Golf is a sport that utilizes a repitition of motions that may cause injury if you are not careful. Conditions like back pain, knee pain, and tendinitis are a common cause for missing time on the green. Fortunately, you are able to mitigate the risk of enduring these injuries by preparing on and off the course. Here are a few tips from our orthopedic specialists that if you follow may help prevent golf injuries:
With all the twists and turns in a golf swing, one way you can lower your risk of back pain is to incorporate a stretching routine. A light stretch will increase your range of motion and prepare you for the day ahead. Mayo Clinic provides a list of stretches for golfers to apply to their warmups. After your stretch, hit the driving range to further warm-up your golf swing.
Since golf lacks the physical contact of other sports, some golfers miss the importance of strength training. Unfortunately, there is a misconception that strength can only help add power to your swing. In reality, adding strength decreases your chance of suffering an injury by making your ligaments, tendons, and cartilage stronger. Add a strength training training program, like the ones offered by our personal training friends at MPOWER Performance Institute, to your workout routine and aid injury prevention with full-body exercises like burpees and deadlifts.
Having a safe and fundamentally-sound swing is the best way to reduce golf injuries. If you keep your motions fluid and avoid hacking away, chances are, you have a safer swing than most Weekend Warriors. One of the easiest way to walk off the course hurt is by using improper form. For step-by-step analysis on performing a safe swing, check out the four essentials of a golf swing here.
Set yourself up for a safe and fun experience by following these tips! You can take actions to make your body more resistant to injury by stretching and implementing resistance training. On the course, practicing a safe golf swing will significantly reduce injury possibility.
With all this said, sometimes injuries do happen despite your best effort to avoid them. In that case, you can visit one of our sports medicine specialists or orthopedic doctors in Nashvillle, TN or Franklin, TN. Book an appointment in seconds, here.
