Golf has always been known as a casual leisure sport that everyone can enjoy. Sadly, there is nothing casual about the injuries that can occur from golfing. Even a professional like Tiger Woods has

been plagued with injuries his entire career. The nature of the swing along can cause a large amount of stress on certain parts of the body. Tiger Woods has suffered injuries in his knees, wrists, neck, ankles, calves, elbows, back, other parts of his body. Now, as you know, Woods is a professional who has been playing for decades on the pro circuit.

Here are a few examples of the injuries Woods has sustained over the years:

• June of 1995
  Withdrew from the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills after injuring his left wrist.
• June of 2008
  Tiger wins the U.S. Open with two stress fractures in his left tibia and ligament damage in his left knee.
• April of 2011
  Gets a sprain of his left MCL and strained left Achilles after a shot from under the Eisenhower Tree at the Masters.
• June of 2013
  Notifies the public that he will miss the AT&T National, citing left-elbow pain suffered at the Players and aggravated at the U.S. Open.
• August of 2013
  Collapses to the ground at The Barclays, citing back pain he attributes to sleeping on a too-soft of a hotel bed.
• March of 2014
  Withdraws from the Honda Classic because of lower-back spasms.
• February of 2015
  Withdraws at Torrey Pines, mentioning back pain and fog delays that kept him from getting his “glutes” activated in time.
• July of 2016
  Tiger Woods agent states that he would continue to rehab and assess when he would start play in the 2016-’17 season.

As you can see, the man has been through a lot but still gets up and out of bed to play this great sport. To be a great golfer, it requires a great deal of mental and physical skill in order to be successful. There are ways to prevent injuries from happening.

Back – It is very important to constantly stretch and strengthen your back to prevent strains that often cause serious injuries.

Elbow – the best way to treat this aggravation is with rest which will allow it to heal and decrease inflammation.

Knee – Stretching, ice, and rest all help to reduce any type of pain within your knees.

Wrist – This injury can be prevented during pre-season by continuing to do year-round conditioning correctly. There is so much repetition in golf that strains on your muscles are bound to happen.

Neck – Warming up the muscles in your neck is a great way to prevent injury. You will want to strengthen and stretch your shoulders and upper back.

Foot/Ankle – Wearing properly fitted golf shoes and improving swing mechanics are the best ways to prevent foot and ankle injuries.

Hip – Warming up muscles before play is imperative to preventing injury, as is adding flexibility and strength to the muscles that surround the hip joint and socket.

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