"Hitting the Green Without Hurting Your Back": PGA Teacher Dr. Jim Suttie Takes a Swing at Back Pain

Vernon Hills, IL—April 11, 2007-2005 Golf Digest's Best Teacher in Illinois and highly respected PGA instructor Dr. Jim Suttie explains that back pain and golfing don't have to be mutually exclusive. With golf's popularity continuing to grow and more than 80% of Americans experiencing back pain, Suttie has developed tips and techniques to keep us on the golf course.

Suttie will share swing-related pitfalls and his secrets at a free clinic on Wednesday, June 6 from 6:30 - 8:00 p.m. at Chicago Institute for Neurosurgery and Neuroresearch (CINN), 565 Lakeview Parkway in Vernon Hills. He will be joined by Dr. Dan Hurley, CINN physiatrist, who will explain common swing-related back and spine ailments. Dr. Hurley has been treating patients with back pain for over fifteen years. Getting to the root of the problem is where highly experienced physiatrists like Dr. Hurley excel. "While back pain may be the symptom frequently experienced by golfers, the actual root of the problem may be, for example, in the hips. Stiffness in the hips caused by inflexible hip muscles restrict a golfer's range of motion and forces an unhealthy swing and may manifest as pain in the low back," said Dr. Hurley.

Watch the video of Doctors Suttie and Hurley giving golfers tips in how to "swing through back pain"

"My techniques are great for both beginner and advanced golfers - and those with back issues and those folks who want to prevent back troubles", Suttie explains. "Even minor adjustments to one's swing and stance can insure a lifetime of successful golfing, which is the name of the game."

Some of Suttie's quick tips include:

• Use longer and more upright clubs. Avoid bending forward at address too much.
• Bend your knees more than conventional instruction would tell you to. This will take pressure off your spine.
• Narrow your stance to enable you to turn your body easier.
• Stand erect at address.
• Avoid coiling on the backswing. Turn your hips and shoulders together. Never restrict your hips on the backswing.
• Let your head turn a little to the right on the backswing. This will avoid putting pressure on your thoracic spine area.

In 2000, "Doc" Suttie was named the PGA of America's National Teacher of the Year and is a three-time winner of the same award from the PGA's Illinois Section. He's also included among GOLF Magazine's Top 100 Teachers and is ranked as one of the Top 15 teachers in America on Golf Digest's 50 Greatest Teachers list. When in Illinois, he teaches at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont. During the winter, he teaches at The Club at Twin Eagles, Naples, Florida.

Suttie is one of the most sought after teachers in America and currently teaches PGA and Champions Tour stars Brad Elder, Loren Roberts, Paul Azinger, Chip Beck and recent Honda Classic champion, Mark Wilson. Suttie's decades of motor learning and biomechanical research (his doctorate is in Biomechanics), have culminated in some of golf's most revolutionary teaching methods such as those detailed in his ground-breaking book The LAW's of the Golf Swing . The concepts in the book became a hugely popular Golf Magazine cover story soon after its publication in 1998. His second book, Your Perfect Swing , published in 2006, shows readers how to identify their tendencies and master a swing that is consistent and repeatable under pressure.

The Neurologic & Orthopedic Hospital of Chicago is the country's first freestanding acute care hospital dedicated exclusively to neuroscience and orthopedic services. It utilizes breakthrough technology and minimally invasive techniques as well as advanced procedures for neurosurgery, orthopedics, pain management, neuro-oncology, sports medicine, and rehabilitation.