Although many consider golf a low-level physical activity there is still a potential risk of suffering injury to the back, shoulder, elbow, wrist and hand. Two main causes of injury in golf include overuse/too much practice and poor biomechanics.
Back Injuries: The rotational stress of the golf swing can place considerable pressure on the spine and muscles. This can be reduced in two ways, 1) a back swing that minimises the difference between shoulder and hip rotation. In amateur golfers this angle is commonly around 60 degrees while in professionals it is reduced to 45 degrees, 2) a follow-through which is perpendicular to the ground as opposed to the reverse C-shape (Fig. 1a & b) which places a lot of stress on the lumbar spine.
Shoulder Injuries: Commonly in golfers, shoulder injuries are a result of overuse of the shoulder muscles as opposed to a specific injury. The leading shoulder is subject to extreme ranges of motion and therefore is more commonly injured. Shoulder and scapular muscles must be well coordinated for the arms to function effectively during the swing. One way to help reduce the stress on the shoulder is to end the backswing in a 1 or 2 o’clock position instead of a 3 o’clock position. Conditioning of the rotator cuff muscles and scapular muscles with light weights may also help (Fig. 2a, b & c).
Elbow: Forearm and elbow pain are common in the golfing population. These pains can occur on either the medial (inside) or lateral (outside) side of the elbow. Common therapies for medial elbow pain are medial counterforce braces (Fig 3) and larger club grips but the effectiveness of both these therapies is unclear. The underlying problem to the golfer’s elbow pain for either medial or lateral problems may lie in their swing mechanics. Of particular importance is the correct swing plane of the shaft during backswing and downswing. If the swing is either too steep or too flat then undue stress can be placed on the elbows, wrists and hands leading to pain and injury.
