Golf Information


One Out of Two Golfers Will Have a Golf Swing Related Injury - Can You Prevent Yours?


I have a friend who blew out his ACL in his left knee while playing old man basketball. Old man being relative. A bunch of guys playing rec ball in their 30's. We all get out there and play hard, sometimes harder than we should. The mind says yes, the body says no way! Mike's ACL zigged when it should have zagged. Shortly after the surgery, he was visiting with his doctor on a routine check up when he asked the doctor if he'd be able to dunk the basketball after he completes his rehab.

After a pause, the doctor said, "Sure, you should be able to after you get released from recovery and rehab."

Mike said, "Great! I've never been able to dunk before, so I'll look forward to rehab."

Injuries are a part of every sport, and golf is no different. Injuries occur in golf and can result in many things.

What are the common parts of the body that become injured for golfers?

What are the common reasons why injuries occur?

And finally, what can you do to prevent injuries in the sport of golf?

Let's discuss what happens when you have an injury in relation to your golf swing. An injury to your body like a pulled muscle, strained tendon, or something as minimal as a hangnail can affect your swing. "How?" you ask. Your body is a finely tuned machine. This fined tune piece of equipment is also a great mechanism of compensation. What do I mean?

If you have a little "pull" of a muscle, a compensation pattern occurs in the body. This small compensation by your body has an affect on your golf swing. It might be so minimal that you don't even feel it, but your shots and scores show it. So what are you to do? Well, the obvious answer is to do everything to prevent an injury from occurring. We will discuss this point at the end of the article. At this time let us move on to answering the questions above.

Injuries: The Why's, What's, and How's

First off, realize that the majority of research I have read indicates that over 50% of recreational golfers will incur a golf-related injury during their playing career. Think about it. In your foursome you played with over the weekend, at least two of you will come up lame. Keep that idea in mind as we move to other statistics.

The common injuries in golfers are low back, wrist, and shoulder. A list I imagine most of you could probably have predicted.

How do these injuries to your low back, wrist, or shoulder occur?

The answer is twofold. There are two different types of injuries when it comes to golf or any other sport. Injuries are classified as either acute or chronic.

An acute injury is an injury that is the direct result of an external force at a specific point in time.

Let me explain. If you were walking down the street and fell, breaking your ankle, that type of injury is an acute injury. The injury occurred as a result of an external force (falling on concrete) at a specific point in time (walking down the street). The majority of golf injuries do not fall into the acute injury category. An occasional wrist injury can be an acute injury if you hit, say, a tree root in the downswing. Or maybe you trip while walking on the course and sprain your ankle. These are acute-type golf injuries. They are few and far between when discussing golf injuries in general.

The second type of injury category is what we call chronic injuries. Chronic injuries occur over time and are the most common type of injury in golf. How do chronic injuries occur? Probably the easiest way to explain it is the following: after time the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body become tired. Once they become tired, fatigue sets in, and when your brain tells the body to swing that club and it's tired, what do you think is going to happen? Over time those muscles will get to a point of such fatigue that on one swing or in one round, the body gives up and something gets pulled, strained, or inflamed. At that point you now have a chronic golf injury. It's pretty simple when you think of the whole process of a golf swing.

A golf swing is a repetitive movement that places stresses on the same muscles over and over again. As a result, those muscles get tired. And you now know what eventually happens to those muscles when they get tired; they break down and become injured!

So the next question is: how can you prevent chronic injuries in golf? A couple viable answers exist. Probably the easiest way to combat chronic golf injuries is not to play. What do you mean not play! Simple, if you do not play a lot of golf, then the stresses you place on your body will be less than playing 36 each weekend. So your body will not get as tired, and your chances of a chronic golf injury are less.

The other option (which I imagine is the route most of you reading this article would like to take) is to develop what I term "golf strength." "Golf strength" is developing the body in a manner that creates a foundation to support your swing. And when we talk about foundation, we are talking about the areas of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power in a manner that assists you in maintaining the correct swing mechanics swing to swing.

The development of "golf strength" will limit (not eliminate) the possibility of injury and enhance your golf swing. Again, if your body can't support the movement you are asking it to do, the brain will still make your body do it, but eventually the body will "put on the brakes" and come up injured.

So there you have it! How injuries occur in the sport of golf. What are the common injuries associated with the sport. And what are the specific types of injuries associated with golfers. In addition, you have been provided the key to limiting injuries in golf, and that key is what we call "golf strength." To learn more about "golf strength" click on our web site at www.bioforcegolf.com.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, (http://www.bioforcegolf.com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=93) on BioForceGolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.


MORE RESOURCES:

Deseret News

Five things we learned this week in golf
ESPN
I knew that he would stop mourning his loss at Torrey Pines and the pity party the golf world has been holding for him over the last week. You don't play this game for a living unless you know how to take the good with the bad.
Golf roundup: Kyle Stanley rallies from 8 back to win Phoenix OpenDeseret News
Golf roundup: Kyle Stanley rallies at PhoenixVancouver Sun
Golf: Stanley overhauls fading Levin to win Phoenix OpenGMA News
AZ Central.com -CBSSports.com
all 652 news articles »


USA TODAY

Golf: Doha title winner Lawrie is feeling a bit chipper
WalesOnline
Now he is part of golf's elite group again. The victory guarantees him a place in the 64-man Accenture world match play championship in Arizona later this month and the 24-man Volvo World Match Play in Spain in May. He is on course to win a second ...
Golf: Paul Lawrie back in world top 50 after second win in QatarScotsman
Lawrie holds off Day, Hanson to win Qatar MastersCBSSports.com
Paul Lawrie wins Qatar MastersUSA TODAY
Irish Independent
all 263 news articles »


The Official Site of Aztec Athletics

Women's Golf In Fifth At Wildcat Invite
CUBuffs.com
23 University of Colorado women's golf team got its spring season underway Sunday as the Buffaloes sit tied for fifth place at the Arizona Wildcat Invitational after shooting a first-round 13-over par 301 here at the par 72, 6321-yard Vistoso Golf Club ...
Aztec Women's Golf 10th After First Round Of 2012The Official Site of Aztec Athletics
French Leads Beavers On Day One At Wildcat InvitationalOSU Beavers
Yada Shoots 75 In Opening Round Of Wildcat InvitationalPortland State Vikings

all 4 news articles »


Women's Open Golf 2012
ABC Online
Joining them is Australian World Golf Hall of Fame member Karrie Webb and Americans Morgan Pressel, Angela Stanford and new LPGA Tour member Lexi Thompson. Thompson became the youngest player in history to win an LPGA event at 16 years of age at the ...

and more »


Yahoo! Sports (blog)

Kyle Stanley bounces back from heart-wrenching defeat to win in Phoenix
Yahoo! Sports (blog)
One week after suffering one of the most gut-wrenching defeats in golf history -- blowing a seven-shot lead on Sunday at the Famers Insurance Open -- the 24-year-old had to wonder if he'd ever get over the pain of blowing a tournament that, ...
What they said: Ben CranePGA Tour

all 3 news articles »


Jamestown Post Journal

Moon Brook Charity Golf tees it up to support WCA Emergency Department
Evening Observer
JAMESTOWN - This past summer, Moon Brook Country Club hosted the annual Moon Brook Charity Golf Classic, a Pro-Am golf tournament featuring the top fifteen golf professionals in Western New York. For the third year in a row, proceeds from the Moon ...
Moon Brook Golf Classic Makes Donation To JNPJamestown Post Journal

all 2 news articles »


Golf notebook: Levin shoots 68, has six-stroke lead in Phoenix
Columbus Dispatch
Golf Headlines from AP Former Marysville resident Stephen Gangluff finished second in the PGA Tour final qualifying tournament and was one of 27 golfers to earn exempt status on the tour in 2012. Chris Wilson of Dublin tied for 51st and will be exempt ...

and more »


Golf Do <3032.NG>-2011/12 group forecast
Reuters
Feb 6 (Reuters) - GOLF DO CO LTD CONSOLIDATED EARNINGS ESTIMATES (in billions of yen unless specified) Full year to Full year to March 31,2012 March 31,2012 LATEST PREVIOUS FORECAST FORECAST Sales 4.00 4.15 Operating 130 mln 100 mln Recurring 120 mln ...

and more »


GIRLS GOLF: Andrews wins
Odessa American
SAN ANGELO The defending Class 3A state champion Andrews High School girls golf team won the Blue Division of the San Angelo Girls Golf Classic on Saturday at Bentwood Country Club. Andrews shot consecutive rounds of 329 — the first round was Friday ...

and more »


New York Times

Belly Putter Could Lift Golf-Equipment Sales
New York Times
Martin, a club professional at Deerwood Club in Kingswood, Tex., was among the thousands of PGA pros and golf shop merchandisers at the PGA Merchandise Show here last week, who sought out what many consider will be the hottest product in golf equipment ...
Will belly putters drive equipment sales? Times says yes.GolfDigest.com (blog)

all 2 news articles »

Google News

home | site map
© 2007