As any player can tell you, golf can be painful enough without injuries.
Michael Edwards, founder and owner of Shore Golf Performance & Physical Therapy, practices a patient-centered approach on the grounds of the Cranston County Club, created specifically to serve clients rather than insurance companies.
This personalized care ensures that clients receive the attention they need to reach their goals, whether it be addressing hip pain or getting rid of a dreaded slice.
Prior to opening his practice, Edwards served as the lead physical therapist at Youngs Physical Therapy & Sports Performance in Greenville, N.C.
Growing frustrated with his previous career working with multiple clients simultaneously, Edwards decided to go his own way. Originally from eastern North Carolina, he and his wife moved to Rhode Island in June 2022.
“I was either going to completely change professions or do something different,” he said.
Operating out of network allows Shore Golf Performance to deliver the level of care that Edwards is committed to providing, without the paperwork.
“We wouldn’t be able to offer this level of service at the rates that insurance companies currently reimburse for physical therapy treatment,” he said.
With personalized, one-on-one sessions lasting an hour, Shore Golf Performance provides a more efficient plan of care, resulting in better outcomes for patients in fewer visits, thereby saving time and costs in the long run.
As an avid golfer, Edwards aims to create an environment tailored specifically for golfers of all skill levels. He has worked with junior, college, recreational and professional golfers and served as a physical therapist for players at the Rex Hospital Open in Raleigh, N.C., in 2019 and 2021, a stop on the Korn Ferry Tour that determines eligibility for the PGA circuit.
With a focus on individualized care, Edwards now sees up to eight clients a day – far better than the conveyor-belt approach of traditional practices, where physical therapists often juggle numerous clients for just a few minutes at a time.
In many corporate environments, “accountability can be lacking,” said Edwards, both for clients and providers. “I like to work with clients who have some skin in the game.”
In order to get a holistic overview of a client’s golf swing and identify certain aspects that may be exasperating issues like acute pain and stiffness, Shore Performance partners with PGA pro Todd Cambell of the Golf Academy, utilizing the latest Trackman technology that can break down multiple aspects from address to follow through.
Edwards has become a devotee on the importance of the so-called “mind and body connection,” a principle championed by the Titleist Performance Institute, which, through targeted exercises and training programs, addresses physical limitations such as lack of flexibility, stability, or strength and identifies specific areas in the body that may be hindering the golf swing.
Edwards recalls recently when he asked a longtime client how he had maintained his physical health since their last consultation. The client was stumped.
“It’s all about what you prioritize,” he said. “Many people go through life above a certain threshold of pain. They don’t realize that you don’t have to live your daily life that way. But you need to know the reasons why before you formulate a strategy to address it.”
OWNER: Michael Edwards
TYPE OF BUSINESS: Physical therapy
LOCATION: 69 Burlingame Road, Cranston
EMPLOYEES: Four
YEAR FOUNDED: 2022
ANNUAL REVENUE: WND
