Scott help golfers with their Golf swing & Back pain
Every week hundreds of emails land in my inbox and I have to confess that most end up in the trash. But one particular email caught my attention last week and prompted me to follow up. The email started... "Did you know that 53% of Male and 45% of Female golfers suffer from lower back pain?"
It was a statistic that instantly struck a cord with me. Being a keen golfer I'm only too aware of the stress and strain I put my body under smashing the golf ball around the course a few times a week and I have to say that over the last few years I've been suffering with a terrible bad back. However like most golfers I do very little about it. I have a few warm up swings in the net, I try to avoid carrying my golf bag in favour of a trolley in the winter months, but that's about it. The thought of going to the gym and training on a treadmill like a hamster on a wheel has little appeal and as for weights I wouldn't know where to start to actually improve my physique to benefit my golf game.
Step in Scott Bryant - a personal trainer with a difference! Scott was once a doorman kicking out unruly pub goers but he knew he wasn't fulfilling his potential in life so he decided to change career paths 11 years ago and has overcome severe dyslexia to study at the C.H.E.K Institute - one of the leading authorities on golfing fitness and well-being in the world. Since then Scott has been known as 'the body mechanic' and is working hard to becoming one of the leading experts in the industry. What sets him apart from other golf trainers is that he doesn't just look at your physique but actually uses a holistic approach to improve your golf swing, looking at every aspect of your body as a whole before trying to improve it - what you eat, how you breathe, how the body functions and so on.
I met Scott at his gym in central London and he spent a few hours assessing my body function. The shocking truth was that nearly every muscle in my body had some kind of restriction and that's having a negative effect on both my golf game and my life. The encouraging part is hearing of Scott's other golfing clients who have arrived in equally poor physical condition and many much worse... "I had one lady golfer come to me a year ago because she had been told by her doctor that she'd have to give up golf because she had a nasty knee injury," explains Scott.
"They had operated several times unsuccessfully so I really was the last resort for her. But what the medic had failed to recognise that her physical restriction wasn't just the result of walking around the golf course every week, it was a combination of lots of factors in her lifestyle right from her eating habits and throughout her daily routine. After working together for 12 months she's not only playing the best golf of her life, she no longer has any knee pain now."
After spending just a few hours with Scott I was totally convinced that I should start to follow a golf conditioning programme. After all, I want to play golf pain-free even when I'm an old lady! So over the coming weeks I'll give you a brief insight into every aspect of my golf conditioning that Scott is working on. I know that this will require 100% commitment but I also know that the end result is that I'll be a fitter, healthier and happier golfer, so watch this space...
Week 1: The truth hurts!
A full physical assessment with Scott lasts four hours and is extremely thorough. It's not cheap (Scott charges £500 for the assessment) but as my golf coach husband tells me you get what you pay for - see this as an investment in yourself. During the assessment Scott examines every aspect of your body and lifestyle by asking thorough questions and getting you to undergo a whole range of physical assessments, everything from can you touch your toes to how well do you sleep at night! I was shocked at my lack of range of movement and the number of restrictions I had throughout my body.
Among the findings Scott discovered that I don't breathe properly - I'm a chest breather which basically means that I don't fill my lungs with air properly, and this is one of many contributing factors that could be causing my lower back pain. So my homework this week is to spend 20 minutes every night practising a deep breathing exercise and learning to breathe in deeply so that I fill my lungs up fully from the pit of my stomach upwards. I learn to do this by placing a water bottle on my belly button and making sure it rises as I breathe in.
The other task I have to do is fill in a food diary for the next 10 days so that Scott can analyse what my daily food and drink intake is. He'll then use this information to identify my metabolic type - what food groups such as Carbohydrates and Proteins my body requires to function effectively and he'll set me a suitable diet.
I left the assessment with mixed feelings - negativity towards my current physical condition but inspired that this is a logical process that I can follow with the end goal of achieving the body and the swing that I've always wanted. This is just the start of my golf conditioning process but already I'm feeling excited!
Over the coming weeks this is what my golf conditioning programme should do for me...
. Improve my flexibility - I'll be following a personalised stretching programme.
. Improve my postural alignment and endurance - essential for being able to set up correctly to the golf ball, make a good swing and play 18 holes of golf.
. Improve my game by reducing stiffness and pain in my muscles.
. Eliminate faults in my swing - my backswing turn in particular is restricted by tight muscles.
. Get strong, and be able to generate power - hit the ball further - yes please!
. Avoid injury and have more fun!
. Improve my swing and improve my scores.
GOLF TODAY OFFER
Scott Bryant has kindly offered Golf Today readers a free one-hour physical taster session so that you can experience this very different perspective of training. To book your free physical assessment contact Scott on: 07841 144878; email: scttbrynt@aol.com
For more information about Scott Bryant and the golf assessment visitwww.activebryantsystems.com
EQUIPMENT NEWS
Young golf inventor wins prestigious award
Twenty three year old golf inventor Arnold Du Toit has been crowned Britain's best young entrepreneur.
Arnold won the Generation Y Not? competition for inventing the world's first powered golf trolley you can ride. Manufactured in Britain, the "Rolley" allows golfers to hop-on to their golf trolley and cruise silently around the golf course.
Arnold set up Drive Daddy, the company that manufactures the Rolley's when he was just 21 years old. The idea came about after his friend complained that a full round of 18 holes took too long.
The Rolleys use a patented Twindrive technology combined with lithium battery power, have a 180kg load capacity and can be folded away in a car boot. There are currently three versions - the entry-level Rolley 918 is £2,899, the top-level Rolley costs £3,299 and then there is a limited edition, bespoke model which costs £4,299.
Carly's countdown to Christmas
Can you believe it's less than six weeks until Christmas! With the festive season fast approaching I've made it my goal this year to be ultra-organised and make a list of everything I need to buy for every single person so that there just isn't that last minute panic. If you, like me are from a golfing family where it's tough to think of new and interesting golfing gifts each year then listen up. I'm making it my goal to try and identify the most exciting golfing gifts this year - everything from the money-is-no-object golfer's dream gift, to those cheap and cheerful stocking fillers. So there is absolutely no excuse to receive any of those rubbish bits of golfing tat they sell in the high street. Starting this week I'll showcase a selection of the best golfing gifts you could buy every week in the run-up to Christmas. And don't worry ladies I'll make sure I also pick out some nice ideas that you might want to add to your own list for your relatives to buy!
Gift idea No.1 : Personalised golf balls - a great stocking filler!
Golf balls are undoubtedly the one gift that every golfer will be grateful for. But rather than just buying any old golf balls why not make your gift extra special and get them customised. And there's no better time to do it as Titleist are offering customers the unique opportunity to personalise a dozen Titleist golf balls for FREE! The personalisation can be anything from an individual's initials, to a nickname or even a special Christmas message. The personalisation is printed in black capitals and can be across three lines with a maximum of seventeen characters per line.
In addition, Titleist is giving away a complimentary Titleist ball marker with every dozen balls ordered. Furthermore, each order will also be packaged in a specially designed Christmas wrap to give it that added festive touch.
With a minimum order requirement of just one dozen balls, this offer is available now with the closing date for orders that require pre-Christmas delivery being Friday 9 th December 2011 . Anyone wishing to place an order for personalised Titleist golf balls or after further information should contact their nearest Titleist stockist. To find details of your nearest stockist simply log-on to www.titleist.co.uk/gb_locator.aspx or call 01480 301 114.
Gift idea No. 2: PowaKaddy Winter Wheels
If you're looking for a novel gift idea for under the tree then the PowaKaddy Winter Wheels are a must-buy. They are designed to distribute the load of your bag and trolley over a smaller surface area while allowing for minimal ground contact so that your trolley does less damage to the course in the wet winter months.
The clever design also means that the trolley has more traction with the ground so doesn't slip if the grass is wet or muddy. The wheels can be easily fitted to any PowaKaddy electric trolley and have a quick release mechanism to take them off for cleaning when necessary.
Priced at £64.99 for the pair they're a great gift idea.
Visit www.powakaddy.com
Gift idea No. 3: A new outfit from Ping Collection
This is one gift I know that my Mum would love to find sat under the tree as there's nothing nicer than stepping out on the golf course on Boxing Day in a brand new golfing outfit.
Ping Collection has a great selection for the golfer's wardrobe. The garments are stylish, high performance and won't break the bank.
You won't go wrong with a pair of the Ping Collection Alchemy trousers - a classic winter trouser made from a comfortable stretch fabric so that you can walk and swing freely, priced at £60. And compliment the look with a stylish sweater, roll neck and gilet (as pictured here) and you're bound to put a smile on someone's face on Christmas morning.
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