Suffering with annoying back pain when you make your golf swing? Struggling with knee pain walking up to the green? Is your shoulder pain keeping you from making a full swing so you slice all day long? Are your “dogs barking” after a round of 18 with your buddies?
Back pain, shoulder pain, knee pain and even foot pain is the main reason why people quit playing golf or told to stop playing as much by doctors, especially if you’re over the age of 55.
We understand that can be extremely frustrating to hear since you love the game of golf so much.
We have a LOT of golfers walk through our doors after the seeing their GP and being told to take painkillers and just rest, or it’s just something that you’ll have to learn to live with…
But what if we told you you don’t have to rely on painkillers, and you won’t have to miss out on playing 18 holes with your friends?
That’s where can help!
In this article we are going to discuss a few simple techniques and practices into your golf routine to help reduce your pain on the golf course today!
If you are dealing with pain and/or discomfort during golf but aren’t ready to commit to starting physical therapy we completely understand. At ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness we like to meet you where you currently are on your journey to pain free golf.
***Understand that these are all just modifications to try to manage the pain. It is always best to determine the TRUE causation of the pain and develop a plan to SOLVE the problem once and for all. At ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness we specialize in getting to the root cause of the problem and not simply masking the symptoms***
Reduce Your Swing Length
We understand that everyone wants to hit the long ball off the tee but swinging as hard as you can often be detrimental to your back as well as your golf performance. The more explosive stress you out on your back, your body will fatigue quickly and you’ll start to hit slices, hooks and everything in between because the rest of your body is trying to compensate.
Slow The Tempo Of Your Swing
This tip goes hand-in-hand with reducing your swing length. The harder you swing, again, you’re putting a LOT of stress on your body as well as often loosing control of your swing resulting in injury and a poor shot. You’d be surprised how far a ball will fly even with a slow tempo swing!
Ensure That You Have Proper Shoes
With all that walking it is vital that you have proper shoewear. I highly recommend orthotics to my patients. In our clinic we offer 3D foot scans to our patient’s to ensure that their orthotic is customly fit to them. The orthotics that we use at ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness address the 3 different arches of your feet to ensure maximum comfort and support. We actually have an orthotic designed specifically for golfers called the ParFlex Plus (shown below).
If you know you have flat feet, be sure to wear a shoe that has a medial wedge support or if you have high arches, you’ll want a shoe that has more cushion.
ProActive Physical Therapy and Wellness’ custom-made orthotics are made for you. We don’t have templates. We aren’t one-size fits all. You are not just a patient or number to us.
Try The “Golfer’s Lift”
No matter what par the hole you’re playing, there is a motion you’ll do at least 18 times in a round of golf and that is placing a ball on a tee or picking the ball from the bottom of the cup (hopefully). Doing this with improper mechanics can often put unnecessary stress on your low back and even your knees. This can be solved with a simple motion we refer to as the the Golfer’s Lift where Jordan shows us below:
Start Your Journey Towards A Pain-Free Golf Game
We realize some people want more than just some free health tips… That’s why we offer expert advice about the worry and frustration of life changes – for FREE, in an hour.
We call this a Golf Assessment.
Here are just a few of the things you will learn in one of our free Golf sessions…
Our Golf Assessment Visits are great for anyone that may be “unsure” what plan of action is right for them, and they give you the opportunity to ask questions and see for yourself if we can help you.
We’re Here To Help…
If you’re ready to move forward and would like to talk to us about getting some help, or some specialist advice, remember we are always here to help you…. and we’re offering you the chance to have your first session with a specialist for FREE.
If you would like to get one of our limited Golf Assessment slots, please click here to complete our inquiry form or CALL us on 502.512.2165
P.S. Do you know someone with aches and pains and they’re not sure why or where it’s coming from?
Who do you know that is always telling you about their aches and pains? We would love to help them live a pain-free life too.
That person could be someone who you live with, work with, or an extended friend or family member, who is maybe suffering with some kind of ache or pain that we can fix.
Brandon Evans