How to Improve your Golf Game Pain Free
Golf is an extremely popular sport among my clients. And with any sport comes injuries that keep my clients from enjoying a hobby they love (or that keep them from performing their best!). My goal as a soft-tissue and sports therapist is to get you back to doing what you love, pain free. There are tools in my arsenal that can not only heal injuries you may have acquired, but prevent any future injuries by improving your body mechanics during your golf swing.
I approach every session similarly, (for more details, check out my article, What to Expect During Your First Massage Therapy Appointment), but if a client comes to me with a golf injury or discomfort, I incorporate what’s called the TPI screening into my assessment.
The Titleist Performance Institute, or TPI, is an educational organization that specializes in how human bodies function while performing a golf swing. After years of research, the institute has discovered that a body that functions properly without limitation due to pain or discomfort is able to perform at its best. So, during our assessment, we’ll go through several movements based on the TPI screening to determine where the root issue lies when performing your golf swing.
Once I uncover the dysfunctional movement patterns that are causing your pain and disrupting your golf game, we’ll move into treatment.
Top 3 Treatments I use for Golfers with Pain
Active Release Technique, or ART, is a hands-on but non-invasive technique that addresses overused or injured muscles. During the ART portion of our treatment session, you’ll actively move or extend the affected muscle that is causing you discomfort during your golf swing while I apply pressure to feel how the muscle moves. From there, I’ll be able to determine how to use manual therapy to effectively treat those restricted areas.
Another technique I often use for golfers in pain is Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization. DNS focuses on the proper mechanics of the “core” muscles through breathwork, which include the diaphragm, pelvic floor, and abdominal muscles. Using DNS, I can stimulate movement control centers in your brain to reteach your body how it was meant to move pain free. This action restores proper movement and muscular balance which in turn will improve your golf swing.
Along with ART and DNS, we’ll likely do several Movement Drills during our sessions, or I’ll assign drills for you to complete at home. These movements will further train your muscles to move and function properly during your golf game. Muscles that move properly are less likely to become injured over time.
Remember, when there is pain or limitation when you’re golfing (or doing anything really), don’t wait! It’s important that you seek a medical provider (like me) to help you assess the damage and re-educate your muscles. As a soft-tissue and sports therapist, my goal is to get you back to doing what you love without any pain, but, if we improve your golf swing in the process then so be it!
If you’re ready to get started, let’s chat. I’d love to help you get back to feeling your best.
