Used Callaway Irons

Golf Injuries

Golf injuries are all too common - and they hurt! There are ways, though, to lessen the chance that you'll end up sadly watching from the sidelines due to a golf injury.

First, Know the Risk

Injuring yourself playing golf isn't a foregone conclusion. When you know how these injuries happen, you're less likely to have them. Kind of like the old saying, "an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure".

In this case, a good part of the prevention is to be in the best physical condition you can. And even more important is to stretch and be flexible. You really will have fewer injuries.

Even if you're using a golf cart, you're still out walking around some. And when you're swinging your clubs, you're using muscles from your ankles to your neck. Knowing this, it's important to warm up with stretches before your game.

Watch Your Back

Back injuries are quite common in golf, what with the walking and twisting. How can you avoid back problems?

Naturally, the first thing would be to strengthen your back muscles. But while you're in the process of strengthening (and it doesn't happen overnight), what else can you do?

If you do get sore, consider massage therapy. A good therapist will note the muscles that are particularly troublesome and give you special stretches for them. And here's a surprise -- the muscles that hurt aren't always the ones that cause the trouble!

Golf Shoulder Injuries

You can probably see in your mind how the shoulders work when swinging the clubs. And if you can't imagine it, then watch others the next time you're out golfing.

There is intense pressure put on the shoulders, for the muscles, tendons and the shoulder joints themselves. If you're tired or feeling out of sorts when playing, the chance that you'll sustain a shoulder injury just went up.

As usual, warming up the shoulder area by stretching is the best preventative.

Golf Forearm Injuries

Yes, golfers have the equivalent of "tennis elbow" and "typist wrists". The tendons in your arms, wrist and hands bear a lot of punishment in the game of golf.

Interestingly, these golf injuries tend to happen not when you play regularly, but when you play sporadically. Your arms (including elbows and wrists) aren't used to the sudden spurts of activity and can irritate the nerves near these tendons.

If you can't golf regularly, perhaps you can practice your swing regularly, off a course? It will keep you more flexible, not only in your arms, but your back and legs as well.

Golf Injuries Summary

Your best bet in forestalling golfing injuries is to stay flexible. Now this doesn't mean you have to exercise for an hour a day. Even 15 minutes of stretching exercises a day can help you become (and stay) more flexible. And a bonus to stretching is that it also helps you to de-stress! Now that's a benefit worth having, don't you think?