A fitter you = Better golf!

Peter Bloomer is a Chartered Physiotherapist, based at Lilliput Health, Poole and The Club at Meyrick Park in Bournemouth, who has been working with the best amateur golfers this country has produced over the last five years. As well as working for The English Golf Union, English Women's Golf Associatin, Surrey County Golf Union (National Champions 2007 & 2008), and the Hampshire and Isle of White County Golf Union, Peter can boast a distinguished list of amateur and professional golfers as clients who have benefited from his expertise over recent years.

Peter says, “There have been huge developments in many aspects of golf fitness in recent years. Golfers of all levels are now finally thinking about optimising their physical capacity in order to play their best possible golf. I guess we have the likes of Tiger to thank for that, running 5 miles in the morning before the final round in a major, but that is only the tip of the iceberg.”

“A typical golf fitness regime consists of many facets, including flexibility, strength, conditioning, core stability, rotational strength and power and general cardiovascular fitness. A combination of all of these factors helps keep the elite players injury free, consistent through the swing and capable of achieving tremendous distances off the tee"

“There is a huge correlation between trunk flexibility, rotational power and driving distance achieved, it is great to see the improvement even some of the top guys can make by working particular muscles in a particular way.”

“Ideally each golfer will undertake a full physical screening, looking at all of the major joints and muscles, considering flexibility, strength and control. This is then compared to what is considered the optimum for golf, and an exercise and physiotherapy programme is set to help them achieve their goals. Previous injuries and posture are also considered, highlighting areas for potential injury in the future, so preventative measures can also be taken.”

“It doesn’t matter who you are or what level of golf you play, there is always an element of your physical self that can be improved which should have a positive impact on your golf. Obviously it is only one aspect of numerous factors in order to become a good golfer, but if you are hungry for success it is imperative to give your physical condition ample thought, effort and time in order to achieve an advantage over your competitors.”

“We think nothing of spending hundreds or thousands of pounds on new equipment each season, which may just generate an extra 10 or 20 yards off the tee, but if working on certain exercises for a few weeks will generate an extra 30 to 50 yards, costing only time and effort, on the back of a gym programme you may already be doing it seems like the proverbial no-brainer.”

 Featured in "On Par" Magazine

To find out more about improving your performance on the golf course contact the Physiotherapy team at Lilliput Health on 01202 725090.