Golf cart injuries and other common golf injuries can be easily reduced with proper exercise and practice. Injuries in the game of golf aren’t talked often but they do exist affecting around 1/4th of golfers. Injuries can be short term and some even manage to have a cumulative effect in the long run.

Reasons for Injuries in Golf

Overuse and Over Training

The game requires extensive power to clear off fairways and tee. Many golfers practice for long hours and some are known to avoid breaks to be in synchronization with the game. All these things lead to a great amount of fatigue and this may increase the chances of injury.

Mis-hits like duffs where you hit the ground instead of the ball while swinging lead to strain and if you continue to play with it, the strain can be aggravated. Repeated motion of swinging and overuse leads to trauma to certain regions.

Wrong Posture and Stance

Incorrect equipment can lead to an incorrect posture where injuries are more likely to occur. Poor swing mechanism and over swinging can lead to injuries which could have been avoided with proper training and practice. Many beginners often copy successful golfers without taking into consideration physical factors and training which can lead to a golf injury.

Traumatic Injuries

When it comes to golf injuries, people who play golf for recreation and amateurs are more likely to get injured as compared to seasoned campaigners. Injuries related to overuse are more common with professionals.

Incorrect Gripping of Golf Clubs

Gripping not only influences the flight of the ball but also influences a player’s comfort level. Incorrect gripping generally causes wrist pain and even arm pain. It can also cause twisting of spine during swings. People with weak or small hands should use baseball type of grip to avoid muscle strain. Baseball grip and interlocking grips are suggested for people with joint pains and also for newcomers.

Skipping Warm-ups

Complacency is also a reason where a player doesn’t give much importance to safety principles or appropriate ways of controlling the game. We need to remember that golf is a physical game and not a morning stroll. Skipping a warm-up session is nothing but complacency or a way of taking things easy. It is one of the most common mistakes which golf players commit. Warm up sessions prepare your body for a golfing session and it doesn’t even take a lot of time, hence it is advised to go for a warm up session as subscribed by your trainer before you start.

Age and Other Factors

Golf can be played for fun, for making a style statement or on a professional level. It is unfortunate but age does make a golfer more vulnerable to injuries as compared to younger folks. However with correct technique, fitness level and practice, the affect can be minimized.

There are many types of golf clubs and each one of them has a different use so using incorrect equipment not only affects the shot but can also cause muscle strain. Wear and tear of tendons, ligaments and joints often leads to fatigue and mild to harsh pain.

Common golf injuries include low back pain, shoulder tendinitis, impingement syndrome, golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis), tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis), knee pain, shoulder and elbow pain, wrist and hand pain, plantar fasciitis, aching related to rotator cuff injury.

Golf Safety Equipments

Some popularly used safety equipments to avoid injuries in golf are Like Shoulder Supports (double shoulder support and straps), knee supports and braces, golfers elbow supports, back supports, foot cares, air heels, deep relief gels, medical aid box and insoles.

Avoiding a golf injury is difficult but minimizing can be done easily. Some easy methods are given below.

• Make sure you do a proper warm-up before starting the game
• As many golfers practice and play in hot weather, make sure you take in a lot of fluids especially water
• Consult a professional to refine your swing
• Use of soft and correct grips
• Good diet and exercise
• Strengthening the forearm muscles regularly
• Correct posture, stance, swing and right amount of training (without overuse)
• Rotate the shoulders and hips evenly during backswing and keep the spine vertical during follow-throughs
• Take proper breaks during practice
• While training in golf academies, safety measures are discussed so you need to follow the correct technique to enhance safety and reduce injury.
• Usage of golf safety equipments

Many are just not aware of golf cart injuries as there are so many myths floating around in terms of golf techniques. Hence, being aware of golf injuries, their effects and ways to avoid them would always help.