OUCH! These Are The Most Common Golf Injuries

When you compare golf to sports like football and hockey, it may seem like a relatively danger free sport. Although it’s true that golf does not promote too many chances of getting hurt, there are times that golf injuries can come up. The problem with golf is that there are quite a few body parts used in the swing, and it results in several areas that can end up injured. Here are the most common golf injuries and a few tips for preventing them.

What Are The Most Common Golf Injuries?

The most common golf injuries include back, wrist, hand, knee, and rotator cuff injuries. Although it may sound like there is no area of your body that is safe when you head out for a round of golf, there are some ways that you can prevent these injuries and end up playing great golf without pain!

Golf Back Injuries

The back is an integral part of the golf swing, and the chance of an injury is considerably higher because of its involvement in the swing. Golf back injuries arise because of the angle a golfer stands at when setting up and making an impact, as well as the rotation in the lower back.

There is no debating the fact that your back must be in good shape to hit a strong golf shot. Golf back injuries often happen with the slightest little misstep in the swing. Always warm-up before a round with some light walking or jogging, a stretch or two, and maybe even a weighted golf club.

Running up to the first tee and swinging out of your shoes is not going to help prevent golf back injuries.

Wrist Pain or Injury

At times in the golf swing, like during the release, the wrists are really important. There are, of course, other times when it is best to keep the wrists out of it (i.e., putting). Your wrists must be strong to hit various golf shots and ensure that you can control ball flight and direction.

Sometimes hitting behind a ball or prolonged practice on a golf hitting mat will increase the chance of a wrist injury. The best thing players can do is to work on wrist strength. Some lightweight exercises, even just using the weight of the club, can help prevent the pain that some players experience.

Also, make sure you don’t grip the club too hard; that extra strong grip can sometimes lead to wrist pain.

Knee Injuries

There are two reasons golfers experience knee injuries, and they deal with walking as well as rotation. When you rotate in your golf swing, the knees will take quite a bit of pressure and weight, and they have to withstand quite a bit of rotation.

One of the things players will often do is wear a knee brace to ensure that they are properly supporting their weaker knee during the golf swing. In addition, having the right shoes in a place that promotes stability and strength in the swing will help lower the chance of knee injuries.

Rotator Cuff

Unfortunately, some rotator cuff injuries come out of nowhere, and they can be challenging to deal with. Golfers have often reported tearing a rotator cuff from hitting behind the ball or even hitting a tree root. Some players who golf every day and practice for hours on end will struggle to have pain-free shoulders.

Proper golf swing mechanics will certainly help decrease the chances of a rotator cuff injury. In addition, the rotator cuff can sometimes feel better if rest and stretches are put into place. In the end, some rotator cuff injuries need to be fixed via an operation, and this will take you away from the game for a while.

Blisters and Hand Pain

New golfers often experience hand pain in the form of blisters. It can take some time to get your hands used to the grips on the club and the way they tend to tear at a player's hands. Hand pain is typically easy to avoid if you play with the proper glove and have the right grip strength on the club.

For players that struggle with arthritis, one of the best things to do is look for a thicker glove that can help reduce overall pain in the hands. Some golfers will look at this hand pain as a reason to stop practicing, but you can work on things like putting until your hands feel better.

Conclusion

I hope you can see the most common golf injuries and why it is important to take steps to prevent them. A simple injury may put you out of the game for a week or two, but a serious one can put you out for an entire season. Typically, it takes just a few minutes of your time before a round to ensure you can get through things injury-free.

Keep in mind that stretching exercise, long walks, and a proper warm-up go a long way in preventing the most common golf injuries.