We’ve all had days on the golf course or driving range when we have a better chance of winning the lottery than consistently hitting the ball well. One day your short game is off, the next you cannot manage to get off the tee box without having to spend more time in the woods than a lumberjack as you attempt to locate your errant shot. Frustration wells up inside and finally you resort to teeing off with a lob wedge to hit one ball straight rather than deep into the brush. You try every swing drill your golf pro has given you and every tip from this month’s issue of Golf magazine, but nothing seems to work. Everyone has experienced at least one round where nothing seems to go right on the course.

For most golfers, the ultimate goal is to hit the ball well on a consistent basis without experiencing pain or discomfort. A bonus to playing consistently well would be to add distance to each shot. But how can you accomplish these things? You have played for years and although there have been short spurts of improvement, there haven’t been long-term, permanent differences in your overall game. A Titleist Performance Institute Certified Fitness Professional can help you reach your golf performance goals, eliminate pain and add valuable distance to your swing.

TPI Fitness Professionals are certified and trained to assess each individual's movement patterns and golf swing to look for asymmetries, imbalances and poor movement quality. Each movement in the screen is standardized and compared to PGA pro players’ normal reference ranges. Results of the screening generally reveal that there are significant physical limitations that need to be addressed to improve one’s golf swing. For example, a right-handed golfer with less than 60 degrees range of motion in external rotation on his or her right hip will not be able to rotate efficiently into a back swing. As a result, these golfers are prone to a loss of posture and spine angle, sway and an over-the-top swing. These golfers will have major difficulties developing  consistent swings and will be forced to rely on excellent hand-eye coordination to compensate for deficiencies in movement quality and the accompanying swing faults.

Inconsistencies in your swing are likely a direct result of physical limitations in movement patterns. These limitations must be addressed before any golf pro can truly fix your golf swing. Once the physical limitation is dramatically reduced or completely removed, you may then enhance your overall game through drills and practice. TPI Fitness Professionals will identify the physical limitation, develop a program to repair the issue, and communicate with your golf pro or medical doctor to ensure progress continues or is maintained in all activities for years to come.

In addition to a thorough movement assessment to determine the strengths and limitations of your swing, TPI Fitness Professionals complete a standardized strength and power test uniquely specific for the golf swing. Professionals can immediately tell from these tests whether you have the ability to hit the golf ball like Rory McIlroy or if you are better suited for par-3 courses. After all, who wants to suffer the embarrassment of eight shots just to reach the green on a par 5? Strength is fundamental for the golf swing to generate the power and club head speeds needed to hit the ball well. A base level of strength also will allow you to resist motion and control the forces and speeds generated in your swing. Without power and strength, the likelihood of pain and injury increases.

Upon completion of the TPI Golf Assessment, a fitness professional can properly design a program that will attack the weaknesses and enhance the strengths of the golfer. Each player has a different body, strengths and weaknesses. The TPI Certified Fitness Professional at Wilmington Performance Lab will quickly identify the areas that should be targeted in a workout program to begin dramatically improving your golf performance.

If you are interested in learning more about this program, visit our website or contact Wilmington Performance Lab at 910-399-5441 to schedule your free TPI Golf and Fitness Assessment.

Chris McAbee is the founder and co-owner of Wilmington Performance Lab, a state-of-the-art personal training facility that offers a full range of services including nutritional counseling and corporate wellness. Wilmington Performance Lab was founded on the belief that personal training is not only about making physical improvements, but also building long lasting, quality relationships with partners you can trust. For more information, visit http://wilmingtonperformancelab.com/ or call 910- 399-5441.