On Sunday we sent out a group of mercenaries from our Junior Academy to take on a team from Merchiston's Golf Academy. All the juniors enjoyed the match and the chance to play together as a team (they're used to training together).

As we are also part of the Merchiston coaching team, it was an ideal opportunity for us to see how all the juniors act on the course.

Scores from the match were:

What is Strength?

When I think back to my days studying Technology at secondary school, I can recall being provided with a very clear definition of what strength is. Strength, I was told by my teacher, “is the ability of a structure or material to withstand and resist force.”

For me this also has to be true in any sport. We often think of our bodies applying all the forces and other objects providing the ‘resistance’. However we must be able to resist any forces placed on our body (structure) and our tissue (materials), in order to be able to move against, resist or decelerate any external resistance.

So in simple terms, we must be strong so that we don’t break down and get injured when playing with external forces. That includes reactionary forces created by our own movements.

It’s that time of year again, when there is a buzz of anticipation for the new golf season ahead. So many possibilities, so many opportunities to play your best golf yet. It doesn’t matter what level you play at, we all feel it. For a lot of golf enthusiasts the excitement of watching possibly the most glamourous of the four Majors, combined with the promise of finally seeing some short sleeve weather is enough to get us back on to the practice ground with fresh enthusiasm.  

Whether this is a case of dusting the cob webs off the clubs, after they’ve been dug out of their winter hibernation or you’ve been putting in the steady ground work throughout the off season, it’s important that the practice you do at this vital time gets you ready for competition. After all, that’s what everyone is taking a break from during the offseason. We all want to hit the ground running in our first competitive game out. With that in mind there are a few lessons we can take from the gym and apply them to the practice ground. 

At the start of this month, in an article for the Daily Telegraph, World No.1 golfer Rory McIlroy stated:

"I don't love golf as much as when it was just pure joy to get on to the course to play. When I was a kid, if I spent a day away from the game, I couldn't wait to get back. Now I can't wait for a week off”.

For most kids golf is all about FUN! It’s about going to a golf course, driving range or putting green with a friend or family member, grabbing a club and trying to WHACK that small dimpled ball from here to there. For some reason, a lot of people have fun accompanying that dimpled ball on its journey around a field.

For people like Rory, who get bitten by the bug, the game means a touch more. They practice a little longer, watch the big tournaments with more interest and immerse themselves in the nuances, subtleties and disciplines of the game that date back centuries.

My job as a Medical Professional with Golf Fit is to treat injured golfers. I also do a lot of preventative work to stop injuries from occurring but the crux of my job is assessing and diagnosing injuriesand then using manual therapy and rehabilitation to heal the problematic area. I am in the very fortunate position of working alongside the GolfFit Trainers throughout who can give insights into the golfers individual physical weaknesses which may have contributed to the problem. However the main benefit from our team approach is that our golfer's rehabilitation can be tailored to compliment their current exercise programme. Because of this they can receive the best rehabilitation along with the best training - and one will augment the other.