TPI:
The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) is the world’s leading educational organization dedicated to the study of how the human body functions in relation to the golf swing. They have worked with thousands of golfers from tour professionals to weekend warriors to develop a screening and corrective exercise system that will allow you to prepare your body to swing a golf club in the most efficient way possible. Additionally, TPI has analyzed how physical limitations in the body can adversely affect a golf swing and lead to potential injury.
The goal of the TPI screen is not necessarily to teach you one perfect way to swing a golf club. Rather, TPI believes that there are an infinite number of swing styles. Just look around professional golf (can’t really just say the PGA TOUR anymore..) and see how drastically different Jon Rahm swings the club compared to Bubba Watson. Two players with different body types, different physical capabilities, and completely different ways of swinging the club, yet, both have managed to make more than a healthy living off of their career earnings.
We believe that every player has an optimal swing based on their physical capabilities. As stated above, this will be unique to each player. The purpose of the TPI screen is to help you achieve YOUR most efficient swing. This is a deep dive into you as a player and as a person. The screen consists of swing mechanics, biomechanics, physical fitness, movement quality, current health, and client history.
WHAT TO EXPECT:
Step 1: THE INTERVIEW
Your TPI screen with me will start with an interview to better understand your golf goals, general fitness goals, injury/medical history, personal history, and any other relevant information to help identify underlying habits and patterns.
Step 2: ANALYZING YOUR SWING
During the second step we will be looking at the efficiency of your current swing with a focus on “The Big 12”, or 12 of the most common swing characteristics. These common characteristics are seen amongst amateur and even professional golfers. We call them characteristics and not mistakes or faults because some of the most efficient golfers in the world have them. Examples of the MOST common characteristics include Loss of Posture, Early Extension, and Casting or Early Releasing of the Club. As a Physical Therapist and medical provider, I will not necessarily be working with you on correcting these characteristics. I want to leave that to the golf professionals and swing coaches. It is still an important step, however, we so that I can create a “Body-Swing Connection” with our next step, the Physical Screen, to understand what will be the most efficient way for you to swing the club.
Step 3: THE PHYSICAL SCREEN
Our Physical Screen consists of 15 different movements that assess your ability to turn your neck, activate your core muscles, bend your ankles, and everything in between. I will be looking for both quality and quantity of movement as well as assessing for pain with any of the 15 movements. Should any pain arise, that can further be teased out through a more thorough PT exam. The Physical Screen is scored to give us your “Fitness Handicap”. This score ranges from +7 (a perfect score) to 36 (failing every test), similar to an actual Golf Handicap. The physical limitations we identify are often linked to one of the “Big 12” swing characteristics seen earlier such as limited hip mobility leading to the Early Extension swing. Once I understand your limitations through the physical screen, I can determine if there are correctable elements that could improve your swing.
Step 4: THE PLAN
Now that we know what truly needs to be addressed, we can create a personalized treatment plan to tackle your greatest mechanical weaknesses. Any movements that are causing pain can be corrected with manual Physical Therapy techniques or specific exercise prescription. Any and all other limitations can be addressed via the “MyTPI” app.
Your TPI Fitness Handicap, the findings of your screening results, and exercise prescriptions can be sent to you via the “MyTPI” app which can be found on any Apple or Android device’s app store. Here you will find over 3000 different exercises and swing tips that can help address your specific weaknesses. I can create personalized programs through the app and build a program with the exact exercises I want from the app, as well as upload other exercises I want you to work on that might not be golf specific. You will also be free to browse the library and work on any other areas of your game that you would like.
Early sessions will be focused on addressing your physical limitations. Once your body is mechanically ready for an efficient golf swing in subsequent visits the exercises are progressed to develop further strength and power.
YOUR OPPORTUNITY:
If you have gotten this far in the article, I am guessing you have already tried going out and buying the latest clubs on the market in hopes that a new piece of equipment might be that unturned rock holding back your golf game only to be disappointed that your handicap remains stable. It takes a humble golfer to have their flaws or physical limitations laid out in front of them like the TPI screen will. But facing those flaws and attacking them head on through the MyTPI system is a tried and true path to longer drives, better scores, prolonged longevity, and a healthier and more efficient body through all of life’s hurdles.
If the MyTPI system sounds like the path for you, contact us at info@peakperformancemi.com to schedule your screen.
