The twist that adds up
A few hundred rotations a round, often straight after a long drive in the car. The back is usually first to complain.
Fit for golf
Still swinging.
Golf is a game for life, as long as the body plays along. Warm ups, niggles and recovery for club golfers, put together with physios and fitness pros.
Why it matters
Some of us need oiling.
Golf asks a lot of a body that sits at a desk or behind a wheel all week. A few minutes of the right moves keeps you swinging freely, and the first tee a lot less creaky.
He's not alone. Most of us who play regularly are past the age where you can roll out of the car and smash a driver. Backs stiffen, knees grumble, elbows ache. None of it means hanging up the clubs. Usually it means a proper warm up, a few exercises in the week, and knowing when to see someone.
So we're bringing in people who know bodies the way Paul knows drivers.
The usual suspects
The niggles golfers moan about most.
A guide for each, written with our physio partner: why golf causes it, what helps, and when to get it looked at. Placeholder guides
Where the turn starts
Your hips drive the turn. When they stiffen, the back and knees pick up the slack, and the swing gets shorter without you noticing.
Golfer's elbow
Pain on the inside of the elbow, often from a death grip and hitting the mat before the ball. Common, and very fixable.
Five miles on a slope
Eighteen holes is a long walk on uneven ground, plus a lot of twisting on a planted foot.
The big turn
The lead shoulder does a lot of work at the top of the swing, and it's the one that lets you know about it the next morning.
Fat shots and tree roots
Heavy contact, hidden roots and the odd stone in a bunker. The wrists take the hit.
Before you tee off
Ten minutes before the first tee.
Or as Paul calls it, oiling the hinges. Better than three practice swings and a groan. Placeholder routine
1
Get walking
Two minutes at a brisk pace round the putting green or the car park. Warm before you stretch.
2
Loosen the hips
Slow hip circles, then leg swings holding your trolley for balance.
3
Turn the trunk
A club across your shoulders and slow, easy turns each way. No forcing it.
4
Arms and shoulders
Arm circles, forwards and back, then a gentle stretch across the body.
5
Build the swing
Half swings with a wedge, then three quarters, then a few with the driver.
A new series
Needs Oiling.
Paul and a physio work through the aches club golfers moan about most, from stiff hips to sore backs. Short exercises you can do at home while the kettle boils. Sample episodes
Ask the physio
Tell us where it hurts.
Each month, members put their aches and niggles to a chartered physiotherapist. Answers go up by name, or anonymously if you'd rather nobody at the club knows about your knees.
Partner wanted
Physio, golf fitness or sports massage?
We're looking for a partner to write the guides, film Needs Oiling with Paul and answer Ask the Physio, with an offer for members.
General information for club golfers, not medical advice. If something hurts, or keeps hurting, see your GP or a chartered physiotherapist before you play through it.
The Deft Notes
Weekly or monthly. Always one thing that works.
A tip from the Pro Panel, a word from Paul, a member's verdict and what Paul is testing next. Plus the free guide: The Rules You're Probably Breaking Every Saturday.
Stop firing at flags. Hit the middle of the green, take your two putts and let your mates find the water. The flag is a suggestion, not an instruction.
Paul