Injury Question - Would you rather?

choppstixxx

AK Look-a-like
Joined
Sep 23, 2013
Messages
2,700
Reaction score
212
Location
Hilton, NY
Handicap
16.7
Over the years I have battled a few small injuries (shoulder and wrist/hand) that have taken me out from playing for a few weeks, but have never had a season ending injury.
However recently I have been playing with tweaked/swollen right wrist. Pretty much has made trying to close the club face very hard/impossible, has made me think of hanging it up for the year as my past few rounds have been abysmal (loss of distance, shank'd shots, open club face).

So I pose this question:
Would you rather have a smaller/nagging injury like what I am experiencing above where you could still play but your game will suffer significantly?
Or a season ending injury like a broken bone etc. where you would have to shut things down for the year knowing you'd be 100% come the following year?
 
I would rather have the injury that completely stops me playing

Playing with a nagging injury could potentially become worse in the long run and cause long term problems and I would always have that doubt in the back of my mind
 
I already have a nagging back issue and it is now fun at times. If I could come back next year with out it that would be great. So I guess season ending if I had to choose.
 
Season ending for sure. I had a hip replacement that took me out for 6 months. I came back stronger & ready to go
 
I’d rather have a forced shut down opposed to a limp through, and develop bad habits while trying to compensate
 
I'll played with a nagging injury all year but it have not affected performance. If it did significantly, I would rather shut it down, heal up and come back when 100% healthy.
 
Shut it down for me. I would probably try a par 3 course, or even a chip n putt if one is around the area first, then make the decision based off that. Play below your expectations isn't fun, but doing it waaay below what would keep you happy isn't worth it for me, especially if an injury is on my mind each shot.
 
I've had bad right elbow/forearm issues all season. Damn thing swells up daily and I cannot get the inflammation down for any significant period of time. I can still play, but the first 4-5 holes always are the worst. Oddly enough it hurts more when I hit mid range pitch shots instead of full swings. It will get looked at after the season. I did the same with my shoulder a couple of years ago. My strength in that arm got so bad I couldn't raise a gallon of milk any more than chest high.
 
Hate to say it but it's shut it down for me too. I've been playing with a mental injury for the last year or so and its so debilitating the game isn't fun right now.. just like it wouldn't be with a nagging injury. I've considered shutting it down for the year
 
Half the year the ground is covered in white stuff where I live anyway so give me the season ender since I'll likely be on the couch all winter anyway ;)
 
My whole physical existence is nagging injury. One more isn't going to change much and at least I could still play.
 
I already have a nagging back issue and it is now fun at times. If I could come back next year with out it that would be great. So I guess season ending if I had to choose.

I can accept a season ending injury.

I too have the nagging back issue (herniated and bulging disc). My back has been bothering more this year than in the past. I took 7 weeks off in July and August and was able to return and play. Now, I have shut it down for the year as a precaution. I could play but I don't want to chance it especially when the weather turns cold. However, I am using the "downtime" to test clubs for next year. I have been hitting 3 woods and 4 hybrids.
 
I sort of get what you guys are implying. But honestly ... to wish a more substantial injury upon yourself is simply crazy talk.

I mean wow.....its only golf man. Yea I take my play serious and want to do well and can get upset and all that. But cheeeeeeeeze man........are you kidding?. Really? Rather break an arm than have an annoying nagging injury?

How do you know how well or not a broken body part will heal. How do you know what permanent issue/s can result? Be careful what you wish for. Cause you can never know. You may end up worse in the long run.

All I'm saying is ..... dont ever wish any non life threatening njury upon yourself even if just in conversation as for it being in place of some other non life threatening one. Sorry but this is just crazy talk.
 
Season-ending for sure. I've had 17 broken bones(some that required plates and screws), ACL surgery(20-month full recovery), and major shoulder surgery. I came back from all those to 95% of full strength and at age 54 I don't yet have to deal with nagging injuries at all. Most of my buddies that are in their 50's or 60's have nagging injuries such as tendonitis or restricted age-related flexibility issues that have raised their handicaps by 5-10 strokes. My max distance has gone down a bit but not enough to raise my index more than a stroke or two. I don't putt as well as I used to but that's a mental/confidence thing that I'm hopefully in the process of fixing.
 
Season ending definitely. Give the body a chance to heal and the mind to start fresh.
 
I played with a nagging shoulder issue for 3 years. I wish I would have had the season ending surgery in the first year.
 
Over the years I have battled a few small injuries (shoulder and wrist/hand) that have taken me out from playing for a few weeks, but have never had a season ending injury.
However recently I have been playing with tweaked/swollen right wrist. Pretty much has made trying to close the club face very hard/impossible, has made me think of hanging it up for the year as my past few rounds have been abysmal (loss of distance, shank'd shots, open club face).

So I pose this question:
Would you rather have a smaller/nagging injury like what I am experiencing above where you could still play but your game will suffer significantly?
Or a season ending injury like a broken bone etc. where you would have to shut things down for the year knowing you'd be 100% come the following year?

I'll take the season ender. Some injuries like pulled muscles can take forever to heal.
 
I already have the nagging injury that won’t go away and affects my play. It sucks. This one is easy - I’ll take losing a season but coming back healthy.
 
I'd rather have to shut it down. I've been dealing with a nagging back injury for over a year and it's miserable. Taking a break and coming back fresh would probably be beneficial.
 
Neither. Injuries suck. In either case, I would say work on recovery is the best option. It is not easy to put the clubs down, but playing healthy is way better than playing through pain, chronic or acute. Assuming it is possible; sometimes it isn't.
 
I would prefer to just shut it down.... like many others, I've got nagging physical aliments that are zero fun and persist in the face of rest, rehab, PT, surgery etc. It gets old dealing with the same physical limitations when you've tried all avenues to correct.
 
As a guy who has been through both can I select neither?

Two years ago I cut a tendon in my wrist. The recovery from surgery kept me out of golf (and most anything else fun) for over three months.

I also have a tendon issue in my foot that has bothered me for the last eight years or so. I wake up every day with significant pain and a pretty good limp. It gets better with an hour or so of moving around, but still hurts at least a little bit almost all the time. Surgery is an option, but given my experience with my wrist and the pain I still feel there I don’t know that it’s worth it.

So...the nagging one is annoying, but there’s never any guarantee the more severe injury won’t end up being a nagging injury even with repair.
 
Over the years I have battled a few small injuries (shoulder and wrist/hand) that have taken me out from playing for a few weeks, but have never had a season ending injury.
However recently I have been playing with tweaked/swollen right wrist. Pretty much has made trying to close the club face very hard/impossible, has made me think of hanging it up for the year as my past few rounds have been abysmal (loss of distance, shank'd shots, open club face).

So I pose this question:
Would you rather have a smaller/nagging injury like what I am experiencing above where you could still play but your game will suffer significantly?
Or a season ending injury like a broken bone etc. where you would have to shut things down for the year knowing you'd be 100% come the following year?

Well, as of Tuesday at 3:48pm my season was over. I almost bled out as the result of a MVA (see my thread in random and off topic) so I’m sitting in the hospital stapled from sternum to groin. I’ve got broken collarbones (both sides), sternum, and ribs lower right side for sure. Probably have more breaks, they haven’t even got that far yet.

So this ones easy, I won’t have any nagging injuries, it’s gonna be a LONG time before I swing a club again. But I’m alive and most likely will survive.

I think given the OP’s choice though I’d definitely take the nagging injury.
 
This is a question i have a ton of knowledge about. I have had 2 injuries while golfing that caused me to shut down and miss considerable time. Tore a rotator cuff and tore a ligament in my middle finger. I have had 29 total surgeries and live with “lesions” on my ribs that somedays hurt like a mother and other days they just hurt. If i can play i play. I have scheduled most surgeries (when they could wait) around golf season because it is the one sport that i can play and when i play i can just think about golf. Not work. Not any problems. Just golf. I will say that my dr is always aware of my love of golf and makes sure that i wont screw something up worse. So, the answer i give is i would rather plan surgery on my time. Sometimes it works and sometimes i get shut down. This yr, i was told my knee is done and i need a new one. I have had to adjust my swing but am able to golf. I have been able to maintain a consistent swing and with that have been able to get my handicap down to a 15 from a 25. I know my limitations and play within those. I no longer try to force shots but instead i go for the shot that makes more sense to my swing. So, keep playing, but listen the the dr and adjust to the problem you are dealing with.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top