Collin Morikawa: How His Warm Up Cost Him the Tournament

It’s golf season and if you’re anything like my husband and I, you have the golf channel every weekend. I have to admit that when golf is on, I find my way to the other room to watch Seinfeld. You can’t blame me — I’m from Indiana, and like other Hoosiers, basketball is more my speed. Although I didn’t get the golf gene, I admit that last weekend’s events piqued my interest and gave me a little food for thought. Therefore, I hope to bring a Pilates perspective to Collin Morikawa’s injury and offer an explanation of the importance of warming up properly, for both athletes and non-athletes, with a personal trainer to prevent injury and give you the chance to be a winner.

It Costs More Than Doctor’s Fees

Over the weekend, during The Memorial Tournament at Muirfield Village, golf professional Collin Morikawa withdrew from the tournament due to a gym injury. Morikawa tells the story of a gym warm-up going wrong in a recent ESPN article covering the golfer’s back spasm. The golfer was performing “quick and low” reflex movements during his workout when he experienced back spasms. They were so intense the player withdrew. This injury costs more than doctor’s fees. It costs him the opportunity to win a second time at Muirfield Village and thousands to potentially millions of dollars in prize money. While Morikawa was icing his back, other professionals were winning prize money. The winner of The Memorial Tournament, Viktor Hovland, won $3,600,000.

Warming-Up Properly

It saddens me that a young, healthy twenty-six-year-old athlete was injured during a warm-up. This tells us that an injury can come anytime, anywhere, to anybody. However, one can prevent injury by taking the proper steps. The best way to warm up is to encourage blood flow to the body through slow and controlled movements. Take a rubber band for instance. The more it is stretched and worked, the more malleable it becomes and resists snapping. Our muscles are the same. When are muscles are warm, they become elastic. This allows our bodies to be prepared for quick and dynamic movements later without injury. In Pilates, we use resistance and body weight to create a push-and-pull effect. This effect resembles stretching a rubber band. It helps mobilize the body without the stress on your joints. A proper warm-up can transform your workout and enhance your performance.

The Importance of One-On-One Guidance 

You might not be a professional athlete, but we can all relate to having an injury — they stink! Morikawa even says they “suck”. Beyond warming up properly, having a personal trainer checking your form adds value to not only the quality of your workout but to your performance. We’ve all gotten sloppy during a workout before. But as we established earlier an injury can come anytime, anywhere, to anybody and you can’t afford it. Athlete or not, having guidance from a one-on-one specialist can encourage proper form and prevent injury. Maintaining proper form is difficult when there are many things to focus on. I always tell my clients that I’m here to remind them. Plus, they’re at my studio and the last thing I want is for anyone to get hurt under my guidance.

All in all, like anyone, even the world’s greatest athletes get injured. However, we can’t afford the cost of an injury. It might not be an injury like Collin Morikawa’s that costs him a win and $3,000,000, but it will cost something. Recovering from an injury isn’t fun, so take preventative measures. When you warm up your body properly with the guidance of a one-on-one specialist, you will prevent against injury, transform your workout, and enhance your performance. I might not have the golf gene, but I own a pair of golf shoes and know a thing or two about Pilates. 

If you are a training athlete, consider trying Equipoise Pilates and strengthening your body to improve your performance and prevent injury. Email me at info@equipoisellc.com to set up your appointment or sign-up at https://EquipoisePilatesLLC.as.me/

 

Sources

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/06/04/pga-tour-2023-memorial-tournament-prize-money-payouts/

https://www.espn.com/golf/story/_/id/37794618/collin-morikawa-withdraws-memorial-due-back-spasms

https://golfweek.usatoday.com/2023/06/04/collin-morikawa-withdraws-2023-memorial-tournament-back-spasms/

 

By: Annie Maxwell