Tips for Golfers

Golf season is in full swing: with the weather heating up, more people are taking to the course for a dose of relaxation and recreation. At Family Chiropractic & Natural Healing Center, we urge the many golfers of the Bay Area to take preventative measures against injury. Strict adherence to a warm up routine of stretching will keep you limber as you strive for perfection from tee to green. 

Stretching before the first swing: 

Shoulder stretching: Perform shoulder rotation by using an iron and holding it at shoulder level behind your head. Twist your torso each direction for as far as you can go and hold for 2 seconds on each side. Repeat this up to 5 times. 

The hamstring stretch: besides keeping you limber, this also adds leg strength. Sitting on the ground, with one leg fully extended and the other tucked behind you, reach for the big toe of the extended leg. Feel the stretch in the back of the leg and hold for 2 seconds, then switch legs. 

Hip rotation: Place an iron behind your back resting in the crook of your arms and twist slowly one direction until you cannot go any further. Hold for 2 seconds then return to neutral and repeat this stretch the opposite direction. 

Stretching is so powerful: it adds flexibility and power to your golf game while also preventing injury due to extreme rotation and jerking of the back during play. It makes me wonder why so many people forego 5 minutes of stretching and end up wrenching their back. At our office in Milpitas, we practice both prevention and rehabilitation. To add an extra element into your golf game, or to rehabilitate an injury you may have sustained on the course, call us at (408) 263-8025.

Dr. Gregory Lind, D.C.