“Fore”-ward Thinking

Tips to Avoid golfing injuries and keep swinging strong

We all know that golfers have a lot of drive, but golf is rougher around the edges than you may think! Although it may not seem complex, the golf swing uses the whole body, and can lead to injury in both professionals and amateur golfers.1 Typically, these injuries are overuse injuries stemming from the repetitive and high speed motion of the golf swing.1 Injuries are most commonly seen in the elbow, wrist, and back/torso.2 

Some common injuries that can occur during golf are:

1. Back pain
   Often caused by the asymmetrical movement of the golf swing, or the over rotation of the torso due to tightness in other joints such as the hips. 

2. Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis)
   Often caused by the impact of hitting the ball when gripping the club too hard.

3. Rotator Cuff Injury
   Often caused by lack of warm up.

4. Wrist Tendonitis
   Often caused by weak forearm muscles, or too tight of grip.
   
   

Unfortunately getting better at golf doesn’t mean you won’t get hurt. In fact, professional golfers tend to have a faster swing which puts them more at risk for injuries! So, how can golfers (both amateur and professional) act to prevent and minimize injury risk?

1. Work on your swing form! Having better form can reduce stress on certain areas of the body and can be better controlled by the golfer. 
1. Have a trainer watch and correct your form
2. Video yourself and compare it to the ideal form
3. Practice motions slowly with correct form before adding speed and power
   
   
2. Make sure to warm up and stretch before you golf!
1. Click here for stretches to do before golfing.
2. Check out our Instagram Post to see how our staff warms up for golf!
   
   
3. Book a physiotherapist appointment (here) to create a strengthening program to help with strength and overall mobility to prevent injuries proactively.
   
   
4. If injury does occur, visit a physiotherapist to treat the injury and build up better strength to continue playing golf! Click here to book an appointment for physiotherapy.
   
   

As you golf this season, remember that preventing injuries is just as crucial as sinking putts. So, keep your swings smooth, your stretches thorough, and your game injury-free. A healthy swing is a winning swing!

P.S. Swing into action by clicking this link or calling 905-689-2552 to schedule a physiotherapy appointment today, because a pain-free golfer always has the upper hand, or should we say, the upper club!

References

McHardy, Andrew, Henry Pollard, and Kehui Luo. "Golf injuries: a review of the literature." Sports Medicine 36 (2006): 171-187.
Qureshi, Ammal Imran, M. Noah H. Khan, Hamayle Saeed, Bakht Yawar, Misbah Malik, Mariam Saghir, and Arif Hasan Khan. "Injuries associated with golf: A qualitative study." Annals of Medicine and Surgery 78 (2022): 103899.
AESM. n.d. “10 Most Common (and Avoidable) Golf Injuries.” Athletic Edge Sports Medicine. Accessed June 26, 2024. https://www.aesmphysiotherapytoronto.ca/10-most-common-and-avoidable-golf-injuries/.
Robinson, Patrick G., Christopher C. Dodson, and Anna Zickerman. 2023. “Golf Injuries.” Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal. https://journal.aspetar.com/en/archive/volume-12-targeted-topic-sports-medicine-in-golf/golf-injuries.