About Chris Finn

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So far Chris Finn has created 27 blog entries.

PerformPKB: Top 3 Differences between Tour Pros and World Long Drive

When it comes to swinging fast and hitting the ball far, names like Dustin Johnson, Lexi Thompson and Brooks Koepka come to mind.  When I hear that, however, I have one question that always comes to my mind… Why are people talking about people who don’t crack 130 mph?   On the World Long Drive, if you swing under 140 mph you aren’t even thought about. Wouldn’t it make more sense to talk about what the long drive world is doing in relation to increasing club speed? Don’t get me wrong, DJ, JT and everyone else in the 120+ mph club is quite spectacular and hit the ball a long ways with incredible accuracy.  But if we are going to specifically discuss club head speed, the sport scientist in me would want to study the guys and girls who swing it the fastest in the world.  This [...]

By |2019-03-01T13:03:25-05:00March 1st, 2019|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: How Fast Do You Need to Swing to Play College Golf?

Playing college golf is the dream of most competitive junior golfers and their parents. There is tons of time, effort and money spent on the endeavor to give the junior golfer every possible opportunity to improve, learn and perform at their highest level. There are many unknowns for parents and the players as they start this endeavor, however. One of the biggest challenges every year is figuring our what tournaments to play in so that college coaches will notice you. There is a bit of science and a bit of art to this, of course. There has to be a blend between playing in tournaments that are played near where the junior wants to go to school as well as locally. There also needs to be a mix of local, state, regional and national level events depending on the level of the junior and their aspirations. There [...]

By |2019-03-01T12:48:41-05:00March 1st, 2019|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: Golf Fitness Online-Does It Work and Is It Safe for Juniors?

How do you know if an online fitness program is any good? What is the difference from one to another? Are there different types of online fitness programs? Everywhere you look there is a new app or program to train remotely on your own, even programs specific for golf!  Technology and the internet have created an ecosystem where you can learn from trainers and coaches on the other side of the planet, it is pretty remarkable. That being said, there are some distinct differences in the categories of virtual fitness programs out there that every parent and golfer need to be acutely aware of as you assess your options.  Basically, you can break them down into 3 categories; stock programs, custom programs, and “betweeners.” The rest of this article will help to outline the landscape of online training and help you to decide what type might be best for [...]

By |2019-01-29T16:07:27-05:00January 29th, 2019|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: Balance Hurts Swing Speed in Junior Golfers

Should you be working on balance in the gym? Does it even matter for junior golfers?   Balance is just a problem that senior golfers have, right? Hmmmm... We all know that it takes a combination of the upper body and lower body coordinating together to have an effective golf swing. However, one aspect often overlooked in golf is how we transfer from the right to the left (in a right-handed golfer, reverse for a lefty) from downswing to follow through. Did you know that there is a distinct limitation in how fast your body will let you go if it is not confident you will be able to balance or stabilize on the lead side?  Think of it as a governor on a golf cart. No matter how much you floor the pedal, the cart is only going to go as fast as it is programmed [...]

By |2019-01-29T16:07:59-05:00January 29th, 2019|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: Top Three Exercises Junior Golfers Do Wrong

There are so many exercises that a junior golfer can choose from when designing their workouts that it is overwhelming. Just of all the exercises, in the past year, that have been demonstrated in magazines, on television and, of course, on YouTube and anywhere else you consume your social media. The crazy thing is that these outlets probably don’t even combine to create an exhaustive list! So how, you may be wondering, from all those options could there possibly only be three exercises that junior golfers do wrong most often? The answer is multifaceted. First, junior golfers as a whole are not told “why” the exercises being done are useful. Many of us just pick out what the latest exercise we saw the newest world number one doing and assume that if it is good for them, it is good for us. Second, golfers often are not [...]

By |2019-01-29T16:08:32-05:00January 29th, 2019|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: Need to Knows to Increase Club Speed this Winter

When it comes to increasing a golfer’s length off the tee, there is only really one number that matters...ball speed.  Once you have achieved the ball speed you want, then it is all about optimizing the launch angle etc that will maximize the distance for you off the tee. That being said, there are a few things that go into creating the ball speed you desire.  Quality of contact and club head speed are two such elements that can impact ball speed for example.  The rest of this article will focus on steps that a golfer can take to maximize club head speed in four main areas. To maximize club head speed, there are four major components that a golfer needs to be aware of: equipment, technique, mobility and power.  I like to think of it as a pie chart of four equal areas in general, but [...]

By |2018-11-02T09:56:43-04:00November 1st, 2018|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: A Professional Golfer Likes a Challenge – Here’s Why

When everyone else is doing one thing and you believe in something different, do you have the courage to challenge everyone else, stick to your belief, and fight for it? Seriously, think about the last time you were in a situation where everyone agreed on one idea, activity, or way of doing things and you didn’t necessarily agree. Did you go along with everyone else or did you challenge them? It is never a comfortable thing to challenge the status quo and do things differently, yet this is a common thread that the most successful people in the world share. Warren Buffet’s investment strategy was different 50 years ago and he has stuck to it regardless.  He’s done OK for himself. Kobe Bryant and Kevin Garnett defied the doubters and skipped college to go straight to the NBA paving the way for the likes of Lebron James [...]

By |2018-09-18T12:02:40-04:00September 18th, 2018|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: Shaping YOUR Success

Shaping YOUR Success is a new PerformPKB series where current players and former PKBGT alumni express their thoughts on the increasing importance of physical fitness, training and nutrition as they progress through the levels of competition in tournament golf and into their collegiate golf programs. Read as players who were once in your shoes share their firsthand experiences on how training with PerformPKB prepared them to succeed in higher levels of competitive golf and give tips and advice on how you can improve your fitness habits to take your golf game to the next level!  Our first installment of Shaping YOUR Success features Riley, a PKBGT alumni who has trained at Par4Success. She currently is in her freshman year at the University of Virginia. - - - I was primed to succeed from the moment I stepped on campus thanks to the high level of fitness that [...]

By |2018-09-13T15:55:26-04:00September 13th, 2018|Player Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: Mind Over Matter for the Competitive Athlete

As a competitive athlete and strength coach, I can say with the utmost confidence that mindset is everything when it comes to performance. Whether you are at the Olympic level, a local athlete, or your average Joe looking to drop a couple lbs, if you are not in a state of mind where you can be motivated, or look to improve day in and day out, it’s going to be a lot tougher to get to where you want to be. My Experience There are numerous studies done on how things like positive self-talk and visualization helps us as athletes and humans to perform at their highest level. As a competitive powerlifter, I can attest to the fact that these two things are amazing tools in preparing mindset for competition. On my journey to my first Raw Nationals in 2017, I would go on long walks every single day. [...]

By |2019-01-18T12:07:03-05:00September 5th, 2018|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments

PerformPKB: Rise Above the Competition by Trying Something New

The best note to remember in any competitive setting is that there is a big difference between losing and failing.  In fact, we want to strive to fail because this means we are learning from pushing our boundaries.  Part of daring to be different requires you to try new things as part of your personal growth towards whatever your personal goals are. This can apply to achievement in sports, business, family life and any other number of things, but what I’d like to talk about is how it relates to taking care of your body. I see and talk to so many people on a daily basis who are stuck in ruts but haven’t been willing to change.  Trying new approaches is different and most people don’t like different.  These are some of my favorites: The person who has had the same workout regimen for years and [...]

By |2018-08-23T17:13:08-04:00August 23rd, 2018|Physical Performance Articles|0 Comments
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