Posted 4/14/03 9:57 am ET

Getting in game shape

PGA Tour players use fitness trailers regularly

Riehl is one of the trainers who works with the HealthSouth fitness trailer, which is now at the Augusta National Golf Club. Rob Carr/AugustaChronicle

The HealthSouth fitness trailers at PGA Tour stops were once lonely places for the clinicians and personal trainers who work in them.

The two trailers, which are located near the practice area at each of the 30 tour events they attend, are now in great demand.

"You can't get a seat in there anymore," Jay Haas said.

"You definitely need to go in there at the right time," Kevin Sutherland said. "There are times not to go in there. It can get pretty crowded. The best time to go in is in the early afternoon during tournament rounds because half the field is playing."

The popularity has grown so much that 2 1/2 years ago, the second trailer was added.

Instead of having rehabilitation and exercise work both in one trailer, there is now a specialized trailer for each.

"Fitness and staying in shape and working out is more and more popular," said Scott Riehl, a fitness trainer who works in the exercise trailer. "I've been here two years, and in the beginning, that wasn't the case. Guys are seeing it as a necessary part of their game. That's real exciting."

The rehabilitation trailer features three physical therapists and a chiropractor. Most of the work there focuses on therapeutic exercises and manual therapy involving the spine, hips and shoulders.

In the exercise trailer, players work on core stability, stretching and cardiovascular fitness.

"This is more the preventive end," Riehl said. "We try to keep them in shape so they don't need to spend so much time (in the rehabilitation trailer).

"Everyone comes in here for a different reason. Everything from weight loss to improvement of strength, coordination and flexibility. We specialize in helping them out with whatever goal they do have."

The exercise trailer can handle as many as eight players, Riehl said. He takes appointments, but never turns away a player who wants to work out.

Over at the rehabilitation trailer, physical trainer Paul Schueren said four players can be seen at one time, since each player works with a clinician.

"We had six guys waiting last week at the BellSouth Classic," Schueren said. "They wait, warm up and know how to keep busy. Everybody gets in line and waits their turn."

The busiest time of the week, Schueren, said, is from 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Wednesdays, the day before tournaments start.

"But we're steady all day Tuesday and Wednesday, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.," Schueren said. "On Thursday and Friday, when the players have tee times, we may have four to eight guys come in here at once. You can get that big rush in business, then you have a break in between the morning and afternoon play."

Many players also come in after their rounds, Schueren said.

This week, with the rain problems that plagued the Masters Tournament, the exercise trailer has been a popular place. About 50 percent of the 93-player field has visited the trailers, Riehl said.

Over the course of the year, Schueren said about 80 percent of the players will be at one of the trailers.

Now that Augusta National Golf Club is drying out and the tournament is back on schedule, the flow in the trailers is slowing down.

Plus, the Masters has one of the smaller fields on the tour, and many of the players stay in houses with friends and families this week, thus spending less time at the course.

Haas, who at age 49 has enjoyed a resurgence in his career this year, is one of the players Riehl works with in the exercise trailer.

"With Jay, we're working mainly on flexibility," Riehl said. "We do some resistance training, which improves his overall strength. We do some cardiovascular, bike and a lot of core exercises to improve his core strength and core flexibility, which hopefully will translate into better scores out on the golf course."

Haas started spending more time in the fitness trailer two years ago because he knew something had to be done about his physical conditioning.

"I wasn't playing that well maybe in 2000, my worst year ever out here (144th on the money list), and I didn't like that. I didn't like the feeling that I had," Haas said.

"I mean, I didn't like playing. It was just, if I missed a tournament, that's OK, I didn't want to go. I didn't like that feeling."

At age 46 in 2000, Haas realized that was no time for him to make a career change.

"This is all I've known," Haas said. "This is all I've ever done, and I kiddingly say I've made a list of things I could do other than play (and) it was zero. There was nothing on the list. I'm not qualified for anything."

So he headed for the fitness trailer.

"Just to be in that locker room and see the best players in the world and compete against them, I wanted to do that longer than right then," Haas said. "I wanted to continue on, so that's my goal, I guess, to do it as long as I can."

Because they work together so much, a camaraderie develops between the clinicians, fitness trainers and players.

"We travel with the tour 10 months out of the year, so we develop friendships," Riehl said. "We have a lot of fun in here."

In addition to the health benefits of the trailers, they provide a relaxing atmosphere for players, who are the only ones permitted to use the facilities.

"Sometimes, I think it's a nice getaway for them from being out on the golf course and the mobs of people that are out there," Riehl said. "It's a nice retreat to come here and work out and watch a movie. It's air-conditioned in here. Oftentimes, when we're in warmer climates, it's nice to come in here and have some fun."

 

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