Golf is one of the fastest-growing sports, offering a great balance of physical activity, social engagement, and mental focus. However, despite being considered low-impact, golf places repetitive stress on the body, which can lead to injury over time. Understanding how to properly prepare your body can help you stay pain-free and perform at your best throughout the season.
Golf-related injuries most commonly affect the lower back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, and hands. Many of these injuries are overuse injuries caused by repetitive swinging motions, poor swing mechanics, playing frequently, and not performing a proper warm-up before a round.
A structured, 5-10 minute, warm-up routine is an effective way to prevent golf injuries and to prepare your body before a round.
This type of warm-up focuses on:
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Increasing mobility in the hips and thoracic spine
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Activating the core and shoulder muscles
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Preparing the body for rotational movement
Starting your round with a targeted warm-up can improve swing efficiency while reducing the risk of strain or injury.
In addition to warming up, resistance training can play an important role in injury prevention and improving golf performance. Building core strength helps stabilize the spine, improves swing mechanics, and reduces the risk of lower back injuries. Recommended core exercises include:
- curl-ups
- bird dogs
- side planks
- front planks
Shoulder stability is equally important, as strong shoulder muscles help control movement and reduce stress on the joints. The following exercises can improve shoulder strength and stability:
- push-ups
- external shoulder rotations
- lower trapezius raises
To best support golf performance and prevent injuries, resistance exercises should mimic the movements used during a golf swing. Golf-specific exercises such as cable punches, weighted golf swings, medicine ball throws, and deadlifts help improve strength, power, balance, and movement patterns that transfer directly to the course.
To see the best results, exercises should mimic the demands of a golf swing. Functional, golf-specific training improves strength, coordination, and power that directly translates to your performance on the course. Combining a proper warm-up with targeted strength training is key to long-term success in golf. By taking care of your body, you can continue to enjoy the game while minimizing injury risk and improving performance.
Speak to a healthcare professional at Athlete's Care. Our team of physiotherapists can assess your movement, identify limitations, and create a personalized plan to help you recover and prevent future injuries.
Article by Ciara Pressick
References:
Gladdines, S., von Gerhardt, A.L., Verhagen, E. et al. The effectiveness of a golf injury prevention program (GRIPP intervention) compared to the usual warm-up in Dutch golfers: protocol design of a randomized controlled trial. BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil 14, 144 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1186/s13102-022-00511-4
Lehman GJ. Resistance training for performance and injury prevention in golf. J Can Chiropr Assoc. 2006 Mar;50(1):27-42. PMID: 17549167; PMCID: PMC1839980.
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