How to Improve Your Golf Game

Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated.”

— ARNOLD PALMER

Improve Your Golf Game Off the Course

GET FIT FOR YOUR PUTTER

Every round you probably take 30 or more swings with your putter. Having your putter fit like it was made for you is likely to improve your game quite a bit and reduce the risk of golf-related injuries. Do you know if your putter fits you? In a study of 100 different golfers, two-thirds did not fit within the standard length of 35-inches. So unless you know what length you need and seek out a different length than the standard, you might be swinging a putter that it is too long or too short. 

STRETCH AND STABILIZE 

If your muscles are tight or unstable, it can interfere with how you perform on the golf course. Most of us spend our days sitting at a desk, so when we suddenly spend a whole day walking the course and swinging golf clubs, it’s no surprise that we get sore the next day or worse, pull a muscle and get injured on hole 2 or 3. Start by stretching your hamstrings as they are likely the tightest and most prone to injury. Don’t forget to stretch your shoulders, wrists, and any other areas that you notice usually feel tight after a long day of golfing. If you don’t already have a strength training or weight lifting routine, adding some basic strengthening exercises for your core, back, and shoulders can do wonders for your game and make it less likely you’ll get injured. 

INCREASE YOUR MOBILITY TO PREVENT GOLF INJURIES

Your mobility is an important part of your golf game. By that, we mean how well your body can move within its full range of motion. Stiff joints can affect your swing, and a weak back might lead to an injury. Many professional and casual golfers alike utilize chiropractic care as a tool to keep their body in top golfing shape. Pro golfers like Padraig Harrington trust in chiropractic to keep them at their peak performance. He claims, “One thing I know through experience is that I need to keep seeing my chiropractor, even when I have a few weeks off from golf.” Tiger Woods has also said, “Lifting weights and seeing a chiropractor on a regular basis has made me a better golfer. I’ve been going to chiropractors for as long as I can remember. It’s as important to my training as practicing my swing.”

Improve Your Golf Game On The Course

HOLD YOUR POSE AFTER EACH SHOT

Holding position after each shot will help you be more aware of your body as you play. Having a great finishing position means your swing has good rhythm, was properly synched, and had correct speed through impact. As avid golfers know, body position is key to how well you play. Plus, you don’t want to look like Happy Gilmore out there. 

SKIP THE CART AND WALK 

Instead of riding in the cart all day, walk from hole to hole instead. If walking the entire course sounds like too much for you, at least walk to your ball during each hole instead of driving the cart to meet your ball where it landed. It might take a little longer, but the health benefits are worth it, and it can improve your game. Walking the course gives you time to relax after a bad shot (or even a good one), and you can look at the pin as you’re walking to your ball and decide which side of the green you want to play.

Improve Your Game By Reducing Your Pain

Nothing throws off your golf game like back pain, and an estimated 80% of golfers experience back pain. If you are part of that statistic, you don’t have to be. Pain medications simply mask the symptoms, but chiropractic adjustments can get to the root of the cause and get you feeling your best. At Elevate Health Chiropractic, we love helping golfers find relief from back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, and a variety of golf-related injuries. Call us at 720-688-6372 or visit our website today to schedule an appointment or a free discovery call