Fatiha Betcher at the Home of Golf, St. Andrews ….
Dr. Neal ElAttrache is one of the world’s leading sports medicine surgeons based at the famed Kerlan-Jobe Clinic in Los Angeles, California.
After receiving his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh in 1985, Dr. ElAttrache worked as an intern at the Hospitals of the University Health Center of Pittsburgh from July 1985 through June 1986. In July 1986, he did a four-year orthopedic residency program at the University of Pittsburgh.
In July 1990, Dr. ElAttrache began a fellowship program in sports medicine at Kerlan-Jobe Orthopaedic Clinic in suburban Inglewood.
He also is Head Team Physician for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Los Angeles Rams, former President of the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine, and trusted surgeon for legends like Tom Brady.
It was a great delight to speak with Dr. ElAttrache during this week’s Dunhill Links Championship and where he competing on day three of the event on the famed Old Course in the company of five time Majors winning Brooks Koeoka.
Dr. Neal ElAttrache examining an injured Dunhill Links caddy during the round at St Andrews. The GolfByTourMiss photograph is a perfect illustration of his message on golf and health.
GOLF AS A LIFELONG HEALTH SPORT
On golf being a lifelong health sport:
“The great thing about golf is that you can play it from the time you’re a child to when you’re well into your later years. It helps you to exercise, helps you to walk at least four or five miles whenever you play,” said Dr. ElAttrache.
“So the great thing about golf is that you can play some of the most beautiful places in the world and stay healthy while doing it.”
GOLF AND THE KEY: FLEXIBILITY OVER BULK
On training and staying fit for golf:
“Very important to stay not only strong for the game but flexible is probably the most important thing,” says Dr. ElAttrache.
“So if you’re doing any strength training, weight training, make sure that you do it with full range of motion of your joints in mind. Strong core is where it all begins, strong legs and always do your exercise throughout the full range of motion.”
“As you get older it’s not that you lose strength so much but you lose flexibility.”
And today at the Home of Golf, we witnessed first hand such advice as the image above shows the Doctor crouching attending to Dunhill Links tournament caddie and demonstrating flexibility care on the course.
TIGER WOODS INJURY ADDRESSED BY TOP SPORTS ORTHOPAEDIC EXPERT
And Dr. ElAttrache on 15-time major championship winning Tiger Woods and the evolution of the modern golf body:
“You can’t argue with how strong Tiger was and how well he played… he was the best golfer in the world for a very long time,” said Dr. ElAttrache.
“There’s the pre-Tiger Woods golf body and then there’s the post-Tiger Woods golf body, he changed everything.”
“Tiger has had some very very bad injuries that would make it difficult for anybody to play competitive golf… these golfers out here, these are amazing athletes now… a lot of them they got from Tiger”.
Thank you so much Dr. ElAttrache as it was an absolute pleasure to meet and chat with you … Fatiha.
