Winter hibernation is over and golf courses are (finally) open for business, and if I decide to hit the course, you may want to duck *FORE*.
Swinging golf clubs is more than just a “guy’s (or gals) getaway” or an “excuse to get out to drink beers”; it truly requires athleticism. The golf swing requires a combination of explosive power, strength, stability, and flexibility as a result of extreme rotations, accelerations, decelerations, and dissociation of limbs. You may have done your best this winter to stay in shape with other activities, but the movements required for golf are hard to mimic.
So as a new golf season begins, I want to ensure that you are mitigating your risk of (preventable) injury this season, all while helping you decrease your handicap.
A good warm up is a great start to staying injury-free this golf season!
As with any sporting activity, a good warm up is key. A proper warm up is dynamic in nature, meaning moving while you stretch, which aids in increasing blood flow to our muscles, improving flexibility, and decreasing chance of injury.
In golf, a warm up can help increase your available movement in order to attain full rotation and power. Golfers should have a specific focus on the thoracic spine (midback), hips, and shoulders in their warm up. Here are a few moves you can try out that hit a variety of muscles/joints in a short amount of time (so no excuses!!).
- Thoracic rotation (the tee off): stand with feet about hip-width apart and hinge your hips back. Cross your arms on your chest. Keeping your low back still, exhale and rotate your chest in a controlled manner from side to side.
- Hip Swings: swing your leg forwards and back while using a golf club to steady yourself on the non-swing side. Then repeat swinging each leg side to side, while steadying yourself with your golf club in front of you.
- Shoulders: Take a golf club with a long shaft, a wood or a driver, and place your hands at either end. Keeping your upper body still, hold the club parallel to your waist and then lift it up over your head and behind you.
It doesn’t matter if you’re a pro or a weekend hacker, resistance training will help your golf game
The sequence of a good golf swing starts with pushing from the ground up: activating your dominant side and leading with the legs and lower core, then transferring and funneling the energy and power through the upper core and arms to the club. If a golfer has poor alignment, balance control, core and hip stability, and deceleration strength, there may be an increased risk of injury. So if you want to hit the ball further and avoid injury this season, strength training is your golden ticket. Although a majority of the swing happens with the arms, most of the power behind the swing comes from the hips and core; as a result your focus should be on those specific muscle groups.
At the level of the hips, a golfer should focus on their glute strength as the muscles aid in rotating the hip and pulling the leg through while walking. Strong hip musculature helps with power generation for the swing as well as helping you walk the 5-6km round trip on the course. Some glute exercises could include: single leg (SL) bridges, SL squats, band walks, etc.
Core strength, specifically the strength and endurance of the back extensors and obliques, is also important for golf. I’m not saying you need a six-pack or rock-hard abs to have a good golf swing. However, your back extensors will help in maintaining good posture during your stance and swing while the obliques will help in generating power during your swing as they help rotate your thorax. Additionally, the core muscles help prevent too much shearing force going through the lumbar spine. Some great core exercises could include: band rotations, deadbug, and medicine ball throws.
Cool down before hitting that 19th hole
To me one of the best parts of finishing a golf game is cooling off with a rewarding cold beverage, usually mine is at the “10th hole” as I’m not quite patient enough to make it through 18 holes. But that’s beside the point. Before rewarding yourself for playing a terrific round, you should cool down with some stretching. Unlike in your warm up, this time you should perform static, stretch-and-hold type of stretches. This helps reduce the severity of your achy muscles in the following days to come.
All you have to do is slowly take your muscles to a point where you feel slight resistance, but NOT pain, and hold it there for 20-30s. Some key muscles to stretch would be the arms and shoulders, quads, calves, and lower back. Here are some examples set out by the Canadian Physiotherapy Association (CPA):
How a physiotherapist can help
The impact of golf on your body can vary greatly depending on your swing type, posture, fitness level, and other factors. A physiotherapist can help in preventing injury by helping you build the strength, flexibility, and stamina required for your golf game.
There is no reason to wait until something goes wrong before getting physiotherapy; you take your car in for regular maintenance so why not afford your body the same protection?
Of course if you have a nagging pain or ache after a round of golf, we can help with that too. A physiotherapist can help you improve your golf game by helping to manage any injuries that may be impeding your performance.
For more information or to book an appointment call 705-380-3312 or visit the website. Surge Physiotherapy is located at 33 King William Street, Suite 204, in Huntsville. Office hours are flexible with evening appointments available (three times per week). Email: [email protected].
Stephanie Bourbeau is a bilingual, Registered Physiotherapist with the College of Physiotherapist of Ontario and the Canadian Physiotherapy Association who is committed to providing a hands on, personalized approach to physiotherapy.
Stephanie, a native to the Huntsville community, developed a passion for health and wellness during her youth while competing in cross-country running, nordic skiing, and track and field. Stephanie has always had a strong caring nature and fell in love with the physiotherapy profession while volunteering at a physiotherapy clinic during high school and university.
Stephanie continued to build on her passion for health care by attending McGill University and completing her Bachelors of Science in Kinesiology. During her Masters in Health Science of Physiotherapy, completed at the University of Ottawa, she completed internships in orthopaedic clinics, hospitals, home care, and neurology centres.
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