It can be easy to think that the year is over as far as large sporting events are concerned. After all, we’ve already had the World Cup, Wimbledon and the Tour de France. What more can there possibly be? Of course, lots – but we’re specifically thinking about the Golf, Ryder Cup, which tees of at the end of this month.

If you’re not a huge golf fan and certainly aren’t a player, then it might seem that this is the type of sport where you’re not likely to get terribly injured. After all, there are no physical demands in terms of speed, there’s no contact (unless something’s gone very wrong) and there’s no need for endurance in the same way that other sports demand it.

However, as with any sport, there are common injuries that can plague players, and with many such injuries, there are some ways that these can be easily prevented.

Warm up
Warming up before you start playing any sport, no matter how physically demanding you may perceive it to be, is key. This gives you the opportunity to work your muscles, reducing the risk of strain once you start to actually play.

Not only that but if you tailor your warm-up sessions to complement the movements you’re likely to make whilst actually playing golf, then you will feel the benefit in terms of how well you start hitting balls. Your nervous system will be fired up, and so will your motor patterns, all of which will get you off to a great start.

Good posture
Golf places a lot of strain on your body, maintaining repetitive movements, and being on your feet all take their toll. This is why good posture is essential in the bid to reduce injuries. This can primarily be achieved by having good core strength.

Good core strength will ensure that you are able to have the consistency of movement, and ultimately have better control over the range of motion your body moves through. Ultimately, this will make you a far better player.

Common injuries to watch out for
The most common injuries golf players are likely to experience involve the back, shoulders, hips, elbow and even shin pain.

As you can imagine, when swinging you are performing a rotational movement which can cause inflammation of the vertebrae. Of course, everyone is different, but in many circumstances, massage can help reduce tightness in affected muscles, and core strength training can ensure that further injury risks are reduced.

The same is true of shoulder and hip pain, often all caused as a direct result of the pivotal movements whilst swinging. Muscles can become tight and overactive, which means that a bit of massage, stretching and rest can often reduce symptoms very quickly.

If you have suffered an injury as a result of playing golf, or any sport at all, speak to the team at Active Physiotherapy who will be happy to arrange a consultation meeting with you.