It was not a shot that Scottie Scheffler would ever observe.
On the lengthy, cliffside fourth gap at Torrey Pines throughout the second spherical of the Genesis Invitational in February, Scheffler’s tee shot had discovered a clumsy spot on the lip of a steep fairway bunker.
The lie was distinctive, however not so dangerous that the No. 1 participant on the planet could not discover a technique to make it work for him. Scheffler wasn’t simply trying to get the ball out of the bunker — he grabbed a fairway wooden — he wished to get the ball as near the inexperienced as potential. He adjusted his 6-foot-3 body accordingly, inserting his proper foot on the grass skirt surrounding the bunker whereas most of his left foot appeared to hover above the sand.
Scheffler swung and made contact, nonetheless replicating his sliding swing, which made his left foot instantly slip and fall into the bunker whereas his proper leg folded awkwardly beneath him. However his physique held and so did his end because the flushed ball soared by way of the air and landed close to the inexperienced. Scheffler made par.
Do not do that at residence 😬 pic.twitter.com/ghJOVHa8LY
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 14, 2025
“That’s a type of [shots] the place you are simply in a clumsy place and I’ve bought to take a bizarre stance and make a bizarre swing and in some way get the ball up there,” Scheffler stated. “Generally I am fairly good at that.”
The second was a small glimpse into an underrated a part of the Scheffler expertise. Behind the elite ballstriking and the languid swing with the slip-and-slide ft, there’s a basis that has been constructed on not solely otherworldly ability, zealous repetition and a dedication to approach, but in addition powered by an emphasis on health that has unlocked Scheffler’s greatest golf prior to now three years.
“He wasn’t a gymnasium rat initially,” Scheffler’s efficiency coach and coach Dr. Troy Van Biezen advised ESPN. “It took a few conditions when he was in faculty to lastly pull the set off and notice he is bought to place a while in off the golf course to remain ache free and to compete at a excessive degree.”
Final yr, nobody performed at a better degree than Scheffler, who received the Masters and 7 different tournaments. This yr, after needing hand surgical procedure following a cooking accident and lacking his first two begins of the season, Scheffler has but to win and has proven that even he isn’t resistant to the sport’s ebbs and flows. It is one other reminder that, as he begins his quest for a 3rd Masters victory in 4 years, course of is what he can hold on to, particularly relating to his work earlier than he reaches the primary tee.
“In golf, you may’t management the wind, you may’t management the dangerous bounce, and even your swing generally,” Van Biezen stated. “However we will management your health degree; we will management the whole lot.”
Van Biezen, a Dallas-based efficiency coach, nonetheless remembers when he and Scheffler started working collectively, and Scheffler was simply one other “little man” at 14 years outdated. Like many junior golfers who noticed Van Biezen of their early teenage years once they began experiencing again ache, Scheffler’s progress spurt from highschool to school was a precipitating second of his early profession.
“When Mom Nature kicks in, it will possibly create a number of imbalances and asymmetries,” Van Biezen stated. “As a result of the golf swing is predicated on repetitive actions to particular muscle teams, these imbalances, asymmetries can create ache and harm. … Scottie grew actually quick and misplaced a number of flexibility.”
Van Biezen, who’s at the moment director of efficiency for the Dallas Stars, sees his position as a crew pit chief cleansing up these bodily weak hyperlinks by way of a deal with mobility, stability and energy. Van Biezen additionally labored with Jordan Spieth and Tiger Woods for a handful of years, which helped crystallize his philosophy and objectives.
“I come from a hockey background so I’ve at all times been a proponent of massive butts and massive legs,” Van Biezen stated. “One of many issues Tiger stated to me was, , bodily, emotionally, mentally, he needs to be as sturdy Thursday morning as he does Sunday afternoon on the again 9.”
Due to the expansion spurt, Scheffler’s freshman season at Texas went from promising to worrisome as he struggled to interrupt par. On the time, Van Biezen labored hand-in-hand with Scheffler’s swing coach Randy Smith and Texas coach John Fields, to counteract these elements that have been affecting Scheffler as he grew actually — 13 inches throughout a 14-month span — and figuratively, again into among the finest amateurs on the planet.
Regardless of successful twice on the Korn Ferry Tour and getting his PGA Tour card for the 2020 season, Scheffler had hassle ending tournaments, holding onto leads and easily not with the ability to flip good weeks into successful. Van Biezen was continuously searching for weaknesses, and a better take a look at Scheffler yielded a harsh actuality.
“From a cardiovascular level, he wasn’t on the degree we wished him to be, to have the ability to shut out a win on Sunday afternoon,” Van Biezen stated.
The answer? An offseason boot camp heading into 2021 to construct up Scheffler’s energy, flexibility and energy, however particularly his endurance.
“We did a number of metabolic coaching, a number of burners after a exercise, simply actually pushing him onerous, actually stressing the nervous system,” Van Biezen stated. “So when it did come all the way down to Sunday afternoon, particularly at a significant throughout these lengthy weeks, he’d be prepared to complete the deal.”
Van Biezen is the primary to be cautious in ascribing any superior significance to health alone, however as Scheffler’s sport grew to become sharper, his expertise on Tour better, the hyperfocus on his health was, in some methods, the cheat code that put Scheffler excessive — over and over. In actual fact, over the previous six PGA Tour occasions the place he has held a 54-hole lead (not counting the 2024 Tour Championship), Scheffler has received all of them.
“We have simply gotten to some extent the place I have been capable of eliminate a number of the aches and pains I used to cope with once I was in faculty,” Scheffler said in an interview speaking about GolfForever, the health program he makes use of with Van Biezen. “And I’ve gotten to a spot the place my physique, I really feel like, is actually wholesome, however it was a protracted journey to get to some extent the place I used to be in stability for a protracted sufficient time frame the place we may really begin constructing somewhat little bit of muscle.”
As Scheffler has identified earlier than, he is not precisely making an attempt to construct an inordinate quantity of energy or velocity to hit the ball farther. However understanding learn how to persistently transfer his physique effectively to mitigate ache and maximize the hyperspecific actions a golf swing requires is as essential as realizing learn how to flight a 7-iron.
“After I flip correctly into my proper hip, I can load after which push off and simply get all the best way again on my left facet versus sort of doing a reversal,” Scheffler stated. “If I did not work out and do the issues that I do within the gymnasium to have the ability to play golf, I would not be capable to maintain my physique the best way that I’ve been for the final 10 years.”
“How briskly are you able to row in 30 seconds?”
Contained in the gymnasium the place Scheffler trains in Dallas alongside fellow execs Tom Kim and Ryan Palmer, that is typically the problem that faucets into Scheffler’s aggressive fireplace when he would not have a membership in his palms.
“Scottie likes to chirp within the gymnasium,” Van Biezen stated. “One time we had a energy day and Scottie had a weighted vest doing one thing referred to as skater squats and Scottie is telling Tom, ‘You may’t try this’ and so they pushed Tom to do it, in order that they shuttle, struggle one another and push one another.”
Van Biezen discovered fairly shortly that working with Scheffler would nearly at all times require a element of competitors to get essentially the most out of offseason exercises and coaching.
As of late, Van Biezen would not should be with Scheffler to know what he wants. He and his staff know the tell-tale indicators which are triggered when he is not capable of load into his proper facet, inflicting his swing to fall right into a reverse backbone tilt and expose his again to potential discomfort. Whether or not on the vary or on the course, Smith’s consciousness of that particular situation is now second nature; he is aware of learn how to look out for it and they’ll typically ship Van Biezen a video or a textual content from the vary so he can have a look and provide assist.
“I began from floor zero with him,” Van Biezen stated. “I’ve recognized Scotty for therefore lengthy, I can see how his physique strikes, after which I sort of reverse engineer these actions after which we introduce train within the gymnasium to mainly both clear up that dangerous motion sample or activate a sure physique half or, or muscle teams.”
The group has a set of mobility workouts that Scheffler can undergo to focus on the inner hip rotation and promote extra of a flip as a substitute of a tilt. Whereas seemingly small, that refined distinction is gargantuan and might typically imply the hole between ballstriking week and an elite one, the distinction between second place and first.
Scheffler, Van Biezen, stated, is interested by what he would not know and is not afraid to ask why he is being requested to do one thing within the gymnasium. However as soon as outcomes have poured in, there was no hesitation in embracing Van Biezen’s gospel of efficiency. In actual fact, the connection between higher health and higher golf has led Scheffler to take some steps of his personal, including a chilly plunge, purple gentle remedy and the Normatec compression boots at residence to hone in his restoration.
“Everyone needs the horny half, they take a look at Rory or Tiger a very long time in the past, energy, velocity energy, plyometrics, field leaping, which we do,” Van Biezen. “But it surely’s the monotony of it. He is come to comprehend that now we have to stay with the corrective, the mobility, stability, basis. He does that each day.”
Although Van Biezen is not at all times on the highway with Scheffler, there’s a routine that Scheffler sometimes follows throughout event weeks. Monday is often the one and solely heavy raise day. Tuesday is practical mobility day. Wednesday, which generally entails taking part in a pro-am plus some extra observe, there is no additional work. As soon as the event begins, his pre-round mobility routine might be match round his tee time, permitting for any alterations ought to he want it.
“Your physique is a dynamic entity. It is at all times going to alter whether or not it is dangerous beds, airplane trip, no matter,” Van Biezen stated. “So we sort of learn and react fairly a bit week to week.”
If there was a final piece to the optimization puzzle, Van Biezen — additionally a nutritionist — has made positive to assist Scheffler make strides there as effectively with assistance from one other member of Scheffler’s close-knit group: Scheffler’s spouse, Meredith.
“She could be very health-oriented,” Van Biezen stated. “She stays on it and makes positive he eats wholesome. He will get it from me and he will get it from her, so he cannot actually disguise it.”
Consuming proper wasn’t a major problem for Scheffler, however in that division, Van Biezen has turn into an educator, explaining the what and the why to Scheffler and permitting him no less than some flexibility. Although the north star is at all times to construct the perfect model of Scheffler earlier than he ever hits a shot in competitors, even the perfect participant on the planet has his weak point.
“He loves his pizza,” Van Biezen stated with fun. “So we compromise, and I choose and select when he will get to eat that.”
