Welcome to the inaugural golf blog post here at ProFormance Rehab! To kick off this series I’d like to talk about how to prepare for the upcoming golf season and how to effectively clean off the rust collected over the winter months.
Golf is a very repetitive sport and 18 holes at the beginning of the season can feel like a grind. Use these tips to help you hit the ground running and feel like you are in midseason form even in April and May.
Daily walking routine
If you were to walk a typical 18 hole course you are covering between 5-6 miles in that time. Now is a great time to get out on the road and get your steps in and improve your cardiovascular endurance to be ready. Work your way up to walking this distance, when you are feeling good start incorporating some hills into your walks, and then, if you carry a bag, now is the time to throw a backpack on your back and fill it to 20-30 lbs. to simulate the golf bag. Once you have achieved this you should feel pretty confident you can tackle the course.
100 practice swings per day rule
No need for any golf balls for this one, just you and your club. Start by taking 50% swings, keeping it nice and light to loosen up your muscles and joints. When you feel ready increase your effort to 75% full power and eventually to full swings. As stated above, shoot for 100 swings per day and try to perform all your swings in one session. On days you are feeling a bit stiff and tight, take a majority of the swings at 50%. On days you are feeling loose and limber, get into the full swing a little faster. Listen to your body and it will never steer you wrong
Driving Range
When first starting out back at the driving range, begin with only hitting 50-60 balls and then taking 30-40 practice swings. This will come out to about 100 swings per session and perform this 2-3x/week. Follow the same rules as the practice swings you have been doing at home and start with easy swings and work your way up to full swings when you feel your body can handle it. A great way to self-police this is by starting with your shorter clubs like your wedges and gradually working your way up to the driver. This will naturally allow you to take bigger and harder swings over time.
Get on the putting green!!!!!!
This is the number one way to take strokes off your game by being proficient on the green. It doesn’t matter if you can bomb it 300 yards down the fairway if you are three-putting every time. Get in your practice and start working on your hand-eye coordination.
That’s it! You are now on your way to having a great season. Check back in on more tips on how to stay on the course and out of the doctor’s office.
Hit em straight!
-Dr. Conor Bray
If you’re interested in a more detailed assessment of your swing and mechanics come on in and ask to see Conor Bray, DPT, who is certified by the Titleist Performance Institute!
