be receiving them and some additional information in a few more days.

All in all, I thought it was a terrific golf biomechanics assessment. It lasted about 90 minutes. The most important thing now is I have a plan to address the weak areas and am already working on the corrective exercises. I mean I have a certain neck exercise and I have NEVER exercised my neck directly I think in my entire life (and it’s not easy!)

I would definitely recommend an assessment for anyone looking to optimize his or her golf game. Whether or not it will translate into lower scores is another question altogether but working with a strong, flexible, and aligned machine is certainly better than working with a un-aligned, inflexible and weak one.

FYI: I will be sharing some of my specific golf exercises in upcoming weeks so stay tuned.

Picture above: Becky, My C.H.E.K. Certified Golf Biomechanics Expert. She can be contacted via email at: boston776@yahoo.com. And she was super nice and super knowledgeable. Highly recommend her!

Is Abductor Strength the Hidden Key to Golf Power?

doug — Wed, 08 Dec 2010 23:25:49 +0000

If you’re like me and have limited golf conditioning time you might have ignored your hip abductor muscles. If you have, you might be making a big mistake. This blurb was taken from an article, “Golf’s Muscle Man,” in Golf Digest by Max Alder.

The report comes from Dr. Scott Lepart, who is Director of the Neuromuscular Research Lab at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) Center for Sports Medicine and also operates two human-performance and injury-prevention labs for the U.S. Army and U.S. Navel Special Operations.

From the article:

Says Lephart, “Identifying and strengthening specific muscles not only improves performance, it pre-empts injury”

After plowing through data collected from 700 golfers, including 35 PGA Tour pros, the time had come to reap the discoveries.

As expected, strength and flexibility of the shoulders and torso were important in golf, but Lephart also identified a specific pair of muscles, the hip abductors, which engage when you move your legs apart, as a key discriminator in power.

Immediately before impact, stress equal to 2 to 3 times the golfer’s body weight is placed on the hips. On average, Lepahart found elite players to be 30 percent stronger in the hip abductors.

“The balance and trunk stability provided by the hips is often overlooked in golf,” says Lephart. “Golfers with weak hips are predisposed to commit swing errors that hinder their game game and make them prone to injury over time.”

Maybe it’s time to start incorporating some hip flexibility/strength conditioning exercises into your routine.

If it does make a difference for you, please let me know by commenting.

Interview with PGA Tour Biomechanics Coach Joey Diovisalvi

doug — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 12:13:52 +0000

GolfDashBlog: A lot of us know the name Joey Diovisalvi and have see you associated with the PGA Tour over the years. For those of who don’t know you, can you bring them up to speed?

JoeyD: I’m a biomechanics coach on the PGA Tour and have been for over a decade now. I’m currently working week in and week out with seven Tour pros — Pat Perez, Ryuji Imada, Jason Dufner, Charlie Wi, Chez Reavie, Jason Gore and Tom Pernice Jr. Before that I spent seven years working with Vijay Singh, including his run where he was the top-ranked player in the world. I’ve been featured on the CBS special “The Science Of Golf” and the ABC special “Practice Like a PGA Tour Pro”. I just broke ground on my D1 Athletics facility in Jupiter (FL) and I have a book that will be released early 2010 by St. Martin’s Press, “Fix Your Body, Fix Your Swing”.

GolfDashBlog: Can you define Golf Biomechanics for us?

JoeyD: Simply put, biomechanics is the study of the living body as the forces of gravity effect the muscular skeletal system. Regarding how it applies to golf, the body moves through ranges of motion and the muscular skeletal system is effected by how you swing the club. Gravity obviously plays its part in this, as well. With the force that it takes to accelerate and decelerate the club and the hips… the way both the spine and hips move in rotation… the forces of gravity start to effect the muscular skeletal system… it’s all about how those movements happen.

GolfDashBlog: Why are Biomechanics so important to golf?

JoeyD: If you have a mechanically sound body that rotates, goes through its ranges of motion and understands how to handle acceleration/deceleration – you then move the muscles, bones and the joints properly, having much more efficiency and effectiveness in the golf swing.

GolfDashBlog: How can the average player improve his/her game with biomechanics?

JoeyD: Great question. If you’re an average player and you start to understand how the body works when it sets itself up and starts to move. When one part of your body is stable and another part begins to rotate or accelerate through rotation. The more you understand how to get the body to move in rotation – then starting and stopping, handling the effects of gravity, you then start to handle the effects of prehab or being able to strengthen something before it expects amazing amounts of demand and load.

GolfDashBlog: What types of exercises can increase our golf biomechanics?

JoeyD: I’ve posted some specific exercises on YouTube over the past few months. I suggest checking out the 90/90 drill, the lower back one-leg stretch and the squat & reach drill, for starters. These are all exercises you can do at home with some PowerBandz, a balance ball and a weighted club. Medicine ball rotation and band rotation are both instrumental in your workout.

GolfDashBlog: Are their any specific training aids that can help improve our biomechanics?

JoeyD: Without sounding like a pitchman, I’d have to say the GolfGym PowerSwing Trainer is a must. We use it on the PGA Tour with the guys in the trailer and I’ve had other guys like Zach Johnson and Luke Donald tell me that they needed some for the home gyms they were building in the off-season. If the PowerSwing Trainer is good enough for the guys on Tour, that should tell the everyday golfers outside the ropes how legitimate this piece of equipment is.

GolfDashBlog: Does each person have to be tested individually for their biomechanics level?

JoeyD: I did an interview with Stack Media today and was asked the same question. Absolutely. There’s no way for anybody to ever understand the full use unless the get a biomechanical assessment on how their body rotates and how it moves through the golf swing in ranges of motion. Assessments determine where you are biomechanically.

GolfDashBlog: How can biomechanics help me hit the ball farther?

JoeyD: The key is understanding how the body moves in proper mechanical positions. How it rotates, loads/releases, accelerates/decelerates, etc. Once you do these things properly and allow the muscles and bones to move in a symbiotic relationship, they understand the process of the golf swing and how they’re supposed to react with it.

GolfDashBlog: Where can I find more information and biomechanics and where I might take an assessment?

For starters, the D1 Athletics facility I recently opened in South Florida. Anyone interested in setting up and appointment, email me and we’ll get you squared away. Dr. Greg Rose has done a great job with TPI (Titleist Performance Institute) certified assessors. Check out the TPI website as that will give you a point in the right direction, as well.

The Thick and Thin of the PGA Tour

doug — Mon, 29 Jun 2009 17:49:49 +0000

I was pretty floored a few weeks back watching the St. Judes Classic and seeing the 265 pound girth of Guy Boros. That is just a lot of weight to be carrying around. And mind you, I am not judging Mr. Boros (or even the chunkiness of Duval) – he is on the PGA Tour with over 1.5 million in career earnings so he can weigh whatever he likes.

Just wondering if he did, say, lose 30 pounds or so just how effective his game would become. Well, that is my challenge for Mr. Boros – to lose 30 pounds. Only caveat is that I get a percentage of winnings once he starts making some serious money

He certainly is (to my knowledge) the heaviest person on the PGA Tour. I then did a bit of online research only to find out mygolfspy.com had already listed the top PGA Tour porkers and skinny-minnies on his site (see below)

http://www.mygolfspy.com/10-skinniest-players-on-pga-tour/

http://www.mygolfspy.com/10-heaviest-golfers-pga-tour/

No matter, they are still quite interesting to look at. I think the median weight was 180.

As far as the skinny-minnies go, Mark Wilson and Swede Richard Johnson take honors and weigh-in a dripping wet 145 pounds.

Even at 145 pounds Wilson hits the ball 280 yards and Johnson 275. They must have to generate some serious club head speed to hit it that far.

Please, let’s hear your comments on this one!

“Alternative” Golf Power Using Martial Arts

doug — Thu, 14 May 2009 12:28:13 +0000

Curious out there how many folks practice some type of alternative exercise to increase your golf swing power. By this I mean aikido, chi gong, tai chi, etc. I have practiced aikido in the past so I have some direct experience. It is a type of “power” that you develop over time.

One of the keys in any of these disciplines is, of course, you have to practice it but it very much has to do with working on a way to relax your body so you have “effortless” power. I have glimpsed this only a few times in the last couple years and if I had the chance to play a bit more would pursue this adamantly.

I was actually testing some exercises from a little-known book that I have had for years which help you develop “chi” or “ki” power and will reporting on the results.

These are simple and powerful but VERY difficult (at least initially) but when I was practicing semi-regularly and played golf I would have that feeling of power coming from my center (hips) and not from the top (which is what I usually do) with a totally relaxed, (almost felt like I did not have a club in my hand) full swing.

I easily gained about 30-40 yards (on my drives). It was almost magical. However, it was VERY fleeting. But I often think back and wonder about how I could tap into this “hidden” power source more often. That’s what I aim to do.

Is Tiger TOO Pumped Up?

doug — Mon, 11 May 2009 16:28:45 +0000

Johnny Miller made an interesting comment in yesterdays Players Championship concerning Tiger Woods.

Not sure of the exact quote but he mentioned that maybe his biceps are getting in the way of his swing. Now golf certainly requires strength but I tend to agree with Johnny. He just seems to be getting too pumped up to play precision golf.

If you made a composite image of all the past superstars into one ideal body type you would certainly not get the current view we have of Tiger.

Hogan, Snead, Watson, Trevino, Nicklaus, Miller, all had, of course, different body types but even Jack’s figure was somewhat “sinewy” in his prime. No bulk. Just long, fast, lean and powerful golf muscles. Certainly nothing like the next cornerback for the NFL.

Golf is so precise that to be constantly putting weight bearing stress on your muscles seems a bit too much. Now I am certainly not saying weight training for golf is not the thing to do because we know, done properly, does provide benefit.

It just that weight training contracts and therefore “shortens” the muscles – just the opposite of what a Yoga practice accomplishes.

I remember reading once that the great baseball Hall of Famer, Stan Musial, never warmed up with a weighted bat. He said hitting was so precise he didn’t want to give his body “mixed messages” just before hitting.

But how far is to far? Only Tiger knows, but maybe laying off the weights might help him hit a few more fairways.

Are You Biomechanically Sound?

doug — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 13:04:00 +0000

While most established tour pros have a coach and a psychologist but very few have a biomechanics expert as part of their team.

It seems your golf technique is often compromised by poor biomechanics. So, in other words, no matter how hard you try to emulate Tiger Woods’ rapid hip clearance or Fred Couples’ flexible turn, you won’t be able to achieve it if you don’t have the physical capability to make those movements.

Biomechanics experts, unlike PGA professionals (who have a detailed knowledge of golf swing fundamentals) golf biomechanics experts use advanced physical assessment and training technique to improve flexibility, muscle performance and joint stability.

Then, according to the results, a program (personalized exercises) is established that targets your physical weaknesses.

The line often gets blurred when you “think” you are suffering from bad golf swing mechanics (poor weight shift, for example) when the real issue might be an inflexible pelvis.

Some common physical problems that can interfere with your golf swing mechanics are: one leg slightly longer than another, tight nerves in arms and legs, poor “core” abdominal muscle control, limited flexibility and incorrectly positioned pelvis. Further, these issues can also cause injuries due to compensatory muscle group movements.

The C.H.E.K. Institute has some wonderful and cutting edge products on Golf Biomechanics. Check out the site below:

http://www.chekinstitute.com/

AceMagnetics.com Announces New Patent

doug — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 21:25:00 +0000

AceMagnetics.com has been granted a patent on its RB30 which is clearly the lightest weight, highest strength, most durable, waterproof sports and leisure magnetic bracelet in the world.

Encinitas, CA (PRWEB) April 24, 2008 — www.AceMagnetics.com ®, an internet e-commerce company providing magnetic bracelets and magnetic jewelry for sports and health enthusiasts has been awarded a new patent for its RB30 style Rally Band Magnetic Sports band.

Acemagnetics.com is the sole distributor of this new product now on sale at RB30 Rally band to be the lightest weight most powerful, waterproof sports and health band on the market bar none worldwide.”

“We are delighted about the advantages of our unique Rally Band® wristband,” says Jay Varon, President of AceMagnetics.com®. “The Rally band has no clasp so it slips on and off easily, it is more flexible than traditional metal wristbands, the silicone is completely waterproof and the silicone lets us embed and protect even more magnets. The Rally Band sports band® is the lightest weight most powerful (105, 00 total gauss) magnetic wristband on the market and is virtually indestructible and suitable for young and old alike. Additionally “we can make them in different colors so they are not only functional but incredibly stylish!”

AceMagnetics.com utilizes neodymium magnets in its entire product line. Neodymium magnets will retain 90% of their magnetic force for a hundred years. AceMagnetics.com products are used by a wide range of professional golfers and other professional athletes as well as everyday weekend warriors around the globe.

About AceMagnetics.com, Inc.  

AceMagnetics.com Inc., founded in 1996 & headquartered in Encinitas, CA, offers more than 250 magnetic products including bracelets, copper bracelets, titanium magnetic bracelets, magnetic rings, magnetic necklaces, magnetic wraps, magnetic mattress pads, tungsten carbide magnetic bracelets and other magnetic accessories. Free sample RB30 Rally Bands are available to any and all media content providers for field testing upon request.  

For more information  :

Loren Norquist, Public Information Officer 
V: 1.800.599.9098 
F: 760.479.0202
 info(at)acemagnetics.com

AceMagnetics.Com Announces New Patent

doug — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 23:23:00 +0000

“RallyBand” design Floats Magnets in Silicone.

Encinitas, CA (PRWEB) November 20, 2007 — AceMagnetics.com ®, an internet company providing magnetic bracelets and magnetic jewelry for sports and health enthusiasts has patented RallyBands. The company is the sole distributor of this new product. The new design actually “floats” magnets in silicone.

“We are delighted about the advantages of our unique RallyBand® wristband,” says Jay Varon, President of AceMagnetics.com®. “The Rallyband has no clasp so it slips on and off more easily, it is more flexible than traditional metal wristbands, the silicone is completely waterproof so there is no rust or wrist marks and the silicone lets us embed and protect even more magnets.

The RallyBand® is the lightest weight most powerful magnetic wristband on the market and is virtually indestructible. Last but not least we can make them in different colors so they are stylish!”

About AceMagnetics.com, Inc.

AceMagnetics.com Inc., headquartered in Encinitas, CA, offers more than 200 magnetic bracelets, copper bracelets, titanium magnetic bracelets, magnetic rings, magnetic necklaces, magnetic wraps, magnetic mattress pads and other magnetic products.

For more information:

Loren Norquist, Public Information Officer
V: 1.800.599.9098
F: 760.479.0202
lnorquist@acemagnetics.com