Tips to help with Knee Pain in Golfers
Knee pain in Golfers reduces their ability to generate power from the ground in their swing
This article will help give you tips to help reduce pain in your body such as your knees, back or neck pain from playing golf. The knee that tends to take the most torsional loading is the lead knee in the golf swing, most knee injuries affecting this leg. Many senior golfers ask "is golf bad for your knees" and will it cause further knee injury? This is definitely not always the case, especially if you look after your knees with a good exercise program. Many older golfers who have under gone knee replacement return to play golf successfully.
The most famous golfer in the world (Tiger Woods) can testify to the stress knees can undergo in the swing. During his career he has undergone ACL reconstruction and suffered stress fractures to his left knee.
The following three tips will help take stress off your lead or lead knee:
Turn your left foot out slightly
A simple tip to reduce torsional load on your left knee is to turn your left foot out slightly. This will allow your hips to clear effectively, without placing too much internal rotation and torsional force onto your knee joint. If you area senior golfer who has undergone a knee replacement surgery, this tip will help place less stress on your new knee.
Foot pointing forwards makes it harder to clear into the left side
Turning left foot out makes it easier transition onto the left side on
Improve your hip rotation
Improving the mobility at your hip joint particularly in regard to internal rotation, will further reduce the stresses placed across your knee. The amount of rotation at your knees is less than that available at your hip joints. Stretches and drills to improve your hip rotation and gluteal activation, will help reduce stress on your knees. Your hips are big powerful joints that love movement. Learn to use them effectively and allow them to provide the drive in your golf swing.
Poor internal rotation into the left hip causing sliding of the hips and more torsion on left knee joint
Good internal rotation into the left hip causes rotation of the pelvis and loading onto the left side
Develop good knee control on your backswing
Many golfers will collapse their left knee inwards due to weakness in their gluteals, tightness in lateral quad/ITB complex or over activity of their adductor muscles. This places increased shearing loads on their knee, the knee has to slide back further back onto the left side on the follow through in the swing. Your left leg collapsing in creates a number of issues for you. It reduces the separation between your hips and shoulders, with resultant loss of power. Practice exercises and drills to help keep your left knee more stable during your back swing, allowing resistance to be generated against your left side.
Left knee collapses in reducing coil through the body
Left knee stays over left foot creating greater coil through the trunk and shoulder turn
Ready to improve your golf swing?
See former PGA tour physio Kam Bhabra