Improving My Game With The Golf Performance Institute

At the 2009 Milwaukee Golf Show, I met Scott Stamn from Premier Physical Therapy. Casually he inquired about my golf goals for 2009. Truthfully, I shared I wanted to be a more consistent ball striker. I joked that too bad his company couldn't help me. Surely a sports physical therapist couldn't help me hit a golf ball better. He simply smiled and invited me to experience the The Golf Performance Institute program.

In a nut shell, The Golf Performance Institute is the marriage between professionals who specialize in fitness, sports medicine/physical therapy and golf lessons . Collectively these professionals work together and in concert to help you achieve your golf goals, whether it is more power, great flexibility, recover from injury or perfecting your swing.

My Visit With Scott Stamn - Director of Golf Fitness, PT, CSCS, TPI-MP2

Ok..a brief aside. I thought golf fitness was an oxymoron like metal woods. To be honest, when I walked in I had no idea what to expect. I was blessed with my father's athleticism and I am in decent shape. What am I going to learn that I didn't in 5th grade gym class? Well, I was in for an eye opener.

Scott put me through a Golf Fitness Evaluation to assess my strength, mobility, flexibility and balance. The battery of tests were not overly strenuous but provided insight on my body's strengths and weaknesses pertaining to the muscles needed for a golf swing. My weakness was clearly flexibility.

One of the key movements in golf is a shoulder turn. To test your shoulder/back flexibility I started by standing up with my legs shoulder length apart, extended my arms out to the side and I twisted as far back as I could. Scott was impressed with my initial screen but then the exam goes further and starts isolating the muscle groups that are required to make a proper golf swing. The next test was to eliminate the hips and isolate the back/shoulder turn. Yikes, I found a weakness. I could only turn about 50% of a touring pro. Further tests showed poor flexibility in the hamstrings, back and pectoral muscles.

We paused and he explained it is not bad that I did not pass that portion of the assessment and reaffirmed that everyone has a weakness or an area that needs improvement. The evaluation finds that weakness. His job then is to develop a fitness and stretching program to help make improvements.

In reviewing my evaluation, Scott asked if I had a tendency to sway or if my ball striking was typically a pull or a slice. My mouth hit the floor. This guy has not even seen my swing but had my golf swing flaws down to a tee. I confirmed and he said that was typical for individuals with tight muscles in the back, hips and hamstrings to have a poor golf turn.

Still in shock I kept listening. He explained that the analysis of the body's movements is the power of the program. In golf, the body takes the path of least resistance and if you cannot perform the motions for a proper golf swing you will have inherent flaws that even the best golf instructor cannot fix.

I left with a series of stretches and a plan on how to improve my body mechanics. He asked for my permission to share his results with Holly Gonwa, the fitness instructor, and Andy Runkel, PGA golf instructor. The purpose of sharing was so Holly could build a deeper fitness program and Andy then would know my strengths and limitations to have a heads up before my lessons.

It is worth noting that each assessment is unique. His next patient may be weak in the core and he would develop a series of activities to help that person.

My Visit With Holly Gonwa - Physical Trainer

A few days after my visit with Scott, I met Holly. The energetic physical trainer already developed a physical fitness program for me based on my evaluation from Scott. She showed me a series of exercises that both stretched and engaged the muscle groups that needed attention. She also provided me with exercise to strengthen other important muscles for the golf swing. Lastly, she taught me techniques to ensure a good workout like proper breathing and standing tall with stomach tucked in.

My Visit With Andy Runkel, PGA Teaching Professional

Now completing the trifecta! After identifying my body's limitations and developing a plan to strengthen them I was in position for proper golf lessons. Andy shot video of my swing and we were able to identify my mechanical issues. Sure enough my swing either had a sway or I over compensated my back tightness with a larger hip turn. Seeing this with my own eye reinforced how important it is to work on my flexibility and back mobility. Andy gave me a few pointers and made some slight adjustments and within a lesson I was grooving iron after iron.

Summary

My 2009 goal was to hit the ball more consistently. Going through the process I had a huge epiphany on how linked proper fitness and flexibility is to perfecting your swing. In addition, by finding my faults in my body mechanics I have been able to isolate my flaws in my golf swing. Continuing the program and exercising and stretching has significantly helped my golf swing and scores. Having a plan and road map helped me succeed. I owe a huge thanks to the Golf Performance Institute. On that note, I need to wrap this up so I can do my daily stretches.

Packages

The Golf Performance Institute has several packages that range from the golf physical evaluation and video swing analysis starting at $195 to more in depth lessons and training. More information can be found at www.gpimilwaukee.com/.

Scott Stamn - Premier Physical Therapy
4125 N. 124th St, Suite A
Brookfield WI 53005
262-439-8602
premierptwi@aol.com

Andrew Runkel - The Bog
3121 Cty Hwy I
Saukville WI, 53080
262-284-7075
arunkel@golfthebog.com

Holly Gonwa - Pulse Personal Training
W61 N397 Washington Ave.
Cedarburg WI, 53012
414-531-4976
hgonwa@yahoo.com