Richard Johnson Wins the 2010 Nordea Scandinavian Masters

STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN - JULY 25: Richard S Johnson of Sweden wins the Nordea Scandinavian Masters at Bro Hof Slott Golf Course on July 25, 2010 in Stockholm, Sweden.

We at GolfGym are very proud of Richard S. Johnson for having won the Nordea Scandinavian Masters. His dedication and commitment to practicing, conditioning and use of proper biomechanics proved to be a winning combination on Sunday. Oh yeah...he hit the ball really well and putted great too. Richard birdied the final hole with a 30 footer to win by one stroke.

While at his home in Tequesta, Florida, he works with me at our Academy in Jupiter. We will be posting a Richard Johnson page at the GolfGym website showing many of his workout routines.

From all of us at GolfGym and GolfGym/D1 Academy....Congratulations on the win in Sweden and your new baby!

Joey D

Richard Johnson, GolfGym/D1 Academy Pro, Leading the 2010 Nordea Scandinavian Masters

As I write this Richard Johnson is leading the European Tour's 2010 Nordea Scandinavian Masters being played in Sweden. Yes, it is only Saturday, but he will be playing in the final paring along with K.J. Choi on Sunday and will be cheered on by his home country crowd.

Richard is one of the PGA Tour Pros that frequents the GolfGym/D1 Academy in Jupiter, Florida. Richard will often ride his high-tech bicycle over 20 miles to the Academy where he puts in a very intense hour or so. After a brief rest he hops on the bike to head home. He is a very strong, very dedicated athlete.

Following are two exercises that he does to work on balance and rotational strength.

In this exercise Richard is working on his balance with a balance ball. Start by getting comfortably balanced on your left foot. Raise your right foot behind you and put the toe of your shoe on top of the balance ball. I recommend having a wall or pole close by to help stabilize yourself if necessary.
Focusing on one point out ahead of you on the wall or the floor, bend your left knee slightly. Get in balance and extended your arms out in front of you and your right leg behind you on the ball. Hold that posture for a few seconds. Return to the start position and repeat 5 times. Perform the same movement pattern on your right side. Balance? Oh, yeah!

This next exercise is called the "Russian Twist". The Russians coined the phrase because they realized the benefit of developing balance and stability in the lower body while initiating separation and rotation in the upper body. Start in a very balanced posture on the balance ball in a firm "table top" position (a straight line from your knees to your shoulders). Be sure to have your shoulders in the middle of the ball while holding a dumbbell or medicine ball in your hands.
Start with your hands straight above your sternum holding the weight. The two pictures show Richard rotating to the right and the left. Keep your gaze forward as you rotate just like you would when swinging your club. Notice how Richard is rotating way up on his shoulders to each side. Keep your hips up (table top) to engage your abdomen, hips and glutes. Perform 10 - 15 repetitions to each side. Rotation? You bet!

Good Luck to you on these exercises and to Richard on Sunday.

Joey

Freddy Jacobson At The GolfGym Academy

Fredrik Jacobson at the GolfGym/D1 Academy
in Jupiter, Florida

PGA Tour Pro Fredrik Jacobson visits the GolfGym Academy regularly while he is at his home in Jupiter, Florida. He works very hard at keeping as golf fit as possible.

Coach Joey D puts Freddy through a biomechanically sound set of exercises to get his body in top physical shape. The average person doesn't really understand how dedicated many of the PGA Tour players are to their conditioning and fitness. Most of the players on the PGA Tour have realized that staying fit and doing regular golf specific exercise is the key to injury free longevity on the Tour.

Here is an exercise that is working on rotation using the PowerBandz affixed firmly at a high level on the wall. No, Freddy is not left handed, but Joey always has his athletes perform exercises on both sides of the body. As he always says, "What you to on the left side, you have to do on the right side". The start position is at the midway point of the downswing just before impact.

The movement pattern brings the hands to the impact position under resistance. This helps to strengthen the muscles involved in the rotation of the upper body, but also helps to strengthen the hands and arms to work in unison while rotating.

This next exercise is an extremely difficult one to do correctly and requires strength, balance and most importantly dedication. All of which Freddy possesses. It involves balancing on the ball while pulling yourself up tight against the rings. Joey is always there to help with those incredibly difficult last few reps. This is a full body exercise requiring some serious concentration and grit.

Here Fredrik is working on his legs and arms (biceps) by using dumbbells, the balance ball and a wall. Start by dropping into a deep squat (90 degrees) while pressing the ball into the wall and holding the dumbbells to your side. While coming up out of the squat to a full standing position, you curl the dumbbells to the finished position. One more execution with this exercise is to press the dumbbells straight up above your head. Repeat the process with as many reps as you can perform well without compromising form.

Rotation is a key component in golf. Most people when asked would say that flexibility is the most important part of rotation. The truth is that flexibility is critical to how far you can rotate, but strength is essential in acceleration and deceleration. You have to be able to stop your club after a full swing at between 70 - 100 mph of acceleration or you would spin around right out of your shoes.

In this exercise, Freddy is using a heavy dumbbell to lift and rotate. Starting in a firm bent over posture and stabilized with his left arm, Freddy reaches down with the dumbbell then rotates his upper body as far as possible while lifting the weight to his chest. Again, you must perform this exercise with both arms (on both sides).

Joey is pointing at Freddy's shoulder to help him get to full rotation and lift. Strengthening your back and shoulders and core will give you better overall control and help you stay injury free in the long run.

Finished!!

Here is Freddy with Ken Pierce and Coach Joey D looking very happy that his conditioning session is over for today. We are also laughing because Ken told Freddy that his shirt was too short....and Freddy told Ken that his pants were too high.

The New GolfGym/D1 Academy in Jupiter, Florida

The new GolfGym/D1 Academy in Jupiter, Florida has been helping golfers improve their golf performance since March of this year. I say the new Academy, because it is the facility we are in that is new. The techniques and teachings employed here have been developed by Coach Joey D and used with his PGA Tour players for over 12 years.

Joey D opened his D1 Athletics Academy in Jupiter in 2009 and has been coaching golfers from the South Florida area and from around the country ever since. These are players who are serious about improving their golf performance. We affectionately call them "Professional Amateurs". They are golfers who have won their Club Championships, Regional Tournaments or are aspiring to become Champions in their own right.

The expansion of the D1 facility and the GolfGym Academy has produced the finest biomechanics development facility in Southern Florida.

Joey also works with many of the PGA Pros that live in the area. Fredrik Jacobson and Richard Johnson frequent the Academy whenever they are home. Tommy Armour III visited with his son for a weekend dedicated to working with Joey on their biomechanics. Happily, Mr. Armour has been doing very well on the Champions Tour this season.

For more information on the Academy or to schedule an assessment, call Vicki Pierce at
1-877-4-GOLFGYM (1-877-446-5349).

Joey D Student, Brinson Paolini Wins His Third Straight VSGA State Amateur

Coach Joey D and GolfGym congratulate Brinson Paolini on his Third Straight Virginia State Golf Association State Amateur Championship.

Brinson has been a student of Coach Joey D for many years and is definitely applying what he has learned.

The Virginia State Golf Association published the following on their website:

ALEXANDRIA
Brinson Paolini may be a reluctant superstar on the commonwealth’s golf stage, but his sterling play his earned him an unavoidable place of distinction.

Using a workmanlike approach, the 19-year-old Virginia Beach resident outlasted northern Virginian Mike Kirby, 25, of Falls Church, 1 up in Saturday’s Virginia State Golf Association Amateur Championship at Belle Haven Country Club (6,970 yards, par 36-36—72) to become the first player to win three straight titles in the 97-year history of the championship.

In addition to Paolini, previously only seven other players – comprised of a virtual Mount Rushmore of Virginia golfers – had collected back-to-back State Am triumphs: Billy Hurley (2004-05); Jay Woodson (2002-03); John Rollins (1996-97); Tom McKnight (1984-85); Curtis Strange (1974-75); Vinny Giles (1968-69) and Chandler Harper (1933-34).

In a roller coaster of a deciding match, Paolini won four of five holes in an important afternoon stretch to answer a 2-holes down deficit and write his name alone in the record books. Owner of a 1-up lead going to the 36th hole of the encounter, the par-4 18th, Paolini got up and down from the back bunker, blasting to a nerve rattling three-and-a-half feet and making the deciding putt for the halve to retain the Schwarzschild Brothers Trophy.

“The VSGA has meant so much to me. To be able to win probably their best championship three years in a row means the world to me,” says Paolini, a rising sophomore at Duke University. “So many great players have come through Virginia. You know you’re doing something right to be in the same conversation with them. I’m very humbled and I feel very blessed to have all the opportunities I’ve been given to be able to do what I did today.”

Coach Joey D and GolfGym couldn't be more proud of Brinson and what he has accomplished in golf. Look for big things from this dedicated Blue Devil.