With a name like Thor Parrish, strength might be expected. But instead of wielding a hammer, the Florida Gulf Coast University graduate is using a driver, launching golf balls and a new kind of training facility that combines CrossFit and golf instruction.
Thunder Performance, co-founded by Parrish and his wife Jenny, is redefining how golfers train. Located in Fort Myers with a new expansion in Naples, the facility is part gym, part driving range, and all about customized performance.
“We are not a green grass facility,” Parrish said. “But the type of practice you get here is going to greatly benefit you.”
Parrish, a 2019 FGCU Professional Golf Management graduate, has always had a passion for the sport. He discovered CrossFit a decade ago, when his dad took him to a class. That experience sparked a transformation that would later become the foundation for his business.
“I was always interested in blending my two loves of fitness and golf together,” he said.
After completing his undergraduate studies at FGCU, Parrish pursued a master’s degree in Sports Performance from PennWest California University. Now, he holds a CrossFit Level 2 certification and has built a growing community around golf-specific training.
“There are not a lot of machines, mostly free weights,” Parrish said of Thunder Performance. “We believe that us as humans are the machines.”
Using cutting-edge technology like Trackman Launch Monitor software, Swing Catalyst, and 3-D cameras, Thunder Performance tailors each workout and practice session to the individual golfer. Clients receive data-driven feedback and targeted training designed to improve both fitness and form.
“Every single time you practice in here, everything is saved to your profile so that we can see improvement over and over again,” Parrish said.
From competitive junior golfers to weekend warriors, Thunder’s programming is adaptable.
“My junior golfers, my semi-pros, we’re focusing on making sure their body moves well and feels good,” Parrish said. “For your average Joe golfer, they just need general fitness and then good golf instruction.”
Parrish puts his philosophy to the test on the World Long Drive Tour, where he competes among the game’s biggest hitters.
“It just solidified that the things we’re doing here is working,” he said.
But Parrish says the facility isn’t just for elite athletes — it fills a broader need in Southwest Florida.
“Other than playing, there is almost no practice facilities in this area,” Parrish said. “We’re putting purpose behind your practice.”
Thunder Performance also includes partnerships with Callaway Golf for club fittings and a doctor of physical therapy for in-house care. The staff features CrossFit-certified coaches, personal trainers, and even PGA Golf Management students from FGCU. Located less than 10 minutes from campus, the gym is drawing in students and local golfers alike.
“We opened up this business because of a lifestyle that we wanted,” Parrish said. “It is for everybody.”
He and Jenny hope to continue growing the brand throughout the region, offering regular classes, student events, and more.
“We’re trying to let people know — just come on in and give it a shot,” Parrish said. “It’s not that scary.”
Thunder Performance now stands as a hybrid space for lifting, swinging, learning, and living the golf lifestyle.
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