How To Avoid “Golfer’s Elbow”

Bob, take this as gospel - no

Bob, take this as gospel - no BS on this one
I'm an ocean away from you guys & so don't have your continental patriotism
You didn't offend, annoy, aggravate or affect me adversely in any way
In fact I thought you were restrained given the circumstances

What I'm getting at is, if someone NOT of your continent thought you were "on the money" then I can't see how any of your locals could be offended
Jack

I had a most wonderful day

I had a most wonderful day and trust that your was as well. And.....thank you!

I haven't experienced the

I haven't experienced the elbow pain,but I do get left shoulder pain and fatigue sometimes.I'm 60,I played 18 last saturday and sunday.On the back nine sunday,I started feeling some soreness,and could tell it was especially affecting my drives.I warm up and stretch well, before I start playing.If there is a delay,I stretch some more.Any suggestions? I do have some arthritis on my distal clavicle,and I take motrin before I play.

I have been able to cure my

I have been able to cure my golfer's elbow (as well as a number of other people's) by performing the following procedure (based on a procedure used by a physiotherapist for a Japanese baseball team).
If you feel quite firmly with your thumb around the part that is sore, you will soon discover 2 or 3 other sore spots along your arm. It is these sore spots you need to work on, by massaging deeply with your thumb - IT HURTS, but is works. I believe it is about sending signals to your body to send more blood to the area, or something like that.
Give it a try!

Robert F,

I worked on this drill for about 45 minutes last night. When I played 18 holes this morning, it helped a lot. I actually felt the difference between what I was doing last week and what I did today. I did not managed to get the bump right on every shot, but I did it enough to know how to work on it going forward (pun intended) ;-D

I was playing 2 balls, Srixon Z-Star and Srixon AD333, for a comparison test and trying to make my best swings for it to be valid. The AD333 won out by 2 strokes, but I am toward going with the Z-Star and compare it to the Bridgestone e6. The only real differences I found between the 2 balls I played was that the Z-Star went about 5-10 yards farther, but also tended to go farther off-line on mishits. The pro at my local course said that in a case like this to always go for the distance. I am still not convinced, but I will do more comparisons.

With both balls, I was 10 strokes better than last week. I am positive that it was due to the Surge Swing and not the balls. Getting the bump correct helped me avoid the triple-bogeys that I was shooting last week. I would have done even better, but I let an older-than-me gentleman play through on the 2nd tee. #2 is 150 yard par 3 over water. He put 2 balls in the water before getting one over. I made the mistake of watching him swing :-{( I did the same thing. However, after that, I took the time to compose myself and took enough practice swings to clear the bad thoughts out. I then hit my 7-metal straight over the flag and stopping on the green 10 feet away. This swing is awesome when done correctly.

Kevin

Oh no I definitely agree with

Oh no I definitely agree with your experience with the muscle and
ligaments! That's what I was saying when I said I tell people they can't be
disappointed that their first adjustments aren't helping them. I tell them
it's b/c their muscles have spent a lifetime being shortened and lengthened
into a position they're comfortable in, but that are ultimately causing them
pain and pulling their spinal cord out of alignment. Peope DEFINITELY need
more muscles relief than they realize! Of they realize, but have little
they can do about it. I wish I could afford massage and chiropractic. But
alas I can only afford one, and the chiropractic is more important to me at
this time. I was suffering horrible migraines on a weekly basis, lasting
2-3 days. I had gotten away from chiropractic for too long, and when I
stupidly tried to fix my migraines with medication with no luck, I finally
realized I needed to get back to chiropractic. I knew I was severely
misaligned/subluxated.

I had an amazing massage around my birthday in December at a spa a few towns
over!!!! But in regards to chiropractic, I have seen tremendous benefits
from even the minor adjustments to the alignment of my spine, particularly
my cervical region. I actually have a first appointment with a doctor who
will be by new PCP tomorrow. She is a more wholistic practitioner, but
thankfully is an MD covered by my insurance. I'm so excited! A year ago I
was on close to half a dozen medications - today I'm on only 1. That's
thanks to chiropractic largely. I've tried a form of acupuncture that was
unfortunately was so painful it left me in tears. He said it was b/c of my
Crohn's, but I've come to learn there are different forms of acupuncture and
it's likely the one that is know to be more painful. Unfortunately, I'm
"scarred" enough from it that I'm not ready to try it again. Though I do
believe acupuncture can be incredibly beneficial.

Btw, my chiropractor employs 3 massage therapists, as well as a holistic
nutritionist. If I didn't have student loans to pay off, I might be
interested in pursuing a career as a chiropractic assistant or holistic
nutritionist. I've really become passionate about wholistic well-being.
Unfortunately, being a chiropractor is probably out as it's 4 years of
school and I'm old enough already!

I've had golfer's elbow for

I've had golfer's elbow for the last 4 years. I'm a right handed golfer and the pain is in my right elbow, not the left. In fact, I thought having pain in the right elbow was typical not in the left as Don mentioned. Any suggesting to how to avoid golfer's elbow in the right elbow?

Hello Dick!

Big headline in the Anchorage Daily News Sports Page Today! Palmer Golf Course has all 18 holes open with only 5 temp greens. I'm headin' north with my clubs. I better Tee off with a five iron, cuz I'm gonna cream every drive at least 30 to 40 yards longer than normal!

Hit'em Loooooong and Straaaaaaaight!!!
Bob

Steve Smith:

My favorite baseball player, Stan "the Man" Musial, played first base for about half of his career, after injuring his left (throwing) shoulder in the outfield, Wouldn't you just LOVE to have his caree hitting stats though!

Personally, I would fight to play centerfield -- but you can have any infiled position. I may be the only kid in the USA that NEVER wanted to be the pitcher, or the quarterback or the point guard, etc.

Keep hitting them STRAIGHT and LONG

Amos

Dragonhead, My condolence and

Dragonhead, My condolence and sympathy on the passing of your mother. May God grant you peace.

Bob

You have nothing to apologize for. You did not offend anyone whose opinion I value.

Semper Fi,
Dick

It's also a great use for a 1

It's also a great use for a 1 Iron (though most don't carry those any more--when I was looking at new clubs, I couldn't even FIND them as a special order from the major manufacturers). I used to love hitting a screaming punch hook or punch slice out from under trees. On one hole I also found a different route. The cart path ran through the trees in a straight line from my ball to 15 yards short of the edge of the green. You get a lot of roll that way. ;-)

The button is pressedHe's

The button is pressed
He's round the bend
The turd is gone
A fitting end

The copper is absorbed into

The copper is absorbed into the body and I believe that copper sulfate is effective in killing blood borne microbial organisms that settle in soft tissue the is weakened by repeated use or injury.

Don....my problem with the

Don....my problem with the elbow is not the left one, but the right one...I am right handed...
After playing 18 holes and practicing, my right elbow is sore for a couple of days.. I find that
if I take a hot towel and wrap it around my elbow for only as long as the towel stays hot, it
helps...I play at least two times a week, and more if the elbow holds out...Rod McIntyre

Hey Surge, my left elbow,

Hey Surge, my left elbow, according to a friend, does hyper-extend as I start to take the club back, especially with my shorter irons. What can I do to fight this tendency? I seem to hit a lot of short irons fat if that gives you a hint as to a swing fault. My long game is mostly straight and getting more reliable.
Thanks for everything.

There is little proof that

There is little proof that the holograms have any theraputic value. It does have a lot to do with the power of the mind. Copper does have theraputic value in that the copper will kill microbial organisms that inhabit soft tissue and cause inflammation. Magnets have theraputic value in the same respect that a heating pad has theraputic value. They will increase circulation and oxygenation and thereby help reduce painful inflammation. True negative ion bracelets have theraputic value in that they help maintain proper ionic balance of the human body. We are contantly bombarded by positive ions such as are created by flourescent lights, TV, computer monitors, closed eco systems, polyester clothing, etc. As a being, the human body carries a negative charge and negative and positive cancel out and this causes the reduction of the immunes systems capability, the ability of the body to heal and restore, lathargic sluggish feeling, etc.

So, there you have your medical report and update for the day from the DOC.

You have to remember, that

You have to remember, that penny was pre tax and you would not have enough left post tax to eliviate a headache much less tendonitis or something quite as severe. However, I do like the reasoning behind the sitting on the porch and breaking even.

Once again Surge has shown us

Once again Surge has shown us some very important information. This video covers a couple of good methods we can use to avoid elbow problems by executing a proper swing. I love these videos and all of the feedback that everyone gives.

For a while I had a big problem with a sore right elbow; I could barely lift a glass of water to my lips after a round or a practice session without wincing in pain. Once I figured out how to set up my cell phone to record my swing I found that I was not forming the equilateral triangle at the top of the back swing like Surge shows. This is demonstrated in the PPGS Manual on page 101 in the section titled Down the Line. I believe that this is what was causing my recurring elbow injury.

My right forearm (right handed golfer here) was parallel to the ground at the top of the backswing when looking down the toe line. I believe this was causing be to put way too much stress on my right elbow during the down swing because I was actually pulling my right arm down to the impact point. This was also causing my right elbow to be cocked at impact rather than extended like the arms are supposed to be. That sure was causing me to hit a lot of slices and pushes too which was more painful to me than my elbow!!!

I adjusted my setup a little (SETUP DETERMINES THE MOTION) by turning my right elbow so the inside of the elbow was pointing up. Got that tip from one of D.J.'s videos where he talked about making it easier to lift the club. I looked for the video but could not find it. Anyway that tip helped me get my right arm in the correct position at the top of the backswing so I could rotate my arms properly, extend my arms through impact and not overstress my elbow.

So like Surge says one on of the best ways to avoid injury is to properly execute your swing. He has given us some good things to look at and I have given one from my personal experience. However, I strongly feel that while having well executed smooth swing is important, conditioning your body is probably more important from an injury prevention perspective.

A person conditions their body by developing strength and flexibility in their muscles and joints and properly feeding these tissues. This will help your body handle the stresses of the golf swing and any other physical activity that you may participate in. I make it a point to put in a weight training session at least twice a week and do some type of cardio 2-3 days a week. Properly warming up is important before you exercise is important, but properly cooling down is probably even more critical because that is when you get to stretch and keep from getting stiff and sore.

Make sure your doctor is OK with you starting a workout routine.

Be careful that you don't

Be careful that you don't pull too many hairs out. You probably don't have too many to spare after the past few weeks. LOL

Bob

Amos

So, you are human too. Haha.

You can hit it Straight and Long and still end up under a tree. I have become quite the tree expert, since there seems to be an endless supply of them along the right side of all fairways. That is why I carry a small chainsaw in my cart at all times. Being prepared is just one of the many things I learned as a Boy Scout.

Dick

D,The Balance bracelet you're

D,
The Balance bracelet you're referring to was the Rhayma, totally different from what Steve is talking about. He's referring to the Power Balance bracelet that is silicon and not the metal type that you had. My condolence and peace be with you.

Doc

I thought the air seemed cleaner on the blog tonight. It seems as though the compost pile has been relocated.

With all this fresh air I feel better, stronger, and younger. I might just go out and play a round tomorrow. I bet I will be so refreshed I can hit it at least 30 yards longer.

It really is true, "He who laughs last, laughs best."

Dick

Jong4u-

Look at this site: http://www.painwhisperer.com/p...
You might peruse the site and read about trigger points, referred pain patterns etc. It helps in understanding.

I had left shoulder pain for quite awhile, thinking I had something seriously wrong. Many of my friends were having rotator cuff surgeries. After research, I lay on the floor on a tennis ball and moved around until I felt exquisite pain in a particular spot in a muscle. I concentrated on the infraspinatus muscles on the side of the shoulder pain, which turned out to be the culprit. Now when out on the course and I feel that particular shoulder pain coming on, I reach over my shoulder and press and massage the trigger point area. You will know the spot because it really hurts at first. It takes the pain away. I am 67 so know about the age thing. All those sports injuries from when we were young come back to bite us after we are 50. Hip and knee problems led me to Surge. Saved my golf life.

What's bizarre about my elbow

What's bizarre about my elbow is that while all of my pain is in the outer part of my elbow, sometimes it seems localized in one spot, and the next day I might have searing pain in a spot an inch away, another time it will hurt in yet another spot, and the next day it won't hurt at all (which I think has something to do with whether or not I sleep with my arm bent, as Kim said). Most of the time if I press on the spot that hurts, I can't make it hurt. Other times, I can.

I've received some advice here on the blog about different things to try, so I'll keep yours in mind, too. How long do you massage it?

I've been diagnosed with

I've been diagnosed with tennis elbow (repetitive stress injury, not golf related, and for which I've gotten some pretty good advice from some of you here; just haven't tried any of it yet) and have to wear a brace on my right elbow/forearm when I play. I figured out fairly soon after it was diagnosed that gripping the club too tightly with my right hand really aggravated it, so I learned to loosen my grip. Just goes to show you that there's a silver lining in everything.

Without seeing what is

Without seeing what is causing you to get ahead of the ball I can only offer a few generic tips to work on. First, check your ball position. It sounds simple, but a minor difference in position can create huge differences in your shots. Second, make sure that you're not overdoing the bump. It's only a couple of inch lateral move towards the target, not a slide. Move too far and you end up ahead of the ball. Last, work on your personal tempo. Rushing a shot can get the body out of sequence and all sorts of things can go wrong then.

A knowledgeable friend acting as an external set of eyes or the very impersonal and brutally honest video camera do wonders.

Steve

If the crap keeps going the way it has been in this country, we all may have to eat the "change." That is all we will have left to eat.

Quarters are like ruffles, they have ridges.
Dick

Hey! I was a first baseman.

If I may be quite blunt, one

If I may be quite blunt, one of the Surge Tec Crew performed an assholeectomy today and I thing the prognoises is very good for complete recovery of the blog to it's peaceful preexisting condition!

Ted,Hopefully my post above

Ted,
Hopefully my post above will help.

Amos

Anyone who supports and defends those in the military also does a great service to our nation.

I have done a few "pigs" on the ground, but never in the ground. That is just weird my friend. Ok, never mind, I figured out what you were talking about. You were talking about cooking them, right? Got it now. Disregard my first take on your comment.

Someone hand me a shovel so I can dig my mind out of the gutter,
Dick

Dick

I assume your chain saw is carried as a "rescue" club so you're not over the limit.

Lynn42

Hmmm. I learned a lot of

Hmmm. I learned a lot of things as a Boy Scout, particularly how not to get caught. Of course, we were the troop voted Most Likely To Be Repeat Offenders.

Lynn

I can now take the blow up donut from under my laptop.

Dick

Interesting John.I messed up

Interesting John.
I messed up my right shoulder pretty badly when playing baseball in college. (Never a good idea to basically stand around in center field for 5 innings in 40 degree weather and then all of the sudden try to throw someone out at home plate from the fence).
I never knew the extent of the injury because back then it was just assumed that "well you threw you arm away so you are done, so go play first base".
After college it got well, to a certain extent, and I was able to throw even harder than I could in college but would occasionally hurt it again.
Last week it was hurting pretty badly after work and I was feeling around on it and found a really painful spot. I told my wife to put her elbow on that spot and push down as hard as she could. When she did something popped and she said "did I hurt you?" I said I didn't know but when I got up I could move it around with less pain than I've had in years.
Evidently something was out of whack. Don't know how long it will last but it feels great for now.

Robert, I also am an Vet,

Robert, I also am an Vet, USAF 6yrs active duty. I think most others will agree, your comments and abrasiveness was justified. I am one who appreciates the defense of our military.

I've heard of Massage Envy,

I've heard of Massage Envy, but what I've heard is mixed enthusiasm about it. I do know all that about the muscles and ligaments pulling us out of our adjustment. There's years of them having shifted, some shortening and some lengthening, as a result of our lifestyle! It's what I tell everyone who is disappointed that they don't feel instantly better after 1 adjustment. No matter how much good massage would do for me, I would never give up chiropractic (or as you call them "back crackers", which is not what they're actually doing but we'll not go there). I am very passionate about ongoing chiropractic care for wellness and well-being. Only that can truly align your spine and thus assure that our nerves and vessels aren't being impinged.

You're probably sliding

You're probably sliding forward with the whole body when you hit those big pushes. Try working on the Door Jamb drill and keeping your head steady while you do it. Possibly also the club getting too laid off on the way down, and your arms having to pull it more severely from the inside to get back to the ball. Video of your swing would help, though it's hard to get video of an occasional error like that.

Bob

I don't know where it came from. It reminds me that just because I can't see my father, he is no less than he was. It also gives me faith and hope for eternity. It is not the dying that makes us different from the non believers. It is appointed once unto man to die. It is the rising again part that separates us from those in the world. I have complete confidence I will see my father again and spend eternity with him. What a wonderful reunion it will be.

I hope I will be able to convince him to play golf there. I am looking forward to a whole round of eagles. Since everything will be perfect there, I hope I will finally be able to do the Surge Swing right.

Until then, this old sinner will just keep working on it.

Dick

What a nice refreshing blog

What a nice refreshing blog this is!!!!!!

Whoo-hoo!!

Now I know why my left elbow

Now I know why my left elbow and shoulder are sore after playing the other day. I was focused on very straight & stiff left and right arms. Thanks Don for the info. Mike

Amos

It should be, "There he comes running down the driving range, don't look Janet, too late, she had already been shafted."

I must be really old to remember that song.
Dick

Good Morning Dick

Good Morning Dick
I would like to ask you what in your opinion is the lesser of the 2 Evils with respect to the ppgs swing regarding the stance, is it best to be closer to the ball than too far away ?
I know the correct distance is the answer but having experiemted a little I personally feel that when I have the feeling I am much too close this produces better results and makes it easier to follow the swing path that the PPGS Swing is suggesting although this could be wrong long term.
Your trusted opinion and any other PPGS followers would really be very much appreciated concerning my enquiry.
Have a nice golf day ahead to all of you PPGS Experts.

I have the same question,

I have the same question, Harry. I have to think "swing close to your body" in order to hit the ball really well. It's almost like my natural tendency is to swing further out than I should. I remember Don saying in a video that he feels like he swings the club straight down and then straight up. The only way for me to get this feeling and hit the ball well is to swing closer to my body than feels comfortable. Don also said he has a tendency to stretch his arms out too far at setup, which is a problem of mine, too. I'm not sure if that helps at all, but I can sympathize with you.

Steve

I think this does call for a party. It is after 5 o'clock every where. Even if we can't get together, we can have a blog party.

I suggest an "Animal House" theme. We never quit, we didn't quit when the Germans bombed Pearl Harbor, and we didn't quit when the trolls attacked. Don't stop me now, I am on a roll. I have already taken all the duct tape off my head. I don't think it will explode now.

I am throwing a clean air party at my house on Saturday.

Does everybody hear that? Hear what you ask. Nothing. Just nothing.

Dick

Kenny, sounds like you're

Kenny, sounds like you're doing alot of the right things to help reduce and deal with your elbow pain. One more thing I would add is that your next set of clubs you may consider graphite shafts for all your clubs as they dampen the shock of virbration to the hands and arms. Many of the guys on this blog have made the switch and it has helped many.

Jack

I am running late for my round today. I just wanted to say as always, you pushed my button, and now I am gone.

Dick

Since I don't like to wear

Since I don't like to wear anything around my wrists, fingers, or neck, I am thinking about just swallowing the penny I made today at work. Or,,,lets see,,,,,if I quit work I wouldn't have any pain at all, I wouldn't have made the penny, but wouldn't need to swallow it to get the copper for the pain I would no longer have. Then I could sit on the porch and break even.;-)

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How To Avoid “Golfer’s Elbow”

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