Golf physiotherapy treatment focuses on specific flexibility and strengthening programmes, future preventative measures and safe warm up routines. By developing good posture, flexibility and strength, you will optimize your ability to play better golf.
FLEXIBILITY
Because golf is a very unilateral sport, it puts uneven stresses on your body. When you practice your swing, you make use of the same muscles over and over. This repetitive one-sided action can lead to injury and muscle imbalances. Your dominant muscles require regular stretching as they can quickly become over-active, short and tight. Include stretching in your warm-up as well as in your cool down at the end of your game. If you begin to feel a bit stiff during your game, pause to carry out some more stretches. The most important areas to stretch are the neck, shoulders, middle and lower back.
Neck- Warm up your neck and upper back by dropping your chin to your chest and gently rolling your head from side to side in slow half-circles.
Then stretch your neck by tilting your head to one side and use your arm on the same side to pull your head further toward your shoulder, hold for 30 seconds, now turn your head so that you are looking down into your armpit and again, use your arm to pull you further into the stretch for another 30 seconds. After completing each hole, carry out a few chin tucks and one backward neck bend to counter eyeing the ball and putting.
Shoulders- Interlock your fingers behind your back and lift your arms up and out behind you stretching as far as is comfortable to open the chest.
Interlock your hands behind your head and stretch your elbows backwards. Lift one arm straight above your head, bend the elbow so that your hand reaches behind your back and apply gentle overpressure with the other hand on the elbow.
Hold each of these positions for 30 seconds.
Mid-back- Place your club behind your upper back and hook it into your elbows. Now twist your upper body from side to side, keeping your hip bones facing forward. This will loosen and stretch the middle back which will reduce the stress on your body and also add power to your strokes.
Lower back- While twisting through your waist, gently and slowly turn from one side to the other. Warm up your torso with side bends by sliding your hand down your leg to support the weight of your torso.
WARM UP
A warm up reduces the risk of muscle strains and will help you to develop power right from the first tee.
Start off with a brisk walk for 5 minutes to heat the muscles you will use during play. Special attention must be paid to areas which have suffered injury in the past; these areas need to be loosened to prevent any further damage.
Follow up your stretches with a few practice swings using different clubs to help limber up. Go through the motions of swinging the club without actually hitting anything. Begin with gentle half swings and work up to full swings over the course of a few minutes.
STABILITY
Your golf swing demands a huge amount of rotation throughout the spine. Thus said, if you have a restriction to movement in one area, the rest of the spine must compensate for this lack of movement. When areas of the spine are under too much strain, overuse type injuries may result. It is imperative that all joints have optimal range of movement and that the muscles supporting them have enough strength to do so.
One tip is to keep your middle back loose, so that you can develop more wind up to power the club. By loosening your middle back, there will be less stress directed into your lower back.
Another tip is to strengthen your core muscles which will help stabilize and protect the joints. These core muscles being the small muscles lying close to the lumbar spine. Your lumbar and pelvic muscles also help to power and control your swing path. Keeping them strong will give your swing stability and reduce stress on your lower back. To strengthen the lumbar-pelvic muscles, tighten your pelvic floor muscles as though you were slowing the flow of your urine, and then draw your navel in towards your spine. Try to hold this contraction for ten breaths at a time.
EQUIPMENT
To further avoid unilateral strain, carry your golf bag over both shoulders and walk upright. If you have a one-strap system, alternate sides and walk upright to reduce strain.
When lifting your golf bag, bend your knees, keep your back straight, hold your golf bag close to your back and do not twist your body.
When standing for long periods, stand tall and occasionally shift your weight from one foot to the other, or rest one foot on your golf bag or golf cart.
Take breaks, rest your back and do a few stretches if you find your bag is getting too heavy.
These guidelines can be applied to any one-sided sport like cricket, squash or tennis. It is advisable to supplement such sports with a bilateral activity, like swimming, which will help to balance out any unilateral strain. Swimming will also improve cardio-vascular fitness, co-ordination, and core stability.
This brief outline is suggested to avoid possible muscle strain whilst playing golf. However, should any pain or discomfort be felt during or after play, feel free to contact Caroline Syrett without delay on 083 304 2836.
Caroline qualified, with distinction, from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2003. She has since been working in the fields of sports and orthopedics and has had the privilege of working as the physiotherapist for the South African Squash Team during the course of 2006 and 2007. She takes special interest in any sports related rehabilitation. A typical consultation will include a full bio-mechanical assessment and prescription of an exercise routine specific to your needs.
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