Golf is widely considered to be a low-impact sport, especially for the average enthusiast. However, that doesn’t mean it comes without its set of physical demands and potential for different types of injuries. In fact, golf is associated with several injuries that mostly stem from overuse of certain areas of the body and poor mechanics and technique.
Any golfing injury will set you back for some time, especially if it has to do with your lower back. This makes various techniques for preventing injuries in golf an essential part of your routine. There’s no point in purchasing the most forgiving golf irons after exploring numerous new golf irons reviews for 2022 only to be prevented from using them due to an injury.
What are the common injuries in golf?
The sad truth is that the majority of golfing enthusiasts suffer an injury or two during their career. The severity of the injuries varies, and the single biggest factor in preventing both serious and less serious injuries is adequate preparation for the game.
Not all golf-related injuries are equally common – some appear more frequently than others. This means that you should focus your efforts on preventing those injuries that appear in the highest number of golfers. That’s exactly what we’re here to help you with. We’ve prepared a list of five most common golf injuries and what you can do to avoid them:
1. Pain in your lower back
Injuries of the lower back and the spine are among the most common with golfers. The single biggest cause of such injuries is improper technique of the swing. If a swing is too forceful and too rough, it can easily strain your back muscles and place unwanted pressure on discs and ligaments of the spine. However, there are many things you can do to avoid sustaining such injuries:
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Warm up
First and foremost – if you’re looking to prevent most injuries, including lower back and spine problems, it’s essential that you properly warm up before your round of golf. This loosens your muscles, enhances flexibility, and makes you less susceptible to injuries while you’re playing. Also, don’t forget to perform post-golf stretches too, as these help you cool down and clear out the buildup of lactic acid in your body that’s accumulated during your game.
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Focus on the swing
Incorrect swing that places unnecessary strain on your spine and lower back is the biggest cause of these injuries. That’s why you should work on your technique and ensure a controlled and smooth swing that allows you to hit the golf ball hard without overexerting your back. Also, remember to bend your knees, keep your feet apart by the width of your shoulders, and ensure your body is in perfect alignment and balance before the swing.
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Enhance the strength of your upper body
Finally, you have to think about your upper body strength and make sure your back and core muscles are strong enough to support the physical strain of even the most proper swing. You have to make your body as strong as possible to minimize the potential for sustaining such injuries.
2. Golfer’s elbow
This is another extremely common golf-associated injury, as its name also suggests. This is a type of tendonitis that inflames the tendons around the elbow. Some of the frequent symptoms of golfer’s elbow include:
- Difficulty creating a fist
- Discomfort when attempting twisting movement
- Difficulty bending and lifting your arm
- Difficulty when trying to swing your golf club
- Pain and tenderness in the elbow
However, don’t despair thinking you’ll have to combat the golfer's elbow. There’s a lot you can do to stop this injury from rearing its ugly head. Besides purchasing the most forgiving new irons for 2022 based on good reviews, you should also do a lot with your body:
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Strengthen forearm muscles
First and foremost, golfer’s elbow prevention boils down to having strong forearm muscles. What’s more, you have to pay attention to stretching those muscles prior to every game, and cooling them down afterward. Use light dumbbells or squeeze tennis balls with your hands to give additional support to your forearm and elbow.
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Practice the grip
Gripping your club too strongly can harm your elbow. You have to find the right balance between a secure grip and overdoing it. On a scale of 1 to 10, try to keep your grip pressure around six. Anything more could harm your elbow.
3. Wrist injuries
Also very common with golfers, injuries with your wrist can be caused by numerous reasons. Some of the most common causes of wrist discomfort include clubs that don’t fit you well and poor swing technique that places too much pressure and strain on your lead arm wrist. As this is an injury that can keep you off the course for some time, it’s important to prevent it:
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Work on conditioning and strength
Although it seems repetitive, one of the most useful techniques for injury prevention is raising your strength and conditioning. Again, work up the strength of your wrists with different exercises and remember to stretch your wrists properly before every round of golf.
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Refine your technique
Wrist injuries most frequently occur when you’re trying to hit the ball out of the rough, as this is where improper technique will strain your wrists the most. If it doesn’t feel good and you feel your swing placing unwanted pressure on your lead wrist, it’s time to refine your technique.
4. Shoulder Pain
Perhaps the most unpleasant injury related to golf, pain in your shoulder can stop you from freely lifting and lowering your arm and cause massive discomfort during other movements as well. Most commonly, shoulder injuries affect your lead shoulder and are usually caused by improper rotation during your backswing. Here’s a quick look at how you can stop that from happening:
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Use a proper technique
It’s important to turn your entire body away fully and correctly during the backswing portion of your swing. Also, make sure to keep the feet shoulder-width apart and secure a straight spine. Otherwise, you risk injuring your shoulders. Also, don’t forget about your pre and post-game stretches.
5. Knee pain
Finally, problems with your knees are also very frequent with golfers. This issue occurs due to restricted rotation of your hip when you’re starting your swing. If you have weak stabilizer muscles, they will restrict proper hip movement during this portion of the swing, causing your body to overly rely on your knees, ultimately leading to an injury. Here’s what you can do to prevent it:
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Perform exercises for strengthening hips and knees
The key to avoiding knee injuries is to perform special hip and knee-stretching exercises prior to your round of golf. Pre-golf stretches prepare your knees and hip for what’s to come, while post-golf stretches eliminate unwanted buildup of lactic acid.
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Practice body mechanics
You also have to practice proper body mechanics to ensure you don’t sustain a knee injury while playing golf. This includes slightly turning out your feet while swinging to reduce knee pressure and doing all you can to maintain an upward stance as you play.
Who manufactures the most forgiving new golf irons I can purchase in 2022?
Preventing injuries in golf is one of the most important aspects of the game. Avoiding injuries allows you to keep improving and not allow yourself to get bogged down with unplanned absences. That’s why it’s essential to know how to play golf in the rain and adequately play golf when it’s cold and snowy. Playing improperly in harsh weather can easily lead to injuries.
Besides that, it’s important to assess other aspects of your game if you’re set on improving. First, explore the methods of improving your swing without making drastic changes to it. Also, get familiar with the most important golf terminology and use it to advance. Finally, learn how to properly manage unfamiliar golf courses and not stumble on them.
However, there’s little you can do to enhance your golfing if you don’t have the right tools for the job. Visit BombTech Golf and explore our selection of premium golf clubs for both high and low-handicappers. Our clubs will help you elevate your golf without paying an eye watering price. We sell only online, which is how we give such prices for quality. Browse our stock today!
