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John Steinbreder, GolfersMD News
Jul 15, 2008
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Getty Images
England’s Luke Donald, the 19th ranked player in the world, has pulled out of this week’s British Open due to a left wrist injury he sustained more than a month ago. And he is not even sure at this point when he can play competitively again.
The 30-year-old graduate of Northwestern University says he is definitely on the shelf for the several weeks. There is even talk of his missing the Ryder Cup when it is contested in mid-September at the Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, Kentucky.
Recreational golfers can well relate to Donald’s ordeal because wrist injuries are a common problem among those players. In fact, medical studies reveal that more than a third of all injuries for that group of golfers occur in the wrist. Even more discomforting is how long it can take to fully recover from a bruise, strain or broken bone to that area. Just consider Donald, whose ailment that has been diagnosed as “a subluxation of the extensor carpi ulnaris tendon” - and may yet require surgery.
In some ways, it’s surprising that wrists are not more widely injured in golf. After all, it is the joint that players cock and then lock as they get ready to hit the ball, and all sorts of issues can arise if the swing is off just a bit, and the club digs into the ground instead of gliding over the top. Then, there are the concerns of 100 miles-per-hour swings impeded by deep rough, gnarly roots, buried rocks and other hazards of the game.
Yes, wrists can break down in those kinds of situations.
According to Dr. Henry Backe, a hand surgeon who specializes in sports medicine out of the Orthopaedic Specialty Group in Fairfield, Connecticut, poor golf mechanics is likely the leading cause of wrist injuries for recreational golfers. And he suggests that anything players can do to improve their swings – and avoid making unnecessarily hard contact with the ground before hitting the ball, i.e. hitting shots fat – will go a long way to helping them prevent injuries of that sort.
Another option, and perhaps one that is a bit easier to achieve given how difficult it is to make a good golf swing, is strength and stretching. “Do some wrist curls with small weights, to build up the forearm muscles,” Dr. Backe explains “ This will help stabilize your wrists through your swing. You can also work on stretching your ligaments around the wrist.”
In addition, he recommends using common sense when it comes to muscling balls out of difficult positions. “Take an unplayable lie as opposed to trying to hit a shot off a tree root or in very deep rough,” Dr. Backe says. “It’s just not worth the risk of what it takes to get over a wrist injury.”
And if you do injure your wrist, Backe adds, make sure you get a quick yet thorough diagnosis. “Seek immediate medical attention, and do what you can to figure out what is wrong instead of thinking it will get better if you just stop playing for a while,” he explains. “MRIs are very helpful in this regard, and the sooner you can get a proper diagnosis of the injury, the sooner you can begin working your way back to being able to play.”
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