Let me begin by saying I am not a golfer. I played a few times when I was younger and loved it. And because I loved it, I decided not to pursue it. Huh? Yes, that’s right, I didn’t pursue it because I knew I’d quickly get hooked on golf the way everyone who plays the game gets hooked, overcrowding my already too-busy life.
Although I don’t play golf, I am familiar with the movements involved and the implications for causing injuries. Let me add that people who don’t play golf are surprised to learn that a sport that seems to be nothing more than hitting a little ball with a stick, then jumping in a cart and riding down the fairway, is not completely safe. Looks can be deceiving.
Why you should warm up and stretch before golf
Golf is a unique sport in many ways. One way is that golfers regularly perform a maximal effort without proper warmup. A sprinter would never crouch down in the starting blocks and explode with powerful strides without a thorough warmup that includes light jogging, then progressively more intense running to elevate the temperature of working muscles and joints, followed by stretching exercises. Such warmups are sacred in virtually every sporting endeavor, except golf.
Gary Woodland stretches on the no. 1 fairway during the second round of The 2023 Masters golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: Rob Schumacher-USA TODAY Network
Golfers may drive several practice balls and assume they are warmed up before moving on to the first tee. But it’s not enough and quite different from a physiologic warmup that prepares the muscles, joints, and fragile connective tissues surrounding joints for the powerful challenge of driving a golf ball as far as possible.
Picture this. A golfer who has not warmed up properly addresses the ball, rears back, elevates the arms, then swings with powerful muscular contractions that create tremendous momentum and force, plus all the while twisting the lower back. It’s the perfect formula for potential injury to the lower back, but also to the shoulders, elbows, wrists, and knees.
Is a chiropractor a good option if you have back pain?
Years ago, I had a friend I will call Joe who was an avid golfer. Like many, Joe complained of lower back pain, and like most, he never bothered to properly warm up. Eventually, the pain got bad enough to disrupt his golf game and he begrudgingly decided to visit an orthopedic surgeon for treatment. After a few visits, his back was a little better, but not enough to…
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