Lets play out 2 scenarios. Would you rather….
OPTION A
Have a season long scoring average of 70 that came with 2/10 low back pain during the round and 4/10 low back pain for 3-4 hours after each round?
OR
OPTION B
2. Be pain free and have a scoring average of 80?
Im a golfer at heart and care more about performance than pain. I’m taking Option A all day.
Several Professional golfers are in the same boat. They’d rather make cash money for 3 years with back pain, than correct their swing fault and fight misses.
We have to match-up the swing to the player.
I know I’m a big hater of restricting the hips in the back swing and early extension in the down swing for reasons related to consistency in the swing and stress to the lower back, elbows and wrists.
However, a conversation sparked with @ben.shear last week as well as learning from the #ultimategolflesson with Mike Adams and @terryrowles, I have to admit my thinking was extremely narrow minded.
Just like physical therapy, there is never a one size fits all and we have to match the players swing to what their body can do. Mobility restrictions are important to chip a way at, but what if in addressing them they make a player worse?
This was my over 5 years ago when I was down to a +2. Restricted hips and early extension.
My swing when I was a +2, note the early extension and restricted hips.
I’ve said it before in other posts, there are 4 ways to get better at golf
- Technique
- Your Body
- Equipment
- Course Management/Psych
Finding an expert who can work on your body while marrying what you can do with your technique has to yield the best results!
Get assessed, create goals, make a plan, and stick with it!