Common Injuries
1. Lower Back Injuries
Lower back pain is the most common injury suffered by golfers. The risk factors are:
A. Poor Posture: Poor postural control limits your spinal flexibility and puts your back at risk. High abdominal and back extensor strength is therefore important for maintaining good posture throughout the swing.
A. Poor Flexibility: Limited flexibility in lower limbs, e.g. hamstrings and hip internal rotation in lead hip, disables you from maintaining a good posture and maximizing your mobility at the same time.
B. Swing Form: The reverse 'C' position of the follow-through in modern swing involves hyperextension and bending, which may predispose facet joint irritation if constantly repeated.
2. Shoulder Injuries
A. The horizontally adducted postion of the lead shoulder predisposes the shoulder to acromio-clavicular joint pain, anterior glenohymeral joint disability and subacromial impingement syndrome.
B. Internal impingement in non-lead shoulder is common between infraspinatus and glenohumeral joint in external rotated position.
3. Elbow injuries
 (A. Site of pain of golfer's elbow, B. Site of pain of tennis elbow)
Elbow injuries are resulted from overuse. The golfer elbow is the inflammation of flexor bundle at the medial condyle. Poor deceleration control of golf club or the change of grip in downswing is the major cause. On the other hand, overuse of wrist extensor is the cause of tennis elbow. |
Our Research FindingsPhysical Parameters and Golf Performance
(A. Hip abductor, B.Shoulder external rotator)
1. Muscle Strength:
Stronger shoulder external rotator and hip abductor muscle strength give a lower handicap index.
2. Flexibility:
Golfers with tighter hamstrings have a higher handicap index.
Physical Parameters and Injuries (Male)
we also conducted a research on 21 male and 12 female local golfers respectively. we found that male golfers with low backpain or lower quadrant problems had an imbalanced shoulder and hip external-rotator-to-internal-rotator ratio. The spinal rotation range is also limited on the right side.
1. Muscle Strength:
Painful group has a higher external-rotator-to-internal-rotator ratio of the lead shoulder and hip. That means that the strong external rotator strength is not balanced by the internal rotator.
2. Flexibility:
Painful group has limited right spinal rotation range.
Physical Parameters and Injuries (Female)
Female golfers with low back pain or lower quadrant problems is associated with weaker trunk muscles.
The trunk lifting power on the right side was found to be lower in the painful group.
Conclusion
Good muscle strength, flexibility and optimal control are the essence of maintaining healthy joints. Synchronisation of multiple joint movement when playing golf is of utmost importance to prevent injuries. Limited control of one joint will cause compensation from others, resulting in excessive stress and injuries. |
How to Prevent Injuries
1. Transverse abdominal, multifidus, gluteal medius muscles are essential to maintaining a good posture.
2. Gluteal medius and hip external rotator provide stability of lower limbs in the swing. It is also important to control the weight-bearing in different phases.
3. Rotator cuff strengthening and stretching exercises for shoulder rotation are essential to maintaining shoulder health. |
Video Clips of Therapeutic Exercise |
Our Service Comprehensive Physical Evaluatioin
- Movement analysis with high-speed camera
- Power of torso - Stability of muscle strength
- Flexibility
- Spinal range of motion
Tailor-made training through different exercise modalities |
