Warmer weather is right around the corner for us in the CSRA. You know what that means for us Augustans. It’s golf time! Each year during the first full week of April, the Masters Tournament comes to town. While not everyone can play at the Augusta National Golf Course, it’s common to see a plethora of golf fans coming into Augusta and celebrating by playing at other local courses. Whether you only bring the clubs out once per year or golf is a weekly tradition for you, you need to be aware of how to take care of your body before and after each round. What are some common golf injuries and how can massage help? What type of massage is best for golfers? Let’s find out together.
Common Injuries from Playing Golf
When people talk about sports injuries, you may typically think of more severe injuries from sports like football, soccer, wrestling, etc. Golf injuries usually aren’t that rough unless something crazy happens since golf is a slower, low-impact, low-risk sport. However, just because you’re taking it a little slower than you would other fast-paced sports, that doesn’t mean that you’re in the clear! Golf can still be hard on your body, especially if you haven’t played before or it’s been a while since you last played.
The most common injuries for golf players are back injuries, golfer’s elbow, head and neck tension, and lower body soreness. Repetitive twisting, swinging, walking, bending, and standing all contribute to these injuries. Swinging too hard or too fast throughout the round can greatly affect your lower back, or aggravate an existing injury. Golfer’s elbow can sort of be activated the same way; through muscle tension and overuse with heavy clubs or swinging too fast.
Injury Prevention & The Best Massage For Golfers
The above listed common golf injuries can be prevented in a few different ways. Firstly, always make sure to warm up! Take a few minutes before each round to stretch your upper and lower bodies to fight against that tension and soreness that comes afterwards. Additionally, incorporating strength training into your weekly routine should help as well. Specifically, work to target your forearm and upper body muscles!
Besides a stretch and workout routine, massage can also work wonders for golfers here in Augusta, Ga and around the nation. But what type of massage should you go for? According to the pros, the type of massage doesn’t really matter. What does matter is when you get these massages.
How This Helps
You may not want to book a deep tissue massage the morning before a big tournament. Golf Digest fitness advisor Ralph Simpson claims that high-pressure massages should be done at least 48 hours before teeing off. Other types of massage, such as Swedish massage or hot stones, Reiki, aromatherapy, etc., are fine pretty much any time. However, you just don’t want to be too relaxed on the tee box. Wouldn’t want to throw off your game!
Calling All Golf Enthusiasts… Book a Massage!
Whether you play golf regularly or just enjoy sitting back and watching it on the tv, you can benefit from massage. At Muscle Anthropology, we service those from Evans, Augusta, Martinez, and all around the CSRA with numerous different types of massage. It’s time to give yourself ‘The Master’s treatment!’ Prep for your next round, take a few strokes off your game, and watch your body thank you afterwards.