As a golf physiotherapist I provide treatment for golfers of all types and skill levels. Treatment types can vary from pain management, rehabilitation and performance improvement. When seeing a golf physiotherapist such as myself a functional assessment is very valuable to golfers looking to improve their ability.
I often get asked what is a functional assessment and why should I have one done.
A functional assessment is a series of movements and tests that is designed to check your ability to perform each aspect of the task at hand. The Titleist Performance Institute in California develops the functional assessment I perform. Each individual test targets a specific aspect of the golf swing, which is required for the ideal swing. These will test your flexibility, stability, strength and balance in relation to the golf swing.
So why is it valuable to a golfer?
Often times your swing will have compensations due to physical limitations rather than ability. For example, you may have seen a golf pro to correct your swing. They may have suggested corrections to your address position and/or changing the plane of your swing. A lot of players will not be able to make these corrections as suggested by the pro due to structural limitations in the body and therefore will not be able to correct the swing until these are addressed.
Swing compensations will often cause pain during or after a round of golf with the most common being lower back pain. With specific stretches and exercises you will be able to improve the limitations and then address the swing changes and in turn reduce pain.
Distance is something that all players want more of. The assessment will determine which muscle groups need improvement and when given specific strengthening exercises will improve your club head speed and power.
“Golf is a game of inches” is something I’m sure you’ve all heard before but when it comes to the sweet spot on the clubface it is a game of millimetres. Balance and stability are vital to consistency in the swing. Golfers who lack in these areas will often struggle with topping the ball, hitting it thin, chunking shots, hitting off toe/heel of the club. If stability and balance are of concern it will be revealed and then specific exercises and balance work will be able to improve consistency with time.
For more information please visit my website www.perthgolfphysio.com
Brent Vanderloop
Titleist Performance Institute Certified Physiotherapist
Brent is an avid golfer who has a passion for the game and is a member of The Western Australian Golf Club in Yokine. Originally from Ontario, Canada where he grew up loving golf and graduated from the University of Western Ontario with a Honours degree in Kinesiology with a focus on Biomechanics and Exercise Physiology.
He then moved to Australia and completed a Masters of Physiotherapy at Curtin University in Perth. He has since been working treating patients in private practice setting with a focus on pain management and exercise rehab for injuries of all kinds.
He is a certified Titleist Performance Institute Golf Fitness Instructor as well as a level 2 Titleist Performance Institute Medical Professional.
Medical Doctor, author, speaker, media presenter and health industry consultant, Dr Joe Kosterich wants you to be healthy and get the most out of life.
Joe writes for numerous medical and mainstream publications, is clinical editor at Medical Forum Magazine, and is also a regular on radio and television.
Joe is Medical Advisor to Medicinal Cannabis Company Little Green Pharma, Chairman of Australian Tobacco Harm Reduction Association and sits on the board of Arthritis and Osteoporosis WA. He is often called to give opinions in medico legal cases.
He has self-published two books: Dr Joe’s DIY Health and 60 Minutes To Better Health.
In 2024 due to public demand he commenced a podcast, Dr Joe Unplugged, which can be accessed via Spotify, Apple or YouTube.
Through all this he continues to see patients as a GP each week.
