Do you know how many muscles experts say we must move to perform that swing that has cost you so much work to perfect?
Well, nothing less than 124. All of them must coordinate to carry out the movement. It is certainly a mistake to think that, because the pace of the game is slow and it is not a contact sport, there is no possibility of injury. These are, in fact, some of the most frequent golf injuries:
Fibrillar tears
Tendonitis in the wrist and hand
Golfer's elbow or epicondylitis
Tendonitis in the shoulder
Cervical and low back pain
Achilles tendonitis
Herniated discs
Golfers make asymmetric movements, especially on the drive. If we repeat the gesture over and over, always in the same direction, we could damage our back if we are not careful. In addition, the movement is performed in rotation, a gesture especially damaging to the intervertebral discs and sacroiliac joints.
From the outside, golf seems like a relaxed, calm game with little physical demand. However, the risk of injury does exist and you should be aware of it to prevent it. Maybe you have already booked the green fees for the next weekend: 18 holes, about 6 kilometers, approximately 4 hours of play and between 70 and 120 shots to the ball. We are not talking about a walk through beautiful meadows. So with those numbers, do we really still think that it is so difficult to get injured while playing golf?
So, have you already made your green fee reservation? Well, reserve 15 minutes before to heat up! It is one of the most important tips to prevent injury while playing golf. But we have a few more:
Perfect your technique: The more abrupt the blows, the more chances there are of the joints suffering especially. Amateur golfers tend to give a lot of force to the movement, when what requires a good shot to gain distance is above all speed. Getting good technique and having a good instructor are key pieces of golf injury prevention.
Try to stay hydrated: Good hydration facilitates the arrival of blood with oxygen and nutrients to the muscles. It can take us about four hours to complete 18 holes. Four hours of outdoor sports require good hydration to reduce the chances of suffering, for example, tendinitis. If we also talk about practicing this sport in summer, with much more reason.
Take care of your physical form: The better your general physical condition, the better your performance with the sticks. It is not necessary to have bulky muscles to play golf, but it is true that the stronger and more toned, the less likely they are to suffer.
Take special care of your elbow: Does the golfer's elbow ring a bell? Well it is the most common injury in golf players. Without going into too much detail, it is basically a tendon inflammation of the muscles that are in charge of flexing the wrist continuously. At the elbow, where the tendons are inserted, is where we will notice more pain. To prevent it, it is advisable to strengthen the forearm muscles.
Stretches: Mentalize that your work on the green does not end with the last hole. When you finish the game stretch the parts of the body that you have used the most, such as the wrists and the back.
The treatment for many of the injuries that can occur while playing golf involves rest and temporarily abandoning the practice of this sport. So if you want to continue playing golf this season and many more, follow our advice.
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