"Everybody can get better on 15 minutes per day."
"You can even get better on 5 minutes per day."
Tom Tucker, Unrenowned Golf Coach
Tom's Featured Tip: Elbow Pain
Lesson Comments: What Students Have To Say
Sponsors & Affiliates:
Batavia Country Club
Game of Throws Indoor Simulator
The Divot Board
Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station
The Rypstick
SuperSpeedGolf.com
Club Champion
Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself. Thanks, Tom
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Elbow Pain
The Best Training Aid For Indoor or Outdoor Practice
The Divot Board
This is the most useful ball striking development training aid that I own.
Elbow Pain
For simplicity, all advice on actual swings or drills is provided from a right handed perspective.
I received this question from a reader:
Hi Tom,
Wanted to touch base with you on golfers elbow
I got it bad last year
Got a touch of it in my right elbow after hitting some golf balls last week Any suggestions ?
Thanks
Ron
My answer to Ron was some medical information that I googled, I'll repeat that after I deal with some causes and cures.
I had a bout of golfers elbow about 24 years ago when I was competing in some local mini tours and beating a lot of balls in practice.
At the time I was not hitting my wedge shots well and proceeded to the range and hit five large buckets of balls, all turf pounding wedges.
I ended up with a touch of golfers elbow and a mild back injury.
I've changed my swing since then to a flatter swing plane and changed my iron shafts from steel to graphite, and - knock on wood - I haven't experienced any golfers elbow since.
Some common causes that I've discovered for causing golfers elbow are:
- Striking the ground hard with too steep of an iron swing. This type of swing usually causes a deep "pork chop" divot as
opposed to a shallower swing that produces a thinner "bacon strip" type of divot. I've been practicing with my
Divot Board to develop a consistent shallower angle of attack that produces a long divot. I tend to be a
"digger" with my wedges, so
the Divot Board
is an indispensable tool for me.
- Too much hand action through impact, especially flipping the club just before the strike, usually causing a deep divot.
- Overuse by practicing too many short iron swings without taking breaks in between series of shots.
- Playing the wrong flex in your shaft. A shaft that's too stiff will cause you to use too much hand and wrist action
to square the face through impact, which can be a primary cause of golfers elbow.
- Steel shafts vs. graphite shafts.
- Ensure proper weight shift: poor weight shifting or limited use of the legs, hips and trunk may put more stress on the
elbow. A slight lateral hip slide (bump) to initiate your downswing sequence can also help you shallow your swing path for a
shallower divot.
- Pay closer attention to your swing arc as it relates to ball position: adopt a flatter or more elliptic swing plane.
- Try not to do too much, too soon. The forearm performs repeated quick, forceful movements during the golf swing. During
repeated swings, the arm may be subjected to too much stress, increasing risk for an overuse injury. Golfers should
progress gradually in play time, duration and game frequency, especially after a long winter layoff.
- Limit the amount of golf balls hit at the range, aim more for quality than quantity.
- Use caution when hitting off of mats.
- If you practice often, consider graphite shafts in your irons. These days they are as good as steel, and they
dampen the shock of
ground contact considerably.
- Oversized grips are larger and usually softer. They help to reduce
compressive forces and pressure when holding a club.
- If you have a history of golfer's elbow, try a forearm band placed below the elbow to dissipate forces.
- Rest. Put your golf game or other repetitive activities on hold until the pain is gone. If you return to activity too soon, you can worsen your condition.
- Ice the affected area. Apply ice packs to your elbow for 15 to 20 minutes at a time, three to four times a day for several days. To protect your skin, wrap the ice packs in a thin towel. It might help to massage your inner elbow with ice for five minutes at a time, two to three times a day.
- Use a brace. Your doctor might recommend that you wear a counterforce brace on your affected arm, which might reduce tendon and muscle strain.
- Stretch and strengthen the affected area. Your doctor might suggest exercises for stretching and strengthening. Progressive loading of the tendon with specific strength training exercises has been shown to be especially effective. Other physical or occupational therapy practices can be helpful too.
- Gradually return to your usual activities. When your pain is gone, practice the arm motions of your sport or activity. Review your golf or tennis swing with an instructor to ensure that your technique is correct, and make adjustments if needed.
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health,
Try it, you'll like it.
Email Comments: to TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
Mike Bennett and Andy Plummer, The Stack and Tilt Swing
Love your practice, own your swing, own your health, and remember that golf is a game of discovery. Dont be afraid to experiment when you practice, it's good for your golfing brain.
Tom
Golf Lessons
I am now conducting lessons at The Batavia Country Club
Lessons are available for all ages and skill levels, please contact
me - Tom Tucker - at (716) 474 3005 or email me at TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
for more information.
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates:
Outdoor Lessons Details and Rates
Indoor Lessons Details and Rates:
Indoor Lessons Details and Rates
Testimonials:
http://www.tomtuckergolf.com/testimonials.html
Sponsors and Affiliates
Buying a sponsored product through any of my affiliate links helps support this free newsletter, and I only affiliate with excellent products that I use myself. Thanks, Tom
Batavia Country Club (585) 343-7600 www.bataviacc.com
Great rates, the best greens in WNY.
Golf Digest Four Star rating for public courses to play in New York State.
Tee times online or by phone in season.
FISH FRYS AT BCC and other delicious dinner specials with soup and salad bar - Fridays, 4pm - 9pm
Click here to buy your Divot Board to drastically improve your ball-striking. Combine your Divot Board practice and putting practice with the included putting lesson drills, and watch your scoring improve1.
Use your club or hand to re-set the board after your strike
Click here to buy now for outstanding Ball-Striking practice feedback
BONUS: when you buy through the newsletter link above, you'll also receive free access to my Putting Lesson Videos ($60 value) which cover: The Elevated Aimline Drill, The Squareness Awareness Drill, The Aimline Accuracy Drill, The Stock Putting Stroke Drill, The Barrier Drill, The Short Putt Channel Drill, and more.
Click here to buy your Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station. (Editor's note: Order through Amazon Prime instead of through the manufacturer's site and you'll save around $100)
If you are looking for the most robust portable hitting station that money can buy, the Fiberbuilt Golf Flight Deck Practice Station fits the bill.
Click here SuperSpeedGolf.com to buy this swing speed training aid and increase your distance off the tee.
SuperSpeedGolf.com Buy now and get to work on increasing your swing speed now.
Club Champion Don't waste another dollar on clubs until you've gone through a fitting at Club Champion, 1669 Pittsford Victor Rd., Suite 400, Victor NY 14564. Call Master Fitter & Builder Jeff St. John. PGA work: (585) 978-8513, cell: (585) 831-2292 to schedule your fitting today1 Mention my name and you'll get special attention.
Train with a Rypstick to improve your swing speed and gain more distance off the tee. If the versatility of three different swing weights in one club appeals to you, this is your swing speed training aid of choice.
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Click here Rypstick.com to buy now, and make sure that you enter TOMTUCKERGOLF (case sensitive) in the Discount code box when you check out to receive a 5% discount.
All the best,
Tom Tucker
Teaching Professional, Batavia Country Club
WGTF ' "Top 100 Golf Teacher"
USGTF Class "A" Teaching Professional
IGPA Certified Golf Psychology Coach
Cell: (716) 474-3005
Email: TomTuckerGolf@gmail.com
http://www.TomTuckerGolf.com
"There are no substitutes in the quest for perfection1"
~ Ben Hogan