Testing My Limits Part II

Finally, some answers: I finally did my TPI screen with Bryan Haig, our PT. To say it was a humbling experience is putting it mildly. He led me through a series of physical tests, such as standing on one leg, rotating my torso, and doing a squat, all the while studying me, circling me, saying "Hmm...", and typing on the computer. Unsettling.

Then Bryan gave me the results: 3 pages explaining everything from how many degrees of internal rotation I have in my right hip to how well I stabilize my upper body. The descriptions were written to be golf-specific (e.g., "You have limited mobility rotating your thoracic spine...this may limit your ability to maintain a good stable posture during your backswing...). Still, my patterns were clear: limited thoracic mobility, limited strength and mobility in both shoulder blades, some limited lower body flexibility (primarily hip flexors and quads), and, of great interest to me, limited calf flexibility. The sentence read: It is tough for you to perform a full deep squat while keeping your heels on the ground due to limited calf flexibility bilaterally.

I knew this, I guess. Lots of running, especially the last two years, sporadic stretching (I know...), and even though it wasn't something I could necessarily feel or detect when I was in the squat, it makes sense.

The next stack of pages Bryan handed me was my exercise routine, which consisted of 17 exercises. What?! My first thought: yeah, and I'm going to fit this in on top of my regular workouts when, exactly? My second: if you want to do better, then you will fit it in, missy.

So off we go. My "re-screen" is in 4 weeks. Wish me luck.

Jill