Contact Us

Book Now

Careers

golf season

Are You Ready for Golf Season?

If you’re a golfer

… Prepare by exercising, strengthening and conditioning before the season starts.

… Stretch vital areas to improve your game and prevent injury.

… Do warm-up stretches before each round.

Spring and Golf Season Are Just Around the Corner

It’s almost spring, which means golf is just around the corner. If you’re a golfer, the last thing you want is to be sidelined by an injury after being out of action because of winter weather. As you know, golf is a game that involves dynamic, athletic movement that combines neurological and musculoskeletal dexterity. If you want to be in top form this season, it’s time to pay attention to your body.

Top professional golfers make physical fitness a priority: Phil Mickelson, Luke Donald and Dustin Johnson work regularly with fitness experts. Lack of flexibility or weakness in one part of the body affects your golf swing as stronger muscles try to compensate.

Physical activity and golf-specific exercises and stretching can not only improve your game, they can help prevent injury during the season. In the off-season, developing a good regimen will keep you on the links in the warm months to come.

Start Conditioning Now

Let’s talk about exercises first. The most important muscles for strength and stability are the glutes, lower abdominals and scapular stabilizers – these assist rotator cuff muscles while in motion.

UPPER BODY. Simple upper body exercises you can do include pushups, bicep curls and triceps extensions. Begin with light weights – two-or-three pound dumbbells – that you don’t have to strain to lift. Begin by lying flat on the floor on your back, with your arms extended away from your body, holding a weight in each hand. Lift your arms off the ground without bending your elbows and point them toward the ceiling until they are perpendicular to your body.

CORE. Building core strength means increasing muscle tone in the abdomen and back. Core strength generates more power from the coiling action in your backswing. Classic exercises are leg lifts and crunches, but isometric exercises are something you can do any time – simply tighten and hold your stomach muscles for 60 seconds. Another good exercise starts by lying flat on your back, arms out to the side. Bring your knees to your chest. Gently roll your knees to one side and then the other without lifting your shoulders off the floor.

LOWER BODY. Legs and hips play a key role in controlling the direction of the ball. Leg strength also adds power to your swing. Two-time U.S. Open champion Curtis Strange recommends strengthening your quadriceps with this exercise: Stand with your back and shoulders flat against the wall, keeping your heels about 12 inches away from the wall. Bend your knees and slide down the wall as if you were sitting in a chair. Hold for 60 seconds.

Stretch, Stretch, Stretch!

Strength is important and equally important is flexibility. Parts of the body require increased mobility, such as the hamstrings, hips, thoracic spine (mid-back) and shoulders. If you’re tight in the shoulders, back, hips and legs, you’ll restrict the extension of the club as you swing and injuries are more likely.

Stretch your arm muscles – Hold one arm straight out in front of you, palm up. Take your other hand and put it on the palm of the outstretched hand. Gently push the bottom palm down so your fingers point toward the ground. Stand up straight and bring your left arm over your head with the elbow bent so the left hand is behind your head – this will stretch your back. Grab that elbow with your other hand and tug it toward the right.

Or, grasp a golf club with your hands about 24 inches apart. Hold the club straight out at chest level and stand with your knees slightly bent. Swing your arms and club to the right and then to the left, keeping your arms parallel to the floor at chest level without turning your chest and head.

Rotate and stretch your trunk – Rest a golf club on your shoulders behind your neck with your hands at each end of the club. Twist your torso to the left and then twist to the right. You want the end of the club to point straight ahead or as close as you can come. Repeat 20 times.

Standing shoulder stretch – Grab a golf club and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding the club upright with the grip touching the ground and your hands grasping the end of the shaft near the head. Move your feet back and bend at the waist until you feel your back stretching. Hold for 10 seconds. Repeat two times.

Stretch those hips – Grab the club in your right hand with the head resting on the ground. Lean on the club for support, and raise your left leg, swinging it back-and-forth 10 times. Do the same thing with the right leg.

On the Course – Quick 5-Minute Warm-Up

Getting in the best, most flexible shape you can before golf season is important, but to decrease chances of injury and improve your game, stretch before each round, focusing on these areas to increase mobility in your swing. Hold each of these for 30 seconds and perform each stretch twice:

-Hamstring stretch

-Glute Stretch

-Hip Flexor Stretch

-Pec stretch

-Calf stretch

Just spending five minutes before each round can help prevent hours of pain and agony from an injury. If you’re unsure how to do any of these exercises or stretches properly, visit your sports physical therapist.

True Sports Physical Therapy – Where Maryland Athletes Rehab

At True Sports, we’re sports-focused because you’re sports-focused. The best physical therapists in Baltimore and Maryland provide the highest level of sports physical therapy and expertise you need to get back to your sport. With six convenient state-of-the-art locations to choose from, any athlete who takes their rehab seriously can get awesome care and extraordinary results. Select your location and schedule an appointment and have True Sports get you back to your team. For questions about insurance or self-pay rates, please call our office at 1-401-946-1672.

When Can You Return to Sports After an ACL Injury?

Read more

Shoulder Injuries are Common in Golfers

Read more

3 Common Upper Body Overuse Injuries in Young Athletes and How to Avoid Them

Read more

Knee Weakness: Get Relief + Build Strength with These 3 Home Exercises

Read more

What Can Athletes Do About Quad Shut Down?

Read more

Does Strength Prevent Injury?

Read more

True Sports Coronavirus Response

Read more

Lacrosse Injuries – The 5 Most Common with 7 Tips to Prevent them

Read more

Exercising While Wearing a Mask: Common Misconceptions

Read more

Why Elite Community Servants Need Physical Therapy STAT

Read more

Training with a CrossFit Physical Therapist Helps Avoid Common Injuries

Read more

One Major Tip for Making Your Diet a Success

Read more

The 7 Biggest Benefits of Physical Therapy

Read more

Overtraining: 7 Symptoms and What You Can Do About It Today

Read more

Dry Needling Therapy, Blood Flow Restriction, & Cupping: Does It Work for Athletes?

Read more

Shouldering the Blame for Shoulder Pain: Arthritis or Bursitis?

Read more

Why There is No Such Thing as an Off Season

Read more

Recovering from Spinal Surgery: What You Need to Know

Read more

How to Treat the Most Common Sports-Related Shoulder Injuries

Read more

The Cold Hard Facts About ACL Tear Risk Factors

Read more

Improve Your Running Form with These 8 Tips

Read more

How to Handle a Sports-Related Knee Injury

Read more

What’s Up With Barefoot Running?

Read more

How to Prevent Shoulder Impingement as an Overhead Athlete

Read more

Physical Therapy Guide for Hamstring Injuries

Read more

Knee Injuries from Soccer: Preventing Them with 3 Knee Strengthening Exercises

Read more

Gait Analysis – A Runner’s Secret Weapon Against Injury

Read more

Maximizing Your Post Injury Outcomes

Read more

4 Tips to Avoid Knee Injuries While Skiing

Read more

Don’t Let Lower Back Pain Keep You Off the Links

Read more

The Most Common Lacrosse Injuries

Read more

How Long Will My Physical Therapy Take?

Read more

The Unsung Hero of Pain Management: Nutrition

Read more

Care and Feeding of Pitchers in the Off-Season

Read more

What Can I Expect After Rotator Cuff Surgery?

Read more

3 Ways You Can Prevent Knee Injuries and Weakness

Read more

Experiencing Pain? See a Physical Therapist First

Read more

Can Athletes Benefit from Hip Arthroscopy?

Read more

High School Sports After the COVID-19 Pandemic: Returning Safely to the Game

Read more

Dry Needling: 6 Benefits To Help You Relieve Body Pain & Soreness In 1-2 Days

Read more

The Importance of a Strong Core

Read more

Golf Injuries – The 5 Most Common with 3 Tips & Stretches

Read more

Why Do We Need Sleep? (And More to the Point — How Do We Get It?)

Read more

What Athletes Need for the Ultimate Sports PT Facility

Read more

How You Can Avoid Germs at the Gym

Read more

An Awesome Inforgraphic About Lower Back Pain and Sports

Read more

How Common are Shoulder Injuries in Athletics?

Read more

Cupping Therapy: 4 Benefits & How It Can Relieve Pain Within 48 Hours

Read more

Strengthen Your Biceps With These 5 Home Workouts

Read more

7 Workout Mistakes Your Physical Therapist Doesn’t Want You to Make

Read more

Why You Should Go to Physical Therapy

Read more

Why True Sports Physical Therapy is Right For You

Read more

Is It An Ache or Am I Injured?

Read more

Groin Strains Symptoms and Treatments

Read more

Are You Ready for Golf Season?

Read more

How Athletes Avoid Knee Injuries When Competing, Practicing, Training or Working Out

Read more

How to Relieve Lower Back Pain as an Athlete

Read more

Quick Tips for Staying Motivated

Read more

Relieve Muscle Soreness With These 5 Tips

Read more

How Baseball Players Can Reduce Their Risk of UCL Injury

Read more

Cupping Therapy Relieves Pain and Encourages Healing

Read more

Physical Therapist vs Chiropractor: What's the Difference?

Read more

Some Thoughts Before Football Season

Read more

High School Sports Injuries

Read more

Is Blood Flow Restriction Training Right for You?

Read more

Staying Limber During Your Internship

Read more

What Athletes Should Know About Tendinopathy In the Shoulder

Read more

Meal Planning Tips for High School Athletes

Read more

Dry Needling vs Acupuncture: What’s The Difference?

Read more

What are Achilles Tendon Conditions Signs and Symptoms?

Read more

How to Relieve Sciatica Pain with Physical Therapy

Read more

How to Deadlift and Squat without Risking Lower Back Injury

Read more

Preventing the Most Common Lacrosse Injuries

Read more

Graston Technique 101

Read more

Is Stress Causing Your Lower Back Pain?

Read more

Get Knee Pain Relief With These 3 Stretches

Read more

Advice You Need to Train for a Marathon in 2021

Read more

Impact of Correct Posture on Sports Performance

Read more

The Risks of a Sedentary Lifestyle – Enough To Get You Moving

Read more

Make Your Outpatient Rehab Count

Read more

Relieve Back Pain Fast In 5 Ways

Read more

5 Tips to Improve & Maximize Your Athletic Performance

Read more

Physical Therapy: Why It’s Important Both Before and After Surgery

Read more

Is Elbow Arthritis Ruining Your Game?

Read more

Working from Home Shouldn’t Be a Pain in the Neck — or Back

Read more

Dry Needling Can Accelerate Recovery for Athletes

Read more

Join Volo City & Build Community Through Your Favorite Sport

Read more

Tips for Avoiding Running Injuries

Read more

6 Ways a Physical Therapist Can Enhance Your Running Performance

Read more

Attending Physical Therapy During COVID-19: Is It Safe?

Read more

Resistance Training is Important

Read more

Benefits of Sport Specific Rehabilitation

Read more

Benefits of Training with a Strength Coach

Read more

5 Tips for Preventing Wrestling Injuries

Read more

Non-Surgical Injury Treatment Options for Athletes

Read more

Sign up to our Newsletter

Get appointment updates, practical and actionable health + fitness tips, blog news, and True Sports announcements delivered straight to your inbox. No spam.

Thank you! Your submission has been received!
Oops! Something went wrong while submitting the form.