Week 7: Five things you can learn from the pros

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Photo courtesy of Rival Marketing

You may not think there is much to learn from watching golf on television. After all, these players are the very best in the game and can do things with a golf club that most people cannot. But if you watch carefully, there is actually quite a bit to be learned from the professionals. The next time you are watching professional golf, keep a close eye on the following.

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Watch a player's routine - Every player has a different routine they execute before approaching their next shot. Over years of playing, most pros have found a ritual that helps them think through their next shot. It slows down the pace of the game and helps them relax their mind before they address the ball. You may not completely adopt a pro's routine as your own, but it will make you more aware of your own ritual and what brings you peace of mind on the course.

Watch how a pro make mistakes - Did the pro golfer miss the green? Where did the ball go when it missed? Is there an easy follow-up shot, or is there now an even more difficult shot at the hole? Every pro knows that it is impossible to make a perfect shot every time. That is why every pro's strategy also leaves room for error. If the ball is not hit perfectly, chances are, the ball is still in a place where another very good shot can be taken. That shot that finds the light rough does not look so bad if the next shot puts the ball on the green.

Watch how they approach their putting - There is a reason why a pro takes a considerable amount of time around the green. The putt they are about to take counts just as much as a 300-yard drive. A pro will take however much time is necessary to read the green properly and to putt with a consistent stroke. They will never let another player rush them.

Watch how they react to errant shots - You have seen it before on highlight shows -- a pro golfer takes off their shoes and wades into water to a play a seemingly unplayable ball. Or a player peeks several times through the woods to find a path for their ball that no one else can see. We often forget that golf is a game of creativity. Sometimes that creativity is most important after you have made a bad shot. When a pro golfer shows unwavering confidence to hit an impossible shot immediately after hitting a terrible one, you get a good idea of why that golfer is a professional. Remember, your next great shot is just a swing away.

Watching professionals play can teach us a lot about golf. But chronic knee pain can make it impossible to put those lessons to good use. If knee pain is preventing you from performing at your best, you might be suffering from osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee. Various treatments for OA do exist, such as ORTHOVISC®, which provides up to six months of knee pain relief. Made from ultra-pure natural hyaluronan, which is found in healthy joints, ORTHOVISC® is injected into the knee joint where it acts to replace your natural joint fluid, to help cushion, protect, and lubricate your knee.

ORTHOVISC® is a proud sponsor of PGATOUR.com. Talk to your doctor to see if ORTHOVISC® is right for you. Or visit our Web site at www.orthovisc.com for more information on how to maintain your knee health to help you keep playing the game you love.

Follow us on Twitter for up-to-date information on maintaining joint health and the prevention/treatment of knee pain due to sports-related injuries or the early symptoms of osteoarthritis.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

ORTHOVISC® is indicated in the treatment of pain in osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee in patients who have failed to respond adequately to conservative nonpharmacologic therapy and to simple analgesics, e.g., acetaminophen. In clinical studies, the most commonly reported adverse events were arthralgia, back pain and headache. Other side effects include local injection site adverse events.

ORTHOVISC® is contraindicated in patients with known hypersensitivity to hyaluronate formulation or known hypersensitivity (allergy) to gram positive bacterial proteins. ORTHOVISC should not be injected in patients with infections or skin diseases in the areas of the injection site or joint. Strict aseptic technique should be used. The effectiveness of more than 1 course has not been established.

This is a paid placement by DePuy Mitek, Inc. The opinions expressed above are those of DePuy Mitek, Inc. and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the PGA TOUR.