Instruction
How to properly screen a golfer
As a Level 3 TPI CGFI and 20-year Corrective Exercise Specialist, I have come to appreciate the great value that the TPI Golf Fitness Assessment along with a PAR-Q and a Static Flexibility Assessment can provide to the fitness professional.
With the advances in today’s technology, it is relatively easy for the fitness professional to uncover some of the once-hidden issues that cause dysfunction in the golf swing. With that being said, we have been strongly compelled into adopting newer high-tech variables into our evaluation process, one being an in-depth biomechanics screening procedure and the other being a 3-D motion and pressure pad screenings.
- BioSwing Dynamics is the brain child of top-100 teachers Mike Adams and E.A. Tischler. Their theory is that we are all biomechanically predisposed to swing the golf club in a fashion unique to our own body dimensions and tendencies. Players fail not based of lack of effort, but because their bodies simply cannot cooperate and perform the movements that we ask them to do efficiently.
- BodiTrak Dynamic Balancing System is a high-tech pressure pad that showcases data specific to details that concern your balance and how you transfer your weight during your golf swing.
- K-Vest is 3-D motion technology that diagnoses accuracy and distance issues, and provides biofeedback in relation to the efficiency of your golf swing.
- SAM Puttlab is a putting diagnostic tool that is pinnacle in the proper assessment of a players putting skill.
Once the golfer is screened and the dysfunctions and limitations are identified, we can then easily address the problems and correct them through the application of the Corrective Exercise Continuum. But first, every single golfer needs to be put through a variety of screens to help us to outline the problems and develop a plan of attack. We happen to use a one-of-a-kind, screening method to do this.
The Screening Process
We first need to find out a little subjective information from the client, such as family and medical history, any chronic injuries and finally exercise experience. We do this through an in-depth physical activity readiness questionnaire (par-q) to see what specific variables we are facing. Next we complete a few general moving assessments to see the golfer’s functional capabilities as well as any postural deviations from the norm.
After the par-q and general movement assessments are completed we then need to move to the 16-point TPI Golf Specific Assessment to see how the body moves in relation to the golf swing. This assessment identifies any limitations and/or deviations in a player’s body that can adversely affect the golf swing and potentially lead to injury.
The third step in screening the golfer deals with is the individual biomechanics and how the body is intended to swing. The BioSwing Dynamics Assessment tells us key elements about the probabilities of how the body will move naturally and comfortably through the golf swing.
- Wingspan Screen = lateral motion
- Backswing Plane Screen = right-hand grip position, backswing plane, wrist hinge, linkage, release
- Arm Elevation Screen = top of the backswing position, down swing plane
- Post Screen = front, center, or rear post
- Hip Speed Screen = fast, medium, or slow hips, how much rotation, how much vertical
- Foot Flare Screen = foot flare need for their rotation and vertical package
- Grip Screen = ideal left-hand grip
For the fourth step in our process we turn to K-VEST’s wireless 3D technology to capture the golf swing and more efficiently diagnose the true cause of accuracy and distance issues. As K-VEST Certified Professionals we can accurately analyze the golfer’s swing and design a custom game-improvement program specifically designed to help make them a more efficient ball striker. We use the same technology that the leading PGA and LPGA players use. The K-VEST system will report on swing information such as swing sequence, swing timing and rotational velocities.
Another valuable technological tool is the BodiTrak Dynamic Balancing System which gives us information specific to your balance and how you transfer your weight during your golf swing. Motion-capture video is essential, but where it leaves off, BodiTrak picks up. In my experience, BodiTrak has become one of the quickest and easiest ways for a golfer to look at a video monitor and learn from what they see, truly feel it, and immediately implement it. The biofeedback that BodiTrak gives is simple but so effective.
Finally, we do our putting performance assessment via Science & Motion Sports PuttLab. The wonderful thing about golf is that it’s an imperfect sport played by imperfect people meaning, we all hit poor shots and we’re entitled to do so. The short game is the single biggest difference maker when it comes to lowering your handicap and your scores. Roughly 65 percent of the shots you take during a round of golf are from 100 yards and in. The game itself was designed around the idea that you’re provided two putts on each green during a stipulated round. Science & Motion Sports PuttLab is one of the best pieces of golf instruction equipment on the planet. With that being said, it has been determined that most players simply are not aware of what needs to happen between the club face and a ball when they are on a putting green. Below is listed the “top six” keys to putting when they are broken down via SAM PuttLab. (1)
- Loft/Lie: It’s important to remember there’s a significant difference between “Static Loft” & “Dynamic Loft.” Static Loft is the stated/measured loft on the putter. The Stated Loft is one portion of a putters “specs” and significantly less important than Dynamic Loft because very few players hit a putt from a true plum (vertical) position. Dynamic Loft is the actual loft the ball is coming off the face of the putter at impact and is based on shaft lean, attack angle, static loft and centeredness of contact (in relation to the putters true sweet spot). Two degrees of Dynamic Loft is ideal for most greens which are around 10 on the stimp meter, but the faster the greens get the closer you can adjust the loft of your putter to 0 degrees.
- Face Angle: The cup is 1-degree wide pace specific which means your ball speed off the face of the putter is very important. If your putter face is closed or open by 1 degree with perfect rolling speed (12 to 18 inches past the cup) you will make a 10-foot putt, but a 12-footer is a dead miss. Also, for every foot past the hole you roll the ball it reduces the effective size of the cup by 12 percent. There are plenty of stroke path training aids, but very few face aim devices. Using a putting laser will help improve your consistency of aim.
- Impact Location: Centeredness of contact on the true “sweet spot” on your putter is critical. You can measure this by tapping on the face of your putter with a tee with one hand while holding the base of the grip lightly in the fingertips of your other hand. If you can feel the face twisting you haven’t located the ideal position yet. One of the best practice drills to work on improving your center of contact is once you’ve determined your putters “sweet spot” you take two rubber bands and wrap them around your putter providing just enough room on the putter face for the ball to make contact with that predetermined spot. One of the other less expensive options to find out where you’re making contact with the ball is by using dry athlete’s foot powder in a can. Spray some on the face and you will see immediately where you’ve struck the putt.
- Rise: The degree of “rise” is dependent on a number of factors like shaft lean, static loft and face angle at impact. To base the adjustment of the static loft off the average of two separate measurements using SAM PuttLab. The more you lean the shaft at impact the greater the difference between Static & Dynamic Loft will be. You can lean it two directions. “Toward” the target is a reduction in Dynamic Loft and “Away” results in an increase of the putters Dynamic Loft. In this respect your driver and putter are very similar, the more “up” on the ball you make contact the less spin will be generated and therefore the better the roll on the fairways & greens.
- Ball Velocity (or Ball Speed): The ball speed off the face of the putter needs to be uniform, but this is also dependent on the softness of the face of the putter you choose and the consistency of contact. The ball speed can be fast or slow as long as it’s consistent. It’s hard to quantify this number, but what you should look at is your consistency of timing when looking at PuttLab data. The harder the face on your putter the faster the relative ball speed. Additionally, the faster the speed of the greens that you typically play on the softer the face on your putter should be. This is one of the areas that you should pay the most amount of attention to. The use of a metronome or music with a consistent rhythm would be helpful in developing tempo. Sam Snead used to hum the Blue Danube to help improve the tempo of his full swing, so if you’re looking for better distance control on the greens this is a great way to achieve it. A great method to determine the speed at which a player should set their metronome is by counting the number of steps they take (while walking at a normal rate) on a flat surface for 45 seconds. Repeat this measurement five times and take the average. The number you come up with is what your metronome speed should be while putting and regardless of the length of putt that tempo should stay the same.
- Path: Science & Motion Sports indicates that 17 percent of the initial direction a ball travels is based on face angle at impact. There are differing opinions on this number and some current experts are putting path in relation to face as high as 7 percent of the initial direction the golf ball travels at impact. This is the least important of the factors mentioned whenever putting is discussed. What this means is that anywhere between 83 percent and 93 percent of the initial direction the ball travels is face related (with a putter). The more you compress the ball the more direction plays a part, so your driver’s path matters more than that of your putter. There are an abundance of path-related training aids on the market place today, so test your stroke to see what you do naturally and find one that compliments it.
Now after all of the biomechanical screenings and the technological assessments are completed, we still need to find out what is causing the restrictions and the dysfunctions. With all of my experience I truly feel that nothing beats a good old-fashioned static flexibility test after a good warm up. The fitness professional performs a hands-on muscular flexibility assessment that will tell us what muscles or joint dysfunctions are causing the issues in the golf swing.
After all of the assessments are completed and the data has been recorded and analyzed, now the real work starts — it is time to develop a corrective exercise plan to get the body back on track to normal function. We accomplish through a four-step process called the Corrective Exercise Continuum. The Corrective Exercise Continuum is an integral part of the Stabilization phase in the three-phase, seven-step process called the N.A.S.M. OPT mode. In my opinion the Corrective Exercise phase is the most important step. Please, allow me to define the term of Corrective Exercise and the Corrective Exercise Continuum for you.
Corrective Exercise is the process of identifying both postural and movement dysfunctions as well as joint limitations combined with the development of a program to correct them. The focus of Corrective Exercise is on movements designed to create balance, stability, and mobility in areas that are currently dysfunctional.
The Corrective Exercise Continuum is a four-step process and is defined as “the systematic programing process used to address neuro-musculoskeletal dysfunction through the use of inhibitory, lengthening, activation and integration techniques” (NASM Essentials, 2011). While that may seem like a lot, it is just a fancy way of saying “this continuum identifies a problem and solves it with a systematic and sophisticated plan.”
The Continuum is broken down into four phases:
- Inhibitory Techniques – these techniques are used to release tension, dissolve adhesions and decrease over-activity in the neuromyofascial tissues in the body (foam rollers).
- Lengthening Techniques – this is used to increase the extensibility, length and range of motion (ROM) of the neuromyofascial tissues (various stretches).
- Activation Techniques – this phase involves re-educating or increasing the activity of the underactive tissues (isolated strengthening).
- Integration Techniques – the integration techniques retrain the function of all the muscles through functionally progressive movements (multi-joint integrated strengthening).
Each and every corrective exercise plan is unique to the individual and their issues. Only a seasoned fitness professional with a corrective exercise background will truly be able to create a safe and effective program to restore optimal function. A great place to start to find answers in your area is the mytpi.com website. You will be able to find highly educated and experienced professionals to help you on your way to your best golf ever.
With all of that being said, the TPI 16-point assessment is an in-depth look into the function of the golfer’s body. There are many fantastic assessment processes — such as the FMS screen — that athletes partake in every day but not one nor all of them compare in the specificity to the golfer that the TPI assessment provides. The golfer can find qualified fitness professionals near his home or office by visiting the “Find an Expert” tab at www.mytpi.com.
For any additional questions or comments please feel free to contact me via email at James@Coregolfperformance.com
1. Robb Gibb, PGA
Level III Senior PuttLab Instructor
Science & Motion Sports, GmbH
There may be no more painful affliction in golf than the “yips” – those uncontrollable and maddening little nervous twitches that prevent you from making a decent stroke on short putts. If you’ve never had them, consider yourself very fortunate (or possibly just very young). But I can assure you that when your most treacherous and feared golf shot is not the 195 yard approach over water with a quartering headwind…not the extra tight fairway with water left and sand right…not the soft bunker shot to a downhill pin with water on the other side…No, when your most feared shot is the remaining 2- 4-foot putt after hitting a great approach, recovery or lag putt, it makes the game almost painful.
And I’ve been fighting the yips (again) for a while now. It’s a recurring nightmare that has haunted me most of my adult life. I even had the yips when I was in my 20s, but I’ve beat them into submission off and on most of my adult life. But just recently, that nasty virus came to life once again. My lag putting has been very good, but when I get over one of those “you should make this” length putts, the entire nervous system seems to go haywire. I make great practice strokes, and then the most pitiful short-stroke or jab at the ball you can imagine. Sheesh.
But I’m a traditionalist, and do not look toward the long putter, belly putter, cross-hand, claw or other variation as the solution. My approach is to beat those damn yips into submission some other way. Here’s what I’m doing that is working pretty well, and I offer it to all of you who might have a similar affliction on the greens.
When you are over a short putt, forget the practice strokes…you want your natural eye-hand coordination to be unhindered by mechanics. Address your putt and take a good look at the hole, and back to the putter to ensure good alignment. Lighten your right hand grip on the putter and make sure that only the fingertips are in contact with the grip, to prevent you from getting to tight.
Then, take a long, long look at the hole to fill your entire mind and senses with the target. When you bring your head/eyes back to the ball, try to make a smooth, immediate move right into your backstroke — not even a second pause — and then let your hands and putter track right back together right back to where you were looking — the HOLE! Seeing the putter make contact with the ball, preferably even the forward edge of the ball – the side near the hole.
For me, this is working, but I am asking all of you to chime in with your own “home remedies” for the most aggravating and senseless of all golf maladies. It never hurts to have more to fall back on!
Over the last couple of decades, golf has become much more science-based. We measure swing speed, smash factor, angle of attack, strokes gained, and many other metrics that can really help golfers improve. But I often wonder if the advancement of golf’s “hard” sciences comes at the expense of the “soft” sciences.
Take, for example, golf instruction. Good golf instruction requires understanding swing mechanics and ball flight. But let’s take that as a given for PGA instructors. The other factors that make an instructor effective can be evaluated by social science, rather than launch monitors.
If you are a recreational golfer looking for a golf instructor, here are my top three points to consider.
1. Cultural mindset
What is “cultural mindset? To social scientists, it means whether a culture of genius or a culture of learning exists. In a golf instruction context, that may mean whether the teacher communicates a message that golf ability is something innate (you either have it or you don’t), or whether golf ability is something that can be learned. You want the latter!
It may sound obvious to suggest that you find a golf instructor who thinks you can improve, but my research suggests that it isn’t a given. In a large sample study of golf instructors, I found that when it came to recreational golfers, there was a wide range of belief systems. Some instructors strongly believed recreational golfers could improve through lessons. while others strongly believed they could not. And those beliefs manifested in the instructor’s feedback given to a student and the culture created for players.
2. Coping and self-modeling can beat role-modeling
Swing analysis technology is often preloaded with swings of PGA and LPGA Tour players. The swings of elite players are intended to be used for comparative purposes with golfers taking lessons. What social science tells us is that for novice and non-expert golfers, comparing swings to tour professionals can have the opposite effect of that intended. If you fit into the novice or non-expert category of golfer, you will learn more and be more motivated to change if you see yourself making a ‘better’ swing (self-modeling) or seeing your swing compared to a similar other (a coping model). Stay away from instructors who want to compare your swing with that of a tour player.
3. Learning theory basics
It is not a sexy selling point, but learning is a process, and that process is incremental – particularly for recreational adult players. Social science helps us understand this element of golf instruction. A good instructor will take learning slowly. He or she will give you just about enough information that challenges you, but is still manageable. The artful instructor will take time to decide what that one or two learning points are before jumping in to make full-scale swing changes. If the instructor moves too fast, you will probably leave the lesson with an arm’s length of swing thoughts and not really know which to focus on.
As an instructor, I develop a priority list of changes I want to make in a player’s technique. We then patiently and gradually work through that list. Beware of instructors who give you more than you can chew.
So if you are in the market for golf instruction, I encourage you to look beyond the X’s and O’s to find the right match!
Most pros take months, even years, to win their first tournament. Lottie Woad needed exactly four days.
The 21-year-old from Surrey shot 21-under 267 at Dundonald Links to win the ISPS Handa Women’s Scottish Open by three shots — in her very first event as a professional. She’s only the third player in LPGA history to accomplish this feat, joining Rose Zhang (2023) and Beverly Hanson (1951).
But here’s what caught my attention as a coach: Woad didn’t win through miraculous putting or bombing 300-yard drives. She won through relentless precision and unshakeable composure. After watching her performance unfold, I’m convinced every golfer — from weekend warriors to scratch players — can steal pages from her playbook.
Precision Beats Power (And It’s Not Even Close)
Forget the driving contests. Woad proved that finding greens matters more than finding distance.
What Woad did:
• Hit it straight, hit it solid, give yourself chances
• Aimed for the fat parts of greens instead of chasing pins
• Let her putting do the talking after hitting safe targets
• As she said, “Everyone was chasing me today, and managed to maintain the lead and played really nicely down the stretch and hit a lot of good shots”
Why most golfers mess this up:
• They see a pin tucked behind a bunker and grab one more club to “go right at it”
• Distance becomes more important than accuracy
• They try to be heroic instead of smart
ACTION ITEM: For your next 10 rounds, aim for the center of every green regardless of pin position. Track your greens in regulation and watch your scores drop before your swing changes.
The Putter That Stayed Cool Under Fire
Woad started the final round two shots clear and immediately applied pressure with birdies at the 2nd and 3rd holes. When South Korea’s Hyo Joo Kim mounted a charge and reached 20-under with a birdie at the 14th, Woad didn’t panic.
How she responded to pressure:
• Fired back with consecutive birdies at the 13th and 14th
• Watched Kim stumble with back-to-back bogeys
• Capped it with her fifth birdie of the day at the par-5 18th
• Stayed patient when others pressed, pressed when others cracked
What amateurs do wrong:
• Get conservative when they should be aggressive
• Try to force magic when steady play would win
• Panic when someone else makes a move
ACTION ITEM: Practice your 3-6 foot putts for 15 minutes after every range session. Woad’s putting wasn’t spectacular—it was reliable. Make the putts you should make.
Course Management 101: Play Your Game, Not the Course’s Game
Woad admitted she couldn’t see many scoreboards during the final round, but it didn’t matter. She stuck to her game plan regardless of what others were doing.
Her mental approach:
• Focused on her process, not the competition
• Drew on past pressure situations (Augusta National Women’s Amateur win)
• As she said, “That was the biggest tournament I played in at the time and was kind of my big win. So definitely felt the pressure of it more there, and I felt like all those experiences helped me with this”
Her physical execution:
• 270-yard drives (nothing flashy)
• Methodical iron play
• Steady putting
• Everything effective, nothing spectacular
ACTION ITEM: Create a yardage book for your home course. Know your distances to every pin, every hazard, every landing area. Stick to your plan no matter what your playing partners are doing.
Mental Toughness Isn’t Born, It’s Built
The most impressive part of Woad’s win? She genuinely didn’t expect it: “I definitely wasn’t expecting to win my first event as a pro, but I knew I was playing well, and I was hoping to contend.”
Her winning mindset:
• Didn’t put winning pressure on herself
• Focused on playing well and contending
• Made winning a byproduct of a good process
• Built confidence through recent experiences:
- Won the Women’s Irish Open as an amateur
- Missed a playoff by one shot at the Evian Championship
- Each experience prepared her for the next
What this means for you:
• Stop trying to shoot career rounds every time you tee up
• Focus on executing your pre-shot routine
• Commit to every shot
• Stay present in the moment
ACTION ITEM: Before each round, set process goals instead of score goals. Example: “I will take three practice swings before every shot” or “I will pick a specific target for every shot.” Let your score be the result, not the focus.
The Real Lesson
Woad collected $300,000 for her first professional victory, but the real prize was proving that fundamentals still work at golf’s highest level. She didn’t reinvent the game — she simply executed the basics better than everyone else that week.
The fundamentals that won:
• Hit more fairways
• Find more greens
• Make the putts you should make
• Stay patient under pressure
That’s something every golfer can do, regardless of handicap. Lottie Woad just showed us it’s still the winning formula.
FINAL ACTION ITEM: Pick one of the four action items above and commit to it for the next month. Master one fundamental before moving to the next. That’s how champions are built.
PGA Professional Brendon Elliott is an award-winning coach and golf writer. You can check out his writing work and learn more about him by visiting BEAGOLFER.golf and OneMoreRollGolf.com. Also, check out “The Starter” on RG.org each Monday.
Editor’s note: Brendon shares his nearly 30 years of experience in the game with GolfWRX readers through his ongoing tip series. He looks forward to providing valuable insights and advice to help golfers improve their game. Stay tuned for more Tips!
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Johnny
Apr 2, 2016 at 12:19 pm
Usually ppl spend 3k € to Join a club and 2k to buy clubs…
Every year….
Big Slice
Mar 28, 2016 at 2:33 pm
This would be incredible stuff if it was available at a price the average golfer could afford. Someone I know went to a golf specific training facility and they quoted him over $3k for a personal assessment and fitness plan.