With April almost here and some glimpses of spring sunshine that means one thing for any golfers out there. The Masters. This prestigious tournament is held at one of the most iconic courses in the world, and marks the beginning of the major tournament season.
Two things go through my mind most years when watching The Masters. One, the excitement for summer golf. Two, this game is so hard. Mentally, it’s an emotional rollercoaster. The ecstasy of feeling the ball come flush off the club down the middle of the fairway. And the agony of seeing the next shot shanked into the bushes. The rest of the day is spent practice swinging in the living room trying to figure out what’s going wrong, with some strange looks from your family.
We know it’s something to do with the swing, that’s obvious. Getting help from a golf coach is the best way to help remedy that. But sometimes our bodies physically won’t allow us to make changes or swing a certain way. This is where the TPI (Titliest Performance Institute) screen comes in.
The TPI screen is a golf specific physical assessment. Through a series of full body tests, we’ll look at your mobility, strength, balance and generally how well you’re moving. We then take this information and see how any physical restrictions might be limiting your swing. For example, someone’s bad shot may be right straight off the tee. If we discover some stiffness in the mid-back and hips, and see that they are early extending in the downswing, this physical problem may be affecting their swing. This is especially important to look at if you’re in pain playing or after golf, or if you’ve tried to make swing changes with a coach but are struggling to make them stick.
It\’s really important to mention that this assessment is not for swing advice or coaching. That’s the coaches job. The TPI screen is to show you what physical issues may be making your swing less efficient.
After the assessment, we take that information and create a management plan. This most often involves some hands on treatment and an exercise plan, tailored to improve any weak links. This exercise plan is uploaded to the MyTPI App, which allows you remote access to all the videos and instructions. With future follow ups we’ll be re-checking any problem areas and hopefully seeing you improve along the way.
Whether you’re a professional on the brink of The Masters or an amateur just trying to get around without snapping your driver, this assessment could help you. From a beginners perspective, going in to any lessons knowing what your physical capabilities are is really important. We also don’t have a whole medical team around us, so it’s likely that areas of stiffness or previous injuries could be affecting your game. It makes the game even harder if you’re trying to do things that you’re body won’t allow! From the professionals point of view, 18 of the last 20 major championships have been won by a player advised by a TPI certified expert. This highlights the importance of seeing what your body can do.
So if you’re in pain while playing, you’re struggling to make changes to your swing, or you’d just like to hit the ball a bit further, this could be a great option for you. If you’re unsure and have any questions, just give the clinic a call and I’d be happy to have a chat. I can’t promise you’ll be playing at the next Masters, but if you can gain a few yards and lose less balls, it’ll be well worth it.
Jack Withey
Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash
