Fitness basics (19)
- Fitness training: 5 elements of a rounded routine
- Exercise: 7 benefits of regular physical activity
- Hot-weather exercise: How to keep cool
- see all in Fitness basics
Stretching and flexibility (2)
- Stretching: Focus on flexibility
- How fit are you? See how you measure up
Aerobic exercise (13)
- Interval training: Can it boost your calorie-burning power?
- How to start a walking group
- Aerobic exercise: How to warm up and cool down
- see all in Aerobic exercise
Strength training (8)
- Fitness ball exercises: How-to video collection
- Strength training: Get stronger, leaner and healthier
- Strength training: How-to video collection
- see all in Strength training
Sports nutrition (3)
- Performance-enhancing drugs: Are they a risk to your health?
- Eating and exercise: Time it right to maximize your workout
- Water: How much should you drink every day?
Mayo Clinic Health Manager
Get free personalized health guidance for you and your family.
Get Started
About our e-newsletters
- Free e-newsletters
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- We do not share your e-mail address
Housecall, our weekly general-interest e-newsletter, keeps you up to date on a wide variety of health topics with timely, reliable, practical information, recipes, blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts and more. Our biweekly topic-specific e-newsletters also include blogs, questions and answers with Mayo Clinic experts, and other useful information that will help you manage your health.
Housecall Archives
Mayo Clinic Housecall
Stay up to date on the latest health information.
What you get
- Free weekly e-newsletter
- Mayo Clinic expertise
- Recipes, tools and other helpful information
- We do not share your e-mail address
Golf injuries: Improve your game by playing it safe
Golf injuries are common. Protect yourself by understanding the mechanics behind your golf swing and the importance of overall conditioning.
By Mayo Clinic staffIt's been a few months since your last golf outing. You're at the first tee, shaking the rust off your golf swing. What better training, you think, than getting out there and playing?
But don't take a swing just yet. While golf isn't a contact sport, it puts significant demands on your body — which can easily lead to golf injuries. Follow these tips to stay in shape on the course.
Adjust your swing
Understanding the mechanics behind your golf swing can help you prevent golf injuries:
- Use proper posture. Think about your posture before and during your swing. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and distribute your weight equally on both feet. Avoid hunching over the ball, which may contribute to neck and back strain.
- Stay smooth. The power of a golf swing comes from force transferred smoothly through all the muscle groups, from your ankles to your wrists. If you depend on one part of your body for your hitting power, you may be more prone to golf injuries. For example, overemphasizing your wrists during your swing can lead to golfer's elbow — a strain of the muscles on the inside of the forearm.
- Don't overswing. If you swing the club too hard or too fast, you may stress your joints. Relax and take a nice, easy swing at the ball. The best golfers have consistent — not necessarily fast — swing tempos.
If you want to reduce the risk of golf injuries, consider taking lessons. What you learn about your golf swing may even help you shave strokes from your score.
Next page(1 of 2)
- Theriault G, et al. Golf injuries: An overview. Sports Medicine. 1998;26:43.
- Gluck GS, et al. The lumbar spine and low back pain in golf: A literature of swing biomechanics and injury prevention. The Spine Journal. 2008;8:778.
- Fradkin AJ, et al. Golf injuries — Common and potentially avoidable. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2005;8:163.
- Sherman CA, et al. Preventing injuries to competitive and recreational adult golfers: What is the evidence? Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2000;3:65.
- McCarroll JR. Overuse injuries of the upper extremity in golf. Clinics in Sports Medicine. 2001;20:469.
- Lindsay DM, et al. A review of injury characteristics, aging factors and prevention programmes for the older golfer. Sports Medicine. 2000;30:89.
- Prevent Golf Injuries. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://orthoinfo.aaos.org/topic.cfm?topic=A00137&return_link=0. Accessed Jan. 30, 2009.
- Keep golf injuries from sending you to the clubhouse. American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. http://www6.aaos.org/news/Pemr/releases/release.cfm?releasenum=693. Accessed Jan. 30, 2009.
- Extreme heat: A prevention guide to promote your personal health and safety. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. http://www.bt.cdc.gov/disasters/extremeheat/heat_guide.asp. Accessed Feb. 4, 2009.
- Study: Consistency the key to successful golf. The American College of Sports Medicine. http://www.acsm.org/AM/Template.cfm?Section=Search&template=/CM/HTMLDisplay.cfm&ContentID=4172. Accessed Feb. 4, 2009.
- Handout on health: Back pain. National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases. http://www.niams.nih.gov/Health_Info/Back_Pain/back_pain_hoh.pdf. Accessed Feb. 4, 2009.
