It's all up to you!

Happy Saturday!

Today I just want to encourage all of you to stay strong and focused on your programs.

I don't care what you are exercising or training for. Whether it is to lose 40lbs, to decrease your golf handicap by 5 this year, to ride your bike 50 miles at once this summer, or to bring down your high blood pressure...ultimately it is just up to you!

YOU are in charge of your success! Now you can have external sources of motivation, but you still have to be the one to schedule your daily workouts; pick the best food choices for you and your family; teach your kids how to be fit and healthy; and eventually enjoy the fruits of your labor!

So keep training hard and stay focused, cause regardless of your goals, there is a lot at stake!

Visit http://www.championshipgolffitness.com/ for more info.

Swing Fault- "Over the Top"

Defined-
Over the top is perhaps the most common swing fault among high handicap golfers. It usually occurs due to an overuse or over-dominance of the upper body on the downswing. As a result the club is thrown outside of the intended swing plane, with the club-head approaching the ball from the outside in. This creates a pull if the clubface is square or a slice if the clubface is open.

This fault can rob a golfer of power and limit their ability to control the ball flight as they add or decrease loft to the club and additional spin to the ball through impact. By changing the path, they will create a more solid strike and increase their distance and accuracy.

Causes-
1. The ability to disassociate the lower body from the upper body- to lead the downswing. Limited pelvis to trunk separation is usually caused by reduced spinal and hip mobility.

2. Core stability to help maintain posture and trunk stability is essential. Any loss in posture (flat shoulder plane or reverse spinal angle) can force the torso and arms to fire first in transition to help re-position the body for rotation.

3. Good Balance on each leg, especially the lead leg, is paramount for proper weight shift. Limited weight shift toward the lead leg can reduce the lower body’s contribution to power generation in the swing. Therefore, players will try to produce excessive power in their upper body by chopping down or throwing the club-over- top.

PLEASE REMEMBER THAT THE ONLY WAY TO SOLVE A SWING FAULT IS IN THE GYM!

Visit http://www.championshipgolffitness.com/ for more info.

Do What You Love!

Seriously...this message is worth watching if you are struggling today with your health, fitness, family, and career!

Please do yourself the favor of spending a few minutes to laugh and think!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EhqZ0RU95d4

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Yeah! Made it to the Golf Channel's "Insider"

Gotta love it!

My article make it to the Golf Channel's "Insider!"

Check it out...http://www.thegolfchannel.com/core.aspx?page=15100&select=28305

Visit http://www.championshipgolffitness.com/ for more info.

Swing Fault- Flat Shoulder Plane

Defined-
Flat shoulder turn describes the plane of the shoulders as the student turns to the top of their backswing. At address the spine is tilted due to the forward bend of the hips to allow you to get into the correct setup position. In the ideal world the shoulders would move perpendicular to the tilt of the spine on the backswing. A flat shoulder plane is when the shoulders turn on a more horizontal plane than the axis of the original spine angle. This movement will also cause a change to the swing planes and original spine angle, both of which will reduce the efficiency of the swing.

Causes-
1. Range of motion in Shoulders and Lats- If the ROM is poor, they can loose their posture and their shoulders will turn on a flatter than normal plane in order to try to get width and a full turn in the backswing.

2. Lack of forward tilt at address- This will put a player in a position that forces their arms to move away from their body on the backswing and causes the flat shoulder turn. This can be caused by a lack of mobility in the Thoracic spine or poor technique.

3. X-Factor- A limited X-factor (The ability to separate upper body from your lower
body) can force the player to stand up versus rotating their upper body around their lower.

These are the physical causes of this swing fault. In order to fix these three causes you need a stretching and exercise program! The fixes can't be fixed permanently!

For more info visit www.championshipgolffitness.com or deetidwell@hotmail.com to get a program...now's the time to fix these issues before spring!

Dad's, Mom's and Juniors!

This weekend I will be attending the first Titleist Performance Institute level 2 "Junior" certification, and I am VERY excited about it!

Not only is it about Junior golf, but most importantly, it is about Junior FITNESS.

We all know that our kids are fatter and un-healthier than they have ever been in human history!

Recent research indicates that 60% of adults are now either overweight or obese...WHAT?? You have to be kidding me!

The sad part is that the parents are perpetuating their lazyness and the kids are now showing almost the same numbers! 25% are overweight and 20% are obese...that's 45%!

Here's my point, after this weekend, you will here more and more about Junior golf fitness, and junior fitness in general.

Enough is enough! I don't care if you child likes to play golf or not, my phrase of "Golf fitness is Life fitness," will never have meant as much as it has, because now we are talking about our kids health!

Stay tuned!
LOL!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Reminder- Golf fitness is Life fitness!

I want to remind you all how important the statement title is...
"Golf fitness is Life fitness."

You see any time you determine what movement discrepancies are in the body and then "prescribe" various corrective stretches and exercises to address them...in the end you end up with a more efficiently functioning body.

It is this efficiency that leads to:

• range of motion
• mobility
• muscle growth
• flexibility
• stability
• kinesthetic awareness
• heightened senses
• decreased injury
• better organ function
• better blood flow/circulation
• optimal learning environment for new movement(s)
• less stress
• increased energy
• better sleep
• better posture
• increased well being
• and the ability to hit it further, score better and be more consistent!!

And what does that all equate to?

A BETTER LIFE IN EVERY ASPECT...oh and it just so happens that your golf game improves!!

And that will always make the game, and life, more fun!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Who are you going to call?

So I am sure you have noticed the amount of "new" gym members in your gym, right?

I want you to watch them...do they seem to wonder around trying this machine and that cardio piece?

Why?

Do you...

• wonder who you are going to call when your pipe breaks in your house?
• wonder who you are going to call when your engine light goes on?
• wonder who you are going to call when you tweak your knee skiing and it hurts like heck to walk on it?
• wonder who you are going to call when your computer locks up?
• wonder who you are going to call when your golf game takes a turn for the worse?

Do you get my point?

Then why is it that the public and the golfer just wonder aimlessly?

Afterall, this is YOUR BODY AND HEALTH you are talking about for gosh sakes! Why would YOU try to figure out how to exercise when you have no clue?!

My dear readers, it is essential to hire a professional, HIGHLY QUALIFIED, fitness coach! Don't go to Bally's or 24HR and expect to find this! Seek those who are the best in you community!

Would you seek just an average doctor, lawyer, technician, mechanic etc., to fix those issues? NO, you wouldn't!

So step up and find those best qualified to meet your needs, especially when it comes to GOLF FITNESS! There are a lot of trainers saying they do golf fitness...but they suck! They will make your game worse, mark my word!

If you have any questions about who you should be looking for, please contact me and I'd be happy to help! For those of you in the Rocky Mtn region, come see me!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

The Love and Pain of golf!

Don't you just love it...a friend sent this to me!

"In My Hand I Hold A Ball,
White And Dimpled, Rather Small.
Oh, How Bland It Does Appear,
This Harmless Looking Little Sphere.
By It's Size I Could Not Guess,
The Awesome Strength It Does Possess.
But Since I Fell Beneath Its Spell,
I've Wandered Through The Fires Of Hell.
My Life Has Not Been Quite The Same,
Since I Chose To Play This Stupid Game.
It Rules My Mind For Hours On End,
A Fortune It Has Made Me Spend.
It Has Made Me Yell, Curse And Cry,
I Hate Myself And Want To Die.
It Promises A Thing Called Par,
If I Can Hit It Straight And Far.
To Master Such A Tiny Ball,
Should Not Be Very Hard At All.
But My Desires The Ball Refuses,
And Does Exactly As It Chooses.
It Hooks And Slices, Dribbles And Dies,
And Even Disappears Before My Eyes.
Often It Will Have A Whim,
To Hit A Tree Or ! Take A Swim.
With Miles Of Grass On Which To Land,
It Finds A Tiny Patch Of Sand.
Then Has Me Offering Up My Soul,
If Only It Would Find The Hole.
It's Made Me Whimper Like A Pup,
And Swear That I Will Give It Up.
And Take To Drink To Ease My Sorrow,
But The Ball Knows ... I'll Be Back Tomorrow.

Stand proud you noble swingers of clubs and losers of balls....
A recent study found the average golfer walks about 900 miles a year.
Another study found golfers drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a Year.
That means, on average, golfers get about 41 miles to the gallon.
Kind of makes you proud. Almost feel like a hybrid."

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

You should be able to pass these tests, or you are less athletic!

FIRST THINGS FIRST...To make your life easier, maybe, I am now accepting credit cards!

Ok, Brian Thompson (big man on campus at McGetrick Golf Academy) and I were 'formulating" a plan for 2009 and we were talking about my talks at the Denver Golf Expo and how I will be speaking about the three basic tests that I test in my evaluation of all my clients; the pelvic tilt test, the torso rotation test and the pelvis rotation test.

And while I was visualizing my speech and how I will be getting attnedees to perform these tests, that got me thinking...

Practically 100% of the attendees, will fail one or more of these three tests!
Here is an example of each from the Titleist Performance Institute (www.mytpi.com)...

Seems pretty simple, right?

Well, YOU will also fail one or more of these tests!

Got your attention?

Ok, good! Now...for those of you who doubt whether Golf is a non-athletic event, then how is it that most golfers (or athletes) will only get to a certain level of their ability to be successful at the game?

No, it's not because they don't have the best clubs (because most do!), or because they lack practice, it's actually due to the fact that their bodies CANNOT AND WILL NOT learn or be able to perform the swing as it is intended to occur!

Seriously, the above tests are foundational to our ability to move, yet everyone will fail one or more of the tests that allow normal human movement!

Here's my point...if everyone who comes in to see me no matter the sport they play, and they cannot move their pelvis correctly, then no wonder they cannot understand how "athletic" of a sport golf is and can be! They have lost their innate ability to move, and becuase of that, golf and other sports are hard to do, hard to get good at, hard to improve at, and hard to compete at!

In the end, get your body working and then you wil be able to enjoy how "athletic" Golf can be, and that my friends, is when Golf is fun!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Here's to a TRANSPARENT 2009!

Happy New Year everyone!

Thank you for those of you who follow my blog, it is one of my goals in '09 to provide you all with the best info related to fitness,golf fitness, health and life performance!

In order to be as "transparent" as possbile, I want to share some of my "life change goals" for the year...

Personal “TO DO’S”
-Increase life insurance
-Do a living will
-Go to as many level one, two and three Tilteist Performance Institute certification programs as I want to!
-Pay cash for a family vehicle

CGF:
-Begin Teaching for TPI
-become recognized leader in Denver for golf fitness boot camps
-create and sell golf fitness kits
-have at least ten people in each boot camp
-do at least 2 U-tube videos per week for Championship Golf Fitness and Golf Fitness Guys
-write one article per week
-do weekly speeches to anyone willing to listen!
-payoff business debt

Golf fitness Guys:
-build our golffitnessguys.com list to at least 5000 in 3-6 months
-Create and market and sell products on the site
-provide the public and fitness professionals with great quality e-products

Self:
-Read the Word everyday
-pray regularly
-go camping 6 times over summer
-go backpacking twice
-do two downhill mtn bike races in my "new age category...40+"
-take my son and daughter on individual "dates" once a week
-sell my truck :(

Marriage:
-create a prayer and family plan together
-pray w/ shan and kids daily
-think before I speak
-tell Shan I love her daily
-a date a week
-two vacations by ourselves

Family:
-Take a week vacation every quarter
-go to Italy in May
-camping, hiking, biking!

So there you go, my friends, some of my plans for the year! I hope that whatever yours may be, that they come true and that you are blessed in 2009!

Stay tuned for great content and "tom foolery" all year!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Still in the same place as last year at this time?

Well first...Happy, almost, New Year!

Second...Have you done what I challenged you on in the previous post?

Go on, take a look again and implement away! None of these silly, never gonna get accomplished, wishy-washy, pie in the sky dreams!

Get down and dirty and put some serious "life change" into action.

Aren't you tired of the same 'ol, same 'ol?

Then move your feet and make some serious new "life changes."

When you need my help- please contact me!

Visit http://www.championshipgolffitness.com/ for more info.

What Now!?

Ok, what now?

Jesus' birthday is over, you've eaten too much and exercised too little...what do you do now?

You know you want to get rid of the "extra" that you put on over the last seven weeks, you know that golf season is around the corner and will be here quicker than you can swing a club at, you know that you need direction for the change you want to begin, but you just don't know what to do!

I am here to tell you that "it's ok."

According to research, most people are feeling the same way the day after Christmas, so it's not just you!

First things first.

Since 1/1/09 is a week away, get started on your 2009 "Life Change Plan." That's right, your "Life Change Plan," NOT new years resolutions!

If you want change you need to speak in "change" language! Forget the soft talk that will only make you forget about the serious changes you wanted to inact around the beginning of the year, and all of the sudden it's Valentines day; and you have done nothing to take steps toward the successful accomplishments of your goals.

What is the "LIfe Change Plan?"
Simple...

1. It's a list of particular areas of your life that you want to permanently change.
2. It's your Life
3. It's your Change(s)
4. It's your Plan
5. This is your road map and plan to implement them so the changes become your new reality- not the same ol, same ol.
6. It's your way (and others if you share) to hold yourself accountable.
7. It is a commitment. Period.

This is what I recommend,

1. Make a list of the things you want to change- all of them, in as much detail as possible.
2. Break them out into "categories." A couple of my categories are family, personal and spiritual.
3. Create a commitment to self statement like I listed in a few blogs earlier. Once completed, make copies and put them in places of high traffic like the bathroom, office, car, etc., so you can constantly reinforce your vision.
4. Share it, with those who will support you and encourage you.
5. DO NOT let anyone push you off your direction...NEVER!
6. Keep seeing yourself already as attained your goal. For example- see yourself skinnier, wealthier, healthier, wiser, or whatever it is.
7. Live #6
8. Be grateful about everything no matter what! Stop whining! We are the most blessed people in the world, so keep things in perspective!
9. If you believe in it, pray about your changes, give it to God.
10. Now go do it!

PLEASE, PLEASE commit to change for yourself, it's just you and your all you got...not to mention, you deserve it. :)

If you need help, please let me know- deetidwell@hotmail.com

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Have you seen these selfish people out and about?

Man, the way people are driving, fighting for spaces at the mall, and otherwise not paying attention is really getting to me!

It makes me realize how selfish people are and how much they don't care about their fellow humans!

Me, Me, Me! That's what I can hear people saying!

Any trust me, I am guilty of it to, but sheesh, it is Christmas time- NOT, "HOW MUCH CRAP CAN I BUY AND FOOD CAN I EAT AND EXCUSES CAN I MAKE," TIME!

You want to know the problem...
The lack of connection to exactly why we have Christmas. It is a celebration of Christ's birth...PERIOD!

If these people would have that thought constantly on their mind, then the "holidays" would be much more enjoyable for all!

Soooo, all you selfish people out there (who probably aren't reading this anyway, but oh well!:)) get over yourself and stop thinking so much about yourself!

After all, that's what new years resolutions are for!

Merry Christmas all!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

"Longevity with Vitality"

Give yourself the gift of fitness!

No slacking allowed!

Ask yourself this question..."why do I slack?"

Now take that answer and apply it to all other areas of your life!

How's that feel?

I know for me, that stung a little bit! But you know what, sometimes in order to be clear with ourselves, we have to be real first!

"So," you ask, "what does this have to do with golf fitness or health in general?"

Easy! I say!

If you slack on your fitness goals, your eating goals, your business goals, or any other area...then you will defiately slack when it comes to taking care of YOU!

So this holiday and new year, commit to yourself that you are not going to slack! Afterall, you have to much at stake, whether it is your family, kids, boy or girl friend, job or whatever...there are people and loved ones counting on you to be around for a long time!

So give yourself the gift of "longevity with vitality" by not giving up on your fitness and health, NO MATTER THE CIRCUMSTANCES! :)

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Get after it and screw the naysayers!

How bad do you want to improve your game? Or lower your handicap? Or beat your friends? Or win state in high school? Or win your club championship? Or get on tour?

Huh? Seriously.

How bad?

How about losing 10 pounds, 20,30,100?

Regardless or who you are or where you are, how bad do you want to achieve your goal(s)?

Take heart in these quotes...print 'em out and live by them...

"When you're willing to do whatever it takes, you're ready to receive whatever you want."
First you need to get there, in order to get THERE!

"It's better to be alone than in the company of dream destroyers and saboteurs."
DO NOT let others be "dream stealers!" There are alot of your friends and family who don't want you to succeed, simply because you might be taking steps forward in a direction they know they need to move toward, but because you're doing it first, will elicit a jealousy response that will come out in a way that will build themselves up...and break you down!

Again, I don't care what your goals are, golf fitness or not, but in the end...you are worth every ounce of the attainment of you goal(s), SO GO FOR IT AND LEAVE ALL NEGATIVE THOUGHTS AND PEOPLE BEHIND! And when you get there, turn around and help those who wanted you to fail, help them to succeed at their dreams and goals!

God Bless people! Now get after it!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

COME ON, stay with it!

Remember my challenge to you below?

Did you copy and paste the "contract to self" about over eating and under exercising this holiday season?

If not, then here it is again!

Copy and paste this "Contract to Self" below...

"I _________________ promise to myself that I will make wise choices when it comes to eating and exercising this holiday season. I choose to maintain my present weight and fitness because I am commited to my fitness and health goals that are important to me. I refuse to start 2009 with new years resolutions that start with, "I want to lose the 5-10 pounds that I gained during the holidays!" I WILL NOT DO THIS TO MYSELF BECAUSE I HAVE SELF CONTROL AND A DESIRE TO BE FIT AND LOOK GOOD THAT OUT WEIGHS MY DESIRE TO TEMPORARILY GRATIFY MYSELF BY OVEREATING AND UNDEREXERCISING!"

SOOOOO, come on, do it!
Start 2009 a different way this year...without an extra 5-10 pounds!

Oh, and golfers...do you think an extra 5-10 pounds would effect your swing?
Answer-- YES it will!

Now get after it; eating well and exercising!

Visit http://www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

All you have is your health, and family!

I've said this before, regardless if you play golf or not, in these times we are all struggling.

I think it is a blessing in disquise actually. Why you ask?

Easy...we as a people have gotten so focused on pursuing the "unimportant and temporary" that we have lost focus on what is really important...health and family.

Now the family is sort of one of those, "duh" type of statments, but health and fitness aren't!

During the hard times it gives us a chance to get our focus back on what counts, and money (although important and desired!) can't create a great life if we don't have the health/fitness to enjoy it!

Ask anyone who is in a wheelchair if they'd rather be a millionaire or have the ability to fully use their body again, I bet you most of the time they would choose the regaining of normal body function.

My point is, as we all become more fiscally wise, I challenge you not to stop going to the gym; exercising; playing golf; eating organic food; skiing, or whatever else you like to do in life!

Stay strong, be healthy and, you know what, "enjoy the ride," it won't last that long and by the time it is over, you'll not only have your health and fitness, but you'll have more money again as well!

Visit www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

I WISH THIS WAS MY HOUSE!! :)

For all you Clark W. Griswalds out there!!

One of the reasons to love why we celebrate Jesus' birthday!

Visit http://www.championshipgolffitness.com for more info.

Swing Fault- "Loss of Posture"

“Loss of Posture”
64.3% lose their body angles
35.68% maintain their body angles

Defined-
Loss of posture is any significant alteration from your body’s original set up angles during your golf swing. This loss of posture can affect all aspects of the golf swing including timing, balance and rhythm. Losing spine angle or altering posture usually causes two miss-hits, a block to the right or a hook to the left. As the body angles change, the player is put in a position to have to rely on their hand action to square the face. This becomes a timing-driven swing that can be inconsistent.

Causes-
1. Stiffness of joints in lower body- Hips, low back complex, SI joints, knees, ankle
2. Flexibility in hips and shoulders- in order to rotate around a stable posture, one must have good flexibility in the hips and shoulders. This allows you to get the club into key positions without altering your spine angle.
3. Inability to separate upper and lower body- and visa versa allows the player to maintain a stable posture and a proper sequence of motion during the swing. Limited trunk to pelvis separation is usually caused by reduced spinal mobility and shortened lat flexibility.
4. Inability to stabilize trunk- abs/glutes- the ability to stabilize the lower body is
directly proportional to gluteal and abdominal strength. A stable neutral pelvic posture
helps prevent thrusting toward the ball.

Other non-physical causes-
1. Incorrect swing path on back and downswing
2. Swing tempo and rhythm
3. Improperly fit clubs

If you have any of the swing faults in this series listed here on my blog, contact me for solutions to permanently change your game forever!

Visit http://www.championshipgolffitness.com/for more info.