Author: Baile Stephenson

What are the top 2 causes of low back pain in golf?

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  1. Reverse spine angle

A Reverse Spine Angle is any excessive upper body backward bend or excessive left lateral (for right-handed golfers) upper body bend during the backswing. This positioning produces an excessive amount of torque and pressure on the low back on the downswing due to the chest having to travel ‘farther’ and ‘faster’ to get back down to impact. Any time you increase the speed or force forward bending with rotation at the same time…that’s a good recipe for back pain.

2. Early extension

Early extension occurs when the hips and spine of a golfer start to go into extension or straighten up too early on the downswing. In this impact position, your core and gluteal (butt) muscles are in a poor position to properly ‘engage’ and are what we call, inhibited. Similar to Reverse Spine Angle, anytime you have rapid rotation of the body with no core engagement, that’s a good recipe for back pain. This is also the number one cause of a shank as your hips have now actually moved closer to the ball minimizing the space for your hands. 

Ask one of your playing partners next time you golf to take a video of your swing and see for yourself (if you don’t know already) if you possess these characteristics.

How do you improve these positions? Almost always it’s a lack of proper mobility in really 4 areas of your body. I tell my golfers that if you can’t clear a full range of motion here, then your body will ‘work around’ those limitations and often manifests itself as described in the pictures above. I’ve put together a brief video for you to check for yourself at home how well you move in those 3 areas. Check out the home assessment here >>

Playing back pain-free is possible!

Hit em’ straight,
Dr. Roberts

Click Here to Set Up a Call

Dr. Wade Roberts is a contributing writer for Central Links Golf. Dr. Roberts is the owner of Roberts PT, a golf PT and Performance Center in Kansas City. He graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology. He then earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Lynchburg College. Dr. Roberts is able to provide specialized therapies for a variety of patients but has a special interest in decreasing pain, increasing speed, and achieving longevity in the golf community

Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame Welcomes Three

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On November 19, the Kansas City Golf Hall of Fame will welcome three new members at a gathering at Blue Hills. Long-time stand-out Fred Rowland who plays out of Wolf Creek; a fixture among the senior ranks, Don Kuehn; and the Devers Family who hailed out of Lake Quivira Country Club, will be added to a roster of twenty-one previous honorees.  

Over a fifty-seven-year span, Rowland won seven KCGA titles from 1956 (Junior Amateur) to the Super Senior flight in the KCGA  Amateur in 2013, including three consecutive Heart of America Four-Ball Championships with his long-time partner Dave Broderick.

He also won nine Kansas Golf Association titles, including three Senior Amateurs, three Senior Four Balls, and the Senior Team Championship. Add to that his eleven USGA Championship appearances and his Canadian Senior Amateur Championship and it’s no wonder voters overwhelmingly selected Rowland to join this year’s class.

With forty-four Championships and thirty-two runners-up to his credit, Don Kuehn has been a winner at the local, state, and national levels. He is the only player to have won the “Kansas Senior Slam” of three Senior Amateurs, five Senior Four Balls, two Senior Match Plays, and “The Railer” stroke play Championship. His victory in The Railer set records for the lowest score (-10), margin of victory (14 strokes), and as the oldest champion (71 years, 7 months).

He took his game on the road in 2011 and added three Porter Cups (Niagara Falls, NY), two Lupton Memorials (The Honors Course, Chattanooga), the Golfweek National Senior Match Play (Tobacco Road, NC), two Maumelle Classics (Arkansas), two Geranium Seniors (Georgia) and the Sunnehanna Senior (Johnstown, PA).

The Devers Family was nominated by the committee based on their collective record of success on the local, state, and international levels. Matriarch, Levon Devers won titles in six decades and was named one of “The Greatest Golfers in Kansas City History” by the Kansas City Star in 2001. She won the Kansas Women’s Amateur, the Senior Amateur, and eleven Kansas City Amateur titles.

Ian Devers won the Kansas Junior Amateur three times, played in the US Junior in 1987, was medalist in the KC Match Play, and was a finalist in the Kansas Amateur. He played college golf at KU and the University of Central Florida.

Clay Devers amassed an impressive portfolio as an amateur, winning the Kansas Junior and state High School titles in 1985, three consecutive Kansas Amateurs, and the KC Match Play and Open twice each before turning pro and racking up titles in the US and abroad.  He won the South Dakota Open twice and won four times on the Asian Tour. He was a board member of that tour for four years.

Patriarch, Andy Devers served the members as Head Professional at Lake Quivira Country Club for 38 years and was a member of the British PGA, the Midwest Section, and the PGA of America.  He was known as a fine teacher of the game, as witnessed by three of his prized pupils: Levon, Ian, and Clay.

The three honorees were chosen by a broad cross-section of local electors which included the Board of Directors of Central Links Golf, living members of the Hall of Fame, representatives of the Midwest Section PGA, and the Golf Course Superintendents Association.

Mark your calendar, and plan to attend the induction ceremony at noon at Blue Hills Country Club on November 19th. Email doug@clgolf.org for more information.

Asked & Answered: Drains

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Question: Drains are clearly immovable obstructions, but is there any relief from the (man-made) depression around a drain even if the drain itself does not interfere with one’s stance or swing?

Answer: Great question that stirs up a little bit of debate. The player is not entitled to relief just because of the ground indentation caused by the sprinkler being there, there must be physical interference from the immovable obstruction. It would be difficult to determine where the indentation no longer exists as sometimes you have large collection areas with slopes that can be dozen of feet long. However, if the area around a sprinkler has been dug out creating sharp edges, now you have a hole made by a greenskeeper and is by definition ground under repair, and relief from the hole is available.

Submit a Rules question for Todd to answer here.

Todd Stice is our in-house Rules of Golf Expert. You can learn more about Todd here.

Falcon Wealth Advisors Tour Concludes for 2022 Season

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The Falcon Wealth Advisors Tour concluded with its season championship on Monday at Shadow Glen Golf Club in Olathe. The tour season consists of 12 events played from April-October and is sponsored by FWA Tour Member Jake Falcon owner of Falcon Wealth Advisors.

Awards for the 2022 Season

OPEN DIVISION

Player of the Year: Alex Downing
Tour Champion: Tyler Docking
Spring Swing Winner: Alex Downing
Fall Finish Winner: Alex Downing

SENIOR DIVISION

Player of the Year: Jon Platz
Tour Champion: Jon Platz
Spring Swing Winner: Steve Groom
Fall Finish Winner: Jon Platz

SUPER SENIOR DIVISION

Player of the Year: David Hamilton
Tour Champion: David Hamilton
Spring Swing Winner: David Hamilton
Fall Finish Winner: Pete Robbins

SUPER SENIOR NET DIVISION

Player of the Year: David Hamilton
Tour Champion: David Hamilton
Spring Swing Winner: David Hamilton
Fall Finish Winner: Ritch Nigh

LEGENDS GROSS DIVISION

Player of the Year: Wright Beck
Tour Champion: Wright Beck
Spring Swing Winner: Wright Beck
Fall Finish Winner: Don Kuehn

LEGENDS NET DIVISION

Player of the Year: Ron Brewer
Tour Champion: Ron Brewer/Wright Beck
Spring Swing Winner: Wright Beck
Fall Finish Winner: Ron Brewer

PLAYERS GROSS DIVISION

Player of the Year: Mark Giroux
Tour Champion: Mark Giroux
Spring Swing Winner: Marcus Moore
Fall Finish Winner: Mike Buckhouse

PLAYERS NET DIVISION

Player of the Year: Chris O’Dowd
Tour Champion: Brian Taylor/Chris O’Dowd
Spring Swing Winner: Randall Sutcliffe
Fall Finish Winner: John Samoei

For more information about the FWA Tour click here >>

Asked & Answered: Two Rules This Week!

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Question: A player tees off and the ball strikes a maintenance vehicle parked in the left rough. What is the ruling?

Answer: When a player’s ball in motion accidentally deflects off an outside influence (the maintenance vehicle in this case), there is no penalty and the ball is played as it lies.

Question: My ball landed next to a tree trunk, do I get a free drop?

Answer: A tree is part of the challenge of golf, so there is no free drop if your ball comes to rest near a tree trunk or a tree stump. Remember, a tree stump is just a short tree! But if you are out there to have fun and not playing in a competition, I say take the free drop!!!

Submit a Rules question for Todd to answer here.

Todd Stice is our in-house Rules of Golf Expert. You can learn more about Todd here.


Three USGA Championships, | One Year

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Martha Linscott is no stranger to USGA Championships, having played in her first event in 1990, but this year she added three championships to her resume, making her the first woman in Kansas golf history to compete in three USGA Championships in the same year.

“When you get to the USGA Championships, they make you feel like you’ve done something really worthy,” Linscott said, “it’s just another reassuring fact that you’ve done something big that you’ve wanted to do and you are rewarded for your efforts.”

Linscott is certainly a player worth rewarding. In 2020, she won the Kansas Women’s Senior Amateur and has earned multiple Low Senior awards, including the 2022 Kansas Women’s Amateur and 2022 Prairie Invitational.

Linscott is in her second year as the Head Men’s and Women’s Golf Coach at Park University, she serves on the Central Links Golf Board of Directors and is a member of the Prairie Invitational Committee. “Martha is one of the most consistently good players in our area and a great ambassador for the game. Not only does she compete and represent Kansas in a positive way on the national stage, but she also works as a mentor to encourage young people to compete as well,” said Central Links Golf Executive Director, Doug Habel.

At 52 years old, Linscott is fairly new to the scene of senior competitions. She spent the years before turning 50 competing with younger golfers to qualify for events like the US Women’s Amateur and US Women’s Mid-Amateur. Where previously she wasn’t eligible to compete in the Women’s Senior Amateur and Women’s Senior Open, Linscott says “The best part is that when you turn 50 you think that your career might be coming to an end, but it gets a lot better because now you can qualify for two more tournaments!”

She enjoys competing because “It’s all me, either I’m going to play well or I’m not. It’s an individual thing, and I like that. If I’ve worked really hard, it pays off, and if I have slacked off in an area, it’s going to show up,” Linscott said. One key to her success through the years has been learning how to control her mind to think positively throughout the round. She comments that it’s something she is also trying to teach her team at Park University, “You’ve got to be able to control your body and mind and I think that’s fascinating. You have to have enough confidence in your ability.”

Martha’s 2022 Resume

JUNE

  • Qualifies for US Women’s Senior Amateur

JULY

  • Kansas Women’s Amateur Low Senior
  • Prairie Invitational Low Senior
  • Qualifies for US Women’s Senior Open
  • US Women’s Senior Amateur – Anchorage Golf Course, Alaska

AUGUST

  • Qualifies for US Women’s Mid-Amateur
  • US Women’s Senior Open – NCR Country Club, Ohio

SEPTEMBER

  • US Women’s Mid-Amateur – Fiddlesticks Country Club, Florida

Linscott’s husband, Randy, travels to the USGA Championships with her as her caddie. “You need somebody in your corner reassuring you that you are doing a great job,” Linscott commented. It’s something they enjoy doing together, “he’s my number one supporter,” Linscott said through tears, “he’s always rooting for me, So that’s why I get emotional, he’s really encouraged me and supported my effort. He’s been there telling me that I’m a good player.”

There’s more to come from Linscott who hopes to win locally in addition to earning Low Senior awards. “I’m sure some people are saying ‘why does she keep doing this?’, but it’s fun. I want to see how far I can take it,” Linscott said, “Not everyone finds something that they’re good at or passionate about, and then excel at it.”

Linscott’s USGA Championship Appearances

US Women’s Amateur Public Links – 1990, 1996
US Women’s Mid-Amateur – 1999, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2022
USGA Women’s State Team Championship – 2013, 2015, 2017
US Senior Women’s Amateur – 2021, 2022
US Senior Women’s Open – 2022

Linscott is the first woman in the state to appear at three USGA events in the same year. According to archives, the only other golfer to make three appearances was Kansas Golf Hall of Fame Member, Bryan Norton who played in US Senior Open, US Amateur, and US Senior Amateur in 2015.


During Round Golf Nutrition

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While golf is not exactly a high-intensity sport, it is still a sport that can deplete your fuel sources when playing a round.

Here are a few recommendations for your next round of golf.

Once you have established level blood sugar before your round of golf, snacks on the course will help maintain blood sugar. The biggest mistake I see is a player waiting too long to eat a snack >> Shoot for every 4-6 holes.

Oftentimes a player will wait until he or she has symptoms such as shaky hands or feeling lightheaded before eating a snack. If you wait this long it is too late and it may take several holes for symptoms to subside.

Follow these guidelines when on the course:

·       Drink water at every hole with Celtic sea salt

·       Eat easily digestible foods

·       Avoid high GI foods such as chips, crackers, pretzels, and candy

·       Avoid all sugar drinks – (many sports drinks have too much sugar)

·       If eating fruit, always combine it with nuts

BEST SNACKS ON THE COURSE

  • Any jerky – beef, bison, deer, elk, turkey
  • Nuts and seeds
  • Cup of chicken salad at the turn
  • Trail mix with dried fruit
  • Sliced bell peppers
  • Carrot and celery stick with peanut butter


Hopefully, this helps you finish the last few holes strong and win the final bets instead of being ‘juiced’ and giving it all away.

Hit em’ straight,
Dr. Roberts

Click Here to Set Up a Call

Dr. Wade Roberts is a contributing writer for Central Links Golf. Dr. Roberts is the owner of Roberts PT, a golf PT and Performance Center in Kansas City. He graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology. He then earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Lynchburg College. Dr. Roberts is able to provide specialized therapies for a variety of patients but has a special interest in decreasing pain, increasing speed, and achieving longevity in the golf community.

Asked & Answered: Stroke and Distance

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Question: When is it allowed to re-tee other than OB off the tee? Stroke and distance. Ball in the woods or water off the tee?

Answer: Good question. A player may ALWAYS re-tee without exception, and you don’t even have to know where your ball is. No matter where the ball ends up (except in the hole of course) a player always has the option of replaying a stroke with a 1-stroke penalty (stroke and distance). The ball could be in the woods or water or even the fairway, and you can proceed under stroke and distance. A good example of this would be you tee off and hit a tree immediately and your ball goes 100 yards behind you but is still in bounds. Instead of playing the ball, for 1 stroke you may re-tee and play from the teeing area, even though your ball is in play 100 yards further from the hole! This is true of any stroke on the golf course, not just tee shots.

Submit a Rules question for Todd to answer here.

Todd Stice is our in-house Rules of Golf Expert. You can learn more about Todd here.

Do You Swing To Warm Up….Or Warm Up To Swing? A Proper Warm-Up In Golf

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The goal of a warm-up: is to prepare the golfer mentally and physically for the demands of a 9 or 18-hole round.

Traditionally, an effective warm-up has also been thought to decrease the risk of injury. While this remains unclear, there is plenty of evidence to suggest that a positive effect may exist. Recent evidence is suggesting, however, that a well-designed warm-up can actually result in a number of physiological responses that can potentially increase subsequent performance on the golf course.

A couple of positive effects and how it relates to golf from a well-designed warm-up:

  • Faster muscle contractions = increased speed –> increased distance
  • Improvements in rate of force development = increased power –> increased distance
  • Lowered viscous resistance in muscles and joints = increased mobility –> increased turn
  • Improved oxygen delivery and blood flow = decreased stiffness to muscles and joints –> increased turn
  • Increased psychological preparedness for performance (Don’t underestimate the game between the ears!)

What should a golf warm-up consist of?

  • Part 1 = 5 minutes of slow aerobic activity
    • The aim of this is to increase heart rate, blood flow, muscle temperature, and decrease viscosity of joint fluids
    • Examples: If your longest walk is from the parking lot to the golf cart and then to the driving range (or worse straight to the first tee) that most likely isn’t long enough. Get creative, take the long way to the clubhouse from the parking lot…walk up a steep hill near the putting green is a fast way to get the heart rate going and blood flow pumping

  • Part 2 = 5 minutes of general stretching
    • The aim of this is to replicate the ranges of motion required for the upcoming activity – a.k.a. full turn
    • In the game of golf, there are 4 areas you need to be able to rotate well in – in this HOME ASSESSMENT GUIDE I go into detail about these 4 areas. A good warm-up doesn’t have to be long if you do it specifically for the game of golf.

  • Part 3 = 10 minutes of hitting balls
    • What’s the best order of clubs to use or how many balls should you hit to be ‘warmed up’?
    • While this varies from person to person depending on many factors, a general rule of thumb is 7,7,7
    • 7 shots with a wedge-9iron, 7 shots with a 7-5iron, and 7 shots with a 3wood-driver
    • Why 20+ balls?
      • Maybe this is experience talking, but after watching a lot of golfers hit balls on golf simulators and Trackman, most golfers hit their ‘average/top’ club head speed between balls 20-30.
      • Very few players, regardless of how in shape they are, can step right up and reach the higher end of their club head speed without an appropriate amount of swings

  • Part 4 = 5 minutes of chipping and putting
    • You know this is where the strokes add up…chip a few to get your feel going and then putt a few to get the speed of the greens and boost your confidence in seeing a few putts go in

**(Note: a warm-up should end no more than 15 minutes before the start of the first swing)

Take Home = You can do the math…but YOU HAVE TO GET TO THE COURSE EARLY.

  • This takes discipline
  • We’ve all done it where we’re flying out of the office or house to catch a tee time. Obviously, life happens and you’re going to go from ‘trunk to tee’ every now and then. But don’t make it a habit. Discipline yourself and your game to get to the course early
  • 10:00 am Tee Time Example
    • 9:50 – 10:00 – Show up to the first tee to check in/get the bets lined up
    • 9:30 – 9:50 – Complete Parts 2-4 in the practice area (Note: Parts 3 and 4 can be reversed based on preference)
    • 9:15 – 9:25 – Park, 5 min of aerobic activity, golf shoes on, check-in, go to the bathroom, get your clubs, etc.

So on your next round of golf, try showing up to the course 45 minutes minimum before your round of golf. Be ready to go on the first tee, not the 5th after you’ve ‘loosened up’.

Click Here to Set Up a Call

Dr. Wade Roberts is a contributing writer for Central Links Golf. Dr. Roberts is the owner of Roberts PT, a golf PT and Performance Center in Kansas City. He graduated from Liberty University with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Kinesiology. He then earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy from Lynchburg College. Dr. Roberts is able to provide specialized therapies for a variety of patients but has a special interest in decreasing pain, increasing speed, and achieving longevity in the golf community.

Asked & Answered: Ball Mark Repair

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Submission: A player can repair a ball mark on the green at any time. The player’s ball does not need to be on the green to allow the repair. A player cannot repair a ball mark on the fringe if it is in the player’s line of play. Unless the mark occurred after the ball came to rest.

Question: What if any one of your playing partners repairs the mark without being requested to do so? On the other hand, are you allowed to ask a playing partner to repair the mark?

Answer: I assume you are referring to players in your group of a stroke play event who are NOT your partners (the answers will be different). 

Someone who is in your group but not your partner is an outside influence, and if they improve your line of play, that will get them a 2-stroke penalty, but nothing to you.  Additionally, you get the benefit of the repaired pitch mark.

If that person is your partner, you will both get a penalty of 2 strokes.

If you request the player to fix it for you and he does just that, both you and he will get the 2-stroke penalty.

Todd Stice is our in-house Rules of Golf Expert. You can learn more about Todd here.