Many people consider golf a low-level physical activity without ever considering that they may sustain an injury. But, there is a potential risk of suffering serious injuries to the elbow, spine, knee, hip or wrist.
As with so many health conditions, a little effort to prevent injury goes a long way. Using proper golf technique and equipment together with preventive measures can help minimise golf related injuries of the back, shoulders, elbows, hands and wrists.
Back to the Article indexGoing directly to the tee pulling out a driver and proceeding to try to hit the ball is probably the surest way to sprain one's back muscles and ruin the rest of the day.
Instead, a thorough warm-up including stretching and easy swings is critical for the muscles to get ready for the game.
Start with stretching. Stretching should emphasize the shoulder, torso, and hip regions as well as the hamstring muscles.
Gently swinging a golf club helps warm up the necessary muscle groups and prepares them. Going to the driving range before a golf game is also very helpful. Practice should begin with the smaller irons and progress up to the larger woods. This process allows the muscles to incrementally warm up.
Overall, muscles that have been stretched and gradually loaded are much less prone to being injured and can take more stress before either being strained or sprained.
Back to the Article indexThe objective of a golf swing is to develop significant club head speed, and to do this a lot of force and twisting is applied to the back. Golfers should emphasise a smooth, rhythmic swing, as this produces less stress to the low back.
The thoracic spine and muscles acting on it are responsible for producing the majority of the rotation associated with the back swing and follow though. The abdominal muscles especially produce the power in the swing but they also need to work with other trunk muscles to stabilise the spine and give you some posture control. They have to work at a high and constant level of activity and can fatigue and result in muscular injury.
The majority of golfers who play intensively develop tight hip flexors which they tend to use instead of their abdominal muscles This can affect the point of pivotal rotation in the golf swing and place excess pressure on the lower back which is not capable of a great deal of rotational movement. With a proper swing, the shoulder, pelvis (hip), and thoracolumbar segments (chest and lower spine) rotate to share the load of the swing. The shoulder and hip turn, along with the wrist snap, will produce more club head velocity than a stiff arm swing.
Good balance is achieved by slightly bending the knees and keeping the feet approximately shoulder-width apart. The spine should be straight, and the golfer should bend forward from the hips. Weight should be distributed evenly on the balls of the feet.
Most golfers will tell you, that while developing an easy, fluid swing may be desirable in terms of reducing stress to the low back this is easier done after having worked with a golf pro when starting out, golf lessons may also be useful for senior golfers who have decreased flexibility and strength.
Back to the Article indexRepeated bending over to pick up a golf bag can stress the low back and lead to a muscle strain. An integrated bag stand that opens when the bag is set on the ground can eliminate the need to bend over. Some individual's like to carry their bag to get more exercise, and while this maybe a good idea, bag straps that place all the pressure on one shoulder can be hard on the back. If you prefer to carry a golf bag, it is advisable to use dual straps to evenly distribute the weight. Using a golf trolley where permitted is by far the better way to help avoid back strains.