This sport cause injury!

General Discussion
#1

Feel free to post where you find the information and statistic regarding injury related to golf.
Quite a few source have the statistic of injury list for the Tour Players.
The percentage of the injured is high and the average age on the injury list is low comparing to other professional sports.
It is not an old man’s sports like it used to be.

I’m just a weekend warrior, through the decades of dedicated playing and practicing; have bruised C4-C6, dislocated disc in the lower back, injury to the fingers wrist and knees, and accumulated over used joints caused arthritis in shoulders, fingers and hips.
Had spent time with the sports injury specialist and home remedy. Used to take over the counter pain medication before and after each round of golf. Laying off the game during the pandemic really helped to heal the hurting.
Many of the guys started golf with me more than 4 decades ago had already moved on to other activities like hiking, swimming, road cycling. They told me it is not the same as golf but will do for their age and their pocket book.

Many of the retired professional golfers did not make the list, I know Nicklaus had both his hips replaced besides many other related injury. Hurting; seems to come with the sports, whether we’re good at it or not.

1 Like
#2

I have incurred my share of injury on the course. I have personally seen 5 deaths on the course. 2 from a lightning strike, 1 from a heart attack, 1 from heat stroke and 1 from being struck by a golf ball. I had a friend impaled by a snapped club, and lost his eyesight in one eye. Personally, I have severely sprained an ankle stepping into a hidden animal burrow, I severely sprained my right wrist hitting a hidden tree root on a full swing out of rough with an 8 iron, bent the shaft the swing just stopped. I spent a season with “ golfers elbow “ that inner pain in your elbow caused by repetitive improper rotation caused by an inflamed tendon at the joint. I have a weakened meniscus in my right knee that I wear a brace on caused by hitting a full shot on a severe upslope and falling backwards down the slope when I lost balance. I broke a finger when I stupidly stuck my finger in a small golf cart steering wheel. The path was slick, I was going a bit too fast on a turn struck a railroad tie the tires snapped the steering wheel the opposite way I was turning instant dislocation. I have also strained lower back muscles to the point the spasms wouldn’t let me walk because I didn’t stretch before a round. I wouldn’t say injuries like u see in futbol or football or hockey or cycling. Each sport does carry its own inherent dangers and specific injuries that can and can’t be avoided.

1 Like
#3

Seemed you experienced a series of unfortunate incidents on the golf course. You must have spent a lot of time on or near the golf courses.

The point is, almost everyone agree this sports involved in the “unnatural movement of the human body”. With the promotion of chasing the “distance”, which is the easiest hook can be set with the natural tendency we have. Injury resulting from participation of the sport is frequent.
My local specialist in sports injury has expended their practice by certifying as "golf injury " , so there must have been an increase of injury related to this sports.

Looking at the young average age of the sidelined Tour players in their 30’s; no one can deny that golf is a sport. it is not contact sports but can cause serious injury from the repetitive movement against the natural move of our anatomy.
Even for the weekend golfers, in one practice diligently to improve his/her game.

1 Like
#4

I’ve been playing for 40 years. From age 24 to 31 I probably played 220 rounds a year not including practice sessions. The 2 most harrowing incidents were the lightning strike where 2 doctors bought it back in the day of metal spikes. There was a rolling thunderstorm and they were finishing out putting on the 13th hole. The pro had a megaphone and was screaming at them from the clubhouse under the awning to get off. Then lighting struck a metal fencepost about 200 yards away on the 14th hole. In an instant their extremities were blown off. Came right up thru the ground. To this day, I see a flash and I’m gone. The second was on the same course between the 4th and 7th holes. The area is open but in general not in line of play. Players were riding down the cart path on the par 3 7th. We were standing on the tee. A player on the 4th mishit his tee shot a screamer at like 40 degrees dead right. It struck the player in the chest and he fell out of a moving cart and hit the ground in such a way like head first and snapped his neck. Ever since I wait if players could be in the way if I hit an errant shot, and I’m always looking trying to be aware of my surroundings. I have been hit in the leg by an errant shot. It hurts. I didn’t witness my friend losing his right eye, but I understand he was sitting in his cart when his playing partner took a full swing very close to a tree. Middle of shaft hit a tree branch and broken club head and shaft went sideways right into his eye. Some very sad instances.

1 Like
#5

220 rounds for 12 months?

even in the years I played “a lot” was not even half of that. Plus I used to walk and carry my own golf bag. Injury is a common excuse on the first tee before we teed off, to bargain for strokes received for the day from the partners. But it is a fact of life to receive injury from an avid golfer.

Out of near 4 decades playing this game, I had only witness one snapped shaft ( fortunately no injury resulted from this ), and one heart attack ( didn’t know what happened after the ambulance took the golfer to the hospital, no one knew because of the privacy act of the HIPAA ).

My fingers are acting up as I type, from years of gripping and holding on to the golf grips at full swing. Any change of weather will trigger the discomfort ( especially with the warm moisture coming from the South Pacific Ocean ).

#6

That is correct 220 rounds in 365 days. From age 24 to 31 not including practice. That was the average including days when I would play 36 in one day. Those were the days! I worked at a golf course 2 days a week for free play and then became a golf professional for 2.5 years. Not very lucrative, was better off working the 4 to mid nite shift at the restaurant with every day open! Even with all that play I never got any better than a 2.1 at the top of my powers.

1 Like
#7

Trevino and other golf greats warned the bombers of today were putting their bodies through torque forces that would really shorten their careers: Jason Day, Brooks Koepka, etc.

1 Like
#8

Yes, even more so with today’s tech method to analyze exploring the ways to maximize a golfer’s physical ability.
Even for a weekend golfer, it means earlier showing of worn-out parts.
Unfortunately, we could not throw on a new arm or change our injured back. We are only given one body for this lifetime.
Fred Couples and many others have " aged looking back " under the exam by X-ray and ultrasound scan.
I had quite a few senior golfers told me that they just want to enjoy the game within their ability and not looking to hit it longer because they value their health to enjoy other part of their life.’

#9

I think injuries highly correlate with low body strength. I know the twisting and turning can take its toll, but most people aren’t actually lifting multiple times a week to build strength and prevent injuries.

I strained a muscle near my shoulder blade due to overuse, but that was before I took warmups or lifting seriously.

2 Likes
#10

The professionals warmed up and exercise regularly, they still have a high rate of pre-matured injury due to the modern golf swing.
Senior will develop the usual aches and pain, but not to the extent of injury these younger professional golfers.
Keep it moving unless it falls off, to keep it lubricated.

#11

Do you have actual stats for that? It’s very surprising to me. I feel that football (both american and european), rugby, ski, fighting sports, … would lead to a lot more injuries and at a younger age.

Of course hitting a stick in the ground at 90mph++ thousands of time is going to cause injuries. The increased number of mats for the amateurs is probably not helping. On the other side the fact that pro and amateurs are physically training more than they used to is almost certainly going to reduce the number of injuries. The remaining ones will be more specific to golf (wrist injuries) or bad training (knees/back for people running a lot like Tiger did).

#12

There are lots of statistics on the web if you are one of those who must be convinced by the numbers gathered from other sources. I will not post all or any of them.
All of the public sources showed injured professional golfers to be sidelines with the respective ages of the athlete. We’re not talking about aches and pain.
Of course, all competitive sports will incur related injury. Golf being the one with the longevity for competitive years definitely adds to the possibility of sustaining injury.

I was told by several local sports injury specialist and chiropractors that they have seen increased client base from golf related injury.
There is an actual certificate for treating golf related injury. Several of them showed me their credentials identifying as specialist to treat golf related injury. These are the weekend golfers, not the professionals. Strangely the senior who supposed to be “unfit” and aged is the minority on the injury list.
I had known this sport cause injury if we have a full swing like the professionals. From my father’s generation of him and his golfing friends getting injured and needing therapy (massage and acupuncture).
Football player won’t receive hits more than a few dozen times per game, the baseball players won’t swing the bat more than a few dozen times per game; certainly not like the practice and the tournament schedule a professional golfer has to keep.
Golf is a debilitating sport. If one plays it with modern day full swing. hitting mat or turf.

#13

Knock on wood, but the only time I recall getting hurt on the golf course was from hitting a tree root hidden in the rough (which hurt my already bad wrist) and stepping into a hole (wrenched my knee). With a family and job, I don’t spend enough time on a course to get hurt.

1 Like
#14

Hope you’ll never got hurt on the golf course.
But if you stay with the game long enough and swing the golf club often enough, you will be looking at injury in the eyes.

Even with a well struck golf shot, which often described smooth as butter and felt nothing will send the vibration from the impact , up the shaft, to your spine. this is besides the muscular injury which will come with exercise fatigue.

It is the price to pay for staying with this game. A small price to pay if you ask my opinion.

#15

Are you trying to talk us out of golf? :smile:

1 Like
#16

Why? I’m still in it thick and deep.

Just beware of trying to copy the “perfect” golf swing.

Get your body fit for such motion first before attempting to mirror the golf swing you see on the media. It is proven to cause injury so, yes, it is a “sport” in all account, including the injury that could come with it.

It’s more like a built up kind of injury instead of caused by a violent collision. In that sense, the injury sustained from golf will be long lasting and more difficult for recovery, if successful. Most the injury will be a life long type, the only way to ease the suffering is to stay away from the motion involved in the golf swing.

#17

Thank you very much! I appreciate it! :pray:

#18

Yes, injuries are part of the game, but in all my visits to Physical Therapists (I’ve had years) , 2 common recommendations were shared by all: Daily active motion stretching (not static stretches), and developing a strong core, which is the support for all back related motion.
I’m almost 70 and stretch daily and core work has really helped. Lessons have as well, b/c the instructor shows how to minimize applying brute “force” and maximize use of momentum & the weight of the clubhead.

1 Like
#19

Learn to use the momentum and the weight of your body ( proper weight shaft).
Your body weight is much more than the club head.

#20

Of course, the daily exercise and stretching will help you get stronger and to assist healing.

The exercise and daily activity are two different things. As all sports injury specialist will tell you.

If you want to minimize the injury by strengthening your back and shoulders and hands; you’ll need to target those area. Stretching is good but not strengthening those area.
If you want more distance, think of strengthening your hands/wrists and fingers; not to ignore the root of your physical structure, the legs.
Ben Hogan always had a rubber ball close by to exercise his hands and fingers. Gary Player met Hogan the first time and shake his hands with the comment later, saying, " I’ve shaken hands with 5 bands of steel".