"Elbow Rehab Ain't All Bad" - from TheGolfChannel.com
Double P's second column with TheGolfChannel.com was posted this morning. For those who missed it, we're reprinting here at PatPerezGolf.com:
Hey Everyone. Double P checking in from Scottsdale right now. I am unexpectedly back home instead of at the Shell Houston Open, where I’d hoped to be in contention this week.
As I'm sure you've read by now, I pulled out of last week's Verizon Heritage in Hilton Head due to an injury. I was 3-under at the turn and feeling pretty good about my game, but a nagging elbow injury progressively got worse each hole I played. By the time I wrapped up hole 14, I told my caddy Mike Hartford we had to withdraw.
Fans have written my website this past week asking how hard it is to withdraw, being such a competitor. In one sense, it's really hard. I never want to quit anything - be it a PGA TOUR event or a game of 'H-O-R-S-E.' I play everything to win, but in this particular case I had to think about the long term.
I have already played 10 events this year and at the time was No. 35 on the money list. Had I been No. 135, I might've pushed to grind it out. I know I have at least 20 more tournaments left in 2006. There's a ton of golf left to be played. It quickly dawned on me that it wasn't worth risking all of that for one tournament.
According to my doctor, had I overdone it I'd have been out a lot longer than three weeks. I pulled a tendon in the top of my left forearm. My coach (Michael Owen) and I have been working on changing a particular aspect of my swing. Doing so also entails working out different muscles I don't often use and all of that combined definitely aggravated something. The only way to fix what went wrong was to set the clubs down a few weeks and rest. Thankfully it's only my left elbow, so I'm not totally incapacitated.
I've been doing what I can to rest and rehab. It hurts to lift anything right now. I'm on some meds to help with the inflammation - as well as three trips to the therapist every week. They're doing stem work - shooting impulses into the arm to get the muscle to retract, spasm - whatever. The movement helps it heal quicker. Then I just have to keep it iced and play the waiting game.
Those around me know I get cabin fever pretty quickly - so I won't necessarily be laid up on the couch for three weeks. My brother Mike is gearing up for some Nationwide events around the time I head out to the Wachovia Championship so I got us both signed up at the Village Racquet & Health Club here in Scottsdale. I want to do what I can to help him get geared up health and stamina-wise for his time on the road.
I can't lift weights right now, but with a good right arm I can still take Mike and my other buds out here to school on the racquetball court. Definitely a good cardio workout since I can't lift and do my full workout this week.
You know, it's actually kind of fun right now to be able to do nothing and not feel bad about it. It's the perfect scenario. Usually there's no excuse to just kick back like this, so I need to play this up as much as I can. "Sorry, can't lift - this elbow thing" or "Man, would love to help you move this weekend, but Doc said to not move the elbow."
All kidding aside, I'm already looking forward to the Wachovia and getting back out on the road. I am hopefully gearing up to do seven tourneys in a row – with the seventh being the U.S. Open. As it stands right now, I'd have to Monday qualify but there are six events before that which can help dictate my fate.
Until then it's rest, rehab, getting little bro ready for his Nationwide events and hopefully some time on the new chopper. I'm definitely going to write more about that next week - as well as a shameless plug for my new t-shirt line which will finally be available on my website April 24th.
PatPerezGolf.com will also have a Q&A with me later this week so make sure to email all your questions to cb@patperezgolf.com so we can get them answered and posted on the site. Like I said, it's a slow week.
Thanks for stopping by, but mostly - stay classy. - Double P
Hey Everyone. Double P checking in from Scottsdale right now. I am unexpectedly back home instead of at the Shell Houston Open, where I’d hoped to be in contention this week.
As I'm sure you've read by now, I pulled out of last week's Verizon Heritage in Hilton Head due to an injury. I was 3-under at the turn and feeling pretty good about my game, but a nagging elbow injury progressively got worse each hole I played. By the time I wrapped up hole 14, I told my caddy Mike Hartford we had to withdraw.
Fans have written my website this past week asking how hard it is to withdraw, being such a competitor. In one sense, it's really hard. I never want to quit anything - be it a PGA TOUR event or a game of 'H-O-R-S-E.' I play everything to win, but in this particular case I had to think about the long term.
I have already played 10 events this year and at the time was No. 35 on the money list. Had I been No. 135, I might've pushed to grind it out. I know I have at least 20 more tournaments left in 2006. There's a ton of golf left to be played. It quickly dawned on me that it wasn't worth risking all of that for one tournament.
According to my doctor, had I overdone it I'd have been out a lot longer than three weeks. I pulled a tendon in the top of my left forearm. My coach (Michael Owen) and I have been working on changing a particular aspect of my swing. Doing so also entails working out different muscles I don't often use and all of that combined definitely aggravated something. The only way to fix what went wrong was to set the clubs down a few weeks and rest. Thankfully it's only my left elbow, so I'm not totally incapacitated.
I've been doing what I can to rest and rehab. It hurts to lift anything right now. I'm on some meds to help with the inflammation - as well as three trips to the therapist every week. They're doing stem work - shooting impulses into the arm to get the muscle to retract, spasm - whatever. The movement helps it heal quicker. Then I just have to keep it iced and play the waiting game.
Those around me know I get cabin fever pretty quickly - so I won't necessarily be laid up on the couch for three weeks. My brother Mike is gearing up for some Nationwide events around the time I head out to the Wachovia Championship so I got us both signed up at the Village Racquet & Health Club here in Scottsdale. I want to do what I can to help him get geared up health and stamina-wise for his time on the road.I can't lift weights right now, but with a good right arm I can still take Mike and my other buds out here to school on the racquetball court. Definitely a good cardio workout since I can't lift and do my full workout this week.
You know, it's actually kind of fun right now to be able to do nothing and not feel bad about it. It's the perfect scenario. Usually there's no excuse to just kick back like this, so I need to play this up as much as I can. "Sorry, can't lift - this elbow thing" or "Man, would love to help you move this weekend, but Doc said to not move the elbow."
All kidding aside, I'm already looking forward to the Wachovia and getting back out on the road. I am hopefully gearing up to do seven tourneys in a row – with the seventh being the U.S. Open. As it stands right now, I'd have to Monday qualify but there are six events before that which can help dictate my fate.
Until then it's rest, rehab, getting little bro ready for his Nationwide events and hopefully some time on the new chopper. I'm definitely going to write more about that next week - as well as a shameless plug for my new t-shirt line which will finally be available on my website April 24th.
PatPerezGolf.com will also have a Q&A with me later this week so make sure to email all your questions to cb@patperezgolf.com so we can get them answered and posted on the site. Like I said, it's a slow week.
Thanks for stopping by, but mostly - stay classy. - Double P
posted by PatPerezGolf.com at 1:18 PM
1 Comments:
glad to hear you are seeing the therapist! coors light helps me when I'm injured...
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