The Golfbreaks.com Tour Fit for Golf competition winners last week embarked on the third stage of their programme with The European Tour Performance Institute at Saint Omer Golf Club, France.
The key focus at this stage was to look at their progress so far in two different areas. Firstly, their exercise programme developed by Rob Hilman, Director of Physiotherapy at The European Tour, and secondly to analyse the intricacies of their golf swings with Sports Biomechanics Consultant to The European Tour, Jean-Jacques Rivet.
Competition winners Chris Hughman and Nick Blunt began their day with a physical assessment with Hilman putting them through their paces to gauge any physical progress made since the first stage of the process.
Hilman had differing challenges with both Nick and Chris, largely due to the fact that Chris had developed an injury since their first meeting. While Nick worked on exercises to develop the strength and flexibility needed for a complete turn during the golf swing, Chris completed drills that would allow his injury to recover while continuing to improve on the progress made so far.
At this stage in the process it was particularly interesting to note the benefits of the programme already showing fruition, with both golfers this time finding the exercises much easier to complete than initially.
Following consultation with Hilman, it was time for Rivet to exercise his own expertise by putting the competition winners in more practical golfing scenarios.
One thing that has become increasingly apparent throughout the process is the simplicity of Rivet’s methods. The Frenchman has identified throughout his career with the need to avoid confusing amateur golfers with too many different aspects to work on simultaneously.
Rivet instead chooses one important principle at each stage of the development. In previous stages of the programme he had worked on elements of balance: from set up, to the top of the back swing, and back to impact. The third stage saw Nick and Chris work on their impact through the ball, into the follow through, and onto the all-important finish. Both golfers are undoubtedly beginning to see real improvements in their ball striking and alignment now as a direct result of work completed so far.
While progress could also be attributed to improved practice methods, there are tell-tale signs that the developments made come as a direct result of the work they have done to increase their strength and flexibility throughout the programme.
As if to exemplify this, after hitting his final ball, Chris turned to mentor Rivet and sustained a conversation of a few seconds. To help Chris further understand the notable progress he had made, Rivet asked Chris to examine the position he had been holding throughout the exchange and unbeknown to Chris he still stood frozen in his finish position with all his weight over his left knee.
Considering that a couple of months ago the man was unable to hold such a position for even a second, the incident really exemplified the significant advances made.
It is such small clues that truly show the benefits of the process, a process that continues to surprise both golfers.
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