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Pain: Why do some hurt and some don't?

Playdough

Playdough

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So I read a lot about guys who talk about pain in their elbows, wrist, shoulders, back, and other various joints. I see alot of guys who are pondering a move/have moved to graphite because its easier on joints, lighter, same feel as steel, better/longer ball flight, and other reasons. And I think its great that graphite has come around from when I dabbled in graphite irons shafts in the late 90's. When graphite was still heavy or the ultra-light stuff that was in the 90g range but had butt sizes in the .800 range used true wrap grips. And I would never think anything different of someone using graphite then or now.

I feel like I hit a fair amount of balls over the course of a season and anyone who has seen me at demo day knows that I'm a machine when it comes to hitting balls on the range. But I don't expereince a lot of the pain that some mention and I often wonder why. I'm pretty agressive through the ball, hit down through the shot, put a good amount spin on the ball, and do that that with pretty much every iron in the bag but never really experience much if any pain. I play a fairly heavy steel shaft (120g), but I do play a little lighter metal wood shafts. 60g and 70g in my driver and 3-wood.

So what is it that causes the pain for some people but doesn't cause it for others? Is it a technique thing? Is it a product of other outside of golf activites? Is it an old age thing? Is it just something thing with the way your body grew up (like my knee issues)? This is something I have always wondered, and i don't want anyone to think this is a beat on my chest because I can hit thousands of balls with no pain thing. Its something that I have geniunly wondered because it is something that I don't really experience, but I see many mention. Lets discuss....
 
I have no real answer for you. I can tell you that I normally would hit a lot of balls and play a ton of golf. I hurt my wrist on a swing one day when the club got stuck in the ground. But that healed up. Last year I made a switch to PX shafts and after my rounds and range sessions I really started to feel pain in my wrist and forearm area. I would have to ice up after each round or range session. When I switched to graphite at the end of the year, the pain was no longer what it was with those PX shafts.
 
Each person's body is going to react differently to the stress put on it by the golf swing. I don't think there is ever going to be a clear cut answer as to why you can do it and others can't.
 
This may be the easiest question ever to answer. No one is getting any younger. Things that we used to do, all day, all year now lead to aches, pains, pulls & strains. Good health, diet, & fitness can help a ton but you can't beat Father Time.
 
i wish i knew what caused my pain. this is my first full spring summer season golfing. when i was indoors at lessons i could go an hour to hour and half with no issues. but so far on the course this spring as soon as i leave the range and around the 3rd hole the pain begins. i think mine is my body cooling back down with my prior dislocated hips, fractured hip, pins in my knee and right thumb. im debating walking the course to stay warm and loose instead of a golf cart. but then im dealing with the prior mentioned injuries that might wear me down walking long distances
 
This is just my theory, though I can say that I've been pretty sore in my lower back and shoulder the day after a round of golf, which is kinda silly, since I'm a pretty above average athlete away from the golf course. But to say I've been more sore after golf than dead lift day kinda woke me up in terms of addressing how I swing, especially if I'm trying to get ready to play 81 holes of golf in a week.

Recently I read an article about how Ernie Els rarely swings harder than 80%, and I've tried to apply it. Not only has it made my misses smaller, but swinging less aggressively has also resulted in shallower divots and less impact through my body. 18 holes doesn't do nearly as much to my body as it used to, and at a pretty negligible loss of distance.

So my theory is that entirely too many people swing at 100% nearly every time. Even if you're accurate with a 100% swing, it still takes a toll, IMO.
 
Some people have joint problems, some people have harder jobs that put more stress on their body and some people have a higher pain tolorance. Im still fairly young (33) and dont have joint problems nor any pain from playing golf and I still prefer graphite. For me, it just seems to perform better than steel.
 
Old, fat, out of shape and try to swing like I'm not.

That's a bit facile, perhaps. At least partially true, though. Toss in sedentary desk job, maybe some arthritis, back issues...old age gets to most of us.
Some people aren't as flexible as others. Some have a poor swing that puts stress on the back/joints. Hit a few, fine. Hit a few dozen, it hurts.

Then there's the little tweaks that don't go away because we keep aggrevating them. I stuck a 3i in the ground on a downhill lie once and it was 3 years before the elbow pain didn't flare up after a fat shot.
 
Playdough said:
So I read a lot about guys who talk about pain in their elbows, wrist, shoulders, back, and other various joints. I see alot of guys who are pondering a move/have moved to graphite because its easier on joints, lighter, same feel as steel, better/longer ball flight, and other reasons. And I think its great that graphite has come around from when I dabbled in graphite irons shafts in the late 90's. When graphite was still heavy or the ultra-light stuff that was in the 90g range but had butt sizes in the .800 range used true wrap grips. And I would never think anything different of someone using graphite then or now.

I feel like I hit a fair amount of balls over the course of a season and anyone who has seen me at demo day knows that I'm a machine when it comes to hitting balls on the range. But I don't expereince a lot of the pain that some mention and I often wonder why. I'm pretty agressive through the ball, hit down through the shot, put a good amount spin on the ball, and do that that with pretty much every iron in the bag but never really experience much if any pain. I play a fairly heavy steel shaft (120g), but I do play a little lighter metal wood shafts. 60g and 70g in my driver and 3-wood.

So what is it that causes the pain for some people but doesn't cause it for others? Is it a technique thing? Is it a product of other outside of golf activites? Is it an old age thing? Is it just something thing with the way your body grew up (like my knee issues)? This is something I have always wondered, and i don't want anyone to think this is a beat on my chest because I can hit thousands of balls with no pain thing. Its something that I have geniunly wondered because it is something that I don't really experience, but I see many mention. Lets discuss....
Click to expand...


Well Playdough - obviously we didn't get the same deal with the devil you did haha!

In all seriousness, I think a good portion of it is genetics. My grandmother had back issues, arthiritis, etc as long As I can remember. I was lucky enough to inherit that I guess. My dad's whole family has Kyphosis ( rounding of the back ) and out of 4 kids , I was the only one who drew that card - and I have fought it my whole life! ( and my youngest son, who is the only one who plays golf, suffers from it as well )To me, anything that effects one's posture, etc is going to create other issues down the road, especially in a golf swing. The body has to make compensations, and that's never a good thing. That said, I also played basketball in competitive leagues until I was in my mid 30's, and lifted a lot of weights, so I am sure those contributed to things! The really weird thing is - I played Football, and played baseball in JUCO, and never had any more than a mild sprained ankle. As a matter of fact, I never can remember even having any injuries that kept me out of anything until I was in my late 30's - and that was when I started getting much more serious about golf. I would also say proper technique is a big factor in staying pain free.
So, to sum it up, I would go, in order

Genetics
age
previous wear & tear
Technique ( I know this should be higher, but I see a ton of people, some friends included, who have awful technique and have never had an issue. ) I actually think this is an area that will get more detailed, as I have always said not every can - or should - swing the same way. Different body types will have different nuances imo.
 
Some of mine comes from not being put together not quite right. Had a sports med DR. in high school baffled on how tight my ligaments were and how some of my joints weren't lined up right. Those two issues have been most of my pain in most sports.

Old injuries from sports, dirt bike, four wheeler accidents and jobs that I played or worked through because I could handle the pain with out meds haunts me as well.

My job now isn't easy on the joints and I have yrs to go before I retire.

My old swing caused me lots more pain than the one I'm grooving now which is nice.
 
Don't know your age , I will be 69 in June, how did that happen? One thing we have in common is I CAN HIT A TON OF BALLS with no problem . HIT 150 BALLS PER SESSION AT LEAST 3 TIMES PER WEEK . I get injections in my right knee 3 x per year, since in warmer weather the injection lasts much longer could get by with 2 per year but they let me do 3 so why not. It is an age thing, did not hit me until early 60's. My problems are not noticeable at the range, takes me about 10 swings to feel loose and for the balance of the session all is great. I attribute the lack of aches and stiffness in the lower body to the fact that unlike the course there is not asignificant delay in between swings and the range allows me to stay loose, no stiffness pain etc.

The age factor really presents itself front and center on the course. For me the delay between swings and number of holes played inevitably produces leg stiffness, ankle pain, fatigue etc. Fortunately I have developed ways of trying to cope with this such as wearing Velcro ankle wraps which help keep the legs stronger and I ADVISE MY PLAYING PARTNERS not to hold it against me WHEN I have to resort to a few maneuvers during the course of a round to stay loose and try to help the stifffness. I can manage things pretty well but I no longer can play 36 holes or for that matter 27. Also difficult for me to play the course consecutive days, but no problems if I hit at range on consecutive days or even 3 or 4 range days in a row. So for me age is the culprit, plain and simple. Irons are stiff steel, Driver stiff graphite 60 grams or less is my wheelhouse, no need for graphite irons since my aches and stiffness are only in my lower body.

At the range some think I want to hit like " him", but it takes mental discipline to overcome the age and still be be reasonably close to "him" at the course.
 
Playdough said:
So what is it that causes the pain for some people but doesn't cause it for others? Is it a technique thing? Is it a product of other outside of golf activites? Is it an old age thing? Is it just something thing with the way your body grew up (like my knee issues)?
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Yes.

Not to be flippant, but it's probably all of these for one individual or another. Aging has a genetic element along with the temporal component, and people put their bodies through a lot of stress each and every day. Certain classes of antibiotics (i.e., quinolones) can cause tendon issues, and certain other drugs (i.e. Lipitor) may (though often rarely) effect our musculoskeletal system. So there are a number of things (known and unknown) which can cause people to experience pain at a particular point, where someone else won't. The one who doesn't ... should count their lucky stars because one day they're probably going to.
 
Based from experience and being in my mid-40's now - but all those old (football/snowboarding/skateboarding/being a dumba** and jumping off a roof/Jackass) type injuries from your teens/twenties that you shook off then come back to bite you BIG TIME when you get over 40, especially old knee/shoulder/back injuries. You simply cannot hit 100+ balls at the range 2x times per week anymore.

I even have an old hand injury where my hand was smashed between two football helmets that still affects my grip. Arthritis is no joke either. Basically, don't get old, meh!
 
When I was the OP's age, I did not get sore either.
But lots of basketball and tennis injuries catch up.

Why has Tiger Woods struggled with injuries. Why did Couples struggle with his back for so long? Why do some knees and wrists hold up and others don't? Pressure is different for everybody, and according to my doctor, a lot of it has to do with the feet.
 
Mulligan9111 said:
Each person's body is going to react differently to the stress put on it by the golf swing. I don't think there is ever going to be a clear cut answer as to why you can do it and others can't.
Click to expand...

I agree. All of our DNA's are different.
 
JB said:
When I was the OP's age, I did not get sore either.
But lots of basketball and tennis injuries catch up.

Why has Tiger Woods struggled with injuries. Why did Couples struggle with his back for so long? Why do some knees and wrists hold up and others don't? Pressure is different for everybody, and according to my doctor, a lot of it has to do with the feet.
Click to expand...

Makes me interested to see how a guy like Dustin Johnson hangs on over the years.

That turn at the top, on his wrist, is absolutely mortifying.
 
JB said:
When I was the OP's age, I did not get sore either.
But lots of basketball and tennis injuries catch up.

Why has Tiger Woods struggled with injuries. Why did Couples struggle with his back for so long? Why do some knees and wrists hold up and others don't? Pressure is different for everybody, and according to my doctor, a lot of it has to do with the feet.
Click to expand...

Absolutely agree. One reason finding shoes that work for you is so important.
 
The only time I ever experience pain when golfing is if I screwed up a swing badly and probably placed torque at the wrong place and time. Once in a while I'll be like "wow, that hurt my hand" or whatever.

Other than that I don't experience it in golf much at all. But every one is so very different in their physical make up and also in which parts of the body may be troublesome or which moves they make that lead to possible pain situations. Whether its golf or tossing catch with you little boy or doing a household chore it doesn't matter. Certain things done in a certain way will simply bother something on someone but not someone else. The strangest things can happen. i don't have a bad back (knock on wood) but I remember one time I was in pain for like 2 to 3 days all because I quickly reached for a light switch on the wall as I was passing it by rather quickly. The freakiest things can happen and also every one has a complete different reactions and threshold to pain. What one may completely ignore another may find intolerable. And no one can say whether or not that person is over or under reacting because only the injured person is the only one who knows how he/she feels. Bottom line is that as long I don't experience much pains (whatever the reasons) then I am glad for that.
 
At 56 years old, I can only speak of myself and my reasons/excuses for aches and pains.

1. 3 surgeries on my left knee. No meniscus left to speak of and no ACL left at all.
2. 2 surgeries on my right knee. Not much meniscus left.
3. Arthritis in both knees.
4. A little overweight.
5. A little under stretched.
6. Currently healing up a sprained left thumb. (still shot a 73 on Saturday)

Ibuprofen and Robaxin are friends of mine and in my bag at all times for when I need it.
Most of my aches and pains come after the round is over.
But, I will tell you this, none of those aches or pains will make me give up this game.
I am playing better now than I ever have and see my game improving a little all the time.
My goal this year is to get down to a 1 or below by next winter.
 
Back pain sometimes towards the end of a round although not too bad.
Ankle pain from tendonitis in my achilles, bought on by a sciatic attack a few years back. Good shoes help keep this pain at bay. The Ecco Biom Hybrids I'm currently wearing are superbly supportive meaning no real pain at the minute.
Right wrist pain, I think a touch of carpal tunnel. I source this to a heave I made on a par 5 years ago out of the rough. Got the timing wrong and dug into the ground first and felt a shooting pain go up my arm.
Nearly always pop a couple of ibuprofen at the beginning of a round.
 
I think mine is age and poor posture all my life. I am so frustrated with my pain that I sometimes think about just giving up the game. Luckily I come to my senses.
 
Put me on the list for many injuries but little pain (yet). I've been beating the crap out of my body for 35 years now and I've been waiting for it to fail me. I know its coming, and I notice little things here and there that are definitely more troublesome than they used to be. I've always been an athletic guy and I used to get by on just that quite a bit, but as I've ascended to my mid 30s, I've come to the realization that I have to adjust if I'm to continue my intended path to an early grave. Work out regiments, better eating habits, and a will do mentality have kept me trucking along. I have a plethora of injuries that don't allow me to do all of the things I used to do, but that's what led me back to golf last fall anyway. Its one of the only things I'm better at now than when I was younger. It ll take more work to keep me as active as i like to be, but I'm willing and able to take on the challenge...until my body just falls apart anyway.
 
A lot of mine comes from Pole Vaulting for 8 years while young and invincible. Full speed to a sudden change in direction I have found put a lot more stress across the board than I thought of back then. Have to agree with a lot of you in genetics, lively hood, sports, and being crazy at a young age.
 
I think it's strange how the pain begins t show up after 40, for years I played pain free, no joint pain at all and then a couple years ago at 47 I started hurting a lot, it started in the knees and then the fore arms, then the right elbow. I was a pretty active guy all my life and have had some injuries over the years that probably didn't heal properly or something, I also know that if you're on Cholesterol lowering meds the side effect is joint pain and it can be severe, I had to cut waaaaay back on them to remove a lot of the pain associated with it.
 
it has to do with your bodys makeup and how you workout and build the surrounding muscles. how flexable you are ect.

i was talking to my dad the other week he is one of 5 brothers and the only one who has not had any problems with his back. every other guy has had back surgery.

his doctor believes it was all the heavy labor he did in his 20's working in the steel mill that made all the muscles in his back stonger. which is very different to what i would think. but his one brother who is the least active sitting behind a desk for 25 years has had 2 back surgerys so who knows.
 
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