STROKE OF THE DAY |
"Golf… a young man’s vice and an old man’s penance." |
-Irvin S. Cobb |
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We've all run to the tee at one time or another without warming up. We make a half-hearted attempt at stretching while poking fun at a friend's expanding waistline. Then we attempt to stripe a drive down the fairway with all the strength and athleticism our bodies can muster. The only thing certain is that somewhere down the line we'll likely pay for it in the form of aches, pains or injuries. "You can break injuries down into two categories," said East Valley Golf Club director of instruction Dale Abraham, who uses his knowledge of kinesiology and biomechanics to enhance his lessons. "There are cumulative injuries which are caused by over or improper use and acute injuries which result from some sort of traumatic occurrence." Abraham doesn't buy into the theory that golf is more technical than physical. "Any time your muscles aren't accustomed to doing something and you put them under a heavy load, such as a golf swing, you're just asking for trouble," he said. "Golf is a strenuous motion." MY ACHING BACK Nearly half of all golf-related injuries involve the lower back, Abraham said. While some injuries can be attributed to a body's structure, most often the cause of pain is from prolonged improper use. "The typical problems occur from too much side bending," he said. "Golfers typically side bend to their right too much in their downswing, which causes a decrease in the space between their disks." Abraham says good posture from address to finishing the swing is imperative to preventing injuries. "Players need to maintain an athletic posture throughout the swing, and it starts with the hamstrings," he said. "Through inactivity, the hamstrings tighten and get shorter, which impacts other movements of the body, including trunk rotation, which are integral to making a golf swing. Those hamstrings need to be stretched and flexible during the swing." A PAIN IN THE ELBOW Elbow pain is often linked to tennis, but it's a common golf injury as well, Abraham said. "Tennis elbow is the pain on the outside of the leading elbow in the swing, which is typically a result of overuse and poor mechanics," he said. "It's fatigue-based and is found in players who grip the club too tightly and in those who are practicing excessively while trying to learn a new grip or making an alteration to their swing." Injuries that occur on the inside of the elbow are caused by impact or a sudden deceleration of the club at impact, such as hitting a shot fat or playing out of deep rough. WRIST SHOT Wrist pain is almost always related to a change in the load applied to the club. "When the club strikes the ground, there is a huge change going on there," Abraham said. "For amateurs, they come from fat shots. More accomplished players may experience wrist pain from an acute action such as striking a rock or a tree root or from excessive practice." Phil Mickelson suffered cumulative and acute injuries to his wrist when he first battled tendinitis from excessive practice while making swing changes with a new coach. He hurt the wrist again in the summer while practicing from deep rough in preparation for the U.S. Open. Abraham also said golfers with improper mechanics are susceptible to another form of wrist injury. "There is a small hook-shaped bone in the wrist called the hamate bone," he said. "It is very sensitive and can break from excessive impact with an incorrect grip." SHOULDERING THE LOAD Shoulder pain is often linked to a problem in another part of the body. "Most shoulder injuries are caused by a restricted rotation of the spine," Abraham said. "The player attempts to compensate for the limited spinal rotation by overusing the arms. Pain is typically felt in the AC joint of the leading shoulder. The lack of trunk rotation causes overuse of the shoulder rotators. The heavier load on the smaller muscles in the shoulder is a recipe for disaster." LIFT WITH YOUR LEGS Some injuries can occur before we even get out of the parking lot. "No matter what we are doing, we always have to remember to lift with our legs, and this includes something as simple as taking the bag out of the trunk," Abraham said. "I tell my players when they tee up a shot or pick a ball up off the ground, they should squat rather than bend. Strengthening your legs will only help you physically. It's as simple as exercising and stretching for flexibility." GET THE MOST OUT OF YOUR PRACTICE Proper practice is also something we take for granted. "People don't practice the right way," Abraham said. "Practice doesn't have to be a marathon, but golfers equate work with duration. Players making a swing change or preparing for a tournament will often just sit and beat ball after ball for hours. That just ingrains bad habits, promotes fatigue and can result in injury." Abraham said players should hit balls for 20 minutes, take a break, putt for 20 minutes, take a break, and then hit balls again for 20 minutes. That routine helps your mental focus, enhances your mechanics and reduces the risk of injury, he said. THE IMPORTANCE OF WARMING UP Heading straight to the tee before your round is also a no-no, Abraham said. "Proper warm-up reduces the incident of injury by upwards of 50 percent," he said. "That's a huge number. A realistic warmup can be as simple as five minutes of dynamic stretches and 10 minutes of hitting golf shots, starting from smaller swings and building to the driver." Abraham said static stretches such as touching your toes or pulling your arms across your body don't increase blood flow to the areas that are going to be used on the course. "You want to get blood and oxygen into the muscles before you put them under strain," he said. "We like to see players do walking toe touches and rotational movements that don't just stretch the muscles but also encourage circulation to the area." SG |
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