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With golf training to success in ski jumping
After the Austrian ski jumpers already tried ice hockey and mountain biking during the preparation period for the new season, it was now time to play golf.
On the two days in the Golf Club Reiting, where Thomas Morgenstern visited his former teammates, the golf swing of the athletes was intensively analyzed together with golf pro Jonathan Mannie and Dr. Robert Kocher in order to find possible hidden weaknesses in the musculoskeletal system. Mistakes in the swing provided valuable hints to where the athletes still have room for improvement. Together with the coaches and physical therapists individual concepts were then developed so that the athletes can better use this potential and transfer it to ski jumping later on.
"We expected a lot from this training, but it exceeded our expectations by far. Golf and ski jumping have a lot in common. In both sports it's important to master a complex and highly explosive task with high balance", said head coach Heinz Kuttin.
Not only the coach, but also the athletes see certain similarities. "In ski jumping and in golf, everything is decided within a split second. Once you started your movement, there's no time for any corrections", told Gregor Schlierenzauer. Thomas Diethart was skeptical at first, but then he agreed with his teammate. "To be honest I don't play golf and I thought: How shall this help me to become a better ski jumper. But in hindsight, I have to change this opinion. I think that we got some new ideas for myself that we can now try out at the hill together with the coaches."
Golf coach Jonathan Mannie was impressed by the performance of the ski jumpers. "I'm now in the business for over 30 years, but I've never seen a group that works towards a goal so consequently, focused and harmoniously. The also have potential in golf, but this development was not the top priority here. But if the guys now hit the ball better, that's fine with me."
Source: fis-ski.com
On the two days in the Golf Club Reiting, where Thomas Morgenstern visited his former teammates, the golf swing of the athletes was intensively analyzed together with golf pro Jonathan Mannie and Dr. Robert Kocher in order to find possible hidden weaknesses in the musculoskeletal system. Mistakes in the swing provided valuable hints to where the athletes still have room for improvement. Together with the coaches and physical therapists individual concepts were then developed so that the athletes can better use this potential and transfer it to ski jumping later on.
"We expected a lot from this training, but it exceeded our expectations by far. Golf and ski jumping have a lot in common. In both sports it's important to master a complex and highly explosive task with high balance", said head coach Heinz Kuttin.
Not only the coach, but also the athletes see certain similarities. "In ski jumping and in golf, everything is decided within a split second. Once you started your movement, there's no time for any corrections", told Gregor Schlierenzauer. Thomas Diethart was skeptical at first, but then he agreed with his teammate. "To be honest I don't play golf and I thought: How shall this help me to become a better ski jumper. But in hindsight, I have to change this opinion. I think that we got some new ideas for myself that we can now try out at the hill together with the coaches."
Golf coach Jonathan Mannie was impressed by the performance of the ski jumpers. "I'm now in the business for over 30 years, but I've never seen a group that works towards a goal so consequently, focused and harmoniously. The also have potential in golf, but this development was not the top priority here. But if the guys now hit the ball better, that's fine with me."
Source: fis-ski.com
