Injuries – unfortunately they tend to occur all too frequently as we get older. Injuries can be the scourge of a golfer’s life – but they don’t have to completely derail your game. Unless you’re seriously injured or lying in a hospital bed, chances are you can find a way to play around an injury without having to lose too much time on the course. Here’s how.
Reasons golfers get injured
Golf is a very safe sport, and the injury-risk is quite low. However, injuries happen in any sport and golfers are not immune to the occasional injury. The risk of injury increases as you get older too, and as golf is a game that you can play well into old age, there is always the chance of an injury.
There are a number of factors that might cause you to get injured when playing golf:
- Overuse
- Incorrect or poor swing mechanics
- Incorrect grip
- Not warming up correctly
- Hitting the ground during your swing
- Over-twisting your spine while swinging
Click here to read more about common golf injuries – and how to prevent them.
If you have experienced some type of injury while playing golf, or even gained an injury away from the course, don’t despair. Here’s what you need to do to limit your time off the course and ensure you can still play golf without making your injury worse.
Consult a physio
Your first port of call after any injury should be a physiotherapist. He or she will be able to accurately assess the extent of your injury and provide treatment options that will help you return to the course sooner. The treatment might involve massage, manipulation, dry needling, taping, stretching, rehabilitation exercises or exercise prescription. Your physio will also be able to manage your exercise load and ensure you’re not overdoing things too soon, and will be able to manage your progress through the injury.
Don’t make the mistake of thinking it’s just a small injury and will probably go away on its own – chances are, it won’t. Particularly with overuse injuries, the pain may come on gradually without any inciting incident – but that doesn’t mean it’s not a serious thing. Any area of persistent pain should probably be looked at – after all, golf is supposed to be an enjoyable game, not something where you grit your teeth and suffer through the pain. Get it checked out and treated – you’ll be back to enjoying the game you love sooner.
Get a management plan
Your physio will be able to provide you with a management plan – detailing what you’ll need to do to get back on the course, and how long it’s likely to take. Follow this plan and do everything you’re instructed to do – don’t try for shortcuts, as they’re unlikely to improve the situation, and may even make things worse. One important thing to note is to make sure you are cleared by your physio to get back on the course, rather than just assuming you’re okay to play again. Even if your injury feels fine, that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s fully healed – it’s always wise to wait until you’ve been cleared.
Wear protective gear when playing
There is plenty of protective gear around that can help you manage your injury once you’ve been cleared by your physio to return to the game. A back brace might help those with back issues, or a knee brace might enable you to play again on that dodgy knee. Your physio will advise you as to what might help- and how long you should wear it.
Get an assessment from a pro
If you’ve developed an overuse injury, it’s very worthwhile getting a golfing professional to assess your technique. He or she should be able to identify problem areas that may be causing your injury issues, and advise you how to correct them. They should also be able to advise you about any gear adjustments you should be making to protect your injured area and prevent it from reoccurring.
Adapt your swing
Making some adjustments to accommodate for your injury is wise. Adapt your swing based on your assessment with a pro – you might need to change your posture, grip, stance, ball position or any of your fundamental positions. These tweaks should help your body maintain good, correct positions and lessen the likelihood of your injury getting worse or recurring.
Play nine holes
If you can’t manage a full round, aim to start off by playing nine holes. It will provide a good test of how well your injury has healed, hopefully without making things worse. And while it’s not the same as playing the entire round, anything is better than nothing when you’re coming back from an injury, right?
Use a golf buggy
When you’ve been injured, the last thing you want is to put your body under undue pressure by carting around a heavy set of golf clubs. Golf bags are heavy and will put unneeded strain on your back and upper body, while golfers with lower body injuries probably don’t need to be walking the course. Be kind to your body and invest in a walker or ride-on golf buggy – it will give your body a break, help prevent you getting re-injured and allow you back on the course sooner.
Check out Parmaker’s great range of both walker and ride-on golf buggies here.
Get plenty of rest
Rest and sleep are super important in allowing your body to heal, so don’t skimp on the shut-eye. Get your 7 – 8 hours per night on a regular basis to give your body the best chance of healing as quickly as possible.
Warm up properly before you play
The warm-up is vitally important to prepare your body to play – and never more so than when you’re coming back from an injury. Your body will need to readjust to the stresses of the game again, and you’ll need to ensure your injured area has plenty of warm up time. Use a combination of light cardio to raise your heart rate, stretching all the major muscle groups and some focused technique work to groove your swings and improve your flexibility and range of motion.
Do some core conditioning exercises
Many injuries occur as a result of weakness or tightness somewhere in the body, and back pain can often be exacerbated by weak abdominal muscles. Your abdominals provide strong support and protection for your back, and the knowledge of how to activate and use them can lessen the pain of repeated swinging movements. Try Pilates, yoga or consult an exercise physiologist or gym trainer to learn how to strengthen and activate your back and core muscles correctly.
Look after your injury after your round
Chances are you’ll be a bit sore initially after playing a round, so do some maintenance after you get home. Take a warm bath or shower or hit the hot tub, apply ice to any sore areas and take some anti-inflammatories if necessary. Manage the injury carefully every time you play for a while, and you’ll go a long way towards preventing a relapse.
Listen to your body
After an injury, you’ll need to pay extra attention to any signs of aches and pains in your body. Make sure you’re really listening to your body both during and after a round, and backing off and taking it easy when you need to.
Play mini golf
If all else fails, see if you can get in a round of mini golf. This is likely to be a lot less taxing on your body, as the swings are obviously a lot shorter. While it’s not the same as playing a round of golf, it’s still fun – and you can consider it putting practice!
