Preparing your body for golf season in New England

Start with this season, not your best season

Think about how active you are now and how much golf you want to play. A golfer returning after months away has a different starting point from someone who practices throughout winter.

Name the goal

Walking nine holes, returning after an injury and preparing for several rounds a week ask different things of your body.

Notice limitations

Write down recurring discomfort, fatigue or movements that feel restricted. Do not assume every limitation needs more stretching.

Choose a manageable rhythm

Plan activity you can repeat consistently rather than trying to make up a winter in one weekend.

Build strength, movement, and activity tolerance together

A useful plan matches your starting point and changes as you progress. It should leave room for recovery as well as practice.

Strength

Work at a level appropriate for you and build gradually. The right exercises depend on your experience and any clinical concerns.

Mobility and control

Use assessment findings to choose what to work on. More range of motion is not automatically better for every joint or every golfer.

Walking and general activity

If tolerated, regular walking and other comfortable activity can help prepare you for the demands of time on the course.

Bring golf volume back in steps

Range time counts as activity too. Avoid adding more practice, heavier gym work and longer rounds all at once. Give yourself a chance to see how you respond before increasing again.

A warm-up can help you ease into activity, but it is not a guarantee against injury. Do not use it to push through pain.

Choose rehabilitation or performance for your needs

TPI-informed physical therapy is medical care for golf-related pain, injury or movement restrictions in areas such as the shoulder, hip, knee or spine. Medically necessary physical therapy with a qualifying diagnosis may be eligible for insurance reimbursement and HSA or FSA use, subject to your plan rules. You do not need an existing diagnosis to contact us; an evaluation helps determine what care is appropriate. Eligibility and reimbursement are not guaranteed. Most of our clients do use their insurance for reimbursement of our physical therapy services. We go over everything in the discovery meeting.

Golf-performance TPI is a separate, nonmedical service for golfers working on movement and physical preparation. It is generally not eligible for physical therapy insurance reimbursement. HSA or FSA use is only possible if the service is eligible under your plan rules and you have any required medical documentation. A TPI credential or a movement screen alone does not make a performance service eligible.

Common questions about golf season preparation