| Europe's Ryder Cup Hopefuls Undergo Health & Fitness Screening at SOS Centres |
Europe’s Ryder Cup hopefuls have been put through their paces by health and fitness experts at SOS Centres using the latest scientific techniques to try give them an extra edge going into the tournament at Valhalla Golf Club, Louisville, Kentucky, USA from September 19-21.
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The current top 20 European Player in The 2008 Ryder Cup Points List were all offered the chance to undergo a comprehensive Health and Fitness Screening programme at Sports Orthopaedics Spinal Ltd (SOS), based in Weybridge, Surrey, prior to this week’s BMW PGA Championship at nearby Wentworth Club.
Grégory Bourdy, Robert Karlsson, Martin Kaymer, Søren Kjeldsen, Justin Rose and Oliver Wilson were the first group of players through the doors for testing at one of the UK's most sophisticated medical facilities, following in the footsteps of European Captain Nick Faldo who had a “dry run” at SOS earlier in the year.
The players were under the supervision of a team of clinicians led by Jonathan Shrewsbury, the Clinical Director of SOS, who worked closely with four European Ryder Cup Teams between 1993 and 1999 as part of The European Tour’s Physiotherapy Team.
They were subjected to a series of procedures including a general medical assessment, body composition testing, cardiovascular assessment, video gait analysis, isokinetic analysis, proprioceptive analysis, flexibility and core stability testing and diagnostic investigations using state of the art MRI facilities.
Faldo, of course, is famed for his meticulous preparation and the procedures are designed to help the players ensure they are in prime condition for The Ryder Cup, which is renowned as one of sport’s most mentally and physically draining competitions.
Englishman Wilson admitted he learned much about his own body during the sessions which he now hopes to apply to his game over the next three months as he seeks to win a place in his first Ryder Cup Team.
He said: “It’s fantastic to have something like this available to you as a player. Everyone is a good player and you are always looking for that little edge. This will help gives us that extra bit of confidence going into The Ryder Cup, knowing that you are heading there in good shape.
“They’ve found a few things that relate to my golf swing so hopefully I can work on those and it will help me improve.”
Dane Kjeldsen, who admitted it would be a dream come true to play in The Ryder Cup, said he also found the Health and Fitness Screening programme extremely useful.
“There are some things on my swing which they found that I now want to work on that maybe restricting me at the moment,” he said. “We received a lot of valuable information which I now have to digest.
“Nick (Faldo) has been a massive influence on my life. Growing up I tried to follow things he did. Tiger Woods has taken this on but when Nick was World Number One he had an amazing preparation regime. It’s evolution in the game that we are getting stronger and fitter and this is an important part of it now.”
“It gives them an edge to go into The Ryder Cup knowing they are in as good as condition as possible. We are now in a new phase of golf preparation that is Tiger-led and players must now balance the mental, physical and technical side of the game. Golf is looking at other sports and seeing how players need to prepare themselves.
“Nick is leaving no stone unturned in the build up to
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