Stronger is Better | John Paul Guidry [#231]

john paul guidry Today I am especially excited to bring on our special guest, John Paul “J.P.” Guidry, physical therapist and strength coach.

In today’s conversation, we are talking all about strength and strength training: How much do you need as a golfer? Is there a cap we should be worried about? Is the strength training golfers are doing now hindering their game and causing injury, or rather protecting them from injury and to be more resilient?

To answer these questions and more, I have on JP Guidry of Guidry Golf and Sport. JP is a physical therapist that has worked a lot in the clinic working with rehab, prevention, and injuries and is very much a proponent for strengthening golfers of all ages.

John Paul (“J.P.”) Guidry’s Background

J.P. is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) certified golf fitness specialist, an NSCA Certified Strength and Conditioning Coach (CSCS), and creator of the Guidry Golf and Sport offering in person and online training for Golf and Sports Performance
He trains golfers of all ages working with both recreational and competitive athletes.
J.P. believes that golfers are athletes and should train like an athlete. He understands the value of a full evaluation and individualized training program for each person’s goals and needs. He feels that golfers are too often treated as fragile when it comes to their training and that just like any other sport they need to lift heavy in order to build strength, power, and resiliency along with improving mobility and movement quality

Highlights from this Episode

His background in athletics and physical therapy, how that offered him a segue into the strength and conditioning world, what that transition from PT to Strength Coach looked like for him, and what initially roped him into the Golf Fitness realm and his work with amazing top-level instructors at a great club.
Discussing and disputing the idea that golfers are often treated as “fragile” and not thought of so much as athletes, and his philosophy on strength regarding how it should be valued in the golf fitness programming: is it overrated?
What his thoughts are on professionals and the criticism they receive for “training too hard” to where it is effecting their game, and how he would respond to those critiques.
The importance of training strength for the amateur golfer and the everyday layman to benefit their lives and game by reducing pain from strenuous, sometimes explosive, lifting and swinging movements.
His hypertrophy and muscle building programming* he uses for his personal golf game and also with his clients to benefit their golf game. He also gets into ways for the amateur and seasoned golfer to add muscle without hindering their golf game.
*J.P. has been working with Eric Bach of @bachperformance as his coach for his hypertrophy programming. You can find Eric’s website here: https://bachperformance.com/

Parting Questions:

Caddy Shack or Happy Gilmore? Caddy Shack

What’s you’re walk-up song to the 16^th at the Waste Management Open? Juicy by Notorious B.I.G.

If you could pick one person to play 18 holes of golf with, who would it be and where would you play? My best friend who passed away years ago. We would play at Augusta.

Any last piece of advice for the 18Strong audience? Don’t be afraid of getting strong