Elbow injuries are common in golf and are most often the result of overuse.
Golf is a sport where players use clubs to hit balls into a series of holes. Terrain varies depending on course design and level of difficulty. Recreational types of golf include pitch-and-putt and miniature golf. Golf is an Olympic sport and is regulated locally by BC Golf. Major championships include The Masters and U.S. Open. Most golf injuries are the result of overuse, and tend to occur in the lower back, elbow, shoulder, wrist, and hand.
(see Section 04 - Prevention)
Elbow injuries are common in golf and are most often the result of overuse.
Injuries to the back are common in golf. Male golfers report the back as the most common injured region.
Shoulder injuries are common in golf.
Injuries to the wrist and hand are common overuse injuries among golfers.
Overuse injuries are more common than acute injuries in golf, although injuries can be caused by being hit by golf balls (72%), golf clubs (27%), or foreign objects (1%).
Males report back injuries as most common (62% of injuries), whereas females report upper extremity injuries, including hand and wrist, most often (42% of injuries). Professionals have more injuries than amateur golfers. People do sustain injuries from being hit by golf balls or golf clubs.
It is estimated that...
Risk factors in golf include over practicing or excessive play, not warming up properly, age, sex, and improper technique.
Having sustained a previous injury can increase the risk of subsequent injury in golf.
If sustained over time, improper technique can result in injury. For example, poor swing mechanics can lead to excessive side-bending or over-rotation of the spine. Some studies indicate that less skilled players may be more prone to knee injury.
Older players appear to be at greater risk of injury. Starting to golf when you are over the age of 50 can increase your risk of injury.
Decreased lower limb and trunk strength endurance are injury risk factors for recreational golfers. Range-of-motion deficits at the hip and spine are risk factors for elite golfers.
Overuse (high volume of practice or competition) in golf can increase the risk of injury.
Not warming up before golfing can increase the likelihood of injury. Between 35% and 71% of golfers reported to never, rarely, or seldomly warm-up before play.
Females have overall 2.6 injuries per 1000 exposures, which is more than males (1.4 injuries per 1000 athlete exposures). The upper extremity region being the most commonly injured area in females.
For more golf prevention tips, view this chart.
Talk to your coach or organization, if applicable, about the prevention strategies below and how they might be incorporated into training and policies.
Using golf clubs with graphite shafts instead of clubs with steel shafts are recommended. Clubs with graphite shafts are lighter in weight and have shock absorption properties that can reduce stress on the body.
Performing a dynamic warm up, such as the neuromuscular training program mentioned below, is important to prevent injuries in golfers. Static stretching before golf does not reduce injury risk and may be detrimental to performance.
The risk of injury may be reduced by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Technique training & load management
Learn about proper technique, safety protocols, and training load. This can include training in swing mechanics. Pacing your training and competition and taking a break between training days gives the body time to recover and allows you to assess your current training load.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into your training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in injury.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the shoulder and back. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed specific exercises in video and PDF form to help prevent injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent shoulder injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent back injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Get Set Neuromuscular Training
The Get Set app contains exercises that can be done at home. Created by the Oslo Sports Trauma Center, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, and Making Waves AS in 2014 for the International Olympic Committee, the app allows you to search by body part to view exercises that work to strengthen each area of the body, or search by sport to view a library of exercises that are specific to golf.
Download Get Set for Android.
Download Get Set for iOS.
Sleep, Vigilance and Sport Injury Prevention
Being successful in physical activity requires a high degree of alertness, also known as vigilance. Sufficient sleep helps your body to recover, allows you to achieve your goals, and reduces your risk of injury. Getting less than 8 hours of sleep can increase your rate of injury by up to 70%! Watch this video to learn more about how sleep and vigilance are connected.
Sport-related Physicals
Golf can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. An annual sport-related physical evaluation ensuring fitness to play can help to reduce risk of injury. KidsHealth provides information about what sports physicals are, why they may be appropriate and where you may go to get them.
Learn more about Kids Health Sports Physicals.
Talk to your organization or school about the prevention strategies below and how they might be incorporated into training and policies.
Using golf clubs with graphite shafts instead of clubs with steel shafts are recommended. Clubs with graphite shafts are lighter in weight and have shock absorption properties that can reduce stress on the body. Supervision of children around golf equipment is encouraged.
Having athletes perform a dynamic warm up, such as the neuromuscular training program mentioned below, is important to prevent injuries in golfers. Static stretching before golf does not reduce injury risk and may be detrimental to performance.
The risk of injury may be reduced by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Technique training & load management
Learn about proper technique, safety protocols, and training load. This can include training in swing mechanics. Pacing your training and competition and taking a break between training days gives the body time to recover and allows you to assess your current training load.
The risk of injury may be reduced by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into your training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in injury.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the shoulder and back. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed specific exercises in video and PDF form to help prevent injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent shoulder injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent back injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Get Set Neuromuscular Training
The Get Set app contains exercises that can be done at home. Created by the Oslo Sports Trauma Center, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, and Making Waves AS in 2014 for the International Olympic Committee, the app allows you to search by body part to view exercises that work to strengthen each area of the body, or search by sport to view a library of exercises that are specific to golf.
Download Get Set for Android.
Download Get Set for iOS.
Sport-related Physicals
Golf can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. An annual sport-related physical evaluation ensuring fitness to play can help to reduce risk of injury. KidsHealth provides information about what sports physicals are, why they may be appropriate and where you may go to get them.
Learn more about Kids Health Sports Physicals.
Talk to your coaches, teachers, organization, or school about the prevention strategies below and how they might be incorporated into training and policies.
Using golf clubs with graphite shafts instead of clubs with steel shafts are recommended. Clubs with graphite shafts are lighter in weight and have shock absorption properties that can reduce stress on the body. Supervision of children around golf equipment is encouraged.
Having athletes perform a dynamic warm up, such as the neuromuscular training program mentioned below, is important to prevent injuries in golfers. Static stretching before golf does not reduce injury risk and may be detrimental to performance.
The risk of injury may be reduced by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Technique Training & Load Management
Learn about proper technique, safety protocols, and training load. This can include training in swing mechanics. Pacing your training and competition and taking a break between training days gives the body time to recover and allows you to assess your current training load.
The risk of injury may be reduced by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into your training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in injury.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the shoulder and back. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed specific exercises in video and PDF form to help prevent injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent shoulder injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent back injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Get Set Neuromuscular Training
The Get Set app contains exercises that can be done at home. Created by the Oslo Sports Trauma Center, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, and Making Waves AS in 2014 for the International Olympic Committee, the app allows you to search by body part to view exercises that work to strengthen each area of the body, or search by sport to view a library of exercises that are specific to golf.
Download Get Set for Android.
Download Get Set for iOS.
Sport-related Physicals
Golf can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. An annual sport-related physical evaluation ensuring fitness to play can help to reduce risk of injury. KidsHealth provides information about what sports physicals are, why they may be appropriate and where you may go to get them.
Learn more about Kids Health Sports Physicals.
The role of health professionals in preventing golf injuries has two main components:
Using golf clubs with graphite shafts instead of clubs with steel shafts are recommended. Clubs with graphite shafts are lighter in weight and have shock absorption properties that can reduce stress on the body.Supervision of children around golf equipment is encouraged.
Having athletes perform a dynamic warm up, such as the neuromuscular training program mentioned below, is important to prevent injuries in golfers. Static stretching before golf does not reduce injury risk and may be detrimental to performance.
The risk of injury may be reduced by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Technique Training & Load Management
Learn about proper technique, safety protocols, and training load. This can include training in swing mechanics. Pacing your training and competition and taking a break between training days gives the body time to recover and allows you to assess your current training load.
The risk of injury may be reduced by regular participation in a balance training exercise program with a resistance training component, such as a neuromuscular training warm-up program.
Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
The Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre has developed a neuromuscular training warm-up program that can be adapted to many sports. Incorporating a warm-up program like this one into your training program at least two times per week has been associated with a significant reduction in injury.
Click here to view poster.
Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre Neuromuscular Training
Adopt strength training exercises designed to prevent injuries to the shoulder and back. The Oslo Sport Trauma Research Centre has developed specific exercises in video and PDF form to help prevent injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent shoulder injuries.
Learn more about exercises to help prevent back injuries.
For more exercises, visit http://fittoplay.org/.
Get Set Neuromuscular Training
The Get Set app contains exercises that can be done at home. Created by the Oslo Sports Trauma Center, Norwegian School of Sport Sciences, and Making Waves AS in 2014 for the International Olympic Committee, the app allows you to search by body part to view exercises that work to strengthen each area of the body, or search by sport to view a library of exercises that are specific to golf.
Download Get Set for Android.
Download Get Set for iOS.
Sport-related Physicals
Golf can be a physically demanding sport and some pre-existing conditions may increase the risk of injury. An annual sport-related physical ensuring fitness to play can help to reduce risk of injury. The American Academy of Pediatrics provides information about preparticipation physical evaluation.
Learn more about Preparticipation Physical Evaluation.
