Simple Tips to Preventing Golf Injuries

Here are some simple changes and adjustments that you can make to help prevent golf injuries:

1)  Proper Club Fitting

Proper fit clubs can decrease stress to your body during the golf swing, help avoid poor swing biomechanics and avoid altered postures.

2)  Play Golf Consistently

I don't think most golfers will have a problem with this one.  Playing golf consistently will avoid long times of breaks and golf related activities

3)  Push your Golf Cart

Pushing your cart instead of pulling will cause less stress and torque to your body and help prevent injury

4)  Use a Longer Putter

This may decrease stress and strain while putting and avoid increased flexion when playing around of golf

5)  Use a Dual Backpack Strap

Carrying a golf bag with a single strap may be hazardous to the low back, shoulder, and ankles.  Using a double back strap will allows for proper distribution of weight across both shoulders

6)  Warm up prior to playing golf

A 10 minute warm up prior to playing golf has shown a >50% decrease risk of injury.

Making some simple adjustments can help prevent injuries when playing golf and help you enjoy pain free golf.  For more information contact Pursuit Physical Therapy at 407-494-8835 or visit us at www.PursuitTherapy.com, and check out our Golf Treatment Program that analyzes golf swing analysis, movement screen, injury prevention, and rehabilitation to address any golf related injuries and injury prevention.  Get back to a pain free golf swing today!

Why Do I Have Low Back Pain When I Golf? Can Physical Therapy Help?

This is for all of the great fathers out there for Father's Day, who are probably on the golf course right now, and who will make it home in time to watch the end of the U.S. Open!  Are you noticing that your golf scores are higher lately?  Are you starting to get low back pain (LBP) when golfing?  Have trouble beating your friends on the gold course now because of LBP?  Well, this is the blog post for you regarding golf and low back pain!  Do you know that common site of injury among professional and amateur golfers is the low back. Low back pain (LBP) is the most common injury and makes up roughly 25-50% of golf injuries.

Many of you are probably on the golf course right now with your friends, but what do we know about golfers with low back pain? Research shows that golfers with LBP have poor neuromuscular control to rotate at increased speeds. This is essential to a complex and powerful movement such as the golf swing. This is why after experiencing LBP it is essential to start physical therapy to retrain this neuromuscular control associated with the golf swing and to make sure your LBP does not return.  Not only is it about the low back when talking about golf and LBP, but what occurs at the hips and pelvis is also relevant.  Research has shown the low handicap golfers have increased pelvis rotation speed, increased hip muscle strength than high handicap golfers!  Both of these factors can be addressed with physical therapy.

The modern swing (vs the classical golf swing) is more popular with most golfers due to its increased power and distance produced. Increasing the hip to shoulder ratio with the modern swing can be problematic due to the increased stress placed on the low back, which may also predispose you to LBP. Also, the increase lateral bending and "reverse C posture" with your follow-through, as shown in the picture below, may also cause you to have LBP. 

These are factors all can be identified, treated, and be prevented from causing you to have LBP when playing golf.  Golfers with LBP have been shown to have decreased trunk and hip range of motion (ROM). What do you think happens when you perform a golf swing but you don't have enough ROM? The body will compensate at another joint causing increased and unwanted stress/load to the adjacent joint, predisposing it to injury.  For example, look at the importance of lead hip internal rotation needed for your follow through in this picture below. This could be one of many factors that is causing your LBP.

Many golfers suffer from LBP and this is something that physical therapy can help with.  Doing something as simple as warming up for 10 minutes prior to golfing can decrease your chance of injury by 50%!  Don't settle for having LBP ruin for golfing scores and the time you should be enjoying.  Call Pursuit Physical Therapy today at 407-494-8835 and be seen by our Titleist Performance Institute Certified clinician now!  We can help treat your LBP, address any biomechanical impairments that are influencing your pain, and get you back to pain free golfing! 

Visit our website at www.PursuitTherapy.com and even see what our golf specialty program has to offer.

Top 10 Reasons People Should go to Pursuit Physical Therapy: 4. Unmatched Credentials

4.  Unmatched Credentials

Due to the credentials of our specialists, Pursuit Physical Therapy proposes a higher quality of treatment, to each and every patient. Treatment is always received by Doctors of Physical Therapy, and a board certified specialist. Within the practice we accommodate numerous athletic and rehabilitative needs, for instance, our very own Ron Miller, DPT, OCS has advantageously completed a post-doctoral residency in orthopedic physical therapy; moreover, he is Titleist Performance Institute Certified to treat golf-related injuries as well as to provide a full golf-swing analysis. Emphasizing on swing mechanics, posture, proper alignments of the body, as well as follow-through; all ultimately tailored to the individual player to optimize performance and minimize injury.  Call today to get seen by our Board Certified Specialists 407-494-8835 or visit www.PursuitTherapy.com for more information.

Looking for Treatment for a Golf Injury around Orlando, FL? Look at my new TPI Profile!

The Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) recently upgraded their website and many links.  Click here to view my new TPI profile and get my contact information, credentials, and level of training.  This makes it very easy for those who golf around the Central Florida and local Orlando area to find any TPI certified expert.  Do you have pain with your golf swing?  Low back pain after golfing 18 holes?  Research shows that you can decrease your injury rate by > 50% by just warming up for 10 min prior to golfing!   Visit www.pursuittherapy.com to find out more information about our golf specialty program and golf swing assessments.  Get back to golf pain free and schedule your consultation now.

New You Tube Layout for Pursuit Physical Therapy!

Check out the new look of the Pursuit Physical Therapy You Tube Channel!  More videos to come and please contact Pursuit Physical Therapy at 407-494-8835 or visit www.pursuittherapy.com for more information.

What is the Key to Generating Power in a Golf Swing?

So after you have treated your LBP and you have a pain free golf swing, what is the key to generating power?  EPSN Sports Science did an excellent clip on the importance of the kinematic sequence with Rory McIlroy, breaking down the basics to the kinetic chain.  How can someone who is 5'9" and 160 lbs drive the ball 300+ yards?  Well, the KEY TO POWER is the kinetic chain and the ability to improve the transfer of energy from the hips, to the trunk, to the arms, and through the club.

The graph above is an example data that you can gather with a 3D golf swing analysis.  Each line dictates a different body part.  With the golf swing, and ideal sequence is needed, and thus you get a graph like this.  Now the transfer of energy is measured with the downslope of each line after the peak of each body part.  This measures the deceleration of each joint, or the transfer of energy.  Increase slope = increased energy transferred.  This dictates the power you can generate with your golf swing.  You can train yourself to improve the neuro-muscular control and strength of each body part with the proper training and specific exercises.  With the proper exercises you can become more efficient at transferring energy with your golf swing, thus hitting the ball farther, and decreasing your scores! You don't need to have pain to consult Pursuit Physical Therapy.  Call now and schedule a golf swing consultation and start generating power with your golf swing!

Are you ready for the Masters!

In honor of the Masters this week, we are posting about the golf swing and pain all week.  Checkout the Pursuit Physical Therapy facebook page for our daily golf posts.  How do you decrease low back pain with your swing?  What impairments are common with LBP?  What are the most important muscles during the golf swing?  Feel free to ask any questions you have.  Also check out our website under specialty programs to see our golf swing program, V1 golf swing analysis, and Titleist Performance Institute screen to get you to a pain free golf swing!

Do I need to warm up before golfing?

A recent review of golf injuries reported that 50% of golfers do not warm-up prior to playing golf.   They went on to report a significant decrease in injury rates by 60% in golfers who stretched and warmed up for at least 10 minutes before playing.    Don't forget to warm up for 10 min prior to golfing to help prevent injuries.  If you need any ideas for warm-up look at the Pursuit Physical Therapy YouTube Channel and click on the golf playlist for warm-up exercises.

Warm-up for Golfers