The Fitness Caddie Blog: “The Lip”

Well, he’s at it again.  Congrats to Dr. Sese, he was made the TPI Professional of the Week! Nice work doc!

I have been wanting to blog about Tiger since last year, but had decided not to participate because although I have respect for what the guy has accomplished (on the course!), I have never been a huge fan of his foul mouth and bad attitude. However, in preparation for my trip to the US Open this week, I have been watching video random people have posted on YouTube of different players as they do their practice rounds.  Jack pot!  Although it’s hard to see from this angle, the gathering of fabric in Tiger’s lower back here gives an indication that he is not in neutral spine!

If you have read some of my previous blogs, I tend to talk about pelvic tilts quite a bit. In fact, I probably spend close to 10 hours a days discussing pelvic tilts and watching my golfers go through them. Why are they so important? I think of the pelvis as the power house of the golf swing, having proper mobility in both the anterior and posterior directions is vital to proper posture, power transfer and eliminating back pain. If a golfer addresses the ball with an excessive anterior tilt (also called S-posture) the result is activation of the lower back and hip flexors, which in turn shuts off the most important muscles in the golf swing, the glutes and abdominals. When the pelvis in too much of a posterior tilt (also called C-posture) the end result is rounding of the upper back which limits thoracic rotation and lack of hinge in the hips making it difficult to again transfer power in the swing. Neutral spine is the position in between those two postures where the body is best able to accomplish mobility, stability and power.
What’s my conclusion on Tiger?………the man is in poor posture at address, and if you take a look at the recent back and neck pain issues, coupled with his poor consistency in shots, he needs a healthy dose of pelvic tilts! (ok, this is where I could have inserted a joke…..but I’ll spare all of you!)

It is the greatest 4 days of the year, and although many disagree with me, the most exciting sporting event of the year next to the Ryder Cup.  That’s right, it’s Masters weekend!!  What is better than watching to return of Tiger Woods, young players such as Anthony Kim attacking Augusta, and here on Thursday, watching Chad Campbell put together an amazing round?  However, I cannot just let you sit there and watch the tournament for hours on end.  Take advantage of this most inspirational 4 days to bust out the stability ball and work on your balance.  Better yet, grab a foam roller or tennis ball and work on some of those knots!  And if you really wanted to make me happy, take this time to warm your body up with some balance work and then take a good 10 minutes to stretch.  The greatest players in the world do all this, it is time to join them!

I read a great article in the Wall Street Journal this past weekend called “Mastery, Just 10,000 Hours Away”.  The article outlines concepts from multiple books that discuss the concept of how people at the top of their game in any sport are not fundamentally different from the rest of us, they just happen to work “harder and smarter”.  In this era of Tiger Woods, any chance this is really true?  Is it possible the Tiger was just like any other, he just happened to practice and work harder at golf then those around him? 

Well, the timing of this article is perfect with Golf Channel’s genius reality show, “The Hank Haney Project” under way.  Just three episodes into it, we are watching what appears to be a miracle happen as Hank Haney attempts to fix the swing of Charles Barkley.
Here it is!

What can we learn from both the article and the reality show that applies to golf and to workouts?

1. Having a purpose during practice helps whether you have two hours a day or two hours a week to work on your game.
2. Be realistic, if you haven’t put in the time, do not expect consistent results.
3. Mindless practice is a waste of time! When you’re on the range, pick targets for every swing and pay attention to distance. When you’re in the gym, have a plan ahead of time!
4. It takes hard work to improve your golf game.
5. Whether in the gym or on the course, make sure you’re having fun.
6. And finally, don’t spend too much time watching the old Charles Barkley swing!

This week is the very awaited return of Tiger Woods to the PGA Tour. The world watched last year as he somehow managed to make is through 5 days of play at the US Open with an injured knee and a stress fracture in his femur. With every swing, you could see the pain in his eyes and many of us wondered if he was crazy for risking his future for one tournament. But, with his return to action this week, a new Tiger is emerging. If you check out his blog, he talks about the freedom the knee surgery has given him to finally swing without worry. I personally can’t wait to see what he will do the remainder of the season and the testament he will be to why fitness is such an important component to the game of golf!