Low back pain can cause many golfers to stop golfing.  It is the most common injury among golfers.  

Are you prone to injuring your lower back?  Here are the predictors.

5 Reasons Why Golfers Get Injured

Why do golfers get injured?  It’s not a contact sport, you don’t run during the sport.  But in that split second you swing the golf club, it is one of, if not the most bolistic event in sports.

Through research provided by Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) we’ve learned that the 5 reason golfers get injured are as follows:

1. Improper Swing or Body Mechanics
2. Excessive Practices
3. Not a Specific Exercise Program
4. Poor Nutrition
5. Improper Club Fitting

But for all golfers, here is what we have learned from all these reasons in this sport.

Bringing Other Injuries to the Golf Course

Before we get to the top 5 reasons golfers get injured, let’s talk about this. There are many injuries that golfers have, but sometimes those injuries are caused by something off the golf course.  At least that is the case for the more elite golfers who have a more ideal swing mechanic. For the amature golfer who is:golfing 1-2x per week, sitting at a desk for many hours a day, and swinging in a way that is unfavorable to their body, they are at higher risk of injuring themselves due to golf itself. 

These reasons of injury can affect all golfers.  The more skilled you are, the more likely you have taken steps to eliminate these reasons for injury such as; getting fitted for clubs and years of golf lessons from a trained coach.  Putting this aside here are the top 5 reasons golfers would get injured while playing golf.

Improper Swing and body mechanics

There are a few swing characteristics that can lead to injury. For example: Reverse Spine Angle (Reverse Pivot) leads to lower back pain. Also, casting and chicken winging leads to shoulder, elbow and wrist pain.  Identifying these swings and the causes of them for each golfer should be the first step to reducing this risk of injury.

Improper mechanics can come from muscle and joint imbalances that your body adjusts to with a sedentary lifestyle, hours working at a desk job, or doing the common Bi’s & Tri’s, Glutes & Thighs workout days.  These imbalances definitely relate to the golf swing and increase risk of injury.  

Excessive Practice

Practicing for excess hours in the week is needed as a professional golfer.  They are trained for it.  They have taken care of their body to be able to take the load they go through. If they haven’t they will not last long.  As an amature or casual golfer, you probably sit some of the day while working and don’t have the same time and resources to care for your body as the pros do.  So practicing swinging the driver as often and as hard as the pros do, will not end well. Especially if your swing mechanics aren’t at the level to handle it.  

100 full out swings with a driver is too much.  Think about playing 18 holes and you are a 10-15 handicap.  Of 80-85 shots, 30-36 will be with the putter, and 15-18 might be with a half swing or a chip. That leaves about 30 full swings left and 12-14 of those will probably be with the driver.   If you are hurt or sore after practicing 80-100 full swings, you are practicing too much.  Practice with less full swing, but be more intentful in your practice and then practice your short game. Improving your short game will lower your handicap more than the long ball.

Also practicing from practice mats will put more force and stress through your arms, shoulders and back then real grass.  So take that into consideration as well.

Not a Specific Exercise program

Do you exercise more than just walking from your car to your house?  Do you exercise consistently?  Getting on a regular exercise routine is the first step.  For many years golf has been looked at as a gentleman sport with no athleticism.  As it is still a gentleman sport, being athletic and fit is a new addition to the game in the past 20 years, when Tiger Woods became popular.

Just going through a basic exercise program (Bi’s/Tri’s day and Glutes/Thighs day) isn’t enough to improve your performance in this specific rotatory sporting event. Golf is a very specific sport, having an exercise program to improve your performance is where you will see performance increases.

Poor Nutrition

Nutrition has it’s hand in everything.  Having a very well balanced diet with less sugar, fast foods, fried foods and  more healthy fats, proteins, healthy vegetables and fruits and water will fuel your body with what it needs to eliminate the inflammation that will occur.  

I recommend more water, less sports drinks and energy drinks.  Less candy bars and more nuts and seeds while on the course.  Less sugar in general will help eliminate a lot of inflammation on a day to day basis.  

Improper Club Fitting

Yes, getting fit for your clubs makes a huge difference in injury prevention and performance.  Adjusting your swing to the clubs you already have is not recommended by any means in this sport. Did you know the fastest way to gain distance in your driver is to get fitted for the right clubs? It’s true, go get fit for your clubs. One size doesn’t fit all.

These are the top 5 reasons golfers get injured. Look at your game, if there are holes in one or more of these aspects, reach out to us, schedule an appointment and we’ll help you fill the whole with the proper training and expertise needed.