Tips To Protect Your Shoulder From Common Injuries Playing Golf

Golf is a great sport, but it requires a lot of time, effort, mental fortitude, and perseverance to excel. Historically, golf is said to be a low-risk sport when it comes to injuries. However, with an athletic endeavor, injuries are always possible.

Golf looks like an easy game that involves hitting a stationary object with a club into a wide-open space. However, you got to think again because swing's explosive nature can put tremendous pressure on the body. Many professional golfers experience inflammations, stiffness, and other issues that could stick around for sometime after the game. These injuries typically occur in those parts of the body that are consistently put through the same range of motion, which means shoulders are particularly at a higher risk, shoulder injury is also considered one of the most common golf injuries golf players easily meet.

Well, prevention is better than cure, and thus it is important to be alert to the potential for a shoulder injury. In this article, we will discuss the most vulnerable areas of the shoulder while playing the sport and some tips that could serve as a precautionary measure to avoid any acute shoulder injury.

WHAT ARE THE AREAS OF THE SHOULDER THAT ARE THE MOST VULNERABLE?

The intensive action of swinging the club involves tremendous and consistent stress on your arms and shoulders; hence injuries are most likely to occur in these areas. However, some of the most common shoulder injuries from golf involve the following –

• Rotator Cuff – This is the most common shoulder injury that one needs to be aware of when one plays the sport. The rotator cuff is made up of four muscles and tendons that help stabilize the shoulder critical to swinging the club.
• Cartilage – This is a flexible connective tissue that is found throughout our body. It is found in dense concentrations, particularly in the shoulders. When the cartilage tears, the injury is referred to as labral tear. This sort of injury most commonly occurs during the backswing.
• Scapula – Scapula better known as the Shoulder blade. Although this part is not directly injured through golfing motions, it is likely to get sore due to overwork, resulting in more serious problems.

TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR SHOULDER FROM COMMON INJURIES PLAYING GOLF

We have curated a list of tips that could help mitigate the risk of shoulder injury :

1. Adjust your swing 

As a golfer, we have mentioned that the entire body is used to execute a golf swing is a complex and coordinated movement. However, we cannot stress less on this aspect because the swing's volatility often places a major pressure on muscles, joints, and tendons, which in the long run can lead to an acute injury. So here are certain ways you can adjust your swing to prevent golf injuries –

• Use proper posture- Stand with your feet and shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent. Hold your spine relatively straight, and do not hunch over the ball.
• Stay smooth – The power of swinging the club comes from the transfer of the force smoothly through all the muscles of your body. So if you depend on one part of your body for hitting, you may likely suffer more injuries.

2. Other tips 

There is more to the sport than just the golf swing, so here are some tips to help you prevent shoulder injuries –

• Warm up- A good warm-up routine and exercise that targets your shoulder help reduce the risk of injury. Jumping Jacks, Brisk walks, and stretches will keep your muscles flexible.
• Proper Equipment - Make sure you use the right golf clubs according to your height and weight. Seek professional advice to find a set that could help you improve your performance and reduce stress on your shoulder. 
• Right footwear – Choose your golf shoes with short cleats because long cleats end up putting more strain on your knees. 
• Strengthen your muscles – The stronger your muscles are, and the greater is the club speed. Stronger muscles are less vulnerable to injuries as well. Pay more attention to strength training exercises all year round and focus on the muscle balance around the shoulder in specific.
• Lift your golf bags carefully- Golfers who carry their bags are at a higher risk of suffering shoulder and back injuries than other golfers. Use proper lifting techniques to avoid any jerks. Keep your back straight and use the strength of your legs to lift. Avoid carrying your golf bag if you have a sore or an aching shoulder.
• Focus on flexibility and building endurance – Regular stretching and aerobic activity can help you improve the range of motion and build up endurance.

We have curated these tips to ensure that you get to play your favorite sport without any hindrance. After all, precaution is better than cure. However, we recommend seeking professional help if you are facing an acute injury or continuous pain because these tips are a precautionary measure.

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