GOLF
TODAY MAGAZINE - Cover Story August 2001
Jeffrey Blanchard - The Golf Doctor
By Leonard Finkel
In the world of golf, Jeff Blanchard is a triple threat.
A former Commissioner of the California State Board
of Chiropractic Examiners, Dr. Blanchard has been
in private practice in California since 1980. He is
the founder and Director of the Orange County Golf
Center for Manipulation Under Anesthesia (MUA) and
Pain Management at the Anaheim-West Outpatient Surgical
Center. He is the "doctor who teaches doctors"
how to diagnose and treat golf related injuries. Hundreds
of physicians each year study with Blanchard.
Dr. Blanchard became a golf professional in 1998.
He is also a design consultant for the Titleist Training
Center, Taylor Made Golf and Ceramix Golf. Doc Blanchard has played professionally on the Pepsi,
California, Tear Drop and Golden State tours, with
a career low round of 62. As a student, Jeff has worked
for five years with noted instructor, Bob Cisco, of
the Ultimate Golf School. Based in Southern California,
Cisco, the author of Ultimate Putting and The Ultimate
Game of Golf, has also tutored major championship
winners on the PGA Tour including Tony Jacklin (1969
British Open, 1970 US Open) Gay Brewer (1967 Masters)
and Bobby Nichols (1964 PGA).
His passions for the game of golf and his medical
career led Doc to merge these two diverse fields.
An extensive medical background coupled with his knowledge
of the game, gives him an exceptional understanding
of the physical movements associated with the golf
swing.
Referring to Blanchard's career low 62, Cisco points
out that, "I must say that doesn't surprise me.
Jeff is jewel and rarity as a student in that he can
take the information, assimilate it and make it his
own. Whether uncovering new approaches in the field
of chiropractic or in golf, Jeff has a way of accomplishing
rather amazing feats. As a healer, teacher and player,
never before has there been this combination of skills.
Swinging a Better Way…"Doc" Teaches
Doctors.
Blanchard has married his medical skills and his experience
as a competitive golf professional to bring an unparalleled
perspective to golf education. He organized a continuing
education seminar for doctors, approved by the California
State Board of Chiropractic Examiners for license
renewal. In association with Innercalm Associates,
he leads a seminar that focuses on teaching health
care professionals how to assess and treat golf specific
injuries. These seminars are scheduled twenty-four
times a year primarily in California and other western
states. The course has become so popular that a curriculum
is in the works for a Chiropractic Board Certification
Specialty in golf related injuries and patient care.
At these seminars, attendees are schooled in the mechanics
of the golf swing to better understand the potential
for injury and how the swing affects golf specific
muscles. There are three fundamental causes of golf
injuries: poor posture, lack of flexibility and poor
swing mechanics. The root cause of poor mechanics
is often the result of a physical restriction or mechanical
dysfunction, which may very well be alleviated through
chiropractic procedures. Lack of flexibility can also
be addressed by treatment along with a prescribed
a stretching program specifically designed around
each patient's restrictions. Obviously, Chiropractic
care is ideally suited to deal with poor posture.
With a grasp of proper swing mechanics under their
belt, attendees are then taken through the clinical
protocol procedures designed by Dr. Blanchard for
treatment. The golf swing is discussed in relation
to how each area of the body is affected. Some restrictions
and dysfunctions are curable, but the seminar also
teaches methods that assist golfers in working through
their restrictions, while enabling them to produce
the best swing mechanics possible. As a part of the
class, attendees spend time on a golf range hitting
balls, and see firsthand the cause and effect that
Blanchard preaches. His philosophy asserts that sound
swing mechanics are essential to maintaining physical
health and also lower scores.
Richard Cotton of Carlsbad, California, a corporate
and individual fitness consultant specializing in
custom fitness programs attended a recent seminar.
Cotton, of First Fitness Inc. of Salt Lake City, Utah
is the former Chief Exercise Physiologist and current
spokesperson for the American Council on Exercise.
He says, "Dr. Blanchard teaches a very comprehensive
flexibility and fitness assessment, which directly
affects the golf swing." Cotton adds that, "This
information is more valuable than a lesson on the
range. Blanchard's introduction of the EZ light swing
trainer device to trace the point of origin of the
swing was enlightening. An illustration of a patient
that developed wrist problems as a result of compensations
from a flat swing was a great example of how a health
care provider can work with a golf professional to
the benefit of our golf patients."
Feedback from attendees has been nothing short of
fantastic. Dr. Paul Helzer of the Helzer Healing Arts
Center, an all-encompassing facility in Bellflower,
California utilizing a wide range of medical specialists
including MD's, Chiropractors, Orthopedists and physical
therapists found Blanchard's seminar, "Has made
a tremendous difference. It has been beneficial to
patients from both the medical and game improvement
standpoints." The facility has gone so far as
creating an area where golf patients work with the
swing light and video. Helzer adds that, "The
mind-body analysis that Blanchard teaches has been
a boost to our business. Chiropractors are body mechanics
and understanding the dynamics of the golf swing has
significantly aided our ability to help our golfers,
rather than just commiserating with their problems."
"Whatever shape you are in, this seminar will
teach you how to swing properly, enjoy the exercise
and minimize pain and soreness," says Dr. Amy
Aquarian of Santa Monica, President of the Physician's
Council on Obesity. Dr. Diane Jordan of Redondo Beach,
California wrote in that, "You don't need to
be a golfer to LOVE this seminar. I left with an understanding
of the golf swing and how to diagnose and treat golf
injuries." "This is the best re-licensing
seminar I have ever attended... EVER!!!," wrote
Dr. Karl Hoffower, Los Gatos, Ca. Blanchard has also
worked as a chiropractic consultant to Scripps Clinics
and the University of California, San Diego.
Corporate & Public Clinics
The "Doctor that teaches Doctor's" is also
bringing that knowledge directly to the general public
as well as the corporate world. That he can train
health care practitioners is a given, but that same
information can also be shared, on a simpler level,
with the average golfer. In these clinics, Blanchard
begins by once again explaining the bio mechanics of
the swing, but in layman's terms. The general theme
and topics remain the same. Information is delivered
from the standpoint of the golfer and the course he
can take to assess his personal health and fitness
situation in relation to his swing mechanics. At these
clinics, more detail is paid to the golf swing itself,
and somewhat less time is spent on the medical aspects.
The six-hour clinic is a prerequisite to individual
training. After a student has absorbed the seminar
content, Blanchard's lessons are taught primarily
via a 9-hole playing lesson format.
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On the Cutting Edge…of Medicine & Golf
A recent injury brought me to Dr. Blanchard. A conservative
approach to treatment failed to return me to health,
so under the "Golf Doc's" care; I underwent
a procedure called Manipulation Under Anesthesia,
a non-invasive surgical procedure for patients who
suffer from chronic musculoskeletal disorders. MUA
is an option for patients who failed to respond to
previous conservative therapy. A result of a fall,
two herniated discs were keeping me off the golf course
and in serious pain. A prior disc injury had kept
me away from the game for almost three years and required
major neck surgery.
On three consecutive mornings, I was placed under
a general anesthesia while Dr. Blanchard manipulated
the affected area of my body. The anesthesia is necessary
to discourage resistance during the procedure and
avert a painful experience. Each successive day, the
damaged area was able to be worked deeper and provide
muscular release and relief from my agony. The procedure
allowed me to play once again, pain free. It was such
a spectacular success, that by the time this story
is in print, I will have undergone an elective MUA
at the Orange County Manipulation Under Anesthesia
and Pain Center at the Anaheim West Surgical Center,
on my shoulders and left hip.
MUA is not indicated for everyone who has back or
neck pain. Careful selection and screening of the
patient is essential. The MUA procedure is a gentle
combination of repeated stretching and manipulation
techniques to restore full and proper range of motion
to affected areas. The procedure has proven to be
most effective when working around the spine and shoulders.
Indications for prospective MUA patients include nerve
entrapment, chronic muscle pain, scar tissue, disc
bulges and herniations, sciatica pain, and healed
compression fractures. "MUA is usually performed
as an outpatient procedure over the course of three
days," reports Dr. Susan Moein, MD, of the California
Academy for Manipulation Under Anesthesia. The CAMUA
provides State Board Certification for physicians
who train to become specialists in MUA. With follow
up physical therapy, research points out that approximately
70% of MUA patients can return to their normal work
and active life style. According to Innercalm Associates,
a 1999 paper issued by the International Spinal Injection
Society indicated that 68.6 % of 177 patients studied
were well enough to return to work and experienced
no adverse effects. In addition to a chiropractic
assistant on hand during the MUA, a medical doctor
and a registered nurse specializing in OR techniques
are always present during the brief procedure.
School for "Better Golf"
A rib cage injury Doc suffered during a tournament
in Temecula, California gave rise to the idea for
a golf school. Hitting 300 to 500 balls every day,
compounded by poor flexibility was the root cause
of his injury. For the next five months, Blanchard
could swing a club, but any contact with a ball led
to excruciating pain. Without the flight of the ball
to give him feedback, Doc realized he had no idea
if he was correctly rehearsing the proper swing path.
"I taped small flashlights (later to be replaced
by the more effective EZ Way Swing Light Trainer)
to both ends of my clubs. After weeks of swinging
in the garage, I discovered the exact origin of the
swing plane for every club in the bag," says
Blanchard. "With an established plane of origin,
I was able to practice perfectly, without hitting
a golf ball," Blanchard maintains. He began sharing
his insights with friends. Before he knew it, he was
getting referral calls to help other players. In June
of 1999, the Blanchard Golf Injury Seminars debuted.
If you're looking for game improvement, lower scores
and you're willing to commit to working, Blanchard's
Golf Seminars might be just the thing for you. Dr.
Blanchard offers no band-aids or quick fixes. His
philosophy declares that to develop a solid golf game,
an all-encompassing approach needs to be taken. "The
old model of a teacher working with a student for
an hour on the range, just doesn't work," Blanchard
asserts. "That the average golf handicap has
dropped only two tenths of a stroke over the last
thirty years despite the advances in technology, demonstrates
that a change is needed," he forcefully adds.
Dr. Blanchard's approach is a comprehensive program
dealing with four key components; Structure and physical
conditioning, swing mechanics, nutrition and playing
lessons.
Blanchard suggests potential students view his Swing
Technology DVD as an introduction throughout California.
Virtually all the great golf instructors stress the
importance of the "swing plane" and it's
the key to Blanchard too. As part of the 6-hour program,
every attendee of the workshop is taught to use an
EZ Way Swing Light Trainer. The swing trainer literally
illuminates the path and plane of your golf club,
while you are swinging. This instant feedback is very
important. Other fitness and workout aids are also
introduced along with a conditioning regimen.
The day alternates between indoor work and ball striking
sessions on the range. The workshops are limited in
size, due to the personal nature of the instruction.
There is also a take home workshop manual. Whether
you sign up for the full Seminar or just a bit of
individual instruction, playing lessons are an integral
part of the program. Normally because of the time
involved, a playing lesson is too costly for most
students. Because Blanchard feels so strongly that
this type of teaching and learning is vital, he keeps
pricing inordinately low for the playing lessons.
I found the playing lessons to be especially helpful
and have been playing better golf and scoring lower
ever since. Each playing lesson, usually one-on-one,
is catered to the students' individual needs. "These
lessons give the student the opportunity to take their
training to the golf course under game conditions,"
says Blanchard. No scores are kept and explanations
are given at every turn. Blanchard stresses a shorter,
more compact swing, particularly for players not regularly
shooting in the 70's. He had me hitting longer clubs
using the more compact swing. Initially, I found it
a bit awkward, but I quickly found my rhythm. For
example, I would hit a 7-iron instead of an eight,
maintaining better control of my swing motion. Controlling
distance has never been my problem, so we worked on
shot trajectory and direction.
Dr. Nicolai Lennox is a long time Blanchard student,
who also happens to have a chiropractic practice in
Del Mar, California. He boasts that, " Jeff has
given me way to understand
what is going on with my swing. I have an approach
to fall back on and get my swing back to where it
belongs. The exercises I learned and using the EZ
light work!" In his capacity as a medical professional,
Dr. Lennox has also attended the Board Certified Continuing
Education seminar and makes use of Blanchard's methods
in his practice.
Blanchard Golf Seminars are highly personalized. I
found it extremely beneficial, and at 8.1, my handicap
is the lowest it's ever been. Playing "Better
Golf" isn't easy, but if you're willing to work
at it, the effort certainly pays off.
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Physician…Heal
Thy (Golf) Self
Now 48, Doc seriously took up golf at 35 and turned
pro ten years later. Paired with a PGA Tour player
in a tournament at Torrey Pines, Blanchard felt that
his game was not that far off the pro level. He wondered
if he could compete at the top echelon, and committed
to devoting 20 hours a week to training. "I've
fallen in love with the everyday practice and necessary
self-discovery to playing better golf. Practicing
what I preach, I've reduced my handicap to a +1,"
declares Blanchard proudly. Doc is happy with his
game, but as an aspiring Senior PGA Tour player he
reveals, "Shoot 69, and you get lapped by the
field." Personal instructor Bob Cisco says, "Jeff
is fine tuning his game and mental focus to play the
Senior Tour and from all indications, I would now
say he is in position to accomplish that goal. No
small feat I may add."
Information on MUA, corporate and group clinics, speaking
engagements or the Blanchard Golf Seminars schedule
can be obtained by calling 805-528-1112 or via the
Internet at, www.GolfInjurySeminars.com
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