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.
Scott Delair, PGA,General Manager,Malone (New York) Golf Club
I work to provide my clients not only with a good golf lesson, but also with the tools to accomplish their goals. Understanding how people are capable of moving shifts the focus from “What do we want to do?” to “What can we do and how can we make it efficient?” I decided that pursuing TPI certification would give me the knowledge to help golfers better accomplish their goals.
Applying this fitness-minded approach to player development is important for two reasons. First, it helps players comprehend the body-swing connection and how that plays a role in ball flight. This understanding guides their practice and training sessions. Second, the benefits of improving one’s physical well-being lead to better golf and a better life. The mental health benefits of exercising are tremendous and usually come with an increased feeling of self-confidence, which benefits both our golf games and our everyday lives.
In my coaching with students, I start with a TPI screening to learn what their body can do before we get to work and I start putting players in different positions. Not having an understanding of an individual’s physical limitations runs the risk of injuring them by putting them in positions that their body is not ready for. Helping players understand what their body can do and how it affects their golf swing is crucial, especially for self-correction. When working with a player and trying to implement a new move or pattern, I like to ask “why?” a lot. This puts students in a position to do their own critical thinking rather than me providing the answer. I have found that this method helps players retain information, as well as being consistent with their rehearsals.
Trevor AndersonFounder,Better Every Day,Orlando, Florida
At Better Every Day, we work with athletes from all sports, and we are committed to maximizing the performance of our elite athletes while improving the physical capabilities and game skills of the everyday individual. Helping them find that greater level of success and attain their own personal excellence drives us to do what we do. We accomplish this through education, mo tivation and inspiration.
GOLFleticism is our method of bridging the gap between golf and fitness, and achieving these goals with our golfing population. Golf is a sport, and movement is vital. In fact, the golf swing is one of the most athletic moves in all of sports because it’s the only movement where you’re standing in one place but still transferring a vast amount of energy that results in the golf ball traveling a significant distance. By implementing multi-sport training concepts, we train golfers to develop speed, power and coordination to produce an effective and efficient golf swing, improve golf biomechanics and enhance overall athletic movement.
I gained this valuable experience working for 2017 PGA Teacher & Coach of the Year David Leadbetter as the Director of Golf Performance at IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida, and was responsible for the golf performance curriculum for our 180 academy golfers. When I left IMG, I went to Orlando to be David’s head of performance. During those experiences, I saw some beautiful golf swings that couldn’t even sniff par and many unorthodox swings that went low every day.
As a result, I now emphasize the importance of making the necessary changes in real time to see results where it matters the most. Today, sending my clients back to their golf instructors with greater physical capabilities is the key to our success at Better Every Day. By conducting an initial assessment, establishing goals, reviewing goals and measuring goals, we demonstrate the progress clients are making through our work together, so they remain motivated to achieve even more.
