Matthew Lamb, PT, DPT is TPI Certified Level 1 — the Titleist Performance Institute credential for golf-specific movement screening. He works with golfers at our Columbia and Camden clinics.
Two different services
Golf rehabilitation
For golfers dealing with an injury. Low back pain, hip and shoulder problems, elbow and wrist pain — treated with the demands of the swing in mind rather than as generic orthopedic complaints.
Golf performance training
For golfers who are not injured but want to move better. A movement screen looks at how your body actually rotates, extends, and stabilizes, then corrective exercise addresses what is limiting you.
Performance training is self-pay. Rehabilitation is billed through insurance like any other physical therapy.
Why golf breaks bodies
The golf swing asks the body to rotate at speed, repeatedly, from a bent-over position. It demands mobility through the hips and thoracic spine, stability through the core, and the ability to separate upper body rotation from lower body rotation.
When one of those is missing, the body compensates — and the compensation usually shows up somewhere else. Low back pain is the classic example. The back is often where the pain lands, not where the problem started.
Most golfers also play far more than they train, which means the same pattern is repeated thousands of times without anything correcting it.
What a TPI screen involves
The TPI movement screen is a series of physical tests that identify where your body is limited. It looks at hip and shoulder rotation, thoracic mobility, pelvic control, and how well you separate one from the other.
The screen does not analyze your swing mechanics — that is your golf instructor's job. It identifies the physical limitations that may be forcing you into a swing fault in the first place.
The two work together. A coach can tell you what your swing is doing. A TPI-certified physical therapist can tell you whether your body is capable of doing something different.
Common golf injuries we treat
- Low back pain and stiffness
- Lead-side hip pain
- Shoulder pain, particularly in the lead shoulder
- Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis)
- Wrist pain and impact injuries
- Rib and thoracic pain
- Neck stiffness limiting rotation
Common questions
What does TPI Certified mean?
The Titleist Performance Institute certifies health and fitness professionals in golf-specific movement assessment. Level 1 covers the physical screening that identifies how a golfer's body limitations relate to swing characteristics.
Do I need to be injured to come in?
No. Performance training is for golfers who are not in pain but want to move better, add consistency, or keep playing comfortably as they get older.
Is this covered by insurance?
Golf rehabilitation for an injury is billed as physical therapy and covered like any other physical therapy. Performance training is a self-pay service.
Do I need a referral?
We will check your specific insurance plan before your first visit and tell you exactly what it requires.
Which locations offer this?
Matthew practices at our Columbia clinic on Rosewood Drive and our Camden clinic on E DeKalb Street.
Will this replace golf lessons?
No. A coach works on your swing. We work on whether your body can do what the coach is asking. Golfers usually get the most out of both together.
Getting started
Call Columbia at (803) 233-1366 or Camden at (803) 432-2432 to book an evaluation or a movement screen.
