At the Baltimore Golf Academy, we provide private and group golf instruction and training to juniors and adult golfers of varied levels of skill and experience. With this diverse student base, we are seeing the limitations that the body often places on the golf swing and are putting programs in place to prevent golfer injuries, increase game performance and ensure effective recovery.
“Golfhealth,” as we refer to it on our website, encompasses several programs that go beyond the game of golf and offer a new focus on health and wellness. These programs are for players who may not be going to a gym or just want to try yoga or resistance band training or even get a screening to see if they can improve their swing or play with less pain. We have a team of trusted local professionals to whom we refer our players. These experts come to our academy at Pine Ridge Golf Course and help our golfers with different aspects of golf fitness. It's a win-win for everyone!
Here are some details:
• Combination Yoga and Myofascial Release (MFR) for Golfers is taught by Catherine Behrent, a local artist, professor and yoga instructor. This 90-minute class begins with some basic yoga poses that will be beneficial to our students’ golf swings. Catherine then teaches us myofascial release and shows us how to use massage balls to help bring blood and oxygen flow into the muscles to help them function at their best. We hope participants leave this session feeling energized and ready to play.
• Play Your Best Golf Workshop is an opportunity for our students to learn the principles for a successful golf preseason, discover how to individualize their preseason training to maximize performance gains and reduce injury risk and understand how to maintain their body and game throughout the entire golf season. In this session, Chris Stires, a Doctor of Physical Therapy at Outlast Health and Performance in Baltimore, will:
• perform a movement/mobility screen on each participant
• review corrective exercises for mobility, movement and strength restrictions specific to the participant’s screening results
• have participants try various exercises
• provide a video swing analysis
• discuss general principles of a successful off-season program
• guide guests on how to create an off-season program specific to their needs
• discuss general principles of a healthy season
• Golf Exercises Students Can Do At Home is an opportunity for us to bring in other outstanding trainers from across our area to show students what they can do with resistance bands and other items they have around the house to improve their golf fitness.
• Junior Workout Program at Parisi Speed Clinic and LifeBridge Health & Fitness in the winter months. These sessions are comprised of small groups of six students and meet weekly during the offseason.
Collaborating with health and wellness professionals from throughout our area is how we provide a holistic player development program for golfers of all abilities. New golfers learn the game in a healthy manner, while seasoned players achieve their goals and play the best golf of their lives. It really is a win-win for everyone!
Julieta Stack, a five-time Golf Range Association of America (GRAA) Top 100 Growth of the Game Teaching Professional and two-time U.S. Kids Golf Top 50 Junior Coach, is the LPGA Director of Instruction at the Baltimore Golf Academy in Lutherville, Maryland.