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Golf requires good rotational flexibility, placing less stress on the soft tissues. Most golfers, amateur and professional, will at some point need time off from their sport due to injury. The most common areas for injuries are the back, elbow, wrist and shoulder. These are often associated with inefficient swing mechanics, repetitive strain and/or lack of conditioning.
The recreational golfer will often have faulty swing mechanics and attempt to generate power with compensatory muscle activity and overswinging. In time, this excessive work and inappropriate stress on the tissues will lead to fatigue, microtrauma and eventual injury.
The professional golfer, who often has better mechanics, risks injury from overworking weak or tight tissues. A good training program, proper warm-up and instruction from a golf professional can reduce injury and improve performance.
The training program should be functional and sport-specific, addressing flexibility, stability, balance and coordination. Golf requires good rotational flexibility and stability and coordinated movement in a loaded and
position.
With good flexibility, less stress is placed on the soft tissues, such as muscle and tendons, and joint structures. In addition to the excessive stress on the back, lack of flexibility lends itself to shoulder and knee strains and sprains, and even hip impingement. Therefore, stretching or mobility exercises should involve the muscles and joints of the spine and extremities. The foam roller used in physical therapy is an excellent tool for stretching muscles, deep tissue work and mobilization of joints.
Functional core stability can prevent injury and improve posture, strength and power. One of the best stability training tools for golfers is the therapy ball, which allows the multiplanar strengthening that mimics golf. Using a guided algorithm, one can easily advance to more difficult and challenging exercises with the ball. Most people think of abdominals for core stabilization, but other muscle groups are of equal importance, including muscles of the upper and lower back, hips and thighs.
Timing and posture are essential components of an efficient golf swing, which is why coordination training is strongly encouraged. An effective coordination program should address individual structures of the body, the linking of these structures and timing. In many clinics, including Taylor Physical Therapy, techniques such as PNF (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) are utilized to guide people to correct muscle imbalances and coordination discrepancies manually.
Not only must a golfer coordinate his or her swing, he or she must also balance it. Balance training allows more fluid movement, improves body awareness and keeps the golfer upright. Balance exercises incorporate stability cushions, wobble boards and pulleys, and are done unilaterally and bilaterally. The bilateral balance activity is important for weight shifting during the golf swing.
The warm-up is an essential part of a golfer’s regimen and should be performed before golfing. Combined with a good training program, warming-up will help prevent injury, reduce soreness and keep the body more relaxed during activity. Dynamic activity is recommended, versus static stretching, as this will increase blood flow to the muscles and prepare the body for work.
The goals of a training program are an efficient swing, more power and fewer injuries. Working with a golf professional is strongly recommended, as he or she is trained to correct poor posture, improve the mechanics of the swing and select appropriate equipment.
While we would never guarantee to reduce your golf score, we certainly believe you will be on the golf course longer if you implement a thorough training program, warm-up before playing and work with a golf pro.
For more information or golf exercises, call 559-0011 or visit www.taylorpt.org.
Taylor Miller has been practicing sports and orthopedic physical therapy for 16 years. He works at Taylor Physical Therapy: Orthopedic and Sports Physical Therapy in Los Altos.
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