CALGARY - All through the recent finger-freezing, mind-numbing cold snap in Calgary, Stephen Ames was warm and content and playing golf in his basement. Pebble Beach, he noted dryly. Under perfect conditions.
It was all part of his at-home, computer-simulated training for this week's Bob Hope Classic, the first of three tournaments that will test the wounded back that turned Ames's 2010 season into a twisted torment.
If numbers tell a story, then what Ames posted in 2010 was like A Tale of Two Cities, without the best of times. His top finish in 23 events was a tie for sixth place at the Transitions Championship in March. His earnings ($916,527 U.S.) were his lowest since 2001. His world ranking at the start of 2011, No. 125, was the lowest to begin a season since he was No. 162 on Jan. 6, 2002.
His ailing back so altered his game and messed with his mind that Ames withdrew from a tournament in Las Vegas last October before missing the Children's Miracle Network Classic, a favourite stop where he had won in 2009 and 2007.
To get things corrected, Ames, 46, has toiled diligently over the past few months seeking solutions. He's seen a physiotherapist, visited with his swing coach Sean Foley in Florida, and played plenty of rounds, on land and virtually, during a Christmas vacation in Hawaii and on his simulator at home. He believes he's now good to golf on a competitive basis.
"I've always had issues with my mid-section and hip section," Ames said. "But after I played for three weeks [in December] my physiotherapist was surprised everything was still in line. If I can go as long as three weeks and still feel fine, that's a good start. It makes a big difference knowing what you're capable of doing."
Ames, who has experienced back woes in his career, described his latest difficulty as repetitive strain. "It's golf. The muscles were working so hard. … I got inverted. My hip flexors tightened and I got a bigger arch in my back. It wasn't good." he said.
Ames admitted he played longer than he should have last season before calling it quits, and that as his back ached and he had trouble sleeping at night, it affected his swing, which affected his confidence, which scuttled his game.
"I should have shut it down after the FedEx Cup," he said. "I kept prolonging it. At the same time, my body couldn't handle it. I was enjoying it but not really enjoying it."
Rob Connelly of Verve Golf in Calgary has been working with Ames for five years and has been doing his part to put his friend back together, physically and mentally, the complete package.
"Stephen's done really well his last four years but I think this past year, as a pro, was his most challenging," said Connelly, who is helping a number of young and aspiring Canadian golfers master their game. "At the end of the season, Sean and I and Stephen, we go through an evaluation to determine what's his biggest challenge. Stephen is one of the best ball strikers out there. He gets challenged when he thinks negatively and it affects his swing. When that happens, he unravels."
For Ames, staying healthy and upbeat are his twin mandates and why he's been reading books (such as The Divine Matrix) and watching Bruce Lipton videos on bridging beliefs and making them a reality. The idea is to gain outside perspectives to help Ames clarify and calm his thoughts when he's searching for his ball in the rough.
"I don't want to be that same person I was last year. I want to be a different person, be better on the golf course," he explained. "It's always mental, always a cycle humans go through. When things are bad you start thinking negatively. I need to change the cycle. I need to find a way to feel comfortable."
Having a back he can rely on is a good place to start.
"It feels better. I'm ready to go," he said.
From the basement to those Bob Hope fairways.