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Copper Rock Golf Course. Photo by Brian Oar

Featured Article

It Means Everything if You've Got That Swing

The New LiVe Well Center St. George Golf Fitness Program

“…Our golf fitness program is a win-win for supporting healthy lifestyles and golf enjoyment.” -Jeff Kennedy

Mention St. George and often the sport of golf becomes the subject of the hour. Claiming 13 courses in a 20-mile radius, the area is a paradise for any golfer. From Sunbrook to Sand Hollow to SunRiver to Sky Mountain, and many more, the fairways offer mountain views, desert landscapes, red rock, emerald greens and the bluest skies this side of heaven. In fact, St. George annually averages more than 300 days of sunshine a year, rendering the sport pure pleasure year-round.

In such an environment, Intermountain Healthcare’s LiVe Well Center in St. George recently introduced its newest fitness program for golfers of all levels through the LiVe Well Golf Fitness Program. This program is based on research from the Titleist Performance Institute or TPI in Oceanside, California, and is being offered at the St. George LiVe Well Center by Jeffrey Kennedy, a clinical exercise physiologist with nearly 30 years of experience.

Jeff earned a master’s degree and multiple certifications from the American College of Sports Medicine, Cardiovascular Credentialing International and the American Heart Association. Since 2006, he has been certified as a Level 3 medical evaluator by TPI.

The TPI Body-Swing Connection™

The program combines Intermountain Healthcare’s commitment to quality programming and credentialed professionals with TPI’s belief that golf swings are as unique as the individual.

TPI has spent nearly 20 years with more than 100,000 golfers of all abilities to study golf swings and develop the TPI Body-Swing Connection™. Based on the institute’s research, an infinite number of swing styles are possible and equally effective based on a person’s unique body mechanics and strength.

Using specific data, TPI uncovers how a properly functioning body permits a player to swing a golf club in the most efficient way. TPI also analyzes how physical limitations in a player’s body may adversely affect the golf swing and potentially lead to injury.

The Assessment

The program incorporates a 16-point TPI physical assessment using video and 3D motion capture technology, which identifies any physical limitations that may be causing swing inefficiencies. The technology evaluates TPI’s 12 most-common swing faults and reveals the individual’s swing fingerprint known as the “kinematic sequence.” Using assessment results, Jeff develops a golf-specific exercise regimen to promote and improve the efficiency of an individual’s swing.

Working with clients and watching them improve their golf games has been Jeff’s passion for the past 14 years, and he is thrilled to bring his enthusiasm, the TPI program and his experience to St. George and the surrounding area.

“When you consider the national reputation of St. George as a golfing community and destination, coupled with the profile of Intermountain Healthcare, our golf fitness program is a win-win for supporting healthy lifestyles and golf enjoyment,” says Jeff.

He adds, “We are more than excited to provide this service to our clients and our community. So many residents enjoy playing golf, and we hope they will take advantage of this new service. This program will improve your personal game and help you develop an efficient swing to reduce injury and give you the strength to continue playing the game well into the future.”

To schedule a golf fitness evaluation or ask questions about the LiVe Well Center St. George Golf Fitness Program, call 435.251.3793.

Allen Christensen serves as Health Promotion & Wellness Operations Manager of Intermountain LiVe Well Center – St. George, located at 652 S Medical Center Dr., Bldg. 6, St. George, UT 84790

Jeff Kennedy of LiVe Well Center St. George is a clinical exercise physiologist.Jeff has been certified by the Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) as a Level 3 medical evaluator since 2006. TPI experts have spent almost 20 years using more than 100,000 golfers to study one thing--the Body-Swing Connection.