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.
Maureen Farrell, PGA,Director of Instruction,Oakwood Country Club,Kansas City, Missouri
Helping my members and students improve their golf game is important to me, as they’ll not only shoot lower scores but will have more fun doing it and will play more golf. Keeping our golfers’ bodies golf-ready is becoming a vital aspect of player development and game improvement. As PGA of America Golf Professionals, health and wellness should be part of our engagement with members. After all, golf’ a sport and we are the coaching professionals.
With a complete revitalization of our club under new ownership since 2020, including new fitness, pool, tennis and pickleball facilities, our membership is growing, and we’re promoting a healthy lifestyle at Oakwood. We welcomed Dr. Matt Stensrud to the team late last year. Matt is a doctor of physical therapy and the owner of Star PT KC. He partners with Kansas City Strength and Conditioning and is at Oakwood Country Club three days per week. Not only is Matt TPI-certified, but he has a background in golf as an Associate Certified Member of the United States Golf Teachers Federation. Matt uses his biomechanics background, exercise prescription and knowledge of the golf swing to improve golfers’ bodies so they can move better to play better, longer and with less pain.
Matt offers free screens to new and existing members, and he has also sat in on many of my lessons to learn about my teaching style and to reinforce the importance of mobility and strength adjustments for the client, so we can make the necessary changes in their swing and game. Matt and I agree that our collaboration is necessary for golfers to get the most out of the game-improvement experience. We believe being in the same building is important to communication, as well, so we can quickly address movement dysfunctions either through the body lens (Matt’s focus) or the skills lens (my focus). I have always outsourced fitness services as my students needed them. But, it’s great to work with someone as knowledgeable as Matt on-site with me, and our members are reaping the benefits.
Matt Keller, PGA,Master Professional,Owner/Operator,Indoor Golf & Training Centers,York and Lancaster,Pennsylvania
Our bread and butter at my indoor facilities is golf instruction and custom clubfitting. As an avid runner, I understand the benefits of being fit for the activities that we enjoy. Golf fitness is a similar concept. Golfers want to hit the ball farther, play better, play more and play pain-free – but what are they doing to ensure their bodies can deliver on those goals? The idea of providing a holistic approach to player development (instruction, fitting and fitness) is important to me.
Being TPI-certified, I implement golf fitness into my coaching sessions in a less formal but still motivational manner. My teens and high school golfers are working out and are aware of how their health and wellness affect their golf game and goals for the future. However, many of my adult students need more convincing. Understanding that I’m not a trainer, I’ll perform functional movement screens with my students to recognize problems and their impact on the golf swing. We partner with some mental coaches and a “yoga for golf” instructor, and educate our adult students on the value of stretching using the GolfForever Training System at our York location. While building this awareness among our adult clients is a continuous task, we always emphasize the importance of fitness and playing other sports to our juniors.
Educating golfers about golf fitness goes beyond the game – it’s important for life. As we get older, we sometimes adopt a less active lifestyle. The glutes are a use-it-or-lose-it muscle, so avoiding muscle imbalances is vital to our progress as golfers. Squats, stretches or stability exercises help people move better on and off the course. Be fitness-minded and help your clients understand that the body is the most important piece of golf equipment we have.
