Backspin February 2018 | Page 13

ptspin By Scott Higgs Dust off the clubs ... and the body The offseason of golf is almost over which means this is the point in the year where we see many of our clients suffer injuries due to the eagerness to get back into the sport too quick. The muscles in the body are tight because they have not been worked on a regular basis. Muscles should be conditioned prior to playing every round, especially the first one back. Since we have had an especially cold winter for our area, the golf clubs may have gotten pushed way back in the garage. We certainly think it’s time to take them out and check the grips and clean them up, but we don’t want players to start using them until they have warmed up their bodies as well. Starting back without readying the muscles and joints could result in serious injury. Injuries commonly occur because players are not performing to their games as expected when returning, so they tend to hit an excess of shots on the range or in the round. The expected results of the first few rounds should be much lower to allow the body a few rounds to accommodate to the conditioning of a round of golf, rather than trying to force the body to quickly play better. Range time is excellent for the body. Getting prepared and stretching before range time is even better. Prior to hitting on the range, players should simulate free swings from a right and left handed swing. The lighter versions of the golf game should be practiced first, meaning that chipping and putting should always come before driving. Walking is another great way to condition the body and will help with soreness after the rounds. Th ese activities can be started 2-4 weeks prior to hitting a golf ball to maximize effectiveness. Flexibility is key to preventing injury. Theraband is a great tool to use in stretching the main upper elements that are used in a golf swing (shoulders, wrists, chest, back). The core and lower parts of the body are also very important, so exercises such as pelvic tilt, brace heel slides, brace knee fall out, and bridging, etc. Butch Marchinko is a 67 year old man with recent back surgery and maintains his health by stretching daily, going to Ponchatoula Therapy for dry needling, and playing a lot of golf. Marchinko said, “I could not walk prior to my back surgery, and I was somewhere in the neighborhood of 80-85 percent pain at that time. Now, I am around 20 percent. Marchinko used to rely on medication to keep the pain away but now uses none. Golf is a great sport that keeps many patients healthy, but rushing into the sport is not good for the body. The cold weather can present many risk factors in a non contact sport. Make sure to take warm showers to refresh the muscles in the body and change your grips to keep those annoying blisters away in the upcoming season. Just a few extra steps will help prepare for the upcoming spring golf season. Most of us aren’t professionals, and we took the winter off. The clubs have collected dust over the winter, and our bodies have as well. Time to slowly wake up. Scott Higgs, MPT Physical Therapist 13