Golfers have been reading divots for years. Golf teaching pros and experienced golfers
love to “read the divot” for insights into the swing. Divots show direction, path of club,
mishits, consistency and ball position. Divots give clues to angle of attack, swing issues
like over-the-top, hanging back, lag, brand of club, what you ate for breakfast, your
mood, etc.… you get the point. In other words, divots tell a lot and reading them is
important stuff!
What do workouts have to do with divots?
Before-workout divots on bottom, After-workout divots next to Roger
Workouts change divot patterns, and I had a recent experience which showed a
dramatic difference in divot patterns after a workout.
Fitness professionals rely on muscle development, better movement and other
performance measures to evaluate the effectiveness of our training but we also rely on
client results and comments about how fitness impacts sports performance. Last week I
saw tangible evidence of the impact of the strength workout developed for touring pro
Roger Sloan.
Roger and I scheduled a morning training session that included Roger’s golf instructor,
Jeff Barton from Preston Trail in Dallas. I took them through the daily mobility routine of
controlled articular rotations (CARs) before the strength workout. Roger does CARs
daily for joint control, mobility/strength and injury prevention. Our strength workouts are
comprised of exercises that create force in the directions that are specific to golf as well
as corrective exercises for the imbalances that are unique to Roger.
Born in Canada, Roger came to the USA to play golf at University of Texas—El Paso,
then won on the Web.com tour and achieved full status for the 2014-2015 PGA Tour
season. Roger came to me a few months ago after playing his rookie season on the
PGA Tour and losing his card. Through assessments and training we found some hip
mobility imbalances. I built a workout plan for Roger that addressed mobility of hips as
well as overall core stability/speed and power in all the directions needed for golf.
Specifically, we drilled down to create a better lead hip/knee/foot position at impact and
follow-through as well as more speed through the trunk in the downswing. Great stuff
that has helped Roger have a more athletic swing and eliminate some of the instability
and mishits he experienced in the previous two seasons.
After the morning workout that day, we went out to the driving range to the same spot
where Roger had hit balls prior to the workout. Roger began hitting iron shots and
created a new divot line. I listened as Jeff coached and commented on Roger’s swing.
We discussed the lead leg, foot position and various other issues which have improved
over the past two months. We worked with the FMS band on Roger’s hip during more
iron shots. The band training on the hip gave Roger the feel he needed and the lead leg
and foot position showed even more improvement. Jeff liked what he saw in Roger’s
swing.
Roger, Pam and Jeff at Royal Oaks Country Club, Houston, Texas
Jeff also liked what he saw in the new divots. Jeff noted that the after–workout divots
were much better than the before—workout divots. The before–workout divots were too
deep and not consistent as seen in the bottom right of the top photo. After the workout, the
divots were shallower and more consistent as seen next to Roger in the top photo.
Noting the difference in the divots before and after the workout confirms what many of
us know–working out benefits the golf swing. Warm—ups and strength workouts achieve
several goals; they prepare the joints and muscles for movement, activate the key
muscles for the swing and groove in good sequence and movement patterns.
You may be surprised to learn it is common for tour players to work out before a
competitive round. Tried and tested many times, the best in the world know how to
prepare their bodies. The proof is in the results, the feel, the swing and even in the
divots!
Reach out to me for YOUR golf body performance! New online courses and trainings offered.
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