Golfing can be an enjoyable past time on and off the green. You can practice in your backyard, perfect your swing at the driving ranges, and play a competitive round of golf with a friend. Being a golfer with arthritis, you may experience stiffness in your arthritic joints, decreased range of motion, and achy hands and wrists. Dealing with an arthritis diagnosis can inhibit participation in your favorite activities, especially golf. Thankfully, there are steps you can take to make playing golf easier on your arthritic joints. Golf can be a great source of exercise for keeping your joints flexible and strong. We recommend staying comfortable while playing by using these 4 tips on how to golf with arthritis.
1. Use oversized grips
Many of the top golf grips manufacturers offer arthritic golf club grips. These oversized grips are specifically designed for golfers that experience finger, hand, wrist, and overall joint pain. Investing in these high quality golf grips will help give you an extra cushion while you play. With a larger grip, you’ll get a better feel for the club and be able to control your swing. These types of grips also absorb the shock of an impact or mishit, meaning less stress for golfers with weak hands or grips. Having the correct grip is crucial to the flight path of the ball and making it into the hole.
2. Adjust your swing
There are certain adjustments you can make to your golf swing to avoid strain on your back and other joints. During your golf swing you should already have your left foot toed out 20-30 degrees when ready to hit the ball, by also turning your right foot outwards, you can reduce strain on your right hip and back. Allowing your left heel to come up off the ground during your backswing can be beneficial to your joints as well. It’s more important to keep your right knee stable, than to keep your left foot on the ground. You may also want to shorten your backswing and follow through swing. If you are playing golf with arthritis, it’s more beneficial to concentrate on the width of your swing, rather than the length of your swing. Lastly, as you follow through to the finish of your swing, allow the right food to be dragged forward instead of leaving it planted. This decreases the strain on the left hip.
3. Choose graphite shafts
Choosing the proper shafts for your golf clubs can make a difference in your comfort level, as well as your arthritic pain levels. There are several differences between graphite and steel shafts. You can try both types of shafts and see which works better for you, but there is some evidence that suggests graphite shafts work better for arthritic golfers. Graphite shafts are much lighter than steel shafts. Some professional golfers have chosen graphite because the ball is said to travel more yards. If you are not feeling strong physically, or have issues like arthritis in the hands, forearms, or shoulders you should go with graphite shafts.
4. Use lower compression balls
According to golf ball manufacturers, low compression balls are designed to help you play better and shoot lower scores. Compression refers to the density of the golf ball and is a measurement of how hard or how soft a golf ball actually is. Another benefit lower compression balls provide is less kickback, or a sudden forceful recoil. This quality is advantageous if you have arthritis, balance problems, or other pain issues that may occur during golfing.
These four tips can help you become more comfortable and pain free while playing golf with arthritis. Whether golf is your passion, a weekend hobby, or a sport that’s on your bucket list, it is a simple activity that can become a reality, regardless of your arthritis diagnosis. If you’re suffering from arthritis, you don’t have to live your life in constant pain. One way to treat joint health and reduce inflammation is to add an all natural joint supplement to your daily diet. To learn more about Flexcin joint supplements, or to pickup an order, click here.
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Comments 2
Thanks for useful tips. One advantage of golf for arthirtis patients is positive metal occupation.
Thanks ! I have learned more about golf!