To help PGA Magazine readers learn more about the ways they can bring golf together with health and wellness, we’ve added this recurring department that will include best practices information from the Golf Fitness Association of America (GFAA).
The GFAA was started by the publishers of PGA Magazine in 2020 and is led by an advisory board of PGA of America Golf Coaches and highly regarded golf fitness experts, including GFAA President Dr. Steven Lorick. We hope you find this department beneficial and encourage you to learn more about the GFAA at golf.fitness.com.
Matteo Daniele,Head Athletic Trainer,Madison Avenue Strength Club,Larchmont, New York
Some of my clients stay local during the winter, while others travel back and forth to warm-weather climates throughout the off-season. The golf fitness strategies we apply will hinge upon each client’s plans between now and spring. In addition to these existing individuals, I project I’ll get at least 20 new clients during the winter months. Many of the new clients I pick up come from my social media engagement and word-of-mouth chatter among our current community of athletes. Eighty percent of these new connections will become long-term relationships.
I do not take these objectives lightly and am fully invested in every client. With rounds of golf not as prevalent during the winter months as they are from spring to fall, our training changes from the in-season work we do together. Most of my clients will play just a few times, at the most, be tween now and April. At this time of year, they’re attending holiday parties and family events that might get them off track – we account for these traditions in our efforts together. We’re trying to preserve, and also build, this time of year.
The winter also enables us to recuperate some of the areas that were somewhat abused by the rigors of thousands of golf swings throughout the season. With such rotational stresses, we want to take some pressure off the stabilizers of the knees and work on more mobility and strength of the hips. We want to rebalance the rounded posture that many golfers have in their game, and build strength in these areas while maintaining flexibility. We want them to feel good and take care of the important things that their doctors will look at: heart health, cardiovascular health, joint health, their bones and more. We’ll increase the intensity of their strength training and still work on preserving the functions they need to maintain their golf skills.
When our efforts feel more like an uninvited task than an inspiring team effort to achieve their goals, it’s important for me to convince clients that if they want to play golf pain-free and at a satisfactory level for the long term, they have to actively work on their health and wellness now.
Ben Kendrick,Founder and Performance Physical Therapist,Elevate Golf Physical Therapy and Performance,Lexington, Kentucky
We recently hosted free information sessions at Bluegrass Golf Academy that were open to both their students and outside golfers, allowing them to learn about golf fitness and my efforts to bridge the gap between golf and fitness. These sessions began with a 20-minute talk that I gave on what it looks like to train for golf. I demonstrated some exercises and movements, and tested each participant to gauge their thoracic rotation, showing them the things I look at as a golf trainer. I also showed them how training for golf differs from general training and daily exercise.
Of course, everyone needs exercise in some form or fashion, but the details of this fitness regimen will differ based on the level of play, the goals of the person and the time and effort he or she has to dedicate to the endeavor. I explained and demonstrated what it means to train like a golfer. In a session I conducted last summer, I had a very diverse audience who came out to engage in this conversation, learn how they can better themselves and consider the benefits they can reap for their golf game.
In addition to educating individuals on fitness, I use these sessions as a sales and marketing tool to promote my growing business and expertise. With Elevate’s convenient location within the Bluegrass Golf Academy, an award-winning facility with some of the best instructors in the area, I not only benefit from a golfing clientele walking through our doors every day, but also provide a vital service that adds to the value that BGA brings to its golfers. —Vinnie Manginelli, PGA
