5 Ways to Avoid Common Injuries in Golfers

Golf is fun and social, but it's also a sport, so staying fit is integral to preparing well for a game of golf. Despite the low impact of the sport, injury is more common in golf than you might think, but, many of those injuries can be avoided with some care. Here's how to avoid golfing injuries.

1. Warm Up

One of the main reasons people strain muscles playing golf, or any sport for that matter, is that they didn't do any warm-up stretches before playing. Take the time, spend 10 minutes stretching your body. Stretch your arms, hands, pelvis, shoulders and spine in particular. Hold a club out front in both hands, and slowly rotate from side to side, up and down. Gently swing one of your irons, gradually increasing the range until that stiff feeling ebbs.

2. Take a Lesson

The whole body is involved in a golf swing, and a lot of rotation as well. When the swing movement is frequently repeated, significant stress can occur to tendons, muscles and joints. Swinging a golf club too hard or too fast without proper mechanics can result in stress to muscles, the back, neck, wrists and more. To minimize the risk, ensure you have a proper swing. Go take a lesson, get your swing evaluated.

3. Maintain Good Posture

Slouching and leaning results in stress and strain to muscles, and when golf is added to the equation significant stress to joints and muscles can occur. When you play golf, stand with your feet apart by a shoulder width and knees slightly bent, You'll need to be slightly rotated. Hold your spine straight. Do not lean or hunch over the ball as this leads to muscular strain. Think about adding pilates to your exercise routine to help maintain good posture.

4. Develop a Smooth Swing

A golf swing uses the entire body to hit the ball, so the force is distributed through several sets of muscles. If you use one set of muscles for a golf swing repeatedly you run the risk of repetitive strain injury. Over use of the wrists will strain the muscles on the forearm which leads to golfer's elbow.

5. Mind the Weight of your Golf Bag

Golf bags can weigh a lot so take care when picking them up, carrying them on your shoulder and putting them down. Use a golf trolley or a cart to get around - that's why the course has carts! Carrying a heavy bag can lead to back and shoulder injuries if done incorrectly. Make sure you use your legs for lifting, bending the knees and keeping your back straight.

By taking care on the golf course, by warming up and staying fit, you'll avoid many of the injuries associated with golfing.

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