Both sports require mental toughness and physical skill. Athletes should not skip proper physical conditioning. There are common injuries that can be compared with golf and tennis. It is not possible to eliminate one hundred percent of the common injuries. Avoid as many accidents as possible. Adopt an exercise program that strengthens your endurance, flexibility and muscle groups: arms, wrists, back, trunk, legs, hips and ankles. Get ahead of the game before you start your first round of golf or tennis.
Hiring the services of a professional trainer is not practical for everyone. Some personal trainers charge a lot of money. An amateur player can choose a less expensive route. There are invaluable books, audios, and visual materials on the market to help you learn. Training education involves working out the physical body and learning the proper techniques to play your sport effectively. Amateur golfers and tennis players need to learn how to use their whole body.
Common Tennis Injuries
Rotator cuff tendonitis - It can be caused by extreme repetitive overhead serves. The shoulder ball and socket joint are disrupted and the sliding shoulder hurts blood supply.
Tennis elbow- tendon rubs against bone because of extreme pressure to the forearm muscles while performing improper backhand technique.
Wrist strains- usually they are caused because of improper racket grip technique.
Back pain- is usually caused by over exaggerating the body position which leads to poor posture.
Anterior front knee pain- it’s caused by softening of the cartilage and tendonitis. Iliotibial band syndrome (ITBS) develops because of weak knee strength and flexibility.
Calf and Achilles tendon injuries- it is caused by applying extreme pressure off your foot while the leg is completely extended.
Ankle sprains - awkward movements and poor shoe support cause extreme pressure to the ankle.
Tennis toe - jammed toes occur because of overly long toe nails and a shoe that lacks adequate toe space.
“Tennis wrist” - the hamate bone is located on the outside part of the hand and exactly at the base of the little finger and ring finger. The bone has a hook extension and can be broken by an awkward tennis swing that causes a negative impact to the heel of the hand. A golfer can break it by swinging his golf club against an extremely tough surface that is caused by a miss cue. Severe pain around the heel of your hand or little finger numbness is probably a sign that your hamate bone is broken. A weak grip is also a bad sign. X-rays are unable to detect fractures, but Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) does reveal them.
Common Golf Injuries
Back injuries -most are caused by repetitive improper swinging techniques. Poor posture hurts the position of the pelvis and spinal alignment. A golfer needs to maintain a straight-up-body position when he attempts a follow through swing. It helps avoid hyperextension of the lumbar spine and herniated discs.
Golfer’s elbow - is caused by an enormous amount of golf play without pre-conditioning. Epicondylitis: Tennis players feel pain on the outside of the elbow; golfers feel pain on the inside of their elbow.
Shoulder pain - improper swinging technique aggravates muscles.
Carpal tunnel syndrome - is excessive repetitive movement of the wrist.
Arthritis - pain and numbness to the fingers and hands sometimes need professional medical treatment. There are hand exercises that can help sooth aggravating symptoms. Shake your hand; clench and unclench your fist several times. Try at least 10-12 repetitions.
Many of the injuries listed on the chart can be applied to both golf and tennis players. Safety is an important issue to consider before starting. Before you play golf or tennis you want to carefully access the conditions of the play field and your own physical conditions.
- Are golfers and tennis players using appropriate equipment?
Is the court surface of tennis players free of small rocks and debris?
Does the golf course have pollen like plants that cause allergic reactions?
In extreme heat are you wearing sun protective clothing and drinking plenty of water to prevent dehydration?
Golfers may need to use insect repellant or skin cream to battle insects.
Are your golf partners standing at least four club lengths away from you when you are swinging the golf club?
How is the weather? Metal golf clubs are dangerous under lightning storm conditions.
What is your age range? It isn’t necessarily bad if you’re an older player but only if you’ve seriously dedicated time to proper body conditioning. A physically conditioned adult can avoid serious injuries better than a younger player who is just starting out. However, younger players usually heal with a faster recovery time. Young players lack physical conditioning experience and are easy targets for potential injuries.
You can think of a lot more potential hazards that need to be eliminated before you start playing. Always develop sharp mental awareness whenever you visit the tennis court or golf course. It will make your experience more fun, safe, and painless.
