Health South

So you just finished reading the latest golf article telling you how to get those extra 20-25 yards? Be careful you may become a golf statistic - and not the kind you read about in the newspaper with multi-million dollar earnings, but the kind Health South looks at to realize it needed to have a therapist that specializes in golfer evaluations.

Health South is a company specializing in physical therapy and is most familiar with sports injuries. It has rehabilitation centers all over Southern California. At the San Diego Kearny Mesa center, golfers can find a specialized program just for them.

Brad Crossley, a native San Diegan and former San Diego junior golfer has been specially trained by Health South to do golf evaluations. Crossley graduated from San Diego State and is both a certified Athletic Trainer and a licensed Physical Therapist assistant. “The golf program is designed to help identify your weaknesses and your strengths. I do an anatomical evaluation to determine what physical limitations one might have that is either 1) causing pain, or 2) preventing someone from swinging properly” Crossley explains. For $65 Crossley will compute a history evaluation including areas of pain, range of motion testing, and manual muscle testing of the cervical lumbar, shoulder, thoracic and hip areas. “Posture is key to healthy golf. We educate golfers on how to properly set up and how to keep their back straight. Typically, men tend to hunch while ladies have better posture.” Once Crossley finds limitations he can set up exercises designed to increase range of motion, strength and flexibility. “Most golf injury problems stem from back problems. Almost 8 out of 10 clients come in with back problems, but these are also the easiest to help with therapy.” Shoulder, elbow and wrist problems are also common for the avid golfer. “Most amateurs or weekend warriors develop bad posture and coupled with bad mechanics it is usually only a matter of time before they will sustain an injury” Crossley explains.

Health South publishes a pamphlet called “15 minutes to healthier golf” highlighting several proper warm up exercises that help prepare the muscles, tendons and joints of your body to maximize performance and to help prevent injuries. All exercise can be preformed with a golf club, a broomstick, or PVC pipe, and can be done in 15 minutes before practicing or playing golf. Crossley’s three most highly recommended exercises for healthier golf are 1) to do some hamstring flexes, 2) to do some sort of rowing motion, and 3) to engage in some kind of cardiovascular workout such as a treadmill workout. “Most injuries are caused by golfers trying to do things in the swing that their bodies are incapable of doing. After a big name player has a big win we get a lot of copy cats trying things they shouldn’t be trying because their bodies are no where similar to that of their favorite new champion. When your physical build doesn’t match what you are trying to get it to do you are asking for trouble. “Most of the time it is a combination of too much body, legs, or arms-injuries occur when you are overdoing it!” says Crossley.

Health South is also dedicated to the professional golfer and it has fitness vans on the PGA, LPGA, and the Senior PGA and this is probably where they learn what works best for golfers. Although the injuries for the professional are mainly from over use instead of bad mechanics the vans are not unlike most college training rooms. The vans can be used by the Pros for workouts and conditioning, but most of the Pros utilizing the vans have some sort of aliment. Just like any of the other Health South rehab centers there are hands on exercise and table exercises that the therapist use to help restore proper function. Health South is right on as it promotes it’s customized exercise programs.

The game is a lot more fun when you can swing painlessly, and with less effort you can have longer and more accurate drives.

Jacqui Nicoletti McSorley was a professional on the Japan LPGA Tour, and is now a sought-after LPGA Teacher and started an LPGA-USGA Girls Golf Site in San Diego. She is co-author of the book Golf Guide for Parents and Players (Mansion Grove House).