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Common golf injuries might sound like an oxymoron. Golf is one of the most chill, low-impact sports you can play, right? Well, kind of.
It’s easy on your heart, but it can be brutal on your joints, muscles, and tendons. Between swinging a club hundreds of times, using bad form, and hauling around heavy golf bags, your body takes more of a beating than you’d think.
The good news? You can avoid most of these injuries. This guide covers what hurts, why it happens, and how to keep yourself healthy so you can play more rounds with way less pain.
What Causes Common Golf Injuries?
Before we get into specific injuries, let’s talk about what causes them. Golf looks relaxing, but your body is doing a lot more work than it seems.
Repetitive motion is the main problem. If you’re crushing 300 balls at the range, your muscles and joints are getting hammered. Every swing follows the same path, which creates strain in the same spots over and over.
Poor swing mechanics make it worse. If your form is off, like rotating too much from your back or gripping too tight, you’re asking for trouble. Most of us also skip warm-ups, which doesn’t help.
Carrying heavy golf bags is another big one. Your shoulders, back, and hips get wrecked when you’re carrying a 30-pound bag for 18 holes. And finally, playing too much without rest days is a fast way to get hurt. Your body needs breaks, even if you don’t want them.
Most Common Golf Injuries (By Body Part)
Now let’s get into the specifics. Here’s what hurts most often, broken down by body part.
Golf Hand & Wrist Injuries
Your hands and wrists take a beating, especially if you chunk it into the ground.
1. Sprains from fat shots happen when your club hits dirt before the ball. The shock goes straight to your wrists.
2. Tendonitis comes from swinging and gripping over and over, which inflames the tendons in your wrists.
3. Carpal tunnel syndrome sneaks up on you if you grip your clubs too tight, which pinches the nerve in your wrist.
4. De Quervain’s Tenosynovitis is just a fancy way of saying your thumb-side wrist tendons are inflamed. It’s common in golfers who overuse their lead hand.
5. Plantar fasciitis (that annoying foot pain) can actually be connected to wrist issues that mess with your posture.
Golf Shoulder Injuries
The golf swing puts a ton of stress on your shoulders, especially your lead shoulder.
6. Arthritis can flare up from years of swinging, while rotator cuff tendinitis or a pinched rotator cuff happen when those tendons get swollen or squeezed.
7. Bursitis is when the cushiony sacs in your shoulder get irritated.
8. Sprains or strains happen when you overstretch or tear something during a hard swing.
9. Subacromial impingement is when your rotator cuff tendons get pinched when you move your shoulder.
10. AC joint pain hits the top of your shoulder where your collarbone meets your shoulder blade.
11. A SLAP tear damages the cartilage in your shoulder socket, and instability makes your shoulder feel loose or like it might pop out.
According to the Mayo Clinic, taking care of your shoulders is key for playing long-term.
Golf Back Injuries
12. Back pain and golf go hand in hand. All that twisting plus hours of walking and bending is tough on your back.
13. Disk injury (herniated disk) happens when the cushioning between your vertebrae bulges out from all that rotation.
14. Muscle strain or ligament sprain comes from twisting weird, like when you’re trying to hit around a tree.
15. Arthritis in your spine builds up from years of repetitive stress.
16. Vertebral compression fractures are more serious and can happen to older golfers with brittle bones.
If you’re worried about your back, check out our article on is carrying a golf bag bad for your back.
Golf Hip Injuries
Your hips generate all the power in your swing, so they’re working hard.
17. Trochanteric bursitis is when the bursa on the outside of your hip gets inflamed, which causes sharp pain when you walk or swing.
18. Labral tissue problems are tears or damage to the cartilage in your hip socket. These sneak up on you slowly and can keep you off the course if you ignore them.
Golf Knee Injuries
Knee pain or meniscus tears are super common because of all the twisting during your swing. Your lead knee gets hit the hardest.
19. Arthritis in your knees builds up from years of walking courses and pivoting. A good knee brace can help support you during rounds.
Golf Elbow Injuries
Elbow injuries are so common that one is literally named after the sport.
20. Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis) hits the inside of your elbow and comes from gripping and flexing your wrist over and over. It’s basically the definition of an overuse injury.
21. Funny enough, Tennis Elbow (Lateral Epicondylitis) also happens to golfers. This one hits the outside of your elbow and comes from bad grip technique and too much extension.
Other Common Injuries
22. Neck strain happens from keeping your head still during your swing, which can cause stiffness and pain.
23. Ankle sprains are common on uneven terrain. Watch your step on those slopes!
24. Plantar fasciitis (yep, it’s back) causes heel and arch pain from walking all day.
25. Rib strains can happen from rotating too hard during your swing.
26. And heat-related illnesses are no joke in the summer. Dehydration and heat exhaustion are real threats. Grab some sunscreen before you head out.
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Common Golf Injuries by Skill Level
Different skill levels get hurt in different ways. Here’s what to watch out for based on where you’re at.
Beginner Golf Injuries
Beginners swing way too hard thinking it’ll add distance. Turns out, it doesn’t. This leads to muscle strains and joint pain.
Bad posture forms early when you don’t get lessons, which sets you up for problems later. Over-practicing before your body is ready is another classic beginner mistake.
Intermediate to Low-Handicap Injuries
As you get better, the injuries change. Repetition overload becomes a big problem. You’re hitting more balls, playing more rounds, and practicing way more often.
Chasing distance on every swing puts extra stress on your body. Range sessions without recovery days become your new normal, and suddenly you’ve got tendonitis or chronic back pain.
How to Prevent Common Golf Injuries
Okay, enough bad news. Here’s how to actually prevent this stuff and stay on the course.
Warm Up Like You Actually Care About Tomorrow
Skip the static stretches and do dynamic movements instead. Arm circles, torso rotations, and leg swings get your blood flowing. A good 5-10 minute routine before you tee off makes a huge difference.
Need some ideas? Check out our guide to exercises for golf.
Improve Your Swing
Get lessons. Seriously. A good instructor will fix bad mechanics before they turn into injuries.
Focus on smooth, efficient swings instead of trying to murder the ball. A controlled swing is better for your body and your scorecard.
Learn more about how to achieve the perfect golf swing. The Titleist Performance Institute has great info on connecting your body to your swing.
Use the Right Gear
Your gear matters. Lightweight golf bags save your shoulders and back from getting destroyed.
Why are you still carrying that heavy, overstuffed monster? Double-strap systems spread the weight out evenly instead of throwing your body off balance. If you walk a lot, get a setup that’s made for it.
Pick up a comfortable lightweight bag that won’t wreck your body.
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Don’t Ignore Recovery
Rest days aren’t optional. Your body needs time to heal. Stretch after your round to help your muscles recover.
Ice for new injuries (right after you hurt something), heat for chronic stiffness. Keep an ice pack at home for quick recovery.
When to Play Through Pain and When to Stop
There’s a difference between sore and injured. Sore is normal after a long round. It just means your muscles worked.
Injured means sharp pain, swelling, or you can’t move right. Time to take a break if: pain doesn’t get better with rest, pain gets worse when you play, you feel numbness or tingling, or you have sharp, stabbing pain.
If you’re not sure, see a pro. A physical therapist or doctor can tell you if you need treatment or just time off. The American Physical Therapy Association can help you find someone good.
Common Golf Injuries FAQs
Is golf a high injury sport?
No, golf is pretty low-impact compared to contact sports. But repetitive motion injuries are common because of how the swing works. Most injuries build up slowly from overuse instead of happening all at once. Good technique and conditioning help a lot.
What part of the body do most golf injuries occur in?
The lower back gets hurt the most, making up about 25-30% of all golf injuries. After that comes elbow, shoulder, and wrist injuries. The twisting motion and repetitive swinging put a lot of stress on these spots.
Is golf hard on your body?
Golf can be tough on your joints, muscles, and connective tissues, especially with bad technique or too much play. The twisting motion stresses your spine, shoulders, and hips. But with good conditioning, warm-ups, and the right equipment, you can play comfortably for years.
Can golf cause long-term injuries?
Yes, playing too much can lead to long-term problems like arthritis, tendonitis, and disc issues. The repetitive nature of golf means small issues add up over time. Proper technique, rest days, and strength training help prevent long-term damage and keep you playing longer.
How often should golfers stretch?
Stretch before every round with dynamic movements and after you play with static stretches. Also try to do a flexibility routine 3-4 times a week when you’re not playing. Regular stretching keeps you mobile and prevents the stiffness that leads to injuries.
Enjoy More, Hurt Less
Bottom line: smarter habits mean more golf and less pain. You don’t have to pick between playing and staying healthy. You can do both.
Listen to your body, warm up properly, get better gear, and take recovery days. Golf is a lifelong game, so treat it that way. Your body will thank you later.