Meet The Doc Dr. Keven Hagen Rochester TPI Medical Professional
Meet the Pro with Go Golf U.S.
Welcome to the fourth edition of “Meet the Pro”. If you missed our previous articles, let us quickly explain what/why we do it. A goal of Go Golf U.S. is to build a personal connection in the game of golf again. We want to help players get to know the courses, golf shop staff and pros. When we see familiar faces and can add a smile or hello, it makes a better experience for all. So, to gather content for these articles, I (Alan Liwush) put the pros on the hot spot in an interview to find more about them to share with all of our Go Golf U.S. community members.
Dr. Keven Hagen TPI Rochester Medical Professional
I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Keven Hagen through some mutual friends and immediately signed up for an appointment with him. His background is in chiropractic work, but his love for golf lead him to getting certified in medical performance with TPI (Titleist Performance Institute). My phase one screening was great and pointed out my strengths and weaknesses. I was able to take those weaknesses to my swing coach, Head PGA Professional of Clifton Springs Country Club, Michael Basch and get tips on how to improve on them. This was exactly what the doctor ordered when I reached out to him, FULL pun intended. Keep reading for the full story of Dr. Keven Hagen’s interview below.
Background
Dr. Hagen works at Rochester Sports Chiropractic in Mendon. He is the owner and practicing doctor on staff. The office officially opens July 24 but will do screenings at local clubs or fitness facilities. Before starting this office he was a personal trainer at Bally Total fitness and a practicing provider at Victor Chiropractic. The concept of the office is to incorporate chiropractic care with personal training exercises or stretches that can be done by anyone, anywhere. His main goal is to get people back on their feet and away from seeing a chiropractor every week for their entire life. He feels most people experience exceptional results in under 2 weeks. At that point, he won’t see them again until they get injured or have a flair up.
I’d say those are some great goals. You can really tell he’s in it for the patients when you meet Dr. Hagen. His kindness shows in his practice and you can feel his passion for helping others when you meet him. We really hit it off when we got to talking golf. Read on for the details.
PHOTO ABOVE IS DR. KEVEN’S LOGO FOR HIS PRACTICE.
Hagen’s Intro into Golf and more
Keven got “bit” by the golf bug after graduating from The University of Iowa and he bought a set of clubs online. When they arrived, he played at Victor Hills and loved every second of it! That summer, he played two rounds a week at every course he could afford on a student budget (Too bad he didn’t have a certain app handy at that time).
His passion for golf is derived from the fact that it’s the only sport where families can play together for years. Growing up with an ice hockey background like myself, it’s rare to see a father and son on the same team. He really enjoys everything about the sport and it’s something he plans on playing with his family for the next 30+ years.
Steps to becoming a TPI Golf Professional
Keven says, “Virtually anyone can be TPI level one and honestly everyone who cares about the sport should consider it. Level two is a little different and it breaks into different tiers based on education and what you want to do. Currently I am medical two and I plan on becoming level three soon (three is the highest). In the future I want to become level two power and fitness so I can educate on all aspects of health with golf.”
After hearing more about it, I did some research and am considering getting certified myself in the fitness aspect of TPI as I have both a passion for fitness and golf.
PICTURED ABOVE IS KEVEN AND THE 2017 MASTERS CHAMPION SERGIO GARCIA
Q and A
Q: Most frequently asked questions by golfers?
A: “Can I fix their slice? No, you can fix it though with proper training and support. What I can do, is help correct faulty movements that may lead to a slice or pain post golf. But I am not a swing coach and never would adjust your swing. What I do is figure out how you move and help your body move at its maximum efficiency.” Keven is VERY adamant about this. He is not a swing coach and doesn’t pretend to play one on TV or the Internet. He has no problem recommending some local golf professionals he works with if you need swing advice.
Q: Whats one thing you would tell/teach every beginner level player to work on to set themselves up for long term success in playing golf?
A: “Get screened. Building a home on a poor foundation will result in future damage. The same applies to golf. If you’re building your swing around poor mechanics there will be problems.”
Q: What are the biggest wastes of time in golf training?
A: “Very difficult question and it really depends on the individual. Personally, I feel most people waste time at the driving range. Basically you spend your entire day sitting. You sit for breakfast, sit on the commute to work, sit at work, sit at lunch, sit on the drive to the range, then you do 30 seconds of hamstring or core rotation stretches and pound out a bucket. It’s unfortunate, but the risk of injury sky rockets during that hour and you actually hurt your training.” This made perfect sense when Keven said it. At first I wanted to say well you need to go to the range to practice to get better and then quickly realized I don’t go right into a workout without warming up first. The same rules apply for golf and proper warm up should be done with a stretch routine before you go hammering a large bucket.
Q: Who are the most impressive lesser-known golf instructors/trainers?
A: “Any TPI level two or three provider. Almost every professional has a TPI Chiropractor, Physical Therapist or swing coach on staff. And there’s a reason. 15 of the last 18 Major Championships, 25 of the Top 35 Players in the World and 52 of the last 63 PGA TOUR events were won by players advised by a TPI Certified Expert.” The numbers say it all… Go see a TPI professional and work on you mobility and flexibility.
Q: What do you believe makes your teaching style different? Who trained or influenced you?
A: “My approach is simple. I was a personal trainer, I studied under a physical therapist for a year then went to Chiropractic college. I incorporate everything I learned and put it under one roof.”
Q: What’s your view on golf and fitness? Has it changed the game? Do you think its positive for the game?
A: “Most people think golf is the easiest sport. In some regards yes, it is. You don’t get tackled or have to dodge 100mph hockey pucks, but golf requires extreme endurance. With fatigue or poor mechanics that one millimeter mistake at the tee will result in several yards at 220+ yards away. Training for golf needs to be a combination of endurance and power. Endurance to ensure each swing is consistent. Power because you need strength to maximize club head speed. If you don’t train you won’t get good consistent shots.” I couldn’t agree more with Keven. I have focused my athletic training on both endurance and power and have seen my game be the most consistent it has been in years
The fun stuff
Q: What are your views on Tiger’s past workout regimen. Was it too much?
A: I didn’t see Tigers specific training. But a few months ago, people were critiquing Rory’s deadlift regimen. I feel what Rory was doing was perfect. He was having appropriate rest periods, water intake and nutrition. His exercises were literally perfect. He targeted explosive and endurance exercises to maximize his game.”
Q: Who is a good golfer besides being poorly built for it or who is good at golf and “Shouldn’t be”?
A: “John daly and Sergio Garcia”
Name 3 things every player needs in their golf bag? – Can’t be a club.
A. “1. Divot tool, I hate to see beat up greens.
2. Water and food. I always have a liter water bottle that I fill up at the turn. I also am a big fan of light meals during the day. I usually have a bag of grapes, a small bag peanuts or cashews and a peanut butter jelly sandwich.
3. Titleist golf balls, preferably Pro V1’s!”
You can find Pro V1’s below on Amazon!
Q: What is one thing you think EVERY golfer needs – has to be $99 and under?
A: Well for the 2017 season every golfer needs a good pair of waterproof shoes. It’s like a pond out there.”
For good golf shoes, we at Go Golf U.S. recommend the Foot Joy Hyper Flex II. It’s a great light weight shoe with aggressive spikes to handle the uncontrollable NY weather…
What is one fitness/strength device you think every golf needs or should be using?
A: I’m a big fan of kettlebell exercises. If done right you can get exceptional results from low weight kettlebell’s. Having a set of 3 (5, 10, and 15 lbs) in the apartment or home gym is more than enough. Solid cast iron is the only option, it doesn’t really matter which company.
Keven also recommended the company below which you can find on Amazon as well.
Q: What is your favorite course in Rochester and why?
A: “It’s a little out there, but Winged Pheasant is my go to. Every time I go the course, it’s in great condition and it’s rarely busy.”
Q: Who do you follow for tips advice and tricks for golf fitness?
I am a fan of Jason Glass of Jason Glass Performance Lab.
Where to find Dr. Keven Hagen and Rochester Sports Chiropractic
Dr. Hagen will be focusing on treating athletes in the southern Rochester suburbs. His emphasis will be on body mechanics rather than strength and conditioning. Having worked with Olympic, Division 1 and other high caliber athletes, he will bring a unique approach to the region.
To help get Dr. Hagen and RSC’s info out there, you can find him online at www.585chiropractor.com and on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/Dr.Keven/
Last notes from the Doc., “I accept most insurances, but please call to confirm. My cash rate is $100 for the first appointment and $40 for follow ups. Typically, 1-2 follow ups will be enough per season, unless a true injury needs to be treated.”[/cs_text][cs_text]That all folks! Thanks for reading our July edition of “Meet The Doc” with Dr. Keven Hagen. I had a blast getting to know Keven as I do with all the interview, but he really educated me on the fitness aspects of golf that absolutely NEED to be paid attention to before you have an injury on your hands.
Be sure to stay tuned for next month’s edition as well as other blog posts. Thanks for reading!
