Why golfers need strength and mobility
Help prevent injuries and improve performance
Golf has become an incredibly popular sport among many people at both an amateur and professional level.
Some people take it up later in life and it is undoubtedly played predominantly by people over 50. Golf is often considered to be a low to moderate level activity, depending on what level and handicap you play at.
Though golf is not played at a high intensity, it still places significant demands on the body. The golf swing places forces equivalent to up to 8 times body weight through the hips, low back and shoulders.
Though the body is capable of tolerating loads of this magnitude, as seen during activities like running where similar or greater loads are placed on the body, issues arise when our bodies are not prepared for these loads.
To optimise the efficiency of your body to tolerate such loads during golf, you need 2 things; strength and mobility.
Strength – The most common sites of injury in golfers are the low back, shoulder, elbow and wrists. The golf swing requires forces to be transmitted from foot to wrist, meaning every soft tissue structure along the way should be trained to get strong in this specific movement.
Mobility – to allow maximum efficiency of our bodies to distribute the loads we ask of them, we need good mobility through our major joints, including hips, back and shoulders. To demonstrate this, research has shown that a 21% reduction in hip rotation leads to a 36% increased workload at the shoulder.
The benefits of strength and mobility training won’t just help to prevent injuries but also add that extra yard to your drive!
So, if you are a keen golfer or are considering taking it up some strength training and improving your mobility, please see our services.
If you are unsure if physiotherapy is the right fit for your problem, don’t hesitate to book a free 15 minute discovery session with us today.
