Chris Wickel, PT, DPT — Orthopedic Golf Specialist
About Chris
Chris Wickel is a Doctor of Physical Therapy and Board-Certified Orthopedic Clinical Specialist based in the Philadelphia area. He is the founder of Another 18 Golf, a remote golf performance coaching practice designed to help golfers over 40 move better, hurt less, and keep playing the game they love.
Chris specializes in the physical performance factors that affect the golf swing: hip mobility, thoracic rotation, core stability, strength, and the movement patterns that drive both pain and swing breakdown in golfers over 40. His work sits at the intersection of clinical orthopedic expertise and golf-specific biomechanics.
He does not teach the golf swing. He builds the body that can support it.
Background
Chris spent over fifteen years in outpatient orthopedic physical therapy, including as Lead Therapist at Penn Therapy and Fitness in Conshohocken and as co-founder of The Motion Doctors in the Philadelphia area.
In 2025 he founded Another 18 Golf to take that expertise into a dedicated remote coaching model, focused not on acute injury treatment but on the long-term physical development that allows golfers to play better, hurt less, and keep playing for decades.
Chris earned his Doctor of Physical Therapy degree with distinction from Arcadia University in 2011 and his Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh in 2008.
Credentials and Certifications
Chris holds an advanced combination of clinical and golf-specific credentials. Each is briefly explained below.
PT, DPT
Doctor of Physical Therapy, earned with distinction.
Issued by Arcadia University, 2011
OCS
Board-Certified Clinical Specialist in Orthopaedic Physical Therapy — held by fewer than 10% of physical therapists in the US.
Issued by American Board of Physical Therapy Specialties (ABPTS), 2019
TPI Medical Level 3 Certified
The highest medical designation in the Titleist Performance Institute system — focuses on the relationship between the body and the golf swing and how physical limitations affect swing mechanics and injury risk. TPI-certified since 2011.
Issued by the Titleist Performance Institute
Cert. MDT
Certification in Mechanical Diagnosis and Therapy (McKenzie Method) — a specialist certification in spine assessment and treatment.
Issued by the McKenzie Institute USA, 2013
SFMA
Selective Functional Movement Assessment Certified (Levels 1 and 2) — a clinical framework for identifying the root cause of movement dysfunction in symptomatic patients
Issued by the Functional Movement Systems, 2015
The Guided Progression Method
Chris is the creator of the Guided Progression Method, a clinical framework built specifically for golfers who want to move better, hurt less, and keep playing long term. The method combines three phases:
Assess: A comprehensive remote movement assessment and swing analysis that identifies exactly what the body can and cannot do, and how those limitations show up in the golf swing.
Build: A targeted, progressive plan to restore the mobility, strength, and motor control the body needs to support the swing without compensation.
Progress: Ongoing coaching and program adjustments as the body changes, with accountability and education throughout.
The Guided Progression Method is delivered entirely remotely through Another 18 Golf, with custom exercise video libraries, progress tracking, Zoom coaching sessions, and ongoing support built into every program.
Areas of Specialization
Chris works with golfers over 40 dealing with the physical limitations that affect how often and how well they can play, including:
Low back irritation and stiffness in golfers
Hip mobility limitations affecting the golf swing
Shoulder soreness and golf performance
Thoracic spine stiffness and rotation deficits
Core stability and golf swing sequencing
Strength deficits in golfers over 40
Golf-related stiffness and soreness that lingers after a round
Long-term golf longevity and physical decline
Another 18 Golf
Another 18 Golf is Chris Wickel's remote golf performance coaching practice, founded in 2025 and based in the Philadelphia area. The practice serves golfers over 40 across the United States through a fully remote delivery model.
Coaching is delivered through a combination of Zoom sessions, a custom video exercise library, progress tracking, and ongoing support — all built around the client's schedule and golf goals.
Another 18 Golf is not a physical therapy practice and does not provide medical treatment.
It is a performance coaching service informed by deep clinical expertise.
Website: another18golf.com
Contact: chris@another18golf.com