Why Do Injuries Occur In Golf?

Injuries occur in all athletic events quite frequently, certain sports more so than others. Golf is no different than any other sport. The severity of injuries in golf usually are not as severe as in other sports. The scenario of a 300 lb. defensive lineman slamming into the side of your knee tearing every possible ligament structure in the knee will never happen in the sport of golf. An interesting visual if you combined the sports of football and golf onto the same playing field, but inappropriate for this paper.

There are two types of injuries classified by professionals in the fields of athletic training and sports medicine. The two types of injuries are: 1) acute and 2) chronic. The above example of the football player is classified as an acute injury. An acute injury can be defined as the trauma in the body occurring immediately after the injury. Refer to the football player example above for a reminder. (For us older golfers, remember Joe Theisman of the Redskins and Lawrence Taylor’s leg breaking tackle? Acute injury.) Relating an acute injury to golf is a little more difficult. Probably the easiest, and maybe most the common, acute injury in golf, occurs while swinging and you hit a rock or something that creates an injury to your wrist. That would be the best example in the sport of golf of an acute injury. Overall, acute injuries tend to be rare in golf because contact by the body with external forces is rare.

My back is always killing me!

The second type of injury, chronic, is much more prevalent when it comes to the sport of golf. A chronic injury is one that occurs over time. Think of it as a “wear and tear” injury. These are usually the result of the body breaking down over time. A great sports example outside of golf is when you hear about a baseball pitcher having tendonitis in the elbow. Tendonitis is an inflammation of the elbow resulting from the stresses placed upon it from throwing. Over time the elbow becomes tired and eventually injured from the number of pitches thrown. If you are a runner and, after a certain amount of time, your knees begin to hurt, this is usually a chronic injury. When we talk about golf, the majority of injuries are chronic. They tend to be a direct result of the golf swing (just like the pitcher’s elbow). Usually the chronic injuries in golf show up in the lower back. If chronic injuries are caught soon enough in the cycle, rest and proper treatment (i.e. massage, chiropractic care) will heal them. But if you wait too long the body is going to “break,” and then you will not be playing any golf for a long time. This is where the unfortunate situation of surgery and other invasive procedures are considered.

So a couple of questions we must ask when it comes to chronic injuries in relation to golf are: how do they occur, and how do we prevent them? Chronic injuries occur as a result of the body becoming fatigued and eventually “breaking down.” The muscles, ligaments, and tendons of your body are required to perform the activity of swinging a golf club. Over time this activity causes fatigue within your body. As the body continues to fatigue, or get tired, the body gets sore. This is the first indicator of a developing chronic injury. If you continue with the activity you’re participating in, with soreness in the body, eventually your body will break down. This “break down” will be in the form of maybe a pulled muscle, muscle stiffness, tightness, or some other type of inflammation. All of the above examples are a result of structures in your body breaking down from fatigue and overuse. Even if just on one swing you feel “your back go out,” nine out of ten times it is a chronic injury, and that last swing was the “piece of straw that broke the camel’s back.”

How to Prevent Chronic Injuries in Golf

We all know that the golf swing is a repetitive movement, meaning the body is performing the same activity over and over again. This creates fatigue in the body over time. And if over time our body can’t support the number of swings we are taking, it is eventually going to break down. There are three variables we have when it comes to the prevention of chronic injuries in golf. Number one is workloads. Workloads can be defined as the number of swings that the body takes with a club over a given period of time. That time frame can be seven days or an entire tour season. Number two is efficiency of your mechanics. When we say “efficiency of mechanics” we are talking about how biomechanically correct your individual swing is. “Why is this important?” you ask. Let me tell you. I think most of us would agree that the tour players have very “efficient” swings; their swings are smooth and look almost effortless. A swing like this asks less out of the body to perform and requires less effort from the muscles; hence fatiguing levels in the body are lower. Some amateur swings look like they take a lot of work to perform, and in reality they do! These types of swings ask a lot more out of the body and fatigue it more quickly. The final variable is what we term “golf strength.” Golf strength is a measure of the required levels of flexibility, strength, endurance, balance, and power to successfully support the mechanics of the swing. Large amounts of golf strength allow the body to support an efficient swing. Low levels of golf strength do not provide the support needed for the swing.

Workloads, Swing Mechanics, and Golf Strength

All three of these variables work together to determine if you are a candidate for a chronic golf injury. Golf strength is essentially the foundation upon which your swing is built. This variable indicates how many times you can swing a golf club with your current mechanics before you come up injured. If you have high levels of golf strength then regardless of how efficient of a swing you have, you will be able to play for quite awhile before you get sore. The flip side can also be said. If you have low levels of golf strength, regardless of your swing mechanics, you will come up sore in a shorter amount of time.

Secondly, let us look at swing mechanics. If you are a player that has a very efficient swing that places very little stress on the body, you will undoubtedly be able to play many rounds before your body starts screaming at you. Again, if you have poor mechanics, it is going to take its toll on your body and your game.

Finally, we have workloads (i.e. number of swings). The number of swings one makes must match up with levels of golf strength and swing mechanics. The golf swing is a “stressor” of the body and breaks it down over time. If you have an efficient swing, each swing does less “damage” to the body. If you have a poor swing, the body has to work harder, thus fatiguing it more quickly. In addition to this is golf strength. If you have high levels of golf strength, you can swing the club more (i.e. workloads) before you get tired. Low levels of golf strength present the situation of the body’s fatiguing more quickly. “So what is the magic formula?” you ask. My first suggestion is twofold: 1) work on your swing to improve the efficiency of it, and 2) increase your levels of golf strength in order to support your swing. For the time being, match up your swing and golf strength levels to determine what workload levels you can get out of your body. If you are in need of some more information on the golf strength side of the equation, take a look at www.bioforcegolf.com.

About The Author

Sean Cochran is one of the most recognized golf fitness instructors in the world today. He travels the PGA Tour regularly with 2005 PGA & 2004 Masters Champion Phil Mickelson. He has made many of his golf tips, golf instruction and golf swing improvement techniques available to amateur golfers on the website www.bioforcegolf.com. To contact Sean, you can email him at support@bioforcegolf.com.

Learn To Putt And Keep Strokes In Your Bag

If you’re just learning or taking up the game of golf, here’s the one tip that will lower your scores faster than any other tip on golf – putting. That’s right. Putting. No putting isn’t the sexy thing to do around the practice tee. It’s doesn’t draw a crowd around you like bombing 300 yard drives does, but putting is where you can immediately shave strokes off your golf game.

When I work with young people or anyone just taking up golf, I stress the importance of practicing and working on your game. I understand that it is only natural to want to go ‘hit’ the golf ball. It’s a great feeling to make solid contract on the ball and know for that moment in time that even the pro’s don’t hit it any better.

For this article, I’m not going to discuss the actual mechanics of putting, rather let’s discuss why your golf putting game probably deserves more focus that you give it and what you should do.

O.K. think about this (especially for you beginning golfers). I would venture a guess that given any round of golf, you probably putted at least one more time than necessary on each green simply because you don’t seriously practice your golf putting game. Easy math… that’s 18 strokes right there! Now you’re probably thinking I don’t loose a stroke on every putting green. I would argue that if you are a high handicapper that you do. Those three and four putt greens... and let’s be honest; you are probably pretty generous with those gimme distances aren’t you?

This alone should begin to give you the incentive to improve your putting game. The putting stroke isn’t fraught with mechanics that you have to learn like you do with a full golf swing. You only need one club to practice this part of your golf game. And with just a little consistent practice time on your golf putting, you can immediately start taking strokes off your game in bunches.

Here are a couple of putting tips and a mind set that I work with others on (and constantly work on with myself).

First when you are practicing putting work on two areas: your line and your distance control.

Putting line: start close to the hole and roll a putt in. When you make three putts in a row, back up about two feet and repeat. Do this out to a range of 8 feet. Initially keep track of how putts it takes you to work your way back to and complete the eight foot mark. Then, your next step with the four putting distances of 2, 4, 6, and 8 feet, is to give yourself 16 putts to complete your putting drill (this allows for one miss at each distance). As you improve, drop your allowable strokes to 15, then 14, and so on, until you reach perfection.

Putting distance control: Depending upon your skill level, begin putting from about 20 feet and repeat the same drill as above moving back 10 feet at a time, only this time you are allowed two putts to hole the ball from each distance. This drill ties into and complements the putting line drill very well. This drill will teach your distance control so you can confidently putt the ball within a distance from the hole that you know you already have a high percentage of chance of making because of the first drill you work on.

Here’s a mind set that you should always take to your actual round of golf. This is one that I used when I first starting playing golf and work with people still today.

I knew my golf game from tee to green would have many peaks and valleys before actually reaching the green. But here’s the personal game I played within myself when first leaning golf, and I truly believe it will work for you. Not matter how bad (or good) it is off the tee. No matter how long it takes you to get out of trouble. No matter what happens. Whether you get to the putting surface in regulation or twice regulation; here is your mind set. I am not going to three putt. I am going to re-focus, remember my drills, and have confidence in what I have practiced. And I am not going to three putt any golf greens today.

And finally, don’t short change your putting game. Putt everything out. I mean this. If you are serious about getting and staying better, putt everything out. No gimmes. Keep your putting game sharp. Don’t let it slowly deteriorate because your buddies let you pick everything up inside 3ft (or even more generous than that). If you do, you soon start giving strokes away when they count.

About The Author

Jeff O'Brien is a youth and beginning golfer instructor with a real insight on getting your golf swing and game off to a start by establishing a good foundation onto which you build your golf swing and game. Please visit (www.golf-ology.com) for more of Jeff's golf tips, reviews, and online golf lessons.

5 Most Important Things to Consider When Choosing Golf Clubs

Every golfer knows that having proper equipment is essential. Choosing golf clubs has become some what of a daunting task because of the enormous market out there. We have come up with 5 simple things to consider when choosing golf clubs.

1. First of all you have to be honest with yourself in deciding what skill level you’re at. Are you a beginner just starting out, an intermediate weekend golfer, or an expert golfer who plays all the time? This is critical because there are different types of equipment designed to help every level of player. Playing with expert equipment if you are just starting out will only hurt your game.
2. Stay within your spending limits. You have to know what type of budget you are working with. Golf can become very expensive if you don’t stay within your means. There is equipment and accessories designed for every budget, you just have to know where to look.
3. Figure out your strengths and weaknesses. Do you know hook or slice the ball? Are you a long or short hitter? Do you sink many puts when you have to, etc.? You must know these qualities of your game. When you go to your local shop or golf pro it will be easy for them to get you fitted correctly if you know this information.
4. How often do you play? Are you a weekend golfer or an addict who plays all the time? This will determine what golf clubs and accessories you should purchase. Don’t go out and spend a fortune on complex equipment and other things if you only play the game on the weekend with your buddies. On the other hand if you travel all over competing and playing, you are going to need the quality equipment that allows that.
5. Finally make sure you do your own research. Read golf magazines, articles, newspapers, and anything else you can get your hands on. Go to demo days at your local club or driving range and any local golf shows. Check online at manufacturer’s websites and other informative golf club websites. You can find anything online. Doing research is the key to getting what you want.

If you use these 5 simple tips to choosing golf clubs it will be simple for you to get fitted with exactly what you need. So go out and get those brand new clubs you have been thinking about for while.

More great tips on choosing your golf clubs can be found at:
www.golfequipmentsource.com/golfclubs.html

About The Author

John Bolt is the full time owner of Golfequipmentsource.com With years of competitive golf experience under his belt, he understands the importance of having properly fitted golf equipment. You can visit him online at: www.golfequipmentsource.com/golfclubs.html
golfmaster@golfequipmentsource.com

How To Choose A Great Pair Of Golf Shoes - Essential To Your Golf Success

So you decided to start playing golf, and be the next Tiger Woods? Well, you're mot alone. Golf's popularity is exploding, and not only in the US. This great game is one of the most challenging and rewarding ones around. It gives all of us the opportunity to see who we really are. If you play for a few years, you'll know what I mean by that.

If you are starting out with golf, after you get your clubs and balls, the next thing you should be looking at is getting a good pair of golf shoes. If you think you can stroll into the golf course with a pair of tennis or basketball shoes, you will soon find out that most of the golf clubs won't allow you to enter the course with anything other that a good pair of golf shoes. You should check with them even before you're first visit to make sure you show up properly equipped.

They do that to protect the grass from being harmed by inappropriate shoes. But beyond that, it's your best interest to get a pair of great golf shoes to begin with.

You see, the heart of the game is the swing, and in order to get a great golf swing you need to be standing properly. You simply can't get the best swing if you're shoes are sliding and don't have a proper grip in the ground. Take into account the fact that you'll be hitting the ball on all kinds of slopes and angles, as the golf course is "natural" and not necessarily a plain. Golf shoes are especially designed to provide you with a great ground grip while you swing.

You can find golf shoes with soft spikes as well as hard spikes. The soft spikes are in many cases the ones that are preferred by the golf club, as they don't hard the grass, and you can use them in the club area, too. The hard spikes shoes may provide better traction, but in mast cases they are less comfortable. These should be left for pro's (maybe you'll be one of them one day).

Choosing your golf shoes is as easy as going to a golf equipment store or even going online and ordering it via the Internet. Golf shoes used to have a very boring look, but in the last years golf shoes manufacturers have gone a long way to improve their look and make them much more appealing to the eye.

Before you choose your shoes, ask yourself - are you going to walk the course or are you going to use a cart? It you're going to walk, make sure your new pair of golf shoes are comfortable. You are going to walk a few hours with them, so make sure you won't need a stretcher at the end of the game. If you are going to use the cart, you can go for a pair that looks good, even if it's less comfortable.

About The Author

Gill Reese is the owner of www.golf-training-101.info. You may visit the site and learn all about golf shoes, golf tips, golf swing and more.

Golf Tips: The Simple Secret To Solving The Slice

The slice is a shot which usually starts off slightly to the left, then swerves to the right in the air. The slice is a common fault that occurs in many beginners game and has to be one of the most frustrating things that can happen to a golfer. In most cases, the slice is uncontrollable and is destructive more often than not resulting in the ball being sent deep into the rough. It is also far more common than the hook which occurs when the ball does the opposite through the air.

Ways to cure the slice:

Firstly, make sure your body alignment is correct, your shoulders, chest hips and feet should all be parallel to each other as well as parallel to the ball to pin line. If your body is not aligned correctly and is aiming too far to the left, the upper body can not and does not rotate properly. This leads to an 'out to in' swing which means that the club will not be hitting through the ball but instead will be moving from outside the ball to inside the ball as the impact takes place. The consequence of this is side spin being generated on the ball and the dreaded uncontrollable slice follows.

Even if your alignment, swing and grip are perfect, the positioning of the ball in the stance can make a good straight shot into a shot that slices wildly out of play. This occurs when the ball is placed too far forward in the stance.

Once again the slicing of the ball occurs because the club face is no longer square on at impact with the ball. This is because the club face has come past square and is moving in from the ball to pin line, this again generates side spin resulting in the ball slicing again.

Ideal ball placement is different for every club, but this is a rough guide:

For woods and long irons, the ball should be placed inline with the inside of your left heel (opposite for left hand players), for short irons place the ball in the centre of the stance, for medium irons the ball should be placed between two positions mentioned above.

Posture should be checked as weight distribution can also have an affect. Having your weight too far forward can encourage the slice so be wary of your weight distribution.

If all else fails, try strengthening your grip. Do this by moving your hands slightly clockwise around the club, then adjust your grip so you're holding it more in your fingers and lighten the pressure, this should help reduce the affect of the slicing.

Happy golfing!

About The Author

Ally Canaway

Discover amazing free golf tips and secrets to help you take your game to the next level and shave a minimum of five shots off your best round. Visit www.golf-tipsandsecrets.blogspot.com