Golf Performance Therapy
An often over-looked but vital component of a golfer’s performance program is therapy. Therapy can play a dramatic role in injury prevention and performance enhancement.
Based on a thorough golf-specific history and physical assessment of the golfer’s body behind the swing, therapy is performed by a highly qualified and skill practitioner: the certified Golf Performance Therapist.
Therapy can improve posture and muscular balance and increase flexibility, strength and endurance thereby enhancing stability and power of the golf swing. It does so by addressing the golfer’s body behind the swing and maximizing the physical capability of the golfer to swing the golf club.
The primary objective of therapy is to release or loosen the golfer’s excessively tight muscles and mobilize or move restricted joints to maximize swing efficiency. Using muscle release techniques to reduce the tightness of the muscles in the body can aid in preventing golf-related injuries and performing a better swing. The body regions most tight and restricted are those that are required to rotate in the golf swing. These regions are the shoulders, mid/upper back and hips.
THERAPY FAQs
(click question to view)
Who is the Golf Performance Therapist?
The GPT has in-depth knowledge of the biomechanics of the golf swing, joint and muscle recruitment during the swing, proprioceptive neuromuscular feedback requirements and knowledge of injury and performance treatments for the golfer.
Dr. Ryan Emmons is a highly skilled chiropractor, myofascial release provider and golf performance therapist, credentialed through ChiroTraining International, who provides treatment to golfers to maximize the performance of their swing.
As an athlete, personal trainer and chiropractor, Dr. Ryan Emmons is well-equipped with the knowledge and expertise to treat, rehabilitate and train the golfer for a stronger physical foundation to swing the golf club.
Dr. Ryan Emmons is a highly skilled chiropractor, myofascial release provider and golf performance therapist, credentialed through ChiroTraining International, who provides treatment to golfers to maximize the performance of their swing.
As an athlete, personal trainer and chiropractor, Dr. Ryan Emmons is well-equipped with the knowledge and expertise to treat, rehabilitate and train the golfer for a stronger physical foundation to swing the golf club.
What constitutes therapy?
Dr. Ryan’s treatments include but are not limited to:
Muscle Release Techniques
(ART®, Graston Technique®, Roll Release®)
Chiropractic,
Acupuncture,
Kinesio Taping.
Muscle Release Techniques
(ART®, Graston Technique®, Roll Release®)
Chiropractic,
Acupuncture,
Kinesio Taping.
Why therapy?
Treatments will release joint restrictions and/or muscular tightness to minimize movement limitations.
Treatment can yield results in a much more effective, efficient and timely manner that exercise and stretching can not achieve.
Treatment can yield results in a much more effective, efficient and timely manner that exercise and stretching can not achieve.
What treatment will I need?
This will depend on the findings from the Golf Performance Assessment.
Therapy will be based on the golfer’s physical limitation and weaknesses and the type of treatment that will best address the physical issues.
Therapy will be based on the golfer’s physical limitation and weaknesses and the type of treatment that will best address the physical issues.
How often/frequent do I need treatments?
When beginning a therapy program, it is best to be treated twice a week. This is because the body always has a tendency to return to its normal state – even though that normal state entails excessively tight muscles.
As improved results are achieved the frequency is reduced to once a week. Once desired outcomes are reached, a maintenance routine can be performed where treatment is provided once every 2 to 4 week depending on the recommendations of Dr. Ryan.
If the golfer is engaged in regular practice and competition then treatments should be provided frequently to off-set the muscular effects from training.
As improved results are achieved the frequency is reduced to once a week. Once desired outcomes are reached, a maintenance routine can be performed where treatment is provided once every 2 to 4 week depending on the recommendations of Dr. Ryan.
If the golfer is engaged in regular practice and competition then treatments should be provided frequently to off-set the muscular effects from training.
How long are the treatments in duration?
The treatments are 10-15 minutes.
Some golfers require longer treatment times of 25-30 minutes.
Some golfers require longer treatment times of 25-30 minutes.
How long do I need to get treatments?
This depends on:
Performance therapy is an ongoing program to keep the body in tune and working optimally. Regular play and training will tighten the body; therapy will assist is recovery from training and keeping the trained muscle loose.
Injury management usually lasts 3-12 weeks, depending on the nature and severity. The goal is to manage pain, minimize physical alterations and compensations, and maximize recovery to ensure that the injury fully heals so that there are no recurrences.
- Whether the golfer is receiving performance therapy or injury management.
- How long the physical issues have been present
- On-season vs. Off-season
Performance therapy is an ongoing program to keep the body in tune and working optimally. Regular play and training will tighten the body; therapy will assist is recovery from training and keeping the trained muscle loose.
Injury management usually lasts 3-12 weeks, depending on the nature and severity. The goal is to manage pain, minimize physical alterations and compensations, and maximize recovery to ensure that the injury fully heals so that there are no recurrences.
Is performance therapy used by only professional golfers?
Absolutely not!
It is used by athletes of all ages, sports and caliber. The goal is to improve performance.
No matter what age, skill or experience, all golfers can benefit from therapy. Training and play creates the need for therapy.
It is used by athletes of all ages, sports and caliber. The goal is to improve performance.
No matter what age, skill or experience, all golfers can benefit from therapy. Training and play creates the need for therapy.
Wouldn’t I know if my muscles were tight and need treatment?
Golfers are unaware of the muscular tightness and muscular imbalances that occurs in their bodies and the consequences that result. Often times poor play is attributed to poor swing mechanics. However, swing faults are often due to body faults which in turn lead to swing faults. Body faults are muscular weaknesses or movement limitations that force a deviated or incorrect swing path and/or alter swing sequencing.
Consider the scenario of a hip rotation limitation: first the golfer will not be aware, second is it due to muscular tightness or a joint restriction or both, third the specific limitation will not be displayed in the swing or be observed by the golf pro, fourth the swing will be compromised as the body will be forced to compensate and may alter the swing path, lastly the restriction increases risk of injury in that hip and/or in the subsequent body regions: the knee or low back.
Consider the scenario of a hip rotation limitation: first the golfer will not be aware, second is it due to muscular tightness or a joint restriction or both, third the specific limitation will not be displayed in the swing or be observed by the golf pro, fourth the swing will be compromised as the body will be forced to compensate and may alter the swing path, lastly the restriction increases risk of injury in that hip and/or in the subsequent body regions: the knee or low back.
If I have excessively tight muscles, can’t I stretch to improve flexibility?
No.
Stretching will improve the length or extensibility of normal muscle but stretching excessively tight muscles will be very difficult and often futile. It is best to release tight muscles so that they can be stretched. This maximizes results while minimizing risk.
As a general rule: release to loosen tight muscles and stretch to elongate released muscles to improve flexibility.
Stretching will improve the length or extensibility of normal muscle but stretching excessively tight muscles will be very difficult and often futile. It is best to release tight muscles so that they can be stretched. This maximizes results while minimizing risk.
As a general rule: release to loosen tight muscles and stretch to elongate released muscles to improve flexibility.