Muscle cramping is usually caused by dehydration and an imbalance of electrolytes causing spasm and stiffness. That is why it is important during long, intense workouts to replace lost electrolytes and stretch. If you find yourself cramping stop immediately and stretch the muscle.

 At the Winchester Institute, Dr. Haggerty stresses the importance of proper stretching and hydration. He provides many of his patients with sport specific stretching routines.

David Katz M.D. an Associate Professor of Public Health states that men in their 40’s should eat around 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per day. He states that they need the antioxidant protection and it is a proven way to stay lean, prevent heart disease, and common forms of cancer. At the Winchester Institute, Dr. Haggerty helps his patients live a healthy life by providing research proven exercise and nutritional advice.

Starting your workout with 10 minutes of foam rolling is recommended in current research. A 10 minute targeted “self-massage” using a foam roll helps to alleviate muscle knots and tangles that restrict blood flow and muscle elasticity. This tool can help decrease back pain, tight hamstrings, and shoulder tension.

 At the Winchester Institute, Dr. Haggerty incorporates foam rolling routines with patients who show signs of joint and muscle restriction. This form of active treatment has helped increase patient healing time and helps involve patients in their healthcare routine.

Research states that the most effective way to prepare for an endurance event is to join a group training program. Canadian research shows that people are more likely to stick to a training program if they train with others. British research states that you are also more likely to push yourself harder. At the Winchester Institute the personal trainers understand this principle and help motivate the patients to perform at their top level.

A current study in Clinical Biomechanics states that men with poor muscular endurance in their low back are three times more likely to develop back pain than those with fair or good endurance.

 At the Winchester Institute, Dr. Haggerty stresses the importance of core strengthening with all of his patients. That is why he has taken research-proven, core strengthening exercises and created a 5 min morning core routine for his patients. The patients can perform this routine without weights to help stabilize their core from home.

Protein is the most important nutrient for building muscle. All men, especially in their 20’s, should take in at least 30% of their total calories from high quality protein sources like chicken, fish, and dairy products. It is recommended that you eat 1 gram of protein for every 1lb of target weight. If you want to weigh 200lbs, shoot for 200 grams of protein per day. 

 At the Winchester Institute, the Doctors have extensive nutritional education and experience which gives them the ability to help people of any age and background match their diet to their busy lifestyles.

Plyometric exercises are explosive movements that should be incorporated in many athletes’ workout routines because they are key to increasing power. Power is a function of strength and speed working in union. Theses explosive movements allow strength to be converted to power. Think of plyometrics as training nerves and weight training as training muscles. It has also been stated in a 2008 Danish study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research that “Along with helping you gain speed and power, doing plyometrics also builds new muscle.

 At the Winchester Institute, our staff is versed in many different kinds of Plyometric training to help an athlete of any age improve their power and their game.

A swing fault that is sure to drain power from any golfer’s swing is lateral sway. This excessive lateral movement away from the target during the backswing forces the golfer’s weight outside of the back foot. Swaying makes it almost impossible for a golfer to develop a proper weight shift during transition and the downswing. If the golfer is unable to load around their back leg and drive their weight to the front leg they will lose a great deal of power.

The cause of sway is usually joint dysfunction in the hip causing lack of internal rotation or lack of thoracic spine rotation causing the body to compensate for the lost motion through the pelvis. At The Winchester Institute we address these dysfunctions head on by determining what movement pattern is deficit and helping to restore it to normal. This decreases the golfer’s likelihood of injury and increases their consistency.

Casting, early release, and scooping all refer to a premature release of the wrist angles during the golfer’s downswing. The loss of angle causes a weakened impact position resulting in loss of force, power and consistency.

 Good wrist flexibility is crucial for setting and maintaining the wrist set throughout the downswing.  Proper forearm and wrist strength is also very important to control the club. Lower body joint dysfunctions also play a large role in this dysfunction causing the wrist, elbow and shoulder to make up for lost movement. At The Winchester Institute we address these dysfunctions head on by determining what movement pattern is deficit, then helping to restore it to normal. This decreases the golfer’s likelihood of injury and increases their consistency.

Another common swing fault that needs to be discussed is the flat shoulder plane. This swing fault is part of “loss of posture”. The “flat shoulder plane” or “turn” is described by the Titleist Performance Institute as the angle of the shoulders as the student turns to the top of their backswing. They state that at address the spine is tilted because of the forward bend of the hips, allowing the golfer to obtain the proper setup position. With the ideal swing the golfer’s shoulders will move perpendicular to the tilt of the spine during the backswing. A flat shoulder plane occurs when the shoulders turn on a horizontal plane instead of the original spine angle.

This swing fault can cause the club to be out of position during the backswing which will create a shift in the swing planes which reduces the efficiency of the entire motion. Because of this the player has to make numerous compensations during the downswing to square the club face. This can cause loss of power as well and inconsistent ball striking.

After becoming certified by the Titleist Performance Institute Dr. Haggerty is now able to help treat muscle and joint imbalances that lead to these swing faults. Dr. Haggerty advises that if you are looking to change your biomechanics be sure to work closely with your golf instructor so he can help you adapt your swing to your new abilities.