Hyperice therapy guns on the range at TPC River Highlands (David Dusek/Golfweek)
To help golfers relax sore muscles and relieve stiffness, the PGA Tour has a small cart filled with therapy guns that gets rolled into the practice area at every event. Devices like the Hypervolt 2 Pro ($259) use percussion massage therapy, but for travelers, the Hyperice Volt Go 2 ($99) is a more portable, less expensive option.
It also brings two 18-wheel trucks filled with exercise gear, massage tables and equipment. That’s where you will find Digby Watt, a physical therapist who works with the PGA Tour. He helps players keep their bodies in peak shape and knows all about travel fatigue.
“Things that we focus on with the guys start with sleep, which is a challenge, but you have to get good sleep in order for the body to recover,” Watt said.
The Whoop App displays Strain, Sleep and Recovery. (Whoop)
The PGA Tour partnered with Whoop, a wearable device maker, in 2020 and made the device available to all its players after Whoop research revealed that it could help golfers who had contracted COVID-19 learn they had the virus before they became symptomatic. However, Whoop ($30 per month) is designed to track a person’s heart rate and exertion level throughout the day, then show how much sleep is recommended and how well a person has recovered the following morning. Combining data it collects with daily input from the wearer, Whoop can reveal what habits are positive for recovery, like meditation, and which are detrimental to recovery, like late-night meals.
Watt recommends that players wake up early in the morning after arriving in a tournament city and having caffeine, but he does not recommend players take in caffeine after lunch.
“If they are going to take a power nap, which is a good thing to catch up on sleep, we recommend taking it earlier in the day so that it doesn’t affect evening sleep.”
He also recommends avoiding alcohol, avoiding junk food and reducing screen time later in the afternoon and evening. Smartphone screens and televisions emit blue light, which can trick your brain into thinking it’s daytime and reduce your natural melatonin creation. Watt says that Melatonin supplements taken in the evening can be helpful for many players.
Hyperice Normatec 3 boots (Hyperice)
Many golfers also benefit from a session with Hyperice Normatec leggings ($699). After sliding your legs into the boots and zipping them up, a compressor that teethers to a smartphone app via Bluetooth is activated, and the leggings inflate, like the arm cuff your doctor uses to measure your blood pressure. Rory McIlroy said that he occasionally travels with his Normatec boots but tends to use them after intense workouts.
“It applies gradient pressure, starting at the lowest point in your body, your feet, and working up. It flushes the fluids that build up on airplanes back up where it can get drained.” Watt said. “It’s like getting a deep-tissue massage. When you get up, your legs feel a little bit lighter.”
Fifteen minutes on a stationary bike can also create this effect.
Rahm, McIlroy and the other players in the field at Royal Liverpool depend on their bodies to make a living. On the other hard, you just want to play well when you’re on vacation. Remembering a few of these tips and planning ahead can help make that happen.
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