Ready to take to the green this season? Here’s how to improve your game without causing yourself common golfing injuries.
Stretch it Out
You need to open your trunk and expand rotation in your hips and shoulders to be ready for play. Before heading out to the course:
- Stretch the front of your hips by placing one foot on a step and lunging lightly forward while stretching your arms overhead. Repeat five times, then switch and do the other side.
- Do the exercise again while twisting and reaching around to grab your hip with the opposite hand. Hold for a count of five, then release and rotate to face front.
- Next, reach up and forward to flatten your hand on a wall, then turn your chest away from your arm. Hold for a count of five, then release and rotate to face front. Repeat five times each side.
- Finally, lean both hands against the wall and rotate your hips to the left and right ten times while keeping your trunk immobile. Repeat while reaching up into the air.
Follow up your stretch out session by warming up with short drives, slowly increasing in power.
Use Your Core
One of the most common injuries for golfers involves lower back pain from swinging the club erratically. Initiate your swing through rotating your hips instead of pulling down by your arms. Make sure your core is fully engaged during your swing and bend at your waist while engaging your abdominals. This can improve the consistency of your drive while helping avoid unusual stress on your back muscles.
Tuck your Elbows
Shoulder strain on the backswing is the result of too high a backswing and overextension. Put your shoulder blades back and tuck your elbows in a little. Using core to add punch to your swing instead of your arms, and reducing the apex of your backswing can reduces shoulder stress and help prevent injury to your shoulder joint.
Swivel your Hips
Hip soreness after play can often be attributed to undue stiffness and failure to rotate your hips fluidly through each swing and follow through. Make sure you are properly transferring weight onto the lead leg, and that you pivot correctly on follow through without aborting your motion abruptly.
These four tips can help you improve your game and reduce risk of injury. If you experience pain after play, contact Dr. Strasburger for a consultation.