Just thought I'd share this with you fellow golfers. Maybe it will help someone else to avoid injury and time away from this wonderful sport.
Two weeks ago I strained my lower back (right above the right glute) by improperly lifting (to the side, one arm) a very heavy (54lb) suitcase down a flight of stairs. I didn't realize the damage at first. But a few hours later, at a golf dome, I made the mistake of take a few full swings without stretching or warming up (not my normal procedure). Now, I'm normally a pretty limber guy and I do a lot of strength training, but my back could not take this. On the third swing I felt a sharp spasm in my right side. My forward bend became limited to no more than about 10-15 degrees forward. Playing anymore golf became impossible. A real shame too, as over the past few weeks I had really started to hit the ball well.
Now, two weeks later, and after large amounts of heat, ice, rest, and stretching, my back is almost pain free. Hopefully in the next few days I can go back to hitting some easy shots. However, the time away from golf when I knew I was starting to hit it really well has been tough. The scary thought ran through my mind that I might have really screwed up my back and never be able to play powerful golf again (at 25!!!).
So a bit of advice to everyone out there. Lift things with proper form, ask for help when it is too heavy, and warm up before hitting full shots. You just might save your back and your golfing future!
Two weeks ago I strained my lower back (right above the right glute) by improperly lifting (to the side, one arm) a very heavy (54lb) suitcase down a flight of stairs. I didn't realize the damage at first. But a few hours later, at a golf dome, I made the mistake of take a few full swings without stretching or warming up (not my normal procedure). Now, I'm normally a pretty limber guy and I do a lot of strength training, but my back could not take this. On the third swing I felt a sharp spasm in my right side. My forward bend became limited to no more than about 10-15 degrees forward. Playing anymore golf became impossible. A real shame too, as over the past few weeks I had really started to hit the ball well.
Now, two weeks later, and after large amounts of heat, ice, rest, and stretching, my back is almost pain free. Hopefully in the next few days I can go back to hitting some easy shots. However, the time away from golf when I knew I was starting to hit it really well has been tough. The scary thought ran through my mind that I might have really screwed up my back and never be able to play powerful golf again (at 25!!!).
So a bit of advice to everyone out there. Lift things with proper form, ask for help when it is too heavy, and warm up before hitting full shots. You just might save your back and your golfing future!