The weather is (finally) starting to warm up and the golf season is creeping up on us. At Cash Fore Clubs, we want to ensure that all players are fit and ready to return to the sport that they love safely, without risking injuries or making existing injuries worse.
What are some common golf injuries?
To a non-golfer or an inexperienced player, golf may seem like a minimal injury sport. However, with players spending 4-5 hours in a bent over stance, paired with rotational stresses from the swing, injuries from golf are far from uncommon.
Some of the most common injuries among golfers are back pain, tendinitis in the wrist and elbow (from repeated movements and improper swings), rotator cuff injuries, hand injuries and knee damage. These injuries can range from minor strains and inflammation to tears that can require surgery.
How to avoid getting injured during a game of golf
As the old saying goes, prevention is better than cure, and so the best pain relief is to avoid getting injured in the first place. There are some simple measures that can reduce the tendency of getting injured when implemented correctly.
Making sure you warm up and stretch before and after playing golf (or any sport) can make sure that the muscles that you will be using are ready and can reduce the risk of injury.
As well as this, by implementing strength and conditioning training for your whole body into your routine, you can strengthen supporting muscles, even out any muscle imbalances, increase mobility, stabilise joints, correct posture and increase endurance. All of these things will help to decrease the likelihood of injury and improve your game.
Lastly, ensuring your technique and equipment is safe is an important way of reducing the possibility of injury. A lot of injuries are caused by improper technique and incorrect kit. Make sure equipment, such as clubs and shoes, are professionally fitted.
How to get back into golf following an injury
The most important thing to remember when returning to golf following an injury or after surgery is that it isn’t an all or nothing situation. You shouldn’t bring your previously injured and deconditioned body immediately back to the level that you were playing at before your break. If you took 6 months off running, you wouldn’t expect to be able to run a full marathon straight away – so why do you expect to play 18 holes of golf immediately after having time off?
Although most golfers will hate hearing this, reducing your practice and spending time focusing on strength training will ensure that you don’t return to golf too quickly and injure yourself again.
Gradually training the injured area and surrounding muscles will improve your function, mobility, strength, power and endurance, and ensuring you warm up and cool down before and after a game will also help.
If your injury is more serious, physiotherapists, sports massage therapists and other healthcare professionals will be able to reduce your pain, aid in recovery and provide exercises to improve your muscle strength to help you return to golf as safely and smoothly as possible.
How Cash Fore Clubs can help
Cash Fore Clubs can help you return to golf following an injury as safely as possible. Our range of new and secondhand golf clubs can make sure that you have the proper kit, and if you visit our store in Chippenham, you can take advantage of our custom fitting and customisation service, as well as the lessons that we have on offer.
Contact Cash Fore Clubs or visit us today to find out how we can help.
