Golfers must do their part to prevent injury
Be good to your body and it will allow you to have a long, enjoyable golf season.
Get ready to play: Preventing injury early on is the key to a long and successful golf season. —Photo by Kris Lindblad
Early season injuries are more common than you may think, and in many cases, players have nobody to blame but themselves. Nobody in their right mind would strap on a pair of hockey skates for the first time each October, jump onto the ice with little to no stretching, fire 150 slap shots at an open net and then proceed to play a full 60-minute game. We are all well aware of the fact that it would require some conditioning to get ourselves in the shape we were in at the end of the prior season. Logic tells us that attempting to perform at a high level on day one would simply be a recipe for disaster. Why is it that golfers seem to think they are immune to this necessary muscle conditioning that all other sports just seem to accept as logical progression? Each and every spring I see numerous players step out and perform the golf equivalent of the scenario described above. They make the trek to the driving range, fail to stretch properly, hit three large baskets of balls with their driver and then peg it up for an 18-hole round immediately afterward. Does it surprise me that we see injuries every spring? No. What is surprising to me is that we don’t see more of them. When you blow the dust off your grass wrenches this season, consider implementing at least a few of the following common sense ideas: * Be sure to adequately warm up and stretch prior to each round and practice session. This is a great place to start; however you should also consider stretching at home between practice days. * Make sure your first few practice sessions focus on developing a sense of comfort, rhythm and feel. This is no time to work on that nagging slice or to attempt to gain a few extra yards off the tee with a driver. * Start your practice and warm up sessions on the putting green. Begin with some putts, progress to hitting some chip shots and then work your way up to some gentle short iron swings. * Before you make your way to the range, allot yourself a quota of golf balls for that specific practice session. Be sure to stick with an amount your body can comfortably handle and slowly grow into a full blown practice session over time. The temptation will always be there to hit just one more basket if you are hitting the ball really well or really poorly; it is important to resist temptation and know when to say when, so stick to your quota. * Your body is not ready to swing long irons or drivers of any kind at this point in the season. Take things slow the first few times out and hit only shorter irons. If you are not able to avoid temptation, simply leave the longer clubs at home when you head to the range. Getting your golf muscles back in shape takes time, so approach it more like a marathon than a sprint. Remember, nothing slows down early season progress like an injury.