The Golfing Wounded

One measure of how much a golfer loves golf is whether he or she is willing to play with an injury. The more injured you are and yet still go out and play, the more devoted you are to life's cruelest game. I developed tendonitis in my left elbow a couple of weeks ago. I played a week later, which made it much worse. Then I waited 2 weeks and went out for a round, which I quit after 9 holes due to excruciating pain. I couldn't even pick up an apple without pain shooting up through my left forearm.

But I'm not the most injured golfer I know. One of my playing partners during my last round was a guy who was a week away from hip replacement surgery. He had a brace on his knee too. I once met a guy who was out playing 6 weeks after open-heart surgery. And a few years back, I played with a woman who was 3 months out from hip surgery. I've met golfers recovering from back surgeries, knee injuries, hip spasms, even foot problems. And my current condition of lateral epicondylitis (known as "tennis elbow," ironically enough) is nothing compared to the herniated disk in my neck that put the kabosh on my golf game for over a year, once upon a time.

Golfers with tennis elbow are as common as slices and hooks. The ones I know have told me that it's best to wait till you're pain-free before playing. So I'm trying that route. It's been two weeks and I have been climbing the walls. The weather has been unseasonably good lately too, and those last few warm, sunny days almost had me running to the range. But I didn't. I painted my nails blue instead. Blue to match my mood.

I have an appointment with an occupational therapist this week. I went to the range on Friday and hit about 10 balls. I think I could get through 9 holes tomorrow, especially knowing that I have professional help just a few days away. If I don't play tomorrow, I guess I could just paint my toenails instead.

Bad Golf Check List

There are times in a golfer's life when she just can't seem to swing a club without making a bad golf shot. Sometimes the reasons are obvious, and sometimes they're not. But one thing is for sure, the reasons are many and varied.

Are you making bad golf shots? Here is a comprehensive checklist of questions to ask yourself to find out why:

Primary questions:

Are your hands gripped correctly on the club?

Are you standing square to the ball at address?
Are you making a full turn on the backswing?
Are you initiating the downswing with your hips?
Are you sure you're not releasing the club head too early or too late?

If your answers to these questions are all "yes" then move on to...

Secondary questions:
Are you injured?
Are you hungry?
Are you thirsty?
Are you PMS-ing?
Do you have to pee?
Are you thinking about work?
Are you sure you don't need a snack?

If your answers to these questions are all "no" then move on to...

Tertiary questions:
Are you alive?
Are you breathing?
Do you have a golf club in your hand?
Are you playing golf on a day whose name ends in "-day?"

If your answer to any of these questions is "yes," then you've found the reason why you're making bad golf shots. Unfortunately, nothing can be done about the tertiary reasons. Better just have a snack and hope the golf gods look upon you more favorably next time!