Behind the Bluff
Uncover best practices to participate in life on your terms. Every week, hosts Jeff Ford and Kendra Till guide listeners with short conversations on trending wellness topics and share interviews with passionate wellness professionals, our private club leaders, and additional subject matter experts offering valuable tips. Each episode conclusion includes Healthy Momentum, five minutes of inspiration to help you reflect and live differently. Subscribe now and discover the keys to living your greatest active lifestyle.
Behind the Bluff
Inspiring Longevity and Happiness in Golf | Bruce Wilkins
This podcast episode dives into the best practices for aging golfers, featuring insights from PGA Master Professional Bruce Wilkins. We discuss the importance of holistic coaching, mindset shifts for improved performance, and practical strategies for mitigating the effects of aging in golf.
• Holistic coaching approaches for aging golfers
• Assessing individual capabilities and physical limitations
• Importance of adapting equipment for improved performance
• Shifting mindset and expectations to enhance enjoyment
• Recommended drills and routines for skill improvement
• Injury prevention strategies through consistent fitness routines
Are you ready to live an active lifestyle? Welcome to Behind the Bluff, where we believe every moment of your life is an opportunity to pursue wellness on your terms. I'm your host, jeff Ford, and I am joined today with Bruce Wilkins, pga Master Professional and Director of Instruction at Belfair. Bruce is certified by Trackman, the Titleist Performance Institute and Swing Catalyst. A true student of the game, bruce's coaching and teaching are influenced by golf knowledge from the past and the present. Today, we're going to discuss best practices for the aging golfer and how everyone can mentally approach their next round differently. Bruce, welcome to the show.
Speaker 2:Jeff, thanks for having me. This is a lot of fun.
Speaker 1:I'm glad we could get you in here.
Speaker 2:And.
Speaker 1:I'm so excited you have a talk coming up with our membership in the near future here?
Speaker 2:Yes, excited to collaborate. Yeah, it's going to be great.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know, when we first got together we were speaking the same language and I'm so happy to dive in here further. So before we get to our topic I'd like to allow everyone to get to know you a bit better. Yeah, I understand you graduated from the PGA program at Arizona State University. Could you tell us about the early days of your career, bruce?
Speaker 2:Yeah, actually my first career right out of college. I studied horticulture in college.
Speaker 1:No way.
Speaker 2:Yeah. And so my first career out of college was in the landscape business. I was an estate gardener for families on the East Coast, loved it. But I didn't get into golf like way, way, way into golf until my early 20s, and that was like over 30 years ago. And when I got way into golf like I, of course I love the game, I love playing the game, love getting better at the game. It took tons of lessons, really changed my life because I'm like I want to be in this industry and I knew I wanted to be a coach because I really enjoyed some of those lessons that I had.
Speaker 2:So when I thought about how I was going to introduce myself to the industry, it's like what pathway am I going to take and what's the quickest pathway? Because I had already gone to college. I didn't want to go back and work in a pro shop and have to go through all this book work. So they do. Some of the universities across the country are accredited with a PGA and so you can go to one of these universities, get another degree that's associated with this PGA, go through all your PGA program stuff and get out of there with a class, a professional. I'm like that's for me, and since I already had a degree, it only took me two years. So I went back to ASU, got a degree in business and went through all my PGA education there, it sounds like this passion grabbed you.
Speaker 2:There, it sounds like this passion grabbed you, essentially Coming from an estate gardener landscaper.
Speaker 1:What about golf, do you?
Speaker 2:love. Golf was the first sport, or the only sport to my knowledge right now for me. I grew up playing every other sport, not a lot of golf, but golf captures like there's something physical about it, there's something mental about it. You're playing the game in this beautiful environment that's been landscaped and beautified and it's amazing. And then I would also say, without putting labels on it, I think it's borderline, spiritual, it's just something about it and it encapsulates all those things for me, and so I really, really resonated with it.
Speaker 1:I've never heard golf described in that way mental, physical and spiritual.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I think for those of you that are listening, that are golfers, and you've hit that, that shot or you've watched that long putt go in like you get chills, it's almost like an outer body experience, and that's what I mean by spiritual. But you know, being outside and enjoying nature, and some people like to play with others, and there's just so much involved in the game, yeah.
Speaker 1:I couldn't agree more. Some of my fondest memories were growing up playing 46, 48 holes on the golf course with good buddies, cause we were obsessed with it as kids and. I was on the golf team.
Speaker 2:Oh, good for you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, just you. You don't understand what it's like to make a 50 foot putt until you do that's right, and you're almost describing the rush that comes from that one shot you had on that day. Like you, visualized it.
Speaker 2:You're like I want the ball to do this, and then you go up there and you do it and the ball does that and it's like, wow, yeah, that's amazing.
Speaker 1:So, bruce, tell us a bit more about you. You get your degree, you become PGA certified. Where does it go from there?
Speaker 2:For me it was, you know, I knew what I wanted to do and I think that was kind of important for me. I think a lot of younger people that start I want to be in the golf industry like they don't quite know what they want to do yet and that's fine. But I knew exactly what I wanted to do so I could literally focus. So I went to people that I admired, got jobs, different parts of the country where I wanted to be, work with the people I wanted to work with, a lot of moving around, and that's what brought me to living here in the low country. So I actually came here to work with somebody, like one person in particular One person in particular.
Speaker 2:That's pretty cool and her name was Dana Rader. Unfortunately she has passed, but she was an amazing woman and before I met Dana, I had worked a lot with men great male coaches and I really wanted the other experience of working alongside a female coach, because I think that's so important as well. So, I came out to the East, to Charlotte, to meet her and work with her and that's yeah, that's how I got here, that's how you're here.
Speaker 1:It sounds like you're definitely someone who loves all perspectives and reviewing your career and everything you've done. You've put yourself in different places to learn. It almost seems like that's it I've made choices.
Speaker 2:I've moved around just to get education experience and I think all those decisions that I've made have led me to be where I am today. And yeah, I wouldn't do it any differently, it's been very, very fortunate, very cool.
Speaker 1:Bruce, with your students, you strive to facilitate growth through a holistic approach to the game. Holistic is an interesting word. I think, it goes a lot of different places and being in wellness, I find people love to use it.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's a great word.
Speaker 1:Could you better explain this core philosophy? Yeah, yeah.
Speaker 2:So for me it's finding a word that encapsulates a lot for everybody. It's a little bit different to your point, but golf, like we've already mentioned, has so many facets to it. So when I think about coaching holistically, like not only, of course, am I coaching technique and skill, and that's all the things that you know the game's wrapped up into. But then there's also you know how players think, how does that affect how they feel? How are they taking care of their body? Do they recognize that certain limitations of their body literally limit them or restrict them on the movement that they're trying to make, Even going as far as using technology, Like I think that's for me a holistic definition is a lot of different things, and so I'm just trying to always understand more about the sport.
Speaker 2:But then there's a human element there, and that human element goes beyond just swinging a golf club. Human element there, and that human element goes beyond just swinging a golf club. It's like how we're feeling, how we're taking care of ourselves, emotional aspects. So that's what I mean when I say holistic, because I'm trying to get better at encompassing all of that.
Speaker 1:That's really cool. Holistic to you is almost ensuring that you're looking at every angle to the person, like a whole person, the individual, right.
Speaker 2:I mean, there's no one way to swing a golf club. Everybody's different, and so I think you've really got to understand the individual in front of you.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and as much as everyone wants that longer drive or that better short game, it seems like your approach is, if I look at each of these angles and dimensions of an individual, that's going to lead to those skill-based improvements or even more enjoyment on the course I would imagine 100%, 100% Like.
Speaker 2:I think we all for those of us that are in careers, like, we all start with our why, like, why are we doing this? And part of my why is that passion that I had, that you had, yeah, that we still have, and that learning and that growth and and all that stuff, and being able to share that with somebody in front of you is, I think, a phenomenal, phenomenal experience yeah, bruce, before we jump into the aging golfer, you have worked with every player out there, from beginners and amateurs to high school and collegiate teams, and even junior champions and aspiring professionals.
Speaker 1:What similarities do you notice, regardless of age?
Speaker 2:Oh, I think it's exactly what we've already mentioned. It's just that everyone, from whatever level, could tell you a shot, could explain an experience. We've all had those really highs and then we've all experienced those lows, and I think the game kind of brings us all together in that way. So I think every golfer can communicate on some level about these amazing shots, these amazing experiences and then struggles as well.
Speaker 1:Yeah, regardless of how good or bad you are, what do they call it in tin cup when your swing's just not working? It's the shanks.
Speaker 2:Some people think of that as a bad word in golf. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Speaker 1:So there is that relationship, that journey of you know we all experience different things on the course. We all experience different things in life. So there is that relationship, that journey of you know we all experience different things on the course we all experience different things in life. So, regardless of age, we're connected in that way, we're connected there, yeah. Cool. So how does aging affect a golfer's swing flexibility and endurance?
Speaker 2:Yeah, of course. I think we all understand that as we age, the longer we are on this planet, like things start to decline. It's just, it's facts right, there's no like getting around that. And so our body changes. Some of our cognitive thoughts and learning changes as we age. And so here we are playing a game, and if we don't evolve with that, if we don't think about how we're going to have to adapt or change, like we get left behind and all of a sudden I can't swing the way I used to swing. I don't hit it as far. I'm frustrated out there because I can't do what I used to do. And so we need to. As we age, those things change and trying to find something that a player can do, sometimes it's changing their lifestyle, sometimes it's getting into better habits, sometimes it's developing a new swing because of an injury or trauma that they've experienced and they can't move the way they used to move. So everything's different, I think, with the adult, aging golfer.
Speaker 1:Yeah, now, knowing that things are changing, our bodies are different from a physical sense, yep, how do you approach that as a coach, I think it's important for me first to assess the individual in front of me.
Speaker 2:So, of course, whenever you're meeting a new client, not only are you interviewing them as a person, like I want to know your history with the game and what you do and where you've come from, but I'm also assessing their physicality, like how do they can their body move in certain ways? And, through the Titleist Performance Institute, like they've really developed an amazing way to run the player through a quick little physical screen that's really focused on the movements that we need in a golf swing. When I understand what the player can do in front of me or can't do, that's going to change the information that I give them. Yeah, and so it's an amazing tool to be able to say, well, this player, you know they're trying to do this in their downswing, but their shoulder can't move that way. Based off their mobility, based off their mobility, based off their mobility, why would I tell them, like I need you to do this with your shoulder or your elbow and they can't do it? Yeah, like that's. I think that's bad coaching.
Speaker 1:It is bad coaching. It's very parallel where, when we as trainers, from a fitness perspective, see poor shoulder mobility right, you can't ask someone to perfectly press a weight next to their ear, overhead Correct. So there's certain movements that just don't make sense for that person at that time, at that time. So we either can improve the mobility or we work around, what we change, what their limitation might be.
Speaker 2:So every day is spent doing that for me, at some point or another.
Speaker 1:That's really cool. So you screen every person.
Speaker 2:I screen differently. I think if a player comes to me and I offer it, so I can say, if you want this inclusive package, like of course I'm gonna give you everything I got.
Speaker 1:You'll go through all the technology, video analysis. You'll use it all.
Speaker 2:And I'll give them a screen, I'll give them a workout associated with the screen. But a lot of time in my day in and day out, like a lot of people like I'm not just going to come in there and like screen them right away, but I do. Screening is a part of every lesson, because I will sneak it in there, so to speak. Yeah, like we're having a conversation and then I'll stop them and I'll be like well, can you do this? And again, the screen is for me right, that's for me, as the coach is to. It helps me know what they can do.
Speaker 2:What journey am I going to take with them, to your point? Do we need to improve the mobility or do we need to work around it? So I'm screening them, but I'm doing it in subtle little ways, but I do like it when people get interested. Yeah, because I'm always talking to them about it, always. And then when they come to me and like, hey, you know what, maybe I would like that full screen, like then it's their idea, they're buying in, and that's when I think they really start to do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a true statement. From a coaching perspective, it's more about what do they want and their buy-in to it, versus telling Right, it's a big thing I mean, they're adults Big difference.
Speaker 2:They've been very successful and I'm not going to. They listen to me and I'm like you need to do this, like okay. But when they're like recognize, okay, this is important.
Speaker 1:Then you give them a little bit and sometimes it evolves from there. You got it, Bruce. What are some common mistakes you see that aging golfers are making If, if. There's a way to generalize that.
Speaker 2:Yeah, um specific mistakes like technique. I don't know if you could go down that road, but I I do think um. You know there's certain things that we all mistake or make mistakes doing as we age. Number one, it's the expectations, yeah.
Speaker 1:That's a mistake.
Speaker 2:I used to hit it 300 yards.
Speaker 1:You know, the parallel with health and fitness is the body composition. Right, yeah, right.
Speaker 2:Right, and so the expectations of what they used to do, that's a big one. Expectations of what they used to do, that's a big one. I think a mistake is also in not recognizing how equipment can improve. That's a simple, simple thing.
Speaker 1:Is it being hesitant to try new?
Speaker 2:equipment. I've just always hit steel irons, for instance. I've been hitting them since I'm 30 years old and now I'm 65, and I should still be able to hit steel irons Like, all right, you can, but gosh, we'll put you into something lighter. And all of a sudden you've gotten some speed back and you're hitting it farther, and then I think you know mistakes about recognizing that habits, right, that's the biggest thing habits. When I think of habits in golf, I'm thinking about motor patterns, something I've done for a very, very long time. And then so it's my job to help them understand why the ball's doing something that it's doing, and then, like, how do they change it? Yeah, and that's the big one is you know, what do I need to do as the player to make this change? And it's hard, it's hard to face that reality.
Speaker 2:It is.
Speaker 1:Especially when you refer to habits. I've been doing the squat one way for 30 years and now you're asking me to do it differently. This comes up a lot when I talk to people about run technique. I've been landing on my heels for 30 years. I hadn't thought of that. I don't want to switch to my ball of foot, and so it is that realization of are we willing to change at this point in time? Yes, and it's easier said than done. It really is.
Speaker 2:It really is and it doesn't just mean that, okay, I want to change my running pattern and so next week that running pattern has changed, that's my new pattern. It's like no, it takes a lot of work, yeah yeah. And it gets harder, I think, as we age, because we are expectations, like we think I'm smart, I can do this.
Speaker 1:It should happen quicker, yeah, yeah, it doesn't, it just doesn't, and that's great pause perspective here. So so, recapping just three high level mistakes. If we are to generalize, it's the expectations, the equipment and our habits.
Speaker 2:I think so. I mean, that's a easy one to kind of tick the boxes on, and of course there's more than that.
Speaker 1:But yeah, no, I think it's an excellent summary, Bruce, when you provide coaching tips and feedback. I came across this. It was really interesting to me you tell your students to focus your intentions towards something you want to do instead of something you don't want to do.
Speaker 2:Yeah.
Speaker 1:Can you explain what makes that important?
Speaker 2:Yeah. So of course, part of like we've already talked about these habits, these motor patterns. Basically what we're doing as coaching habits, these motor patterns, basically what we're doing as coaches is we're trying to change motor patterns. So I hear all the time about how players think it's all about muscle memory, and I get that. I mean it's a cute little saying, but muscles can't remember anything. So the brain's involved and these motor patterns and they've been like just over and over and over again.
Speaker 2:So when I'm talking about doing something intentional instead of trying not to do something, it's a way to just kind of change your mindset. So, my gosh, I'm coming over the top all the time, or I'm putting the club in this position all the time and people tell me I need to like shorten my golf swing or something. So I'm trying to do this. I don't want to do this anymore. But if I change that perspective and like, well, I want to do this instead, Like this is what I'm trying to do, I just think it's a. I mean, you're getting to the same result, but it's a different mindset.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's like us out there on the golf course, like, oh my gosh, I'm on this tee box, there's water left. I don't want to hit it in the water Versus. Okay, there's water left. Of course I can't ignore that it's there, but I want to go there, I want to hit it over there, and I would much rather a player be thinking that way, like this is what I want to do, instead of oh my gosh, I don't want to do that yeah, what?
Speaker 1:what I'm really hearing is more of an optimistic approach versus a pessimistic approach without a doubt yeah, I mean this game is.
Speaker 2:We all know how hard it is. There's so many things involved in it and if we go about it just thinking about all the mistakes we can make or all the challenges that are out there All the things that could go wrong. All the things that can go wrong, instead of like well, yeah, you might hit it in the water, but you might not. You might hit it on the green and it might go in the hole. Who knows, yeah, who knows what's going to happen. Yeah, that's such a great perspective.
Speaker 1:It reminds me of when I'd always take that first tee shot in high school golf and you've got everyone watching you around there, and our home course. The first hole was parallel with a busy road, so you literally can't go right. And you think about it every single time and I would tell you 50% of the time my tee shot was not accurate on that first hole and I think it has a lot to do with just the thinking behind it.
Speaker 2:Oh, without a doubt.
Speaker 2:Everybody's always talking about. Like we've all experienced this. Like I warm up on the range and it's just absolute magic, yeah, I can do no wrong. And then I go to that first tee box where there's a road on the right, even if the starter's watching, even if the starter's watching, even if there's not a starter, and you're there with three people. It's different, like what's different? The only thing that's different is like, obviously, the environment's changed, but what's changed is what we're thinking about, and then that changes your internal state. And then, once that changes, now I get tight, tense, quick, whatever, and that's what changes your golf swing. But it's tough. I mean, that's a unique part of the game, like we were talking about before.
Speaker 1:Yeah, yeah, because the majority of sports are more physical, skill-based. Yes, there's a mental component to every sport, but in golf I do think it's slightly different.
Speaker 2:It is different, and a lot of the other sports we all grew up playing. We're reacting. It's happening fast. You're reacting to something, Whereas golf you've got all this time to think.
Speaker 1:That's a good point. Yeah, it's different. Yeah Well, great advice, and not even advice, just mindset shifting stuff. Focus on what you want to do versus what you don't want to do when you're out there next time. It's tough. It sounds easy, but it's tough. It is hard. Bruce, how important this is. A nice segue is mental strategy for aging golfers. Yeah, like what mindset shifts can improve the aging golfers performance.
Speaker 2:You know, when we talk about performance like that, that might be like just because I changed my mindset doesn't mean I'm going to shoot lower scores.
Speaker 1:I mean I don't think that not necessarily that's like, just because I attend golf fitness on Mondays at Palmetto bluff doesn't mean doesn't mean my score is going to reduce.
Speaker 2:Right right, right, right right. However, could it mean that I might enjoy my time? Might I enjoy my lifestyle? Might I not get so down on myself, like I think that's kind of where we're at, and so when it changes as we age, I think your perspective like, why do you play? Like what brings you? Do you have any joy associated with this game?
Speaker 2:A lot of times I'll do some talks and I'm talking about, like you have to know why you want to play, and I've heard this Some people play because their spouse wants them to play and that's the only reason they're playing. And that's not a good reason, because when it goes bad, you don't have anything to really stand on there. You're doing it for some other reason than something internal. So I think our perspective needs to change and how we go about looking at it. It's a lifestyle, and can I find some joy out of it? Of course I want all of my players, without a doubt, to shoot lower scores. Of course we both know that if I hit the ball better and do all that like, the game's a lot more enjoyable. But I tell people this all the time I have. I've had bad rounds of golf, I've had bad holes, I've shanked it, I've topped it, I've chunked it, I've hooked it, I've sliced it, I've done all of that. But can I walk away from a round of golf and be like you know what? I played the game really well today and I've done that Like I've had some bad holes and the score didn't add up to be like my best, but I walked away going, yeah, you know what I played well, and that had to do with, like, how I approached the game. What I felt.
Speaker 2:Is there more in it than just score? Because I think there is, and I think as we age, we need to recognize that a little bit more. I think the junior golfers out there I don't want to put people in boxes, but they're, of course they're trying to shoot scores to get you know, maybe on their high school team or play in college, and I think as we age, like it becomes more, we have other things going on. Maybe we've raised a family, have been successful in life. Golf becomes part of my life, but is it defining my life? And if it is like, we might need to look at it a different way. Because then what happens when you have those bad rounds? Yeah, is that going to ruin your day. Yeah, that's too bad how?
Speaker 1:does that impact the the rest of your lifestyle, like the rest of the things that are part ruin your day? Yeah, that's too bad. How does that impact the rest of your lifestyle? Like the rest of the things that are?
Speaker 2:part of your world, right, right. So I think that changes as we age. I think we just have to be a little bit more cognizant of that and aware yeah.
Speaker 1:Yeah, because when we're younger, there's more performance-based goals, there's more outcomes that we're after as a result of playing the game Yep, and the reality is into your 50s, 60s, 70s, winning the club championship. Yeah, great, sure, absolutely, and not many people are going to remember your name because of it anyways, no, and you're playing a lot more for a lot of these folks, gosh.
Speaker 2:They've raised families, they've had careers, maybe they played once or twice a week and now it's like they've had success and they get to live in this beautiful part of the world and they can play golf all they want.
Speaker 1:It's such a great angle. You get to a place where you deserve to enjoy the game because of your hard work.
Speaker 2:Yes, absolutely, and I respect all of that. But it just doesn't mean like, okay, I'm, I can play golf five days a week. Now. That doesn't mean you're going to get like, oh, I'm going to get to scratch in no time. There's a few other variables. A lot of things have changed.
Speaker 1:And well, I, I like these perspectives, no doubt let's, let's go ahead. Uh, get a little bit more towards the end of our conversation here, and this is where I like to get tactical for for listeners out there, so you don't have to get super specific by any means, but what drills can you share to help aging golfers increase swing speed, distance or even routines for their next round? That would benefit the aging golfer.
Speaker 2:I think some of the best advice I can give anybody when they're trying to get better at this sport like number one, if we go back to those habits, those motor patterns, like there's a good way to practice and train. And then there's a not so good way to practice and train. If you want to go to the range and just hit balls because it's a beautiful day and you live in Palmetto Bluff or Belfair, I mean I think that's wonderful, I would never take that away from anybody, but that's different than coming up to the range and being like you know what? I'm going to work on something today. I want to get better at this skill, skill.
Speaker 2:So my best advice for you know not necessarily getting club head speed, but maybe just making a change, getting better at the game is getting good advice. Number one getting good information. So I think today's world with social media and YouTube and Instagram like there's so much information out there Everybody needs to understand does it relate to them as the individual? Because if they're trying to do something that rory mcelroy is doing with his hips and their hips don't work like that mistake. So get good information, understand it and then when you train it you need to train things really slow and deliberately. I need to be able to make the movement without a ball and then I start introducing a golf ball and a lot of people just go out there and bang balls and that's not getting work done, it's not making a change.
Speaker 1:Now I read about this or I watched a video of how you structure this. Yes, now, now please clarify when I explain it wrong. Okay, you, you mentioned going there taking it's like five practice swings, and then it's like five practice swings, and then it's like five hitting a tee and then you introduce the ball. So it's sort of a concept of not going right to the ball, not?
Speaker 2:going to the ball and there's different ways to break it up, but I think we need to make the movement slow enough that we can recognize what it is we're doing, and I even encourage players to literally do what they're trying not to do on purpose so they can feel the difference yeah like this is bad.
Speaker 1:That's funny, this is good.
Speaker 2:I do that with runners, yeah, I make them feel how uncomfortable it is right, and then try to get them into the right position and what's really powerful about that is when a player does that they're coming up with his or her own thoughts and feels it's not my language that it's using. It's like oh, I felt this. Oh, I felt this.
Speaker 1:Well, because they need to understand it too, right, exactly.
Speaker 2:So you have to make the movement first. How can you expect to go do it on the first tee on Sunday in your club championship if you can't do it without a ball? So I take the ball away a lot, I get the movement, I get the understanding and then we slowly introduce like a target, like a tee I'm just trying to clip a tee, so that doesn't just mean I'm swinging an air, that means there's an intention down there and then we start to introduce the golf ball. And I think if you start to train that way, I wouldn't do it for hours, I would just do it in segments, like 30 minutes. If I went out to the range for 30 minutes, I'd literally choreograph my practice into three main segments. My first segment is working on my golf swing. That could be with drills, stations, what we just talked about, slow motion, movements, all that stuff. Second phase of my practice should be developing unique skills, because this game everybody talks about being consistent, but the game is variable by nature. Everything's different, every shot's different, every lie's different, so you can't expect to do the same thing over and over again. So we need to change clubs, targets, lies, like we mix it up. But then the final phase of practice is what I think most of us miss, and that's literally working on. What am I thinking about? How do I walk up to this shot? How do I get myself ready, prepared, how do I remind myself of what I'm trying to do, get all these fundamentals correct. But then what am I thinking about before I pull the club away, and how does that affect my performance? And that's the part that, if we practice, that's when you start transferring the work that you're doing on the range to the golf course. Because if you don't do that, if you don't practice your ritual, your routine, what am I thinking? Am I breathing, am I visualizing? Everybody's different there. But if you're not working on that, then golf and your training and golf are always going to be two separate sports.
Speaker 2:It's the craziest thing in this game is every other sport you and I have played. You train in the environment where you actually play Baseball, diamond Practicing on baseball, diamond Basket diamond Practicing on baseball, diamond Basketball Practicing on basketball court, on and on and on Golf. All right, we've made this big flat spot. You got this wide open field and here's 200 golf balls out in front of you. Knock yourself out and then, oh, you want to play, all right, well, now we're going to make it really narrow, we're going to put trees over here, we're going to put water here, oh, and we're going to make the grass different lengths and it's not flat anymore. Now it's going to be rolling hills, like. That makes no sense, and that's why it's so hard. So we have to literally change the way we train to help get better about that stuff. And that's where the secret is. I always tell everybody like the secret in golf is how you spend your time training.
Speaker 1:Yeah, change how you train, so that it translates. Change how you train.
Speaker 2:You got it. You got to train the body. You got to train the skills right, you got to develop different ways to do things. But then you got to always train like your mind what am I thinking? How does that affect how I'm feeling? And once we do that like I think, we're going to get more out of our game and more out of the enjoyment of playing.
Speaker 1:Yeah, the insight of making sure the mind, the breath, that's a part of what you do, yeah, it, it's. It's definitely something that I would believe most golfers are not thinking about and I know in my you know short days in high school playing golf, we we never had any tips on that or strategies behind, like how to visualize or how to approach things in a positive manner, exactly.
Speaker 2:And I think that's what our job is now as modern coaches is. You know, working with people like yourself in the whole wellness industry, recognizing that there's a physical and there's a mental component, and the more the coach can just take pieces and parts and find really smart people that know more than they do about these things, then I'm sharing that with my clients and with the whole goal of making them better and making their golf life better.
Speaker 1:Yeah, outstanding. Well, one more question, Bruce, before we get to the final question. I think a lot of aging golfers don't want to get injured, right? I think injury is what sets us back from being able to experience joy, and to have that time on the course. So do you have any quick tips or routines that you suggest to your clients to help prevent injury?
Speaker 2:I have no quick tips for that.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Yeah, I don't think it's a quick thing. Yeah, I think you have to like part of my if I see somebody for the first time and part of my whole philosophy, like you'll see the word longevity. Like I want longevity in the sport, I want my players to play the game longer. So if somebody, for instance, came in and like Bruce, I want to hit my drive farther, like, okay, we're going to do a driver lesson and I see them doing something as they're warming up that in my experience and opinion, could cause pain, injury. The body's not moving functionally. I'm going to bring it up, even though it's a driver lesson. I'm going to be like, hey, look you tilting your spine this way. I know it doesn't hurt right now, but someday that's going to cause some pain, and so I think recognizing that is really important. I don't think there's a quick tip to it. I think people need to get back into the gym. I think everybody needs to have a relationship with a Jeff Ford out there in some respect.
Speaker 2:Luckily, at Belfair we have a sports and lifestyle campus. We have trainers there, so we're constantly working together. I'm sending my athletes there If there's pain. I'm automatically going to a physical therapist anytime pain's associated. But when it comes to just a pain avoidance, like I think you gotta uh, you gotta get back into the gym. You gotta have professionals who can share with you information, otherwise we're just I'm giving them workarounds and you know I do that a lot, and there's nothing wrong with that. Your golf swing is unique to your body and your person and it doesn't mean you. You might not be able to hit it as far, but you can still hit it. Well, you can still enjoy a good shot. Yeah.
Speaker 1:Well, what I'm hearing is you have to have some sort of foundation in working on your body physically. I don't think you can quick tip no, no, and I think what you're describing is you as the coach recognizing the mobility limitation and then even referring out with the team approach.
Speaker 2:Without a doubt.
Speaker 1:You got the physical therapist, you've got the trainers and that's the beauty of TPI is when those three professionals are working together. Yes, we see magical things happen because we start to take those physical limitations seriously. Yes, that we don't have so many workarounds I would imagine you got it, you got it, you got it.
Speaker 1:So, so really the quick fix not the right word is develop consistency with working on your mobility and working on your strength, the specific exercises that will then help bruce and other golf professionals make maybe faster improvements, or just change your swing in a way that's more sustainable.
Speaker 2:Create new habits and even for the players. Luckily, I'm able to work with people from outside of Belfair, and so those that come from me outside of Belfair. I'm always trying to find trainers like yourself in the industry around where they are, so I can source them out as well. But it's got to be a team approach these days, I believe. Anyway 100%.
Speaker 1:It's very cool to see golf evolve in that way too, because 30 years ago, the conversation wasn't there about physical fitness, no, the paradigm of coaching has changed big time.
Speaker 2:There's so much more involved now and now you've got these best in the world. They have nutritionists, they have sports psychologists, these best in the world. They have nutritionists, they have sports psychologists, they have trainers. I mean it's amazing the team that they have. But of course we try to do that for our players. Yeah, and we have that ability. We've got equipment, we've got coaching, we've got trainers. You got nutritionists, so we're giving them the tour. You got nutritionists.
Speaker 1:So we're giving them the tour. That's what's really cool. I think that's what I find most thrilling about working in a club is we have that ability to create that same level of experience that I do believe a professional golfer or athlete could get or has has right.
Speaker 2:Teamwork is everything Building a team around you, and I'm just so fortunate to have really smart people around me.
Speaker 1:I couldn't agree more. I feel like we just keep getting smarter people than me on our team as of late.
Speaker 2:Bring it.
Speaker 1:Yeah, it's so refreshing. Yeah Well, bruce, this has been such an enjoyable conversation. Thank you so much for the insights. I'm looking forward to the team and I working together further with you and having you influence our members here at Palmud Bluff as well in the upcoming wellness talk. So we're at that time of the episode. From all our guests we love to hear their perspective on wellness. So final question for you yeah, what does wellness mean to?
Speaker 2:you, when I hear the word wellness, I think of health. I think health goes into the body. I think health goes into there's some mind stuff there. Like my perspective, I'm going to say mindfulness, but again, that's a broad word for everybody. I think it's habits, right, habits around life and lifestyle, but it has a lot to do with health, mind and body, and that's what you guys do, obviously, as the wellness director. I mean, I see all these things that you're doing with fitness, but then you're also doing stuff with nutrition, so that's about the fuel that you put in your body, and then you're also doing all this new stuff with the mindfulness and how we think and how that can affect how we feel. So I think about that in the broad term. But then, of course, in golf, like I would relate it all to golf, I think golf in a lot of ways, is life, golf and life. Yeah, yeah, that's why I love it so much. That's so cool.
Speaker 1:Well in life. Yeah, yeah, that's why I love it so much, that's so cool. Well, thank you, Bruce, Jeff, I've enjoyed it. Thanks for having me. We're uh going to definitely get you on here again soon.
Speaker 2:We can dive into more conversations that talk about this to the golfers?
Speaker 1:Yeah, you can. You can hear your passion. Uh well, listeners. That brings us to the end of our main segment. Feel free to hang out with me for a few more minutes and get some healthy momentum for the rest of your week. Thanks, bruce, thanks Jeff.
Speaker 1:Did you know the fastest way to build trust is when you keep your word? There are a lot of people out there who say they're going to take action, but they never end up doing it. They don't follow through on their promises and they don't walk the talk. If you're anything like me, you feel super uncomfortable when you don't back up your words with actions. This month, my team and I have been reading the book the Speed of Trust by Stephen MR Covey. You may be familiar with his late father, who wrote the timeless classic the Seven Habits of Highly Effective People. The Speed of Trust book is just as great. Honestly, it isn't mutually exclusive to leadership or relationships in the workplace, but it applies to the speed at which you build trust with yourself.
Speaker 1:You see, when we haven't lived in a certain way for a defined and regular period of time, we lose trust in ourselves. Loss of trust in ourselves leads to a lack of confidence in even trying again, and it's systemic thinking Because we say to ourselves we can't do things because we've already tried it and Link already tried it, with big quotation marks. We are all guilty of not going after a new commitment because in our hearts we believe we've tried it. I broke my commitment to myself back then. Why would I keep it now then? Why would I keep it now? Well, there are countless times in my life when I've broken commitments to people who are important to me. How about you? I bet you have at least broken commitments to people in your life. If you haven't been living under a rock, you know, what I remember most from those times is not the commitment that I broke with the people who were important to me, but what I remember is how those people forgave me, for better or worse. They extended me the benefit of the doubt. So here's my understanding. It's that forgiveness is a beautiful thing, but it is also my understanding that we are much better at forgiving the people who are important to us than ourselves.
Speaker 1:This week's Healthy momentum is a reminder for you to keep your word. If you say you're going to do something, do it. If you make a promise, fall through with it. And, above all else, don't just do this with the people in your life. Do it with yourself, this with the people in your life. Do it with yourself. When we build trust within ourselves, life is an extraordinary experience. That is a wrap on this week's episode.
Speaker 1:We hope you enjoyed the conversation with Bruce Wilkins and, if you happen to be a member here at Pomona Bluff, bruce is going to be providing us with an onsite presentation in just a couple of weeks. It's going to be staying in the game strategies for aging golfers. So if you're around, please sign up online. It's going to be hosted in the conservancy classroom and for those who aren't members here, who are listening to the podcast we plan on doing to be hosted in the Conservancy classroom, and for those who aren't members here, who are listening to the podcast, we plan on doing more with Bruce in the future. If you enjoyed that episode as much as I did, I can tell we only scratched the surface in discussing everything golf with Bruce. So that will bring us to the end here, and just remember you deserve to feel connected and actively participate in life on your terms. We'll see you next week.
