Prairie View Golf Course and St.Vincent Sports Performance: Teaming Up to Help Golfers

Writer / Neil Lucas

St.Vincent Sports Performance and Prairie View Golf Club have teamed up to provide golfers with a free personal fitness evaluation with the goal to improve their fitness and, consequently, their golf game. Every Thursday from 3-5 p.m. physicians from St.Vincent will be onsite at Prairie View to provide a free fitness assessment with the particular fitness needs of golfers in mind. Unlike ones offered by health clubs that require a great commitment of both time and money, this program takes a very realistic approach. Once an individual evaluation is completed by one of St.Vincent’s specially trained physicians, an individual fitness program is designed for the golfer that he can do at home or in the office without the constant oversight of a trainer.

Dr. Patrick Kersey and Dr. Todd Arnold, the two St. Vincent’s Sports Medicine physicians involved in the program, are uniquely qualified to evaluate the fitness needs of the golfer. Dr. Kersey and Dr. Arnold are among the very few physicians who have been trained at the world-renowned Titleist Performance Institute. Dr. Kersey, who for several years was the medical director for the Indianapolis Colts, also has practical knowledge as an avid golfer who has suffered through eight knee surgeries but still maintains a 3 handicap. Clearly he understands the fitness needs of the average golfer.

When we play golf poorly we naturally think the problem is in our swing mechanics. Typically, our answer to this inconsistent play is to go see our pro to tinker with the swing or head over to the range to try to work out the problem. Rarely do we question whether there might be a biomechanical component to our swing that prevents us from having the consistency we all desire.

According to Dr. Kersey, “A majority of the time, swinging the golf club is a biomechanical problem. All of the major swing faults (casting, over the top, sliding, swaying, etc.) can be related to either a movement deficiency or a stability inhibition.” It’s these deficiencies and instability that are found in most golfers that prevent the body from swinging the club in a consistent path shot after shot. This results in one great shot followed by four terrible shots.

It is not the St.Vincent physicians’ goal to replace the golf pro. Instead, they want to work in conjunction with your pro. After your assessment, the doctors can provide information about what they have discovered about your biomechanics that will help the pro tailor your swing to compensate for any issues you might have. By having the doctors and the professional golf instructors at Prairie View, it is incredibly easy to have them work together to get your game in shape before the summer is over.

To schedule an evaluation, call Prairie View Golf Club at 317-816-3100.