Introduction

Printer Friendly Version

Why Does it Hurt: A Golfers Pain

Golf may not be as injury prone as other sports, in a one year follow up study of nearly 13,000 high school athletes the overall injury rate was 22%, but golfers reported no injuries. In a study involving 18 sports medicine centers reports of golfing injuries from 1990 - 1995, 286 injuries in total and 280 individuals, the most common diagnosis was mechanical back pain, then muscular/ligament problems. Delay in seeking treatment was associated with a less than satisfactory outcome. A 5 year observation at sporting clinics found golf injuries (4.2%) were of similar risk to Badminton (4.4%) aerobics (3.2%) - most were football, jogging and running. Of those 4.2% injured figures similar to 35% overuse syndrome, 29% with a twisting or rotational component, 15% aggravated a previous injury, 12% were forceful mis-hits. In 24% of cases the lower back was involved, 18% being elbow and 18% knee, 15% neck, 6% shoulder 6% hand or fingers Male golfers accounted for most muscular pain/sprains/tendonitis.

Upper limb problems were lateral epicondylitis, medial epicondylitis, and shoulder impingement. Golfers under 40 had nearly half of the 37 lower back pain complaints, but many were reported as being previous injury.

Of interest (in the southern hemisphere) January and February were the most dangerous months, but this does not reflect larger numbers of people playing - other factors for injury numbers may be increased risk of injury after Christmas break, a trend seen in other sports.

There are two types of injuries due to playing golf: macro (large and potentially life threatening) injuries, and micro - those small "niggles" that eventually become so painful your play is disturbed - or stopped. Macro injuries are treated via emergency hospital admissions - involving mainly head traumas often of children being hit with a golf club when standing too near or struck by a golf ball in flight - which is very painful. Golf does not rank in the top 20 sports or recreational activities resulting in admission to a hospital emergency departments. Golf clubs are dangerous if left unattended especially if small children have access to them - store them properly and safely, and when at the driving range keep your children a safe distance away from other golfers. The much more common, micro injuries - are generally due (in recreational golfers) to, excessive practice, poor physical conditioning and /or to poor swing mechanics.

A common example of this error in swing mechanics is; (this may be you !!) The best golfers are capable of a pelvic rotation (some people incorrectly call this hip rotation) of 40-45 degrees, and an upper torso rotation of 90 - 95 degrees - the difference being referred to (initially by PGA coach Jim McLean) as the X factor, and the source of power. In older golfers - and golfers not totally committed to exercise and stretches - we (I include myself here) begin a hip slide - the right hip (in right handed player) slides away from the target. This is fatal to your swing, you go off plane, generally coming from outside the target to inside and the resultant slice sends you looking for off center drivers and irons - whereas you really should correct the swing error - its due to your upper body swinging too hard, and poor stability through the hips and lower body.