Safety Tips to Prevent Golfing-Related Injuries

Whether you are hitting golf balls at a range or actually playing golf, golf can put a tremendous amount of stress on your muscles and joints. Here are a few safety tips to help you in the prevention of various injuries associated with your passion for golf.

General Injury Prevention Tips

You should treat golf as you would any other sport, i.e., as an athletic endeavor. You should train with an expert. There are 2 levels of training. One is training for physical conditioning. The other is training for technical conditioning, i.e., a golf instructor. Go out and walk a golf course. Get comfortable with the pace of play. Remain hydrated. Drink plenty of water or an electrolyte solution. Stretch prior to your golf round. Try to work on stretching out your shoulder musculature and remembering that your core musculature is the strength of the golf swing.

Generally speaking, there are exercises that are beneficial for your golf swing. Exercises that include pushups, squats, internal and external rotation strengthening of the shoulder, are all beneficial for the golf swing.

Consider golf instructions. The indiscriminate swinging of a golf club leads to overuse conditions such as tennis elbow and rotator cuff tendonitis. Aggressive overuse type patterns can lead to low back pain.

Consider golf in moderation. You would never go out and try to run 10 miles in an effort to become conditioned for running. You should never consider going out and hitting buckets of balls in an effort to become conditioned for golf.

The fundamentals are important.

Core strength. Upper body flexibility is important. Golf in moderation early in the season is important.

Keep in mind that the areas of poor preparation include tennis and golfer elbows, low back pain, rotator cuff tendinitis, and various overuse conditions. If you experience any of the above, please consult your orthopedic consultant.

Learn more about Dr. Lawrence Holland and how he can help with golf-related injuries.

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