Golfinjury

There's a joke making the rounds that aptly describes the wear and tear that golf puts on the body. It usually follows some poor golfers repeated attempts to muscle a ball from a deep green side bunker. "Hey Charlie, I thought golf wasn't supposed to be a contact sport?"

There is a wide spread belief that golf is physically no more demanding than a leisurely walk in Central Park. With so many pros getting fit, attitudes like this are now changing. It seems that golf isn't just for couch potatoes and weekend warriors anymore. More and more recreational golfers are seeing how golf specific exercises not only can prevent injury but can help lower their golf scores.

In Part 1 of this series will address the key stressors of the sport. Mr. Glen Rowell, an established Physical Therapist and avid golfer, will outline specific demands that golf places on the body. With this knowledge we can better prepare and protect ourselves from golf related injuries.

Next, we follow the exploits of "Charlie" as he miraculously escapes injury free from another weekend round of golf.

In our next installment, Mr. Rowell will discuss how to avoid the kinds of injuries that Charlie and his buddies risk every time they go out to play.
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THE KEY STRESSORS OF GOLF Golf is a true 5-hour sporting event in which the body performs a complex set of complicated and often conflicting movements. Golf is very popular with weekend athletes, who seldom follow specific workout routines to prepare the body for strenuous exercise. The repetitive bending and twisting during play puts maximum torque on the disks of our spine, as well as the shoulders, arms, hips, knees and feet. The continuous stop and go nature of golf doesn't allow our bodies to warm up and stay that way. Cold damp early morning starts without proper stretching pushes the body to the limit. The average golf bag weighs 25 pounds. Not only is there risk of injury from lifting a bag but carrying or pulling a bag over miles of uneven terrain puts punishing day's work on the body. Simple tasks such as bending over to tie your golf shoes or to retrieve a golf ball can trigger serious injury. The golf swing may look smooth and stress free on TV. Remember, what you are really seeing are highly trained athletes who today often work out as much as they practice.	A DAY IN THE LIFE OF "CHARLIE" THE AVERAGE GOLFER The alarm goes off at 5:30 am: Tee-off is at 6:30. No time for morning stretches. Barely time to jump in the shower, let out the dog, grab a donut from the fridge, and toss the golf bag and shoes into the trunk. Racing to the course; your fingers get nice and warmed up from death-gripping the steering wheel. You skid to a stop, jump out, throw the golf bag (it weights a ton!) onto your shoulder, while jamming your feet into golf shoes stiff from last weeks rain-out. It's an all out sprint through the parking lot to join your regular foursome on the first tee. Standing in the cold and damp of early morning, sipping a tepid mocha supreme, you wonder what kind of swing you've brought with you. No warm up swings at the range to stretch out legs, back, shoulders, or even time to stroke a few putts: You'll ad-lib it. Tossing the paper cup aside, you fling aside the plush cover from "Big Dog' (3-woods are for wimps), bend down with hamstrings singing and tee it up for the first swing of the day. After a vicious upper cut, your ball sails high into the mists over short left field for a sure out. The next guy in your group tees it up, but that's as far as he gets. Clutching at his back and wincing in pain, the golf ranger is summoned to escort your friend back to his car; the first casualty of the day. Now there are three. Your legs and back feel stiff and useless from a week spent at the computer. The swings come fast and furious. Golf balls fly high, low, left and right. Around the green you offer up a nice selection of fat and sculled shots. At the turn, it's hotdogs and beer: That special combination that adds it's own special flavor to any outing. By the end of the day, you've visited every dark corner of this golf course. The mind and body are exhausted. After adding up the scores and paying off your friends, you use what little energy you have to heave the clubs into the trunk. Turning the ignition, your thoughts settle on your fallen comrade Joe; who by now is sitting in his air conditioned den, nursing his back with a beer and watching baseball. Your back, legs, and arms are aching from five hours of heavy lifting. Turning onto the highway, you remember that in just seven short days it will be deja-vu all over again.