One Out of Two Golfers Will Have a Golf Swing Related Injury - Can You Prevent Yours?

I have a friend who blew out his ACL in his left knee while playing old man basketball. Old man being relative. A bunch of guys playing rec ball in their 30's. We all get out there and play hard, sometimes harder than we should. The mind says yes, the body says no way! Mike's ACL zigged when it should have zagged. Shortly after the surgery, he was visiting with his doctor on a routine check up when he asked the doctor if he'd be able to dunk the basketball after he completes his rehab.

After a pause, the doctor said, "Sure, you should be able to after you get released from recovery and rehab."

Mike said, "Great! I've never been able to dunk before, so I'll look forward to rehab."

Injuries are a part of every sport, and golf is no different. Injuries occur in golf and can result in many things.

What are the common parts of the body that become injured for golfers?

What are the common reasons why injuries occur?

And finally, what can you do to prevent injuries in the sport of golf?

Let's discuss what happens when you have an injury in relation to your golf swing. An injury to your body like a pulled muscle, strained tendon, or something as minimal as a hangnail can affect your swing. "How?" you ask. Your body is a finely tuned machine. This fined tune piece of equipment is also a great mechanism of compensation. What do I mean?

If you have a little "pull" of a muscle, a compensation pattern occurs in the body. This small compensation by your body has an affect on your golf swing. It might be so minimal that you don't even feel it, but your shots and scores show it. So what are you to do? Well, the obvious answer is to do everything to prevent an injury from occurring. We will discuss this point at the end of the article. At this time let us move on to answering the questions above.

Injuries: The Why's, What's, and How's

First off, realize that the majority of research I have read indicates that over 50% of recreational golfers will incur a golf-related injury during their playing career. Think about it. In your foursome you played with over the weekend, at least two of you will come up lame. Keep that idea in mind as we move to other statistics.

The common injuries in golfers are low back, wrist, and shoulder. A list I imagine most of you could probably have predicted.

How do these injuries to your low back, wrist, or shoulder occur?

The answer is twofold. There are two different types of injuries when it comes to golf or any other sport. Injuries are classified as either acute or chronic.

An acute injury is an injury that is the direct result of an external force at a specific point in time.

Let me explain. If you were walking down the street and fell, breaking your ankle, that type of injury is an acute injury. The injury occurred as a result of an external force (falling on concrete) at a specific point in time (walking down the street). The majority of golf injuries do not fall into the acute injury category. An occasional wrist injury can be an acute injury if you hit, say, a tree root in the downswing. Or maybe you trip while walking on the course and sprain your ankle. These are acute-type golf injuries. They are few and far between when discussing golf injuries in general.

The second type of injury category is what we call chronic injuries. Chronic injuries occur over time and are the most common type of injury in golf. How do chronic injuries occur? Probably the easiest way to explain it is the following: after time the muscles, tendons, and ligaments of the body become tired. Once they become tired, fatigue sets in, and when your brain tells the body to swing that club and it's tired, what do you think is going to happen? Over time those muscles will get to a point of such fatigue that on one swing or in one round, the body gives up and something gets pulled, strained, or inflamed. At that point you now have a chronic golf injury. It's pretty simple when you think of the whole process of a golf swing.

A golf swing is a repetitive movement that places stresses on the same muscles over and over again. As a result, those muscles get tired. And you now know what eventually happens to those muscles when they get tired; they break down and become injured!

So the next question is: how can you prevent chronic injuries in golf? A couple viable answers exist. Probably the easiest way to combat chronic golf injuries is not to play. What do you mean not play! Simple, if you do not play a lot of golf, then the stresses you place on your body will be less than playing 36 each weekend. So your body will not get as tired, and your chances of a chronic golf injury are less.

The other option (which I imagine is the route most of you reading this article would like to take) is to develop what I term "golf strength." "Golf strength" is developing the body in a manner that creates a foundation to support your swing. And when we talk about foundation, we are talking about the areas of flexibility, balance, strength, endurance, and power in a manner that assists you in maintaining the correct swing mechanics swing to swing.

The development of "golf strength" will limit (not eliminate) the possibility of injury and enhance your golf swing. Again, if your body can't support the movement you are asking it to do, the brain will still make your body do it, but eventually the body will "put on the brakes" and come up injured.

So there you have it! How injuries occur in the sport of golf. What are the common injuries associated with the sport. And what are the specific types of injuries associated with golfers. In addition, you have been provided the key to limiting injuries in golf, and that key is what we call "golf strength." To learn more about "golf strength" click on our web site at www.bioforcegolf.com.

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website http://www.bioforcegolf.com. Check out his manual and DVD, Your Body & Your Swing, (http://www.bioforcegolf. com/index.php?option=content&task=view&id=93) on BioForceGolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

Los Angeles Times
'Tiger Woods' tops this season's golf games
International Herald Tribune, France - 15 hours ago
AP WASHINGTON: If you're like most sports fans, you haven't watched that much golf since June, when Tiger Woods won the US Open — and then announced he was ...
Hit the virtual green with new 'Tiger' golf game USA Today
This Week in Golf - September 4th through September 7th Sports Network
The World of Las Vegas Golf: A Tiger Woods Sighting, Craig Barlow ... GolfLasVegasNow.com
Webster Kirkwood Times - Salisbury Journalall 584 news articles

Sydney Morning Herald
Golf’s Thunder Bolt
Villages Daily Sun, FL - 54 minutes ago
I know that there are many people who feel a person who fires golf clubs is a person to avoid at all costs and is probably the lowest form of life on the ...
Pro golf is having a bigger presence in the Bay Area San Francisco Chronicle
Tommy Bolt Telegraph.co.uk
Starting Lines: Tommy Bolt Dies Hartford Courant
Arizona Republic - United Press Internationalall 126 news articles

County may buy golf course from commissioner's family
Chicago Sun-Times, United States - 6 hours ago
BY MARK J. KONKOL Cook County Reporter Cook County Forest Preserve officials are set to negotiate a deal to buy Rolling Knolls Golf Course -- which is owned ...
Cook County forest preserve panel may buy member's golf course Chicago Tribune
Cook Co. commissioner in bind over land Chicago Daily Herald
all 5 news articles

Young golf pro's dad charged with drug offenses
San Diego Union Tribune, United States - 1 hour ago
AP HONOLULU – The father of 17-year-old Hawaii golf pro Tadd Fujikawa is awaiting trial on two first-degree charges of trafficking methamphetamine. ...
Father of golf pro Tadd Fujikawa indicted for meth trafficking Honolulu Advertiser
Tadd Fujikawa's Dad Indicted on Drug Charges KGMB9
Hawaii golfer Tadd Fujikawa's father indicted in meth trafficking Honolulu Advertiser
all 7 news articles

The Ensemble Theatre Presents 'Radio Golf' by August Wilson
MarketWatch - 1 hour ago
HOUSTON, Sep 5, 2008 (GlobeNewswire via COMTEX) -- The Ensemble Theatre kicks off its Passport to Adventure 2008-2009 Season with Radio Golf, ...

Canoe.ca
LPGA Tour's English rule caught many in Korean community by ...
ESPN - Sep 3, 2008
"If these players don't take this step [and learn English]," she told Golf World, "their ability to earn a living is reduced. ...
A triple-bogey blunder Chicago Tribune
In Yer Face Winnipeg Sun
California lawmaker questions LPGA language policy The Associated Press
USA Today - KBSall 546 news articles

Telegraph.co.uk
Golf: Old comrades beg to differ on Ryder Cup
WalesOnline, United Kingdom - 10 hours ago
Phil Price and Paul McGinley wrote their name into Belfry folklore helping Europe wrest golf’s most coveted prize off America in 2002 to where it remains ...
Nicklaus bullish over US chances BBC Sport
Azinger doesn't rule out Tiger attending Ryder Cup matches - Golf ESPN
Golf-Azinger will have open line to Tiger during Ryder Cup Reuters.uk
CNN - ESPNall 1,114 news articles

MSN India
Sorenstam stars in first Ladies Euro Tour golf event in China
AFP - 10 hours ago
"China represents the future and I would love to see women's golf develop strongly there." The tournament, from October 31-November 2, is co-sanctioned by ...
Veteran golfer Annika Sorenstam plays last tournament in Europe Whistler Question
Sorenstam to make European farewell Golfbidder Limited
Sorenstam Heads To Denmark's Nykredit Masters In Final Europe Stint AHN
Canoe.caall 15 news articles

Canoe.ca
Time to fix the playoffs and here's where to start - Golf
ESPN - 19 hours ago
"So you just need to go out and take care of your business." Bob Harig covers golf for ESPN.com. He can be reached at BobHarig@gmail.com.
Weir jumps to 24th spot in world golf rankings CBC.ca
So, the FedEx Cup is Over. Let's Fix It. Again. Waggle Room
McAllister: Harrington has no problems with Playoff format PGA Tour
Irish Independent - The Canadian Pressall 98 news articles

LWSRA 1st Golf Outing
Frankfort Station, IL - 3 hours ago
Lincolnway Special Recreation Association (LWSRA) is hosting its first golf outing. The price is only $80.00 per golfer and includes 18 holes of golf, ...

Wind Chimes and more...

Windchimes for great gifts!

Improve Your Golf Performance With These 5 Tips