Are you a golfer who is in pain? If so you are not alone. A study from the British Journal of Sports Medicine reported an annual injury incidence among amateur golfers between 15.8% and 40.9%. Over their lifetime the incidence is between 25.5% and 67.4%. The bottom line is that if you play golf long enough you will have some type of injury/pain at some time.
If you have been looking for a physical therapist who treats/understands golfers, you have may have heard of TPI. TPI, which stands for Titleist Performance Institute, is the world’s largest organization dedicated to the study of how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing. TPI offers 3 levels of certification to a variety of people including medical practitioners, golf teaching professionals, and fitness coaches. Every TPI certified individual takes the same level 1 certification class and for level 2 and 3 you break off to your own specialty. TPI has been around since 2003 and has been teaching their courses all over the United States and World. According to their website, mytpi.com, 18 out of the last 20 major champions were advised by a TPI certified professional; 25/30 of the top players in the world are advised by a TPI professional and 47 of 50 of golf digests top fitness professionals are TPI certified or on the TPI advisory board. The philosophy of TPI is to have a team centered approach to help someone improve their golf game. To help facilitate this team approach TPI has a large network of golf coaches, fitness instructors, strength/power coaches, etc that all have a similar knowledge base and background.
At North Lake we have 2 TPI certified physical therapists. A great thing about seeing a TPI certified physical therapist is that they will have specific knowledge about golf and the demands it can put on your body. They are well versed in common swing characteristics/faults, golf evaluation techniques, common golf injuries, the specific demands that the golf swing puts on your body. As a patient you will go through the golf specific screen which evaluates 16 different movements your body needs for the golf swing. You will also to through the typical PT evaluation including ROM assessments, strength assessments, special tests, etc to help determine the source of your pain. The goal at the end of your time in PT is to have less pain, have your body move better and be more efficient. This should lead to a more enjoyable time on the golf course and possibly lower scores!
-Dominic Chambers, PT, TPI Certified
CLICK HERE to Request your appointment with a TPI Certified Physical Therapist today!
Resources:
1. Murray AD, Daines L, Archibald D, et al. The relationships between golf and health: a scoping review. British Journal of Sports Medicine 2017;51:12-19.
2. Mytpi.com
Learn more about aout the Titleist Performance Center HERE
