Golf Season!

Golf season in Vancouver can be a year round sport but for those of us who are fair weather golfers, the season is just beginning. Golf is a sport that requires greater physical demands than often acknowledged. Range of motion, flexibility and muscular endurance, as well as balance and coordination are all required to participate in the game of golf. However, because golf is a game, the physical demands are often overlooked. As a result, approximately 80 percent of all golfers experience some pain while golfing.

So what can be done to minimize your risk of being one of the 80 percent???

Pre - game warm up is essential. This should include taking the body through the range of motion the body will be asked to perform during the game. Low back side bending and mid back rotational stretches are sports specific stretches. Other exercises might include swinging the club, picking up golf balls and carrying or pushing the golf cart. Vigorous stretching should not be done at this stage of the game. The purpose of the pre - game routine is to get the muscles and joints of the body mobile and to prepare the nervous system for the motions required in the game. Deeper stretches can be performed when your body is warmer as the result of physical activity.

Post game stretching is also fundamental in reducing injury risk. Lengthening the muscles used in the game will help minimize post-game stiffness as well as decrease the risk of injuries due to lack of flexibility. Muscles to be stretched include the chest, back, forearms, hamstrings and calves.

Cross training is also a recommendation to improve your general fitness, especially your endurance. Cardiovascular exercise and strength training 3 – 4 times per week will help the golfer to physically meet the demands of the 4 hour golf round.

If you are one of the 80 percent who experience painful symptoms for instance in your knee or back during golf or as a result of golf, you may benefit from a biomechanical assessment of your golf swing. Dana Powell has taken various golf related physiotherapy courses including Natural Golf. She is an avid golfer and understands the game well. She can lead you through the proper warm-up, cool down, flexibility and strengthening exercise you need to help keep you in the game.

Some quick tips:

- Push rather than pull your golf cart
- If you notice (woman) lipstick on your collar … chances are you are keeping your chin in -- ensure your spine is long – this will allow full shoulder rotation
- Arrive to the course early to allow yourself adequate time to warm up
- Pack a nutritious snack and a bottle of water – fuel yourself as an athlete would