English Major Golfer

The Eclipse of April 2024 was to take place on the same day as my return to River Hill Country Club to defend my first ever win in 2023. The weather was slated to be perfect, sunny, cool – high mid-70’s. The Eclipse was scheduled to happen right in the middle of the round – pretty cool, right? I felt these were all great signs for me to stage a repeat win and get 2024 going in the right direction.

I was there early, my usual and several other competitors started to arrive. I was in mid-warm up when I squatted and POP!

You know those glow sticks at Halloween when you snap them and then they start to glow? That’s exactly how my lower back felt immediately after the SNAP. I could feel my back muscles slowly tightening as if they were beginning to glow.

I freaked. How could this be??? My back has felt soooo good of late. I thought I was making real progress on strengthening my back. NOOOO!

My thoughts raced as a felt disappointment spread as fast as my back was tightening. I immediately took 3 ibuprofen to see if that would elevate the tightness and I continued on with my warm up, knowing that my round was over before it started. I actually considered packing up and withdrawing (which would have been the smartest thing to do) and yet my pride, my optimism (“It’s not that bad; it will loosen up”) wouldn’t let me ditch out…”come on man! The Eclipse!” 

Nope.

The day was a complete struggle. My back was so tight I couldn’t make a full swing off the tee. I battled through 18 holes and couldn’t wait to get the round over. It was a giant disappointment.

And thus the beginning of my 2024 season was plagued by back issues and oh yeah, I developed a wonderful case of “golfers elbow”.

This was NOT the follow up season I had in mind. (“EXPECTATIONS!!!”)

By June, my game was a wreck; I wasn’t doing enough to let things heal up or really I was doing TOO MUCH. I kept playing. I kept working out. I kept thinking that “eventually” I would strengthen up. WRONG. 

Any rational human being knows that I was just prolonging my injury and my recovery and yet my pride, my optimism and my FOMO of missing tournaments just kept me grinding.

It took a conversation with a friend to get me to see the light and the opportunity a trip to Portugal over the summer would afford me. I didn’t travel with my clubs and I started completely over after 2 full weeks of complete and total rest.

Fast forward to 2025 and what I started in the summer of 2024 has WORKED. It has taken me a year and I am playing the best golf – the “healthiest” golf so far since my return to the game in 2021.

By complete chance and necessity, I discovered something that has completely changed my conditioning and my approach to working out to support my golf game: balance.

LOL. Yeah not a huge, earthshattering revelation there is it!? Balance. Starting all over, I thought it was best to begin with the simplest and easiest thing I could do. No equipment necessary!

Each day, I started my day with Portuguese coffee (THA BEST) and stood on each foot for 30 seconds, 3 times. After the first week, I moved to 1 minute on each foot 3 times. The next week, I did 1:30 – each foot 3 times. 

By the fourth week, I began to add in my regular warm up routine I use at the range. By this time I began to feel a real difference in my back throughout my day. While cautious not to over do anything, I felt great on long walks with Michelle and was sleeping better (less tension and tightness after a night’s sleep). 

By the fifth week, I began regular workouts and yoga – including the balance and warm up routine. I started with a lot of basic static hold workouts: Shoulder presses (not push ups); and bridge holds. I continued this process through the rest of the vacation and came home feeling amazing. 

Fast forward again to 2025 and my back and golf swing have never felt better. I continue regular workouts as well as daily balance routines (posted below). And I am convinced that it all begins with solid balance (AND which I have discovered requires daily practice – I have found after a couple of days without any balance work the coordination and strength declines.)

My #1 GOAL for 2025: Play healthy. ✅

Heading into the final stretch of the season, I feel I am accomplishing that goal.

Here is my (almost) daily routine:

Morning Balance and Stretch:

• Leg kicks forward; back; side 3 X 10
• 3 x 1:30 min Or 3 x 10 floor touches
• 30 sec Statue of Liberty Left
• Folded over – Leg Rows Stretch 3 x 10
• Bridges 3 x 20
• Child’s Pose – 1 min
• Down Dog – 1 min
• Plank – 1 min
• Extended Side Angle – Right and Left – 1 min Each
• Flexband – interior bends
• Kettle bells twists – arms/shoulders 
• Future Add: Sun Salutation Routine

If you are willing, share how much time you put into your own conditioning and what you do to maintain that conditioning.