Like any sport, injuries can happen in golf. Golf injury prevention is important whether you are trying it out for the first time or are a veteran player. Just the action of swinging the club can cause injury if you aren’t warmed up or aren’t practicing proper body mechanics.
According to data from the National Golf Foundation, 45 million Americans ages 6 and over played golf both on and off the course in 2023. These off-course activities include driving ranges, indoor golf simulators, or entertainment-based golf venues.
Read more to learn about how to prevent golf injuries.
What Are the Most Common Injuries for Golfers?
A golf swing is a complex and controlled motion. It generates force through an expansive range of rotational movement that also creates a great amount of joint torque. The average golfer takes approximately 55 full swings during an 18-hole round of golf. Add that up over many games and practice drives, and you can see why the primary cause of injury is repetitive motion.
While golfers can suffer many injuries, there are common ailments that strike most on the links. The most common injuries involve the lower back, elbow, foot and ankle, shoulder, and knees.
Low back injuries
The golf swing can produce compressive loads on the lumbar spine, which can be the force of up to eight times your body weight.
Then there’s the crunch factor: Lumbar spine flexion, rotation, and side-bending at impact to the trail side of the lumbar spine — which is the right side of a right-handed player or vice versa — can create overload conditions at the joints. This causes pain and discomfort.
Golfers with a history of low back pain typically have limited range of motion in their hips. Limited hip mobility leads to increased stress on lumbar spine structures. Common golf-related back issues include:
- Fractures.
- Herniated disc.
- Joint restrictions.
- Lumbar strains/sprains.
Elbow injuries
Two primary sources of elbow injury from golf include medial stress on the trail elbow (medial epicondylitis or golfer’s elbow) and lateral stress on the lead elbow (lateral epicondylitis or tennis elbow). This injury is thought to be due to the amount of wrist action and control required during the golf swing and follow-through.
Foot and ankle injuries
The most common golf-related foot and ankle injuries result from overuse. These include:
- Achilles tendonitis — Pain in the heel, around the back of the ankle, or along the calf.
- Peroneal tendinosis — Swelling around the outside of the ankle.
- Plantar fasciitis — Heel pain.
- Tibialis posterior tendinosis — Pain and inflammation around the inside of the foot, particularly the arch.
Acute foot and ankle injuries are less common. They involve sprains while transferring on/off the tee box and into and out of bunkers.
Shoulder injuries
The most common golf-related shoulder injuries are due to overuse and are three times more likely to involve the lead shoulder than the trail shoulder. These injuries include:
- Biceps tendinopathy — Inflammation and pain in the front of the shoulder.
- Impingement — Pain in the shoulder joint.
- Rotator cuff strains or tears — Affecting the muscles surrounding the shoulder joint.
- Subacromial bursitis — Swelling and pain in the shoulder from fluid buildup.
Senior golfers are more apt to experience rotator cuff disease or degenerative joint disease in the shoulder area.
Knee injuries
Similar to low back issues, knees can also be affected by poor mobility combined with excessive use and repetitive stress. If you have tight hips while swinging a golf club, your body may compensate by excessively rotating your knee. And even without tight hips, any golf swing requires you to twist your knee. This motion is hard on the surrounding tissue.
Injuries to the ACL and meniscus on the inside or outside of the knee joint are possible, as well as arthritis due to the constant wear and tear.
What Causes Golf Injuries?
Sometimes, golf injury prevention is about knowing what to look for so you can stay safe. The most common causes of golf injuries include:
- Equipment that does not fit properly.
- Lack of an exercise routine.
- Overuse and excessive practice (especially for professionals).
- Poor overall fitness and nutrition.
- Poor sleep habits.
- Problems with technique and poor swing mechanics (especially for amateurs).
How to Prevent Golf Injuries
Golf injury prevention is about staying alert and aware of your body. Here are some tips on how to prevent golf injuries:
- Always warm up and remember to stretch.
- Avoid overly repetitive motions and rest sore muscles.
- Be aware of your environment — from a bumpy terrain to flying golf balls.
- Consider lessons from a pro to improve your form.
- Keep your equipment up to date and fitting well — from your shoes to your clubs.
- Practice good fitness, nutrition, and sleep habits.
- Practice your swing.
- Protect your skin with sunscreen.
- Recover after playing.
- Stay well hydrated.
- Strengthen muscles to support your knees and shoulders.
How to avoid golfer’s elbow
Golfer’s elbow is an overuse injury on the inside of the elbow that causes pain and inflammation. This pain can go through your forearm.
To prevent it, be sure to stretch the muscles in your forearm before and after playing golf. If you notice any soreness or swelling, ice and rest the elbow. Avoiding treatment can lead to more complications. If the problem persists, see your doctor immediately.
Have a golf-related injury? Contact UPMC Sports Medicine.
Looking to improve your golf swing? Check out the Golf Performance Program at UPMC Rehabilitation Institute.
Editor's Note: This article was originally published on , and was last reviewed on .