The golf swing involves a high velocity wrist release followed by sudden deceleration just after impact. This will place considerable stress on the arms and leaves the wrist susceptible to injury. Some of the more common injuries occur from overuse, tendonitis and carpel tunnel syndrome, while others occur from a one time traumatic incidents such as taking a deep divot or striking a hidden object. Women tend to be more susceptible to wrist injuries than men which may be because of strength factors.
What can we do to prevent or at least minimize the potential for injury?
TECHNIQUE: Increased grip pressure can cause tendonitis or in some cases when the wrists release prematurely on the downswing the wrists are at an awkward angle and this to can lead to injury. A neutral grip and light grip pressure will reduce the chance of injury and better yet will give you improved shots. In addition graphite shafts can be a bonus as they are typically 25% lighter.
STRENGTHENING AND STRETCHING: Forearm stretching and strengthening are very important. Place 2 golf balls in your palm and using just your thumb and fingers slowly rotate the balls around each other without letting them fall to the ground. Do this for about a minute and then reverse direction. Do wrist extensor stretches, start with your arm out in front of you with the palm faces downwards, make a gentle fist and slowly pull your wrist down with the other hand. Don’t let your shoulder rise as you do this. Hold the stretch for about 10 seconds. There are many other stretches that can be done but this will be a start to prevention.