We have a question from Inner Circle member, Matrixphx31. He says, “It doesn't matter if i play 9 holes or 18. I always have big troubles with my right elbow going on the outside. I am right handed and it is a concern to me as I'm trying to improve my game and only get to practise once a fortnight and play once a fortnight.
'I would appreciate any feedback. My handicap is around 36 at the moment and would love to bring it down, just came back from a 15 year break.”
O.K., Matrix, the first point I want to look at, in terms of your right elbow bothering you, let's look at your divot. Most golfers have been taught to hit down on the ball. By hitting down on the ball the club can go deeply into the ground and that can cause tremendous stress and strain on the elbow joint because of the jolting when you hit the ground, potentially stretching muscles so much you could tear them.
As we know, in the Peak Performance Golf Swing I believe in shallow divots. We want to tear the grass out of the ground. We want the club to sort of just ricochet off the ground. The great ball striker, Moe Norman once said, “We want to take bacon strips, not pork chops.”
We swing up to the T-Finish and we want to think about nipping the ball off the ground, pinching it off the ground and pulling the grass out of the ground to launch the ball. Shallow divots put a lot less stress and strain on the elbows as well as the fingers, the wrists. If it gets to the elbows, you could also be putting a lot of strain on your neck and shoulders. So, first and foremost, look at your divots.
The second thing is you can start playing with these little armbands you put just below the elbow. You put them on relatively tight and that holds the muscles and joint firmly, reducing the chance of it getting overstretched or keeping you from re-injuring it.
If it's consistently bothering you, and as you say it's on the outside, that's like tennis elbow. Golfers tend to hurt on the inside. But either way, pain on either side is trouble.
Occasionally I get a little elbow pain and I put my armband on right away. I use it until I see the pain going away.
Last but not least, if it keeps persisting, and if you are taking shallow divots and hitting pretty good, solid shots, then you have to look at the fact that it could be arthritis, or it could be a tear in some of the tendons or muscles that you need to get checked.
I would suggest getting to see a doctor or at least starting with a physical therapist or occupational therapist, who can give you some tests to figure out is it really bad or is it just injury that you can put ice on after playing? If that doesn't work, the professional will tell you it's time to go see a doctor.
Pain is the message that something is wrong. You need to get it checked and go find professional help. Check your divots, start out with that. If ever thing is going good and the pain keeps coming, get professional help.
The Surge!