Creating A Golf Specific Plan for 2026
2025 was a standout year at Integrated Rehab and Performance Center. We helped countless Nashville golfers return to the course with less pain, better mobility, and more confidence in their swing. Now, as we look ahead to 2026, it’s worth asking: What did we learn this year that can set YOU up for even better results next season?
Here are the three key areas to focus on this offseason:
Eliminate pain—fully and finally
Set clear strength and conditioning goals
Identify your swing breakdowns and build a plan to fix them
1. Eliminate pain, once and for all.
This winter we need to address that nagging low back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain, etc… These problems, whether significant pain or seemingly innocent soreness after a round of golf are absolutely having an impact on your golf performance. Protective mechanisms, or inhibition as we know it in the rehab world, will subconsciously (or you may even notice it ) will stop you from transferring weight as you should, slow you down through certain parts of the swing, and avoid loading through joints entirely.
Beyond the golf performance, joint pain and injury usually only moves in one direction when it’s not addressed. It gets worse and worse. Eventually, we end up talking with an orthopedist about surgery. Instead, I for golf performance AND general health and longevity (including your goals of playing with your grandchildren), I hope to inspire you to take action this winter to build a plan to address that recurring pain before it becomes a major problem.
2. Set clear strength and conditioning goals
Before engaging in a strength and conditioning or even general exercise routine, we need to first address pain and movement patters/ mobility. Then we can work towards goals of increasing and improving general and long term health. We should first strive to move well ( a you specific pain or mobility treatment plan), then we should strive to move often (exercise program).
This means being realistic for the 2026 offseason and summer to come. How can we introduce more consistent weight training and endurance programming to improve your overall health and longevity.
Golf performance will pull upon these physical qualities when trying to outdrive your group, wake up feeling good for that third round of the golf trip or member tournament, and to keep going strong deep into 2026. Let Integrated Rehab and Performance Center help point you in the right direction after fixing pain and movement patterns. Check out these articles for more information on mobility, strength, and power training for golfers:
-Why Fitness Training Is Essential for Golf, Part 1: Mobility
-Why Fitness Training Is Essential for Golf, Part 2: Strength
-Why Fitness Training Is Essential for Golf, Part 3: Power
3. Identify swing breakdowns and build a plan to fix them
This is where your club professional comes into play. One of the most important components of treatment at Integrated Rehab is the analysis and identification of movement restrictions as related to swing characteristics. In other words, we find the common links between your swing faults and your pain/ movement restrictions. Check out this video below to learn more about that step in the process…
When we’ve identified where you are missing movement or stability along with where compensations and inhibition are present, we fix them. At this moment, getting a professional swing evaluation completed is the perfect next step. We have a “new body” that is much better capable of getting into the positions you coach will want you in. Also, we have specifically worked to address compensations and inhibition to improve feel and comfort shifting weight as needed, driving and creating force from the correct regions at the correct time and in the correct sequence, helping to reduce the time needed for new positions and drills from your coach to cement and become productive. You may have heard me say it in podcast episodes with different pros around Nashville, “My job is to give the swing coach a blank canvas of a student. They can get into the positions you need them to get into.” Learn more on this aspect of the clinic with this article here:
Conclusion
As we turn the page toward 2026, remember that your best golf isn’t built in-season—it’s built now. By eliminating pain, committing to a clear strength and conditioning plan, and addressing the movement and swing patterns holding you back, you give yourself the chance to play the kind of golf you know you’re capable of.
This offseason is an opportunity to create the healthiest, strongest, and most technically sound version of yourself. Whether your goal is to play pain-free, add distance, sharpen consistency, or simply enjoy the game longer, the commitment to your health and physical capabilities in the next few months will set the tone for your entire 2026 season.
At Integrated Rehab and Performance Center, we’re ready to guide you through each step—fixing pain, improving movement, and helping you show up to your coach with a body that can finally perform the way you want it to. Let’s make this the year you build a foundation that elevates your golf for seasons to come.
-Dr. Nick DC, MS, TPI, CSCS
If you would like to learn more about your body, pain, and performance, send Dr. Nick an email at contact@integratedrpc.com or call at (585)478-4379, or schedule a FREE discovery visit at Contact.
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