Abstract
Background: Greater range of motion for hip internal rotation in the trail (right) hip of a right-handed golfer is a characteristic shared by golfers who are sub-10 handicap players (Sell, Tsai, Smoliga, Myers, & Lephart, 2007). Improving right hip internal rotation can be an effective way of improving the proficiency of an amateur golfer. Client History: A 42-year-old male consulted his sports medicine specialist because of decreased bilateral hip range of motion and bilateral hip pain that he determined to be the cause of his increased golf handicap index. He was referred to outpatient fitness training where he revealed that his pain symptoms were: prolonged sitting and walking, multiple golf swings, and playing golf for longer than one hour. During the time of initial assessment, the client reported that no previous interventions had been provided. Examination: As part of the initial assessment, a TPI Certified Level 3 Golf Medical and Fitness Professional administered a Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) functional screen. This functional screen consisted of sixteen separate assessments to determine the clients golf fitness level, and was used to decide prescribed exercise interventions. Additional assessments included objective measurements of bilateral active hip flexion and internal rotation range of motion, manual muscle testing of bilateral hip flexion, internal and external rotation, as well as conducting a self reported numeric pain rating scale survey. Intervention: The intervention plan consisted of twenty-four treatment sessions over an eight-week period. Each session entailed completing ten dynamic exercises, all of which were supervised by the assessing TPI professional. These exercises focused on increasing bilateral hip mobility and strength. Outcomes: Objective measurements were taken again at the end of the eight weeks, and there were noted increases in strength and range of motion, as well as a pronounced decrease in pain levels. Discussion: This case illustrated the potential for specific exercises based on a functional assessment to improve measurable aspects of golf performance.