Some of the top tour players are on the injured list this season; Tiger Woods, Jason Dufner, Angel Cabrera and Michele Wie to name a few. Are there more injuries on tour today or is it just the perception of more injuries? Did “Dufnering” lead to Jason’s neck pain? Regardless, everyone can acknowledge that 1000’s of full swings over time is going to increase your risk of injury.
Dr. Greg Rose, co-founder of TPI, believes the probable reasons for increased injuries on tour are: 1) more professionals playing the game, 2) very little time for rest and recovery during the season, 3) early specialization in golf, 4) modern golf swing techniques placing more demands on the body and 5) players competitive mindset in the gym with ill-advised or unsupervised fitness programs.
A long demanding schedule trying to balance rest to work ratio is difficult when you need to earn enough to stay on tour. Pressure to hit farther and play better than the young, talented up-and-comers like Rory is real and seems to justify unusually high demands on your body to stay fit.
There is a difference between fitness and being “fit to play golf”.
General fitness connotes good cardiovascular strength and lean muscle. The “generally fit” look muscular, act fit and know their way around the gym; but they are not tested like a professional athlete. A generally fit person may not withstand the extreme demand of a professional tour players’ schedule week after week and year after year. A durable professional player deserves a tremendous amount of respect.
Being “fit to play golf” is a different model of fitness. Golf fitness programs produce those who are “fit to play golf” because they focus on quality, efficient movement and use exercises that remove limitations to produce strength and speed with less risk of injury. Figure A represents the performance pyramid used to guide a sound golf fitness program. This performance pyramid developed by Gray Cook, co-creator of the functional movement screen and TPI advisory board member, has a foundation of stability and mobility. This approach measures and corrects movement with progressive exercises based on a standardized and scientific approach.Tour player or not, every exercise should be evaluated on the risk/reward continuum for your specific body. That means you first get tested to know what you need and then progress from a foundation of good movement based on stability and mobility for strength and speed.
However, some athletes who perform at a high level with skill may not possess the foundation of efficient movement and are considered “over powered” as in Figure B. The over powered performance pyramid has an inversion in size between functional movement and performance. This type of athlete is not “too powerful” or too strong, but their performance is not based on efficient movement patterns. A great example of an overpowered athlete with a limited foundation is an athlete with bad posture.
“Dufnering,” an illustration of a common type of bad posture, is called “upper cross syndrome” in the fitness vernacular. This poor posture creates stress on the neck, shoulders and back. When performance and skill are high, this athlete may believe all is well, but they have a higher likelihood of injury because they lack a good foundation for movement. This athlete needs a solid corrective program that focuses on mobility and stability. Then there are those athletes who are considered “under powered”. They have excellent movement patterns with poor ability to produce power from the movement and skill possessed. An example is a young female golfer who can score highly on a movement screen and has learned great golf skills but lacks power to perform against her competition. A strength and speed program is exactly what this athlete needs as long as it does not reduce good movement. See Figure C. Although detailed medical information and accurate statistics on tour injuries are not readily available, all will acknowledge there is a great potential for injury with competitive and frequent play. And some golf commentators believe now that tour players are doing too much power lifting and potentially hurting themselves in the long run. Whether there are more injuries today than before remains unknown but it is wise to know your own limits and maintain balance in your workout, practice and play schedule.
You can “power up for golf” through customized and appropriate progressions based on the cornerstone of good movement. Always start by getting tested by a golf fitness expert and building a solid foundation of movement (high reward/low risk) before you throw medicine balls (high risk/low reward) against the wall!
2 Responses to “Dufnering Alert! Why Are So Many Tour Players Injured?”
October 15, 2014
Dave DrwenckeHi there! This post couldn’t be written any better!
Reading this post reminds me of my previous room mate! He always kept talking about this.
Iwill forward this write-up to him. Fairly certain he will
have a good read. Thank you for sharing!
November 14, 2014
Pam OwensYou’re welcome, Dave.