Titleist Performance Institute:
Certification and Training
The premise behind the new golf fitness movement is that the average handicap of the American golfer has changed very little, if any, over the past 30+ years. It’s well known that huge strides have been made regarding golf equipment technology, golf course conditions and the teaching/coaching industry. So why has the average handicap remained stagnant for so long? The Titleist Performance Institute (hereby known as TPI), has been wrestling with this issue for the past 12 years. Simply stated, if a golfer can not physically make the necessary movements that allow him/her to hit the ball from a technically and mechanically sound position, improvement can not occur.
The Titleist Performance Institute, headed by Dr. Greg Rose and PGA professional Dave Phillips has produced a program where a golfer’s current fitness level is assessed. There are approximately 15 screens that I perform on any and all new clients. Having a better understanding of how the body works related to the golf swing has instantly made me a better instructor. Most times, after performing these evaluations on my student, I am aware of where their weaknesses are even before I see them hit a golf ball. The screening process takes about 20 minutes and quickly checks a golfer’s range of motion from their wrists to shoulders, low back, hips, gluts, hamstrings and ankles. Any weaknesses in these areas result in compensations and reliance on other parts of the body. This is often where swing faults and breakdowns occur. If a golfer physically can’t load into there right hip on the backswing, a resulting reverse weight shift could occur. It’s easy to identify the golfer who sits at a computer all day because the screening process easily shows that they have tight hip flexors, weak gluts, tight lower back and weak abs. This is sure to produce a drastic change of spine angle during the swing (known as early extension on the downswing).
Once these weaknesses are identified, a fitness program can be prescribed. Sometimes the screening process identifies more than a simple weakness. There can be a blatant lack of range of motion, in the shoulder for example. Many golfers have suffered with sport injuries and/or auto accident injuries that have caused them to create poor swing mechanics. Other golfers have had such poor posture or structural deficiencies all their lives that they too have developed a lifetime of poor body positions. Most times, those golfers need to be sent to a physical therapist or medical professional before I can then prescribe a golf fitness program. Identifying that issue is up to me and the client.
The important thing as a TPI Certified Golf Fitness Instructor is to identify a golfers weaknesses through the screening process and have the necessary team of professionals i.e., personal fitness trainer, physical therapist, chiropractor and medical professional on board in order to give the golfer a thorough program to help them reach their goals.
The TPI program is not just training golf professionals. In fact, there are more fitness and medical professionals going through the program than golf professionals. I am the first golf professional in the state of Michigan to complete Level 2 certification. There are three levels total. Fitness professionals also have three levels to complete, as do medical professionals. I think you can see how the “team” aspect of this can be extremely efficient and productive for the golfer.
As a certified golf fitness instructor and a PGA teaching professional, I can see my lesson structure change from the typical 30 – 45 minute “evaluate with video, do this and do that,” to 90 minutes of “let’s stretch and talk about your weekly workout program followed by swing evaluation and lesson time, ending with okay let’s go out into the gym and work specifically on the parts of the body that will best help us perform the correct golf swing.” That’s the direction I want to take golf instruction. Most tour players are training that way right now.
The obvious drawback to this is the level of time commitment necessary. Most golfers have a full-time job, other recreational interests, along with family obligations. If I had to prioritize my time, the fitness aspect would be at the top. That coming from a golf instructor with over 25 years of teaching experience! I would then incorporate the instructional program followed closely by equipment evaluation and finally knowledge of the mental side of the game.
Mytpi.com is the number one golf fitness website online today with hundreds of hits each day. In fact, one of the tremendous benefits of the site is that after I perform the screening evaluations, I can go to the site and plug in the data. Based on my input, TPI will produce a written evaluation of that golfer’s fitness level and assign him/her a “fitness handicap.” Furthermore, based on the screen result input, TPI will also provide a list of exercises and workout program designed specifically for that golfer. Complete with video demonstration of each exercise.
I’m proud to be a part of the golf fitness movement. I believe that improved fitness is the missing link that most golfers are looking for to play better golf.
Marc L. White
Supervisor of Instruction – Oakhurst Golf and Country Club
Owner/Operator Marc White Golf Training Studio – Great Lakes Athletic Club
TPI Level 2 Certified Golf Fitness Instructor
Titleist Fittingworks certified club fitter
Marcwhitegolf.com
mlwpga@comcast.net
248-891-3321 mobile
248-393-3085 ext. 700 office