Keep Your Golf Game in Top Form with These Golf Fitness Tips

With the US Open just around the corner, many golfers are thinking about tweaking their game.  Players taking to the green in June know how to hit a ball.  But a great deal of golf success involves golf fitness and avoiding golf injuries – after all, you can’t take home that million dollar purse if you’re not in top form.

While many of us don’t play at the same level as those competing in tournaments, it doesn’t mean we should settle for not being in good shape and prepared for a day on the course. Keeping that in mind, here are some important golf fitness tips to keep your body limber and your swing tight!

Golf fitness tip #1 – Notwithstanding the reiteration of what was hammered into our heads in elementary school (to stretch before partaking in any sport), remember that stretching before the game is crucial if you want to be on the top of your game while avoiding golf injuries. Exercises that will increase your power, mechanics and flexibility will help target every aspect of your golf game, allowing your body to warm up and stay sharp throughout the day.

Golf fitness tip #2 – Remember that just pre-game stretching is probably not going to cut it. Any smart golf fitness routine should involve some type of activity in the interim. If you only golf on Sunday afternoon, make sure that you are working out during the week.  Too much downtime can cause golf injuries that are solely due to excessive inactivity between games. If you golf several times a week, chances are your game may be a little more competitive, so what better way to increase your power and stamina than by exercising your whole body on a regular basis.

Golf fitness tip #3 – Attend a golf injury prevention program. No matter what your level of skill, from beginner to professional, keeping golf injuries at bay is essential.  One of the best ways to do this is by taking advantage of the knowledge and expertise of a sports medicine specialist, trained in treating injuries that can keep the clubs in your golf bag and you grounded in the clubhouse. Remember, it can be difficult to avoid injuries if you don’t know what causes them, so a golf injury prevention program can also help you improve you game by working through proper grip and swinging techniques.

Keep your body in top form throughout the entire golf season and keep the clubs in your hand instead of the bag. Golf fitness is very important, not only to avoid golf injuries but also for a strong, consistent game.

For more information about golf fitness or how to avoid golf injuries, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416-800-0800 or visit www.aesm.ca.

 

Gearing Up For The 2013 Golf Season: Avoid Golf Injuries Before They Happen

As March winds down and the snow melts we start to see golf courses welcoming players onto the tee. It is also pretty common to see those early bird golfers out there perfecting their swing at neighbouring driving ranges at the first possible chance. If you’re hooked on golf, warm weather is constantly tempting and prompting you to fit a game in as often as you possibly can!!

But how do you prepare for the golf season before it starts? Do you head out and find yourself a new set of clubs? Purchase some new golf shoes? These tasks will make you look stylish but do nothing to prepare your body for the course.   

While some don’t see golf as a strenuous sport, those who play – and know the game – recognize that it’s a great form of exercise, working several different muscles in your body.  Like many other sports, golf too has common injuries that people struggle with. Golf injuries can come from a variety of different factors – be it inexperience or repetition. Avoiding golf injuries is crucial if you want to keep up your normal level of play. A sports injury clinic that offers a golf injury prevention program will help you no matter what your golf handicap!

A common complaint from golfers is back pain. When you spend the day on the course and find yourself suffering from back pain for days afterwards, this may be caused by your stance and swing. A golf injury prevention program can help you perfect those movements in order to avoid common golf injuries like back pain. 

Interestingly, tennis elbow is another of the most common golf injuries. Your grip, if too loose or too rigid, can cause the muscles on the outside of your upper arm to become inflamed and sore. Golfer’s elbow is also common among golfers (although ironically less common than tennis elbow), and effects the inside of the upper arm. A golf injury prevention program can help you work on that grip and help you avoid having to deal with these golf injuries.

Rather than settling for some programs that offer a conventional golf program that is meant to work for all, find one that is tailored and customized to fit your game. Recognizing that everyone does not play at the same skill level is part of what makes a good golf injury prevention program work, and customizing training to address your specific habits and tendencies will make your investment much more valuable.

Before polishing up the clubs for that first drive, make sure that you attend a sports injury clinic that offers a golf injury prevention program to brush up on your stance, swing and grip, and to help you avoid golf injuries throughout the season.

For more information about our golf injury prevention program and how to avoid common golf injuries, contact Athletic Edge Sports Medicine by calling 416-800-0800 or visit www.aesm.ca