Prehab,
Not Rehab for Golf
by Deborah L. Mullen,
CSCS
Aspirin. Braces. Surgery. Why do we treat
symptoms instead of causes? The three most common causes of golf injuries are excessive
play or practice, poor swing mechanics, and poor physical conditioning. If you think
prehab, not rehab and address the causes, you can prevent injuries before they happen and
you won't have to worry about what treatments to use after they happen.
Overuse Injuries
The drive is a high-effort power movement that puts a lot of stress on the body. If it's
performed too frequently, injuries can result. The body can withstand many forces placed
on it, but there's a limit to how much it can take before it reacts with injury. High
repetitions of the golf swing during play and practice can cause trauma to muscles and
connective tissue, leading to inflammation and pain.
Hitting bucket after bucket of balls isn't the only way to
improve your performance. You can practice your golf swing without hitting any balls by
using imagery, which has become a standard tool for athletes. You can practice "the
perfect swing" in your mind without the threat of overuse injuries.
Swing Mechanics
Poor golfing mechanics can lead to injury. Repeated collisions with the ground, besides
creating divots, places a great deal of stress on certain muscles and can lead to shoulder
strain, elbow pain, and even rib fractures. Back injuries can occur if you bend too far
forward during the golf swing. Since flexing, extending, or twisting excessively or
improperly increases your chance of injury, you should have your swing analyzed by a golf
instructor to ensure proper technique. To prevent back injuries, you should also perform
good body mechanics such as properly lifting your golf bag and teeing the ball.
Conditioning
Unconditioned muscles are weak and inflexible, causing them to be more susceptible to
injury. The back is especially vulnerable to the increased pressure placed on it during
the golf swing (rotating while leaning forward). If the low back and abdominal muscles
aren't strong or flexible enough, the high repetitions of the golf swing will eventually
cause pain.
By following a golf-specific strength and flexibility
program, you will lower the risk of injury and most likely, improve performance. A program
doesn't have to be complicated or take a lot of time. For instance, the exercises in the Sports Fitkit for Golf program take about 40 minutes to
perform, and only need to be done twice a week. Another thing you can do for prehab is to
perform a pre-game warm-up.
Think Prehab, not Rehab. Stop potential injuries from
happening by avoiding excessive practice sessions, swinging correctly, and performing
golf-specific strength and flexibility exercises.
Sports FitKit for Golf
-
a simple, effective and time-efficient way to increase performance and reduce
injuries.
Rated 4 ½ stars out of 5 by Golf Magazine.