Equipment vs. Your Body - Which is the better investment?

I am probably not alone in saying that I am often amazed by what I see and hear on the local golf courses.  Sometimes my eavesdropping makes me laugh, sometimes cringe, sometimes say “what the…”.  How many of you have seen this scenario:
 

Guy (or gal) steps up on the tee and pries the head cover off a brand new $300 driver (why are headcovers so tight now-a-days anyway?).  He tees up a brand new Pro V1 and makes two practice swings.  His playing partners are quiet and he makes his swing.  His ball is off target and he grimaces in pain – maybe even grabbing at his lower back with his free hand.  He shakes his head as he walks back to his bag saying  “This new driver isn’t helping me out very well.”

How many of you have heard some version of this in the past year?  Be honest!  Maybe the ball goes straight on the first 4 holes and then sprays for the rest of the round.  Maybe every shot is blocked right – regardless of the number of lessons taken.  Either way, a golfer has invested a lot of money into new equipment and it just hasn’t gotten the job done.

I wonder why we don’t make the same investment into our body as we do our equipment.  Often, a commitment of just minutes per day could lower your score much further than Taylormade’s newest tour driver.  Golfer’s however are  a strange breed.  Dropping $120 on greens fees, $40 on a dozen balls, $300 (or more) on a new driver, or $250 on a Scotty’s latest putter doesn’t even cause many golfers to think twice.  Spending a fraction of that getting your body evaluated and in proper golf condition is often never even thought of.

I know, I know – golf is supposed to be fun!  Who wants to exercise or see the chiropractor about golf?  That takes all the fun out of it…  I would argue, however, that if you make a small commitment to your body, your game will become much more fun.  Heck, that driver may even start to work better;)

-Dr. Craig