Common Golf Injuries

Although golf is not a physical sport like football, hockey or basketball, you will definitely come across some injuries if you do not take care of your body. A lot of golfers will get back, shoulder or elbow injuries while playing golf. Some pains will last a while and need attention, while other pain you may be feeling could only last a short time and will go away quickly with just rest.

Muscle soreness is one of the main things that slows down golfers, it is tough to swing a club 90 times over the course of a round of golf if you have sore muscles. Beginner golfers who over swing, because they are trying to hit the ball as far as they can, are the usual suspects for pulling muscles. This usually happens at the driving range. To help avoid pulling muscles you want to stretch out before you play a round of golf or even before you hit the range. If you do pull a muscle you need to rest it, elevate it if possible with ice and compress it as soon as you pull it to prevent swelling.

Back pain is a very common injury with golf players. Your golf swing puts constant stress on your back and carrying your heavy golf bag definitely does not help. To help prevent injuring your back while playing golf there are a few things you can do. First off, whenever lifting your heavy bag of clubs, lift with your legs, bend down low before grabbing your bag. Secondly, when picking up your ball, bend at your knees as well. And third, you can try using a longer putter. These all seem like simple practices, and you may think that just bending over to pick up your ball can't hurt you, but over time it will build up. So do the little things to help prevent back pain.

Another big injury among golfers is shoulder pain. This can be caused by tendonitis, a tear, or just instability. Stretching, as I mentioned before, will help you prevent shoulder pain. Do some strength training and light lifting to build up stronger shoulder muscles. A slower backswing will help take some stress off your shoulders. The last common injury I want to make you aware of is golfer's elbow or tennis elbow. These two elbow injuries are on the upper arm near your elbow and will be pain or swelling of the arm. Tennis is on the outside of your arm and golf is on the inside, but both are very common among golfers despite the name. Practicing on real grass or turn instead of rubber mats, a slow backswing, and lighter grip on your club are all ways to help prevent an elbow injury.

I hope that you have picked up something in this article that will help you prevent injuring yourself on the golf course or at the driving range. Remember, even though golf is not a physical sport it does not mean you should not be in great shape to play it. Stretching and light weight lifting, plus proper techniques on the course will all help you stay healthy and playing for many years.