One of the main limiting factors for athletes at any age and any level, is the physical ability to perform and do so without pain. In 2024 we have seen the trend of how physically fit tour pros have become compared to just a few decades ago. If it is important for the professionals at the top of their game, its also very important for the everyday golfer as well. The necessity to be physically fit and pain free becomes more and more important as we enter every new decade in life. In this article I talk about changes that you can, and should make to increase your physical ability and decrease any current or future pain.
Warm Up Routine
A dynamic warm up routine is vital to prepare the body for the physical demands of golf, many tour pros will even have a full light workout before their round, but a similar effect can be had in just a few minutes.
Concentrate on DYNAMIC movements and dynamic stretches when warming up; avoid long hold static stretching right before a round. Don’t hold any stretches >30 seconds as they can decrease the “springiness” in your fascia which is essential for hitting the ball efficiently. For the dynamic stretching, move your body through a full range of motion, get blood flowing to your muscles as well as activating both your muscles and nervous system. You can even use a band to assist with this as bands can help get the blood flowing and getting the “correct” muscles activated.
I outlined some movements below that are ones I like to emphasize to really open up the hips, back, and shoulders with rotation and activate some large muscle groups which are the “correct” muscles to use such as the Latissimus Dorsi or the Gluteal Maximus.
Exercise Examples
- Lunges with a twist and with a side bend
- Hip airplanes to activate proper hip rotation
- Thoracic rotation in a wide stance
- Band pull apart, deltoid side raises
- Shoulder external rotation such as a Cuban raise
- Neck circles, arm circles, shoulder roll
- Rowing motion with band under feet to activate Latissimus dorsi
- Going through each of these exercises for one set of 5-10 repetitions will be plenty to warm up.
How to handle stiffness or soreness on your own
Inevitably at some point in playing any sport an ache, pain, soreness or stiffness will pop up. It’s vital to have some strategies to help alleviate this on your own. From a physical perspective all of the above exercises as well as stretches will help ease aches and pains; and another item to add to your arsenal is some self treatment with heat to relax the muscles and fascia, as well as self massage either with a ball such as a lacrosse ball or trigger point ball or a massage gun over the sore areas. Foam rolling tends to be a little less helpful than the previous mentioned but can be helpful in the short term.
What to do off the course
Something that many golfers lack is training for rotational power in both directions, off the course. It is essential to increase your rotational strength as a golfer so your body is adequately prepared for the stress of rotating a club through your golf swing.
Increasing the strength of your back through weight training and increasing your mobility of your back, hips and other joints is essential. Mobility is being able to use your body through a full range of motion so this can include stretching, working out through a full range of motion, rehabilitation exercises, or targeted mobility programs such as Kinstretch, which I would recommend.
How To Be Proactive
Creating a long term plan for self care is very essential if you want to accel at sports and golf specifically later into your life. For strength and mobility, try to make sure your are getting 1-4 strength focused workouts a week, 1-2 cardio focused workouts a week, and 1-2 or small daily sessions of mobility or stretching to improve range of motion. Be proactive with treatment! If you have previous injuries or notoriously tight muscle areas, it is important to address before you are in acute pain. I often tell my patients, Listen to the bodies whispers and you will not have to hear it scream!
Conservative care such as Chiropractic, Physical Therapy, Acupuncture, and even Massage Therapists are essential to continue to live an active life, avoiding pain and preventing future injuries. I am very familiar with this as I am a Chiropractor and Acupuncturist that works in Chestnut Ridge NY and NYC, I specialize in Fascial Manipulation and often work on athletes to keep them at the top of their game, or everyday people to get them out of pain. Specifically for an athlete or someone who is regularly active it can be massively beneficial to have regular maintenance with any of the above practitioners at least once a month to maintain optimal performance from your body.
Other Important Factors
Hydration, sleep, stress, underlying inflammation are all factors that play heavily into musculoskeletal pain. Ensuring you are drinking enough water in addition to electrolytes will prevent muscle spasms. Remember that caffeine and alcohol are dehydrating and therefore require extra hydration to offset! Lack of sleep and stress can increase your chances of injury significantly. Your inflammation levels may be what decide if a minor joint irritation turns into a major problem or quickly heals. A healthy diet and supplement intake are factors that are proven to decrease inflammation and increase the rate in which your body can heal.
Golf is a physical game and that becomes apparent more and more in every decade of life. Follow these strategies to not only stave off injury but also increase performance and your longevity of being on the course. If you have any questions feel free to reach out to me at mahoneypatrick7@gmail.com
Dr Patrick Mahoney
Chiropractor, Acupuncturist, Alternative Medicine and Golfer