Fitness Friday: The Connection Between Fitness and Golf

If you live in Colorado and are an avid golfer, you may find yourself daydreaming of summer’s longer days, green grass, and warm temperatures. Although it may feel like golf’s peak season is still far off, summer will be here before you know it. With this in mind, now is the time to start preparing for your best golf season yet. To help you golf at your best, Garden of the Gods Club Sports Club Manager Lauralee Beerman recently attended the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) in Arizona. We had the chance to talk with Lauralee about the TPI, as well as why you should be excited about it. We invite you to “eavesdrop” on our conversation below.

Prepare now for a great golf season!

Garden of the Gods Club (GGC): Tell me a bit about the TPI.
Lauralee Beerman (LB): The TPI is known as “the leader in elite golf player development” and is a leading source for golf fitness. The institute has “over eight years of experience in research and development of golf fitness and is dedicated to teaching golf, fitness, and medical professionals to work together to get golfers at their best.” The TPI provides in-depth instruction on the biomechanics of the golf swing, major fitness deficiencies that many golfers struggle with and how to correct them, as well as how to reduce pain and the likelihood of injury. The three most common things that lead to efficiency breakdown are poor mechanics, poor conditioning, and poor equipment. This knowledge will help me to address these areas so that I can help golfers to create the best scenario for their individual needs.

From the Titlelist Performance Institute

GGC: You mentioned that there are some common fitness deficiencies amongst golfers. Can you tell me more about what they are?
LB: Yes. Muscle imbalances caused by a sedentary lifestyle and prolonged static postural stress (stress from remaining in one position too long) are the two that I see most often. It is easier to address these areas of weakness with exercise now than it is to fix  injury later on with corrective surgery. Common symptoms that golfers might experience as a result of these deficiencies include tight hip flexors, weak gluteus muscles, weak core and back, and tight hamstrings.

GGC: How can the TPI help golfers, and why should they be excited about it?
LB: The knowledge that I’ve gained from the TPI really boils down to helping golfers to work around their own physical limitations so that they can golf at their best. I will take golfers through a very detailed physical screening process to pin down areas that need work. Based on this screening, I create a personalized golf-fitness training plan. This plan encompasses all areas that affect player development, as shown in TPI’s Hexagon of Player Development diagram (pictured at right). This plan will help golfers reduce the risk of injury while helping them develop a more powerful swing and more accurate shots.

The golf season will be here in no time. If you are interested in preparing now for a great golf season, we encourage you to contact Sports Club Manager Lauralee Beerman at 719.329.4009 or lbeerman@ggclub.com about how the TPI can help you.