Tips for Avoiding Injuries in Senior Golf
When setting off on your senior golf tour you need to be aware of the most common disadvantage for anyone over 50 - and that's the injury rate.
When you're over 50 you have more chance of sustaining an injury than a younger golfer, so you need to understand and treat your injury.
But prevention is better than cure, especially in senior golf! Preventing the Pain Here are a few very useful tips to make sure you avoid injuring yourself.
Golfing should be fun! Hand and wrists Avoiding injury could be as simple as changing to a different club design and style or adjusting your grip.
This can prevent wrist problems including tendonitis or the hamate fracture which causes pain in the side of the thumb, the palm and around the wrist.
There is also a possibility you could have reduced sensation in your fingers.
How simple it is to avoid all this by getting the grip right.
It's probably worth asking the local golf pro to check this out for you.
Sometimes, preventing the hamate fracture condition is not easy and sadly an x-ray will not reveal the fracture.
The only answer is an MRI scan, which will show the hamate fracture, but these scans are costly and not all doctors will want to refer you too soon.
But it is really important, especially for a senior golfer, to have injuries like these diagnosed as soon as possible.
Most patients with this injury seek medical advice after persistent pain, and see their doctors weeks or even months after the injury started.
If left untreated, this fracture will not only limit how you perform on the golf course but it will also cause more pain than you can cope with.
So don't suffer in silence! The good news is that although the hamate fracture is increasing in incidence it remains relatively rare.
And please do remember - you can prevent a wrist problem by adjusting the way you hold your club.
Back and Ankles Some senior golf players experience back and ankle injuries.
This is common if you put your entire body into the swing.
The answer is to keep your back straight when completing the swing.
Some golfers wear a back brace to keep their back straight and these braces have improved massively in recent years.
Then there are ankle injuries to take into consideration.
These can happen very easily, because as you swing you twist your back AND your ankle, resulting in a sprained ligament.
Very painful! In fact, this can often hurt more than breaking your ankle and can often take more time to heal.
Soft tissue injuries are notorious for being difficult to heal.
Keeping Fit It is crucial to stay fit and keep your body flexible, so all fitness regimes are good news for improving your sport.
Swimming is a good all-round exercise which will improve your flexibility.
Weight training will not only improve your strength but also increase bone density, particularly important for postmenopausal women.
To Sum Up...
Use the right equipment, improve your posture, correct your grip and adapt your game as you age.
This will help prevent injuries and allow you to enjoy your senior golf tours for many happy years to come.
When you're over 50 you have more chance of sustaining an injury than a younger golfer, so you need to understand and treat your injury.
But prevention is better than cure, especially in senior golf! Preventing the Pain Here are a few very useful tips to make sure you avoid injuring yourself.
Golfing should be fun! Hand and wrists Avoiding injury could be as simple as changing to a different club design and style or adjusting your grip.
This can prevent wrist problems including tendonitis or the hamate fracture which causes pain in the side of the thumb, the palm and around the wrist.
There is also a possibility you could have reduced sensation in your fingers.
How simple it is to avoid all this by getting the grip right.
It's probably worth asking the local golf pro to check this out for you.
Sometimes, preventing the hamate fracture condition is not easy and sadly an x-ray will not reveal the fracture.
The only answer is an MRI scan, which will show the hamate fracture, but these scans are costly and not all doctors will want to refer you too soon.
But it is really important, especially for a senior golfer, to have injuries like these diagnosed as soon as possible.
Most patients with this injury seek medical advice after persistent pain, and see their doctors weeks or even months after the injury started.
If left untreated, this fracture will not only limit how you perform on the golf course but it will also cause more pain than you can cope with.
So don't suffer in silence! The good news is that although the hamate fracture is increasing in incidence it remains relatively rare.
And please do remember - you can prevent a wrist problem by adjusting the way you hold your club.
Back and Ankles Some senior golf players experience back and ankle injuries.
This is common if you put your entire body into the swing.
The answer is to keep your back straight when completing the swing.
Some golfers wear a back brace to keep their back straight and these braces have improved massively in recent years.
Then there are ankle injuries to take into consideration.
These can happen very easily, because as you swing you twist your back AND your ankle, resulting in a sprained ligament.
Very painful! In fact, this can often hurt more than breaking your ankle and can often take more time to heal.
Soft tissue injuries are notorious for being difficult to heal.
Keeping Fit It is crucial to stay fit and keep your body flexible, so all fitness regimes are good news for improving your sport.
Swimming is a good all-round exercise which will improve your flexibility.
Weight training will not only improve your strength but also increase bone density, particularly important for postmenopausal women.
To Sum Up...
Use the right equipment, improve your posture, correct your grip and adapt your game as you age.
This will help prevent injuries and allow you to enjoy your senior golf tours for many happy years to come.
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