Back to basics

Pioneer Press - June 14, 2007 - By STEPHANIE FOSNIGHT Staff Writer
Back problems forced Northbrook resident Sandy Dishman to give up his beloved tennis game about 10 years ago, especially after he had back surgery and was left with scar tissue that caused more pain. So Dishman took up golf.

But when the pain started to threaten his golf game a few years back, Dishman put his foot down.

Sandy Dishman practices his swing at the Sportsman's Golf Club in Northbrook. He's learned how to change his golfing techniques to keep his back from hurting.

Protect your back

"I finally decided I wanted to do something about it," said Dishman, who owns Conney's Pharmacy in Winnetka and, despite his 71 years, spends all day standing behind a counter--which only adds to the stress on his back.

Not only did Dishman consult a spine specialist, but he also began to examine his golf techniques and find new ways to play the game. "I got clubs measured that have a more flexible shaft," Dishman said. "I only swing with a half swing, I don't bring my club all the way back like a normal golfer would do."

And he doesn't wear spiked golf shoes on the course.

"I wear tennis shoes so my feet don't stick to the grass." he said. About 80 percent of golfers, whether they be pro or amateur, will experience some kind of back pain over their career, said noted golf pro Jim "Doc" Suttie (pictures at right).

Suttie, named the top golf teacher in Illinois by the PGA, also has a Ph.D. in biomechanics and knows what it's like to have back pain threatening the golf game. He's had two back operations himself.
"I bet I see 100 people a year with bad backs, maybe more, who say they're going to have to get out of the game because their backs hurt so badly," said Suttie, who teaches out of Cog Hill golf course in southwest suburban Lemont.

That's why Suttie applied his experience and education to develop an alternative approach to golf for those who have back pain or who want to prevent a back injury. The techniques he developed, however (see sidebar), aren't exactly new. In a way, he's getting back to the way golf used to be played.

"Years ago golfers never had back problems because they didn't put the torque on their backs like the modern guys do," Suttie said. "We create more power with a modern swing, but in the process we hurt ourselves."

Hazards

Dan Hurley, M.D., is a physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist at the Chicago Institute of Neurology and Neuroresearch, which recently opened a branch in Vernon Hills. Hurley and Suttie have teamed up to teach north suburban golfers a kinder, gentler way to golf.

Hurley said he's seen more and more patients coming in with back injuries that are related to golf.

"Golf seems the most approachable sport for people who want to get exercise but can't run around," he said. "But at the same time, people underestimate the stress and strain it can bring."

Injuries happen when amateur golfers try to imitate the power swings they see in the PGA without having the flexibility, physical strength or technique to do them properly, Hurley said.

"Our mechanics are not as good and we don't have the smooth, rhythmic, consistent swing," he said. "We're off into the deep grass or sand or uneven spots, which can also put a lot of strain on your back because you're standing in an awkward position and twisting."

And plenty of younger guys will go out and try to attack the ball with the force of Tiger Woods without knowing the proper technique, Hurley said, especially since they have powerful clubs that can send the ball sailing.

"How often do you watch Bobby Jenks throw a baseball 95 miles per hour and then think, 'I'm going to go out and do that?'" he asked. "Yet you think you're going to go out and use your new driver to hit the ball just as far as that pro did."

In addition, small problems are compounded by the extra effort an amateur puts into the game. While a pro might swing 72 times in a round of golf, the average golfer will hit 100 to 130 shots. Add in practice swings, and the weekend golfer can be swinging the clubs 300 times a round.

"If you have some little thing wrong and you do that 300 times and you haven't warmed up, that can take its toll," Hurley said. Even the golf cart has its problems.

"Carts have rotten seats," he said. "The worst thing you can do when you have a disc problem is sit in a cart and get all jostled around."

Help

Tom Dombro has been playing golf since college, and he also has a long history of lower back problems. Throughout his 20s and even into his 30s, Dombro played through the pain. But two surgeries and a whole lot of physical therapy later, Dombro has wised up and is now taking care so he can look forward to many more years on the golf course.

"There was a stretch when I couldn't play at all because my back was so bad," said the 39-year-old Park Ridge resident, who spends his days at a desk job.

Dombro consulted his doctor at the Chicago Institute of Neurology and Neurosurgery, worked with a physical therapist trained in sports medicine, and took some lessons from Suttie.

"I turn my feet out more and bring my club back a little differently," Dombro said. He's also trained himself to do strengthening exercises and stretches every single day.

One of the reasons Tiger Woods and the other pros get so much power from their torso, Hurley said, is because they have very strong abdominal, or core, muscles, as well as being in top physical condition.

"People who don't exercise a lot during the week run out and tie their shoes on Saturday morning," he said. "That's how much they're stretching."

Instead, he advocates keeping active during the week with strengthening exercises like swimming or walking, and stretching every day.

"Every morning now, the first thing I do is pull out my little stretching band and stretch my legs," Dombro said. "My mentality has changed over the years."

Hurley suggested golfers spend about 15 minutes doing floor stretches at home before going to the course, since there's never time once they arrive, check in and tie their shoes.

"Most people aren't going to lay on the grass at the golf course," he said. "They're going to tie their shoes, stretch their hamstrings and then go hit the ball as hard as they can."

Golfers who've had back problems should see a specialist to discover ways to strengthen their bodies and backs during the week, Hurley said. And just about every amateur golfer would benefit from a few lessons from a golf pro, he added.

"The basics of golf posture will be invaluable to people who don't want an injury or who already have back pain," Hurley said. "The good mechanics of golf are, in general, good for your back, too."