Golf Injury Effects Pros & Amateurs!

The three major causes of golf injuries are:

1) Postural instability

2) Lack of flexibility

3) Misaligned swing mechanics

The golf swing requires the spine to rotate, bend laterally and extend. This requires flexibility that is golf specific.

Golfers suffer from a variety of injuries. Below I have listed the most common injuries for the PGA and LPGA.

PGA: Low Back Pain (25%), Left Wrist (16.1%), Left Shoulder (10.9%), Left Knee (7%), Left Hand (6%)

LPGA: Left Wrist (31.3%), Lower Back (22.4%), Left Hand (7.5%), Left Knee (6%)

Here is a list of common causes of golfing injuries: Amateur and professional: most common is repetitive practice. Amateurs, poor swing mechanics is the 2nd most common. Swing faults are responsible for both amateurs and pros joint complex dysfunction and de-conditioning syndrome. Increased club lengths have contributed as an injury promoter.

Back Pain: Due to the notorious X-Factor as much as 8 times the normal force is put into your low back during a golf swing. The golf swing subjects the lower back to rapid, complex, and intense loading patterns. The lower back must contend with significant lateral bending, shear, compression, and torsional forces. For example, the golf swing generates a peak compression load of more than eight times the body weight in both amateurs and professionals, whereas running and rowing only generate four and seven times body weight, respectively. It is not surprising that 62% of golfers will incur an injury directly related to the sport.

The Golf Landscape Has Changed Forever!

Tiger (and other younger golfers along with the golf club industry) have changed the game of golf forever. I dare say that if Lee Trevino were 25 years old today he could NOT make it BIG on tour. Why? Because he was a shot maker. In his day accuracy was at a premium. Tall rough at U.S. Opens had a devastating influence with a 3 iron in your hand. Today the kids have a nine iron into the green....BIG difference!

Of course the ball and the golf clubs made a significant contribution to this dilemma but also the conditions of the golf courses have changed. Belly putters with long flowing strokes. Smooth quick greens that roll true.

Watch one of those old films of the Shell's Wonderful World of Golf and see how the old boys use to pop the ball. It would hop along the bumpy green searching for an opening.

All this emphasis on the LONG BALL has taken its toll on golfer's wallets. They need to buy a new driver every year to keep up with the latest technology. Golf companies take advantage with $799 drivers that sell for only $249 a year later in a barrel.

One other area of concern is "Golf injury"? We never thought of golf injury in the early years or golf fitness either. The only thing we ever lifted when I played on tour was a 12 ounce can of Heineken, (I played in Europe).

All this emphasis on distance has tempted golfers to rip at the golf ball with all they've got landing them at their favorite health care professional’s office in grimace. There's an idea...how about the government offering free health care for golfers?