Travel & Leisure Facts and Notes

My wife is a goddess, as was proof this past week when it comes to golf injuries. I am thankful for having such a great girl. You see my college buddies and I who have keep in touch over the years planned a golfing get away. We had planned this golfing get together for the past year. Then it happened my golfing back started to act up putting some doubt on the trip. We all had looked forward to this weekend of playing golf, shooting the breeze and yes perhaps a little side betting on our golfing.

I was encouraged by my wife to make this trip, kinda wonder why she wants me out of town, and with her help I was able put my back in shape. With my wife being a dancer the only golf she has watched is by walking past the TV while I am watching a tournament.

FACT: Top Ten Golf Related Injuries. Back Pain, Golfer’s Elbow, Shoulder Pain, Carpal Tunnel Syndrome, DeQuervain’s Tendinitis, Knee Pain, Trigger Finger, Wrist Impaction Syndrome, ECU Tendon Subluxation, Fracture of Hamate Bone.

When I was on the golf team I had dreams of playing the PGA back in my college days. Not being in Tiger Woods class it seems I had a better head for business than golf. Here is the good part, not once did I have any golf injuries while playing in college. I guess the younger age had played a big factor in that, being twenty compared to being over forty.

As I turned thirty the strain on my back seem to increase as I used my driver. Now that I am over forty, if proper exercise is not done I am going to have bad back problems. My wifes advice is very important if you want to keep playing often and want to get to the golf course a lot.

“Honey”… this is how my wife talks when she wants me to pay attention. “Whether you’re playing golf or dancing, you need to pay attention to core strength, stability and flexibility.” Since she was wearing alluring leotards, I could only sit spellbound and listen. “You need to do strength training to tighten up your abs (could that be hint?) since all your power comes from your center” (she motioned to her stomach, then did an imaginary golf swing) showing me how my abdominals effect my back and hips. Hmmm… maybe she was onto something. “And”, she continued, now on flow, “you have to stretch before you play, the better your strength and flexibility, the better you’ll feel during and after the game”. I couldn’t argue with her, and especially not when she smiled, that’s the gleam that caught my eyes years ago. So I took my wife’s advice, although she doesn’t know a divot from a shank and heaven forbid if I mention a foursome. But keeping a body in shape was her specialty I began to implement her advice, into my daily gold regimen; strengthening my midsection, stretching before tee time, trying (in general) to live healthier. Believe it or not, it not only helped my golf game, but my overall outlook, I could drive longer and straighter and playing eighteen holes didn’t wear me out.

Now my buddies from college are envious, of my golf game, my “drop dead gorgeous” wife and of course my core strength (though they’d never admit to that one). Golf injuries can be a thing of the past, stay in shape stretch before tee time, and give a listen to what the little lady has to say.