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 Mike Hansen (left) tailors programs for his clients (Photo: Eddie Meeks). Berger was struggling to stay in shape. He knew he needed an exercise program, but he didn’t know where to begin. Above all, he wanted to be a better player. “I wasn’t playing enough to get better,” said the senior San Diego resident. Rather than throw in the towel, Berger sought professional help. Working with Jeremy Klinkhamer, program director and owner of Body Balance for Performance at Stadium Golf Center in San Diego, Berger focused on his flexibility, mobility and strength. To improve his balance, he stood on one foot with his eyes closed. When he was able to stand without losing his balance, he practiced a gentle swing in the same manner. Then he employed an exercise ball and bungee cord to tone his muscles and increase his flexibility. After only a couple of sessions, he noticed a difference in his play. “It’s been almost better than playing more or taking lessons,” Berger said. “I hit some golf shots I haven’t hit in a long time or never hit in my life. I’m shooting good scores more frequently and playing better. I feel as though I’ve had the effect of a lot of lessons without swinging a golf club.” Many golfers have discovered that no matter how many lessons you take, your game likely will not improve without improving your body. “Instructors do a great job teaching how to swing, but they may or may not know if their student’s body has the capability to improve his or her swing in the way the golf instructor wants,” Klinkhamer said. The first thing fitness specialists do is an assessment, said Mike Hansen, director of performance at Hansen Fitness Company in Irvine. Within 45 minutes, he can pinpoint a golfer’s deficiency. The key, he said, is to educate the golfer and detail a program to address his or her weaknesses, and the golf swing will improve. Hansen sees about 40 to 50 golfers a month from all walks of life. And while weight loss is not part of every program, he will address nutrition and additional exercise if he thinks it will enhance a golfer’s performance. “I had an 8-handicap whose main focus was his health,” says Hansen. “He lost 30 pounds and four percent of his body fat in six months. He also dropped to a 3 handicap and improved his posture, and increased his flexibility through the training.” That former 8-handicap, Roger Carter, was surprised at the amount of weight he lost so quickly. “If you see results right away, it’s easy to stay motivated,” says Carter, of Tustin. “I went from not exercising to exercising an hour three times a week and eating a sensible diet of three meals with two snacks in between, which increased my metabolism. And I also kept an eye on calories and avoided food high in sugar.” Carter says that while the weight loss didn’t improve his swing, Hansen’s exercises allowed him to follow through with his golf pro’s instruction. Weight may also come into play to prevent injuries. “Overweight or under weight — that doesn’t mean golfers lack strength or flexibility,” Hansen said. “I will touch on weight if it’s in the way of improving one’s game or it could cause an injury.” Fitness trainers aren’t the only ones keyed in to the success of improving a player’s swing. PGA professionals like Erik Horve are relying on trainers to help facilitate their instruction. Two years ago, Horve, director of instruction at The Golf School of Tustin Ranch, referred a student to a fitness instructor for the first time. Within six weeks, the student, Scot Ellingson, had gained the mobility he needed in his hips to improve his swing. “I didn’t realize I had that many limitations in my hips and shoulders,” said Ellingson, of Tustin. “I had limited ability to make a full and fluid swing.” Ellingson said he was pleased to see his game steadily progress over the next couple of months, and credits the exercises and drills for allowing his body to actually complete the instruction he was being taught. Horve has found that players who have followed a golf-specific strength and flexibility program have improved much faster than those who haven’t. “I believe that proper golf fitness is just as essential for game improvement as the swing and short game instruction,” said Horve, a Titleist Performance Institute certified golf fitness instructor. “I incorporate golf fitness as part of my instructional curriculum.” Horve has been working with Hansen the past two years designing golf fitness and instructional programs for golfers of all ages. “Instructors hit a wall — drills, range exercises — and they’re not going to help unless a player has the stability, strength and flexibility to do what the instructor is asking,” said Hansen, who has seen his roster of clients increase the past couple of years. “This is the future of instruction.” |
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