How Golf Has Changed By: Bryan Haas, PGA Director of Golf at Blue Top Ridge at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort

Today’s sports have changed dramatically with well coached and informed athletes. The athletes today are taking better care of their bodies. They are aggressively searching out coaches and personal trainers to enhance their performances in their perspective sports. Golf is no exception.

I was watching ESPN Hockey Classics a few nights ago. Specifically the 1982 Stanley Cup Finals. The Vancouver Canucks were in their first Finals appearance and the defending champion New York Islanders, in their third Finals appearance. The Islanders would win the best-of-seven series four games to none, to win their third Stanley Cup. That was also their third straight Stanley Cup. You could say that they were a very dominant team for their sport and era. 

There was one key element to this game that stood out to me. It was not the score or the number of games that Vancouver needed to win to make a come back to win the Stanley Cup. It was the dramatic difference in the speed of the game in 1982 compared to the game today. It was like watching a men’s league game. It seemed to be in slow motion and the players were not nearly as athletic with the exception of a couple of superstars. It truly seemed as though the 1982 superstars had the ability of today’s average player. 

Today’s athletes are training harder and smarter to be the very best at their chosen craft. Hockey coaches and trainers now keep track of each players minutes on the ice during the game. Following the game, the trainers hand each of the players their post game workout regiments. Each workout is different to fit the needs of the individual player. This may include time on the stationary bike, time on the weights or both depending on the amount of ice time they received during the game.   Every team in the NHL whether on the road or at home now makes this workout a regular routine following each game. This has made a dramatic difference in the speed and ability of each of the players.   

Golf is not a game of speed and agility but it is a game of strategy, stamina and technical ability. Today’s teachers are becoming more like coaches and trainers, taking their players to areas of the game that were once thought to be only for highly physical sports like hockey and football. Today’s teachers need to understand their player’s physical abilities in order to cater to the players strengths. They also need to be able to identify the player’s weaknesses and be able to prescribe the correct training to overcome the weaknesses. Today’s PGA Tour players are searching out facilities like the Titleist Performance Institute to undertake full physical evaluations from Doctors, Trainers, Club Fitters and Teaching Professionals. Top amateurs are also seeking the help of facilities like the up and coming Riverside Golf Performance Studios. Like hockey, scoring is not tremendously different from years ago. However due to training, the number of top level players are increasing.

A player wanting to achieve an ability level that they are comfortable with should go through Golf Capacity Testing. Golf Capacity Testing provides a Performance Teacher the information they need to produce a comprehensive program to benefit your game long term. Performance teaching has four phases: physical analysis, video analysis, equipment analysis and playing analysis. The results of each of the tests are compiled along with a course of action to produce your individual Golf Performance Program. Making a change to your golf game will require some weekly physical effort on your part as well as direction and equipment corrections to create a permanent change.   

When choosing a Golf Professional to make that permanent change in your golf game, take the time to get to know each Golf Professional that you are interested in working with. Be sure to choose a Professional that you can communicate with openly.   Letting the Golf Professional know that you are a verbal or a visual learner will help your relationship grow. Shy away from single lessons. They are temporary. The “quick fix” lesson will not make a long term change in your game. Just as in real life, “if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.” Three ways you can choose a Golf Professional to start your transformation are: Word of mouth, the internet and local listings. Check out the PGA’s Play Golf America and Titleist Find a Fitter websites. The two web listings together will help you find a Golf Professional with a program that will work best for you by linking teaching programs with technical abilities.

By: Bryan Haas, PGA Director of Golf at Blue Top Ridge at Riverside Casino & Golf Resort