Stiff Fingers Caused by Golfing Too Much

Had some pain in my left middle finger probably due to poor gripping and was searching online for information. Came across this article that I would like to share with everyone

Stiff Fingers Caused by Golfing Too Much

Key points:
"When playing a round of golf, we may hit 70-100 times in 4-5 hour period. On a driving range, we can easily hit 100 times in a matter of 30-60 minutes. Such intensive hitting cause an impact on the fingers."

"I no longer go to range to practice long-distance hitting with irons or woods in late afternoon or at home during the evenings. I now do it only in the morning since that would leave more time for my fingers to recover before sleep. In the late afternoons I practice only putting and short shots, which is great for my game."

"When practicing long-distance and full swings, I now would take breaks to check my alignment and posture between hits to give some time between swings. I don't hit as many balls as before during each practice but I increased my accuracy and get into a good habit of maintaining a pre-swing routine."

"I re-gripped all of my clubs to make the grips soft and easy on the fingers. The soft grips can absorb much pressure from the clubs."

Same thing happen to me last few weeks. Now feeling better but seems like my finger is giving me problem again there are time i cant even type lol

LostSoul wrote:

Same thing happen to me last few weeks. Now feeling better but seems like my finger is giving me problem again there are time i cant even type lol

Bro.. rest a little more leh...It's not worth it.. I have bad elbows, which continue to plague me.

Yes, the chinese sinseh physio sessions help, but I seriously think that if I had taken more care and rest of this last time when I was younger, I wouldn't be suffering so much now...

I too had that problem and raised it at Toonshouse in the past. I still suffer from a little bit of stiffness but it's reduced these days. What I do when I go to the range is to:

1. Warm up the fingers. Yes, do some simple finger exercises like clenching and stretching the fingers. These babies need to be stretched too

2. Try to practise with a looser grip. I was told that an ideal grip is like squeezing a tube of toothpaste. You can hold on to it without the toothpaste squirting out.

3. Don't overforce the swings. The range is meant to build consistency not show off strength.

4. Hit 8-10 balls. Rest a little. Admire the range. (If you want to go stare at xmms nearby, that's your business) I take a breather. Check my phone and ponder the wonders of golf.

5. After the range, I give myself a hand massage. This is really rubbing your palms and fingers. I think it helps relax the muscles a little.

HTH

Yeah, someone told me SS used to drive 181m last time but due to his injuroes, now can only manage 180m. Sad.

Since I am on oversea trip most of time, very little chance to practise.

Recent weeks, Once I am back in Singapore for the weekend, I will go range on Saturday and play 300balls.. usually without rest and keep hitting. (mayb 2hrs with 2x smoke break)
Cos I tot I need to practise before sunday going green.

But think, it's making game worse. Body and hands easily tired.
Fingers started to ache.. Think I shall stop practising so much on range.. and save strength on green..

not sure if ppl here feels the same...

normally the nite before a game, i won't spend too much time in the range on full shots.... if i hit ard 100 balls (full shot) more often then not, i will feel stiff the next day..

thus nowadays if i need to go to the range the nite b4 a game, i norm practise putting, short game ard the chipping green... and the most 50 balls on some full shots to get the rythm..

Ya, I took full shots for my woods and 4/5i.
That's y ache the next day.. even my body also ache alittle.
2nd 9hole can feel the tiredness coming..

Key thing is moderation. Must think long term and not be crippled by injuries to enjoy golf to a ripe old age

Like what Technospaz mentioned, warming up & stretching is very important, whether on the range or before an actual game. Loosen up your muscles from neck, shoulders, arms, fingers, hips, calves & feet. This will definitely help to prevent less injuries and aching muscles so we can enjoy more golf. Er.... you can also warm up your eye-balls if there are XMMs around.

I thought, i'm facing it alone but instead many golfers having it too. I have been having this tingling feeling on my left hand and also I am unable to clench my fist 100 percent. How to make it go away, Rest for a week? Advise please, tq.

JawereZ wrote:

I thought, i'm facing it alone but instead many golfers having it too. I have been having this tingling feeling on my left hand and also I am unable to clench my fist 100 percent. How to make it go away, Rest for a week? Advise please, tq.

Bro, I think rest and gaming in moderation helps. So, try to play a little less and get more rest. If you use a computer often, try to also get a rest for your wrists to prevent a RSI and to encourage smooth blood flow etc.

Technospaz wrote:

If you use a computer often, try to also get a rest for your wrists to prevent a RSI and to encourage smooth blood flow etc.

Is this the secret for being able to post >1300 posts???

Ssquirrel wrote:

Technospaz wrote:

If you use a computer often, try to also get a rest for your wrists to prevent a RSI and to encourage smooth blood flow etc.

Is this the secret for being able to post >1300 posts???

No, the secret to posting that number is to spend more time on the computer than the game, believing that somehow having a truckload of posts will make you a better player. Alas..

JawereZ wrote:

I thought, i'm facing it alone but instead many golfers having it too. I have been having this tingling feeling on my left hand and also I am unable to clench my fist 100 percent. How to make it go away, Rest for a week? Advise please, tq.

Yes, rest.. 1-2week should be fine.
When I was taking lesson, I range 4-5 times per week.
Cun clench my fist.. luckily no one challenge me for a fight..

-give massages to XMMs at the range to loosen up the fingers
-use that chinese baoding balls (the one you roll around the fingers). Some ppl i know actually use them and say it helps....can use the golf ball
-dont practice the short/middle irons too much. besides screwing up our swing, it hurts the wrist as well (hitting down at the mat)

Thanks bro's for the tips & advice, appreciate. But sometimes can't help it lah... very itchy still wanna go range & swing a few shot just to get the aiming accuracy right, worry if rest to much, I'll tend to forget the swing and have to start all over again.

I even wrote notes on all my swings but sometimes it doesn't match.

Kan chiong like dat, rite!

missmoon used to have trigger finger when i first started to learn golf.
i was gripping the club too tightly and always hitting the ground.. (i still do now)..

it took me a while to let the trigger pinkie go away, by stop going to the range for days and rest-&-relax the finger and hand massage.

I think that the common causes of stiff or injured fingers are due to wrong gripping or gripping with all the strength you have.

Please remember your finger doesn't help your ball fly further or give you a more accurate impact. Relax your grip and feel it in your swing and momentum~ Let your shoulders do the work~

JIa You ^^

JawereZ wrote:

Thanks bro's for the tips & advice, appreciate. But sometimes can't help it lah... very itchy still wanna go range & swing a few shot just to get the aiming accuracy right, worry if rest to much, I'll tend to forget the swing and have to start all over again.

I even wrote notes on all my swings but sometimes it doesn't match.

Kan chiong like dat, rite!

I know how you feel. I too feel the itch and must go to the range to hit some balls. However, what I plan to do is now to go to the range and practise the short game, i.e. pitching, chipping & putting. It'll be easier on the hands and will make sure that my practice regime is more balanced.

I get stiff fingers by holding too many beer bottles

ultraman wrote:

I get stiff fingers by holding too many beer bottles

I get stiff fingers from helping carry my friends who've had too many beer bottles.

My quaint and thoroughly droll list of golf-related injuries:

Trigger Finger--pinky like Moon. Result of trying reverse, cross-handed full swing with driver on driving range. (Took a few months to heal.)

Herniated lower back disc. Result of jumping too quickly into buggy and landing on my lower back/bum area while in a hurry to the hole #2. Finished 17 hole in pain, but did not want to quit as I had woken up early to come all the way to Bintan to play. Doc said I should have stopped. (Took over three months to recover enough to swing golf club again. Even putting was painful!)

Callouses on fingers. Result of holding the grips to tightly and probably having too small grips for my hand size. (Ongoing problem.)

Ankle/foot bruises from hitting foot instead of golf shoe while knocking sand from bunker off the bottom of the shoes.

Twisted right ankle (just last Sunday) while climbing sideways up a steep slope to get at my ball on a course in Malaka. Still a bit painful. But not enuff to stop me from playing this Friday in the Singapore Amateur Open at SICC as a guest!!!!

This list don't include other really dumb and painful things like drinking too much booze and falling out of a moving buggy or hiting my head on tree branches when whacking out of the jungle.

The insane things we will do just for golf.

CK

clarencekim wrote:

Trigger Finger--pinky like Moon. Result of trying reverse, cross-handed full swing with driver on driving range. (Took a few months to heal.)

Your trigger finger healed, CK? I still have mine and it's a little annoying. It goes away when I play but when I don't (esp in the morning), it lingers around. It's not gone away and I'm wondering if I should go see a sports therapist.

Technospaz wrote:

(If you want to go stare at xmms nearby, that's your business) I take a breather. Check my phone and ponder the wonders of golf.

don't bluff!

but seriously my friend gets it too and his fingers go psycho on him and start locking up and he says it hurts and it just looks freaky. so he usually takes a breather after every 15 or so balls.