If you’re an avid golfer, chances are you have walked a round or two in your life and have dealt with leg and/or back pain from carrying a heavy bag. Or perhaps you just swung a little too hard or played one too many holes in a day that left you on the couch for weeks afterward with a sore back or golfers elbow.
As golf is viewed as a casual sport by the majority of people, most recreational golfers don’t take the necessary steps to warm up their bodies or help their bodies recover after a day on the course.
However, ask any player on the PGA Tour and they will (likely) have a regimented program they stick to before and after each round of golf. That program will typically look like something you would do before or after going for a jog, but it’s probably a sign that you should be taking better care of your body too. These golfers treat their bodies like any other elite athlete, so why shouldn’t you treat your body as if you were going to play any other sport? If you’re still hesitant, just research the methodologies of Gary Player!
Even if you don’t want to go through a full warm-up before your round, in terms of overall fitness there are some easy things you can do to help prepare your body and keep it fine tuned for your next round. While you may not want to put on an athletic display in front of your buddies, consider one thing you can do after the round that will go a long way in preventing injury and ensuring longevity – massage.
Types of Massage
When considering a massage, it’s important to know what you’re going to be getting and the type of result each massage type will net. No matter what you see on the spa menu, there are essentially two types of massages. The put-you-to-sleep massage or the grit-your teeth massage. In the bucket of the relaxing massages are: Swedish, hot stones, aromatherapy, Reiki, etc. The latter are often referred to as deep tissue, shiatsu or trigger point massages and they aren’t designed to be enjoyable. If you’re a golfer, it’s important you know the difference.
You can get a relaxing massage from almost any massage therapist, but being relaxed isn’t necessarily going to benefit your golf game. Deep tissue massage is what most professional athletes get in order to perform their best, however in terms of golf you’ll want to be careful with these massages.
When to get a Massage?
Deep massages should be done well before a tee time– at least 48 hours is ideal, says Golf Digest fitness advisor Ralph Simpson. We recommend massage after each round, but a lighter massage can be done before a round as well to help stimulate blood flow. If you get a deep tissue massage right before a round, you might be too sore to play, or your muscles may not perform optimally. While you could opt to visit a massage therapist after each of your rounds, thanks to modern technology, there’s a new, more convenient option that many golfers are considering – massage guns.
What’s a Massage Gun?
A massage gun is a device designed to put a deep tissue massage in the palm of your hands. They are great tools that are convenient to use and if you wanted them to, could even fit in your golf bag (although most are around 3 pounds). They are gaining popularity in all sports and are used by many professional athletes and celebrities. Massage guns have lots of benefits that can translate outside of your golf game such as improving blood flow and helping increase flexibility (might make it easier getting out of bed!). The devices are also great because they allow you to get a deep massage on the areas most affected during a round of golf – your legs, arms and shoulders and lower back by yourself! The device also allows you to target the common “Golfers Elbow” injury areas of the pecs, upper and lower arm, and wrist area. We recommend adding this device to your driving range warm-up routine and 19th hole routine! It’s sure to be a hit among your foursome!
Which Massage Gun to Get
We recommend purchasing one of the well known brands: TheraGun, TimTam, or Hypervolt. They all do essentially the same thing, but each comes with their own varying features and price tags. If you’re looking for the most established and well known brand, that’s TheraGun. However, if you’re looking for the most affordable, you’ll want to consider TimTam. Overall, we recommend the Hyperice Hypervolt. In terms of features and price, this device is roughly in the middle of the three. However, the biggest reason we recommend this device for golfers is the noise level. These devices are not the quietest to use (they are like small handheld jackhammers after all!), but the Hypervolt is the quietest of the three and really emphasizes their quiet glide technology in their marketing.
