My Swing (FireDragon76)

[FireDragon76]

I went and got the results for the MRI and X-Ray. Not good: partially torn labrum. The rest of the joint is in good shape, no torn ligaments and no impingment. I'm going to make an appointment with my family doctor and get a referral to an orthopedist.

[FireDragon76]

I went to an orthopedic surgeon and he said my labral tear is not minor, its more than just fraying of the cartilage, there's an actual flap of cartilage intruding into the shoulder, and I may have had this injury for decades but something recently made it worse. He was not optimistic about the chances for physical therapy and believed surgery was the permanent fix. He also said he didn't think my injury would stop me from playing golf, although throwing or overhead sports with the left hand were out of the question. The same is true for gymn exercises, he didn't recommend doing presses or overhead type activities. He was a bus guy in a rush between appointments and looking back I didn't get to ask him every single question. I am not sure about expectations for surgery, how long I'd be out of commission. I've heard some people regain mobility in their shoulder much sooner after the surgery, other people are basically on the couch for weeks. I'm dealing with so many overall health issues that it may not be worthwhile to do the surgery just yet, maybe in the summer. It's something I'll have to think about. I'm also curious about prolotherapy or stem-cell therapies but he said they are strictly experimental and rarely covered by insurance. I know they aren't pain-free but its less invasive than surgery. I like the idea of keeping compression on my shoulder for several hours a day to stimulate blood flow. And I intend to go back and do more physical therapy at the local PT clinic, despite the fact it'll probably leave me sore. I got a deep tissue massage at Massage Envy on Sunday and I noticed an immediate improvement in my range of motion in my left shoulder, especially being able to move my scapula more. My therapist said my rhomboid muscles on my upper back were very tight and I could really feel her breaking up the trigger points in my shoulders. A few days ago I went back to the driving range and did some chipping and pitching. I wore a shoulder compression brace. Chipping was OK but the brace seemed to make pitching harder, everything felt wrong. I am no longer as interested in all aspects of the NG/Moe Norman swing, I believe the wider stance has partly contributed to hip soreness I have been experiencing the past few weeks. I'm also thinking of taking some lessons at the driving range. If I can't get substantial improvement in my golf swing in the upcoming months I will have to quit golf, as I can't afford the wear and tear on my body from making fat shots (these really seem to irritate my wrists).

[Lihu]

A few days ago I went back to the driving range and did some chipping and pitching. I wore a shoulder compression brace. Chipping was OK but the brace seemed to make pitching harder, everything felt wrong. I am no longer as interested in all aspects of the NG/Moe Norman swing, I believe the wider stance has partly contributed to hip soreness I have been experiencing the past few weeks. I'm also thinking of taking some lessons at the driving range. If I can't get substantial improvement in my golf swing in the upcoming months I will have to quit golf, as I can't afford the wear and tear on my body from making fat shots (these really seem to irritate my wrists).

The swing you were making in the videos you posted earlier looked pretty hard on the shoulders. I looks like you are trying to pendulum your arms from right to left without moving your body that much. It really looks like you are putting a lot of stress on the shoulders and possibly the wrists trying to swing like this. My 2 cents.

[FireDragon76]

The swing you were making in the videos you posted earlier looked pretty hard on the shoulders. I looks like you are trying to pendulum your arms from right to left without moving your body that much. It really looks like you are putting a lot of stress on the shoulders and possibly the wrists trying to swing like this. My 2 cents.

Maybe true. I have actually read a few accounts of older guys that took up Natural Golf's swing and ended up with shoulder problems, even though they did find relief for their back. Of course any golf swing can put wear and tear on your body but I think its noteworthy anyways, a person might be swapping back pain for shoulder problems. My hip has been bothering me despite the down time from golf and I believe the wider stance of NG/MoeNorman doesn't help at all so when I went out to the range lately (only once a week, and I'm only chipping and pitching), I've been trying for a narrower stance and going with the vertical swing as much as possible. But I intend to try out a few lessons at the local driving range. I might also end up with senior clubs if I can't get the swing speed up as I believe the stiffer clubs may be encouraging me to muscle the swing with my arms too much. I'm also trying to come to terms with the reality I'm not young anymore and just try to have fun at golf and put my ego aside. That's hard to do because I can be single-minded and obsessive and I'm sure that's a good recipe for getting hurt. I'm also good at ignoring pain which is again not good. The pain in my shoulder has gone down, so has the clicking and popping. I'm also starting to bulk up a little in the shoulders so maybe the rehab is starting to pay off. I intend to play golf this winter (taking it easy, not hitting the range constantly of course) and put off possible surgery till the summer when golf is going to suck anyways due to the heat/humidity. I may explore alternatives like prolotherapy or PRP despite the surgeon nixing them, just because they will involve less downtime and rehab than surgery, and I have read a few studies that suggest they help with pain and range of motion with labral tears.

[Lihu]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lihu

The swing you were making in the videos you posted earlier looked pretty hard on the shoulders. I looks like you are trying to pendulum your arms from right to left without moving your body that much. It really looks like you are putting a lot of stress on the shoulders and possibly the wrists trying to swing like this. My 2 cents.

Maybe true. I have actually read a few accounts of older guys that took up Natural Golf's swing and ended up with shoulder problems, even though they did find relief for their back. Of course any golf swing can put wear and tear on your body but I think its noteworthy anyways, a person might be swapping back pain for shoulder problems.

My hip has been bothering me despite the down time from golf and I believe the wider stance of NG/MoeNorman doesn't help at all so when I went out to the range lately (only once a week, and I'm only chipping and pitching), I've been trying for a narrower stance and going with the vertical swing as much as possible. But I intend to try out a few lessons at the local driving range. I might also end up with senior clubs if I can't get the swing speed up as I believe the stiffer clubs may be encouraging me to muscle the swing with my arms too much. I'm also trying to come to terms with the reality I'm not young anymore and just try to have fun at golf and put my ego aside. That's hard to do because I can be single-minded and obsessive and I'm sure that's a good recipe for getting hurt. I'm also good at ignoring pain which is again not good.

The pain in my shoulder has gone down, so has the clicking and popping. I'm also starting to bulk up a little in the shoulders so maybe the rehab is starting to pay off. I intend to play golf this winter (taking it easy, not hitting the range constantly of course) and put off possible surgery till the summer when golf is going to suck anyways due to the heat/humidity. I may explore alternatives like prolotherapy or PRP despite the surgeon nixing them, just because they will involve less downtime and rehab than surgery, and I have read a few studies that suggest they help with pain and range of motion with labral tears.

I disagree that a well made swing is stressful on the body. It might be stressful in the way a pullup or pushup is on the upper body or the way situps are stressful on the abdominal muscles, but not in a "bad" way.

It's been something I've also been struggling with in the past. As an older person just starting to learn to golf, I didn't have the required flexibility in certain areas. So, I stretched out and did a lot of yoga type exercises to build up flexibility and strength. I also did a few specific pilates exercises for more core strength. Of course, I'm still working on flexibility as that always seems to help with any range of motion requirements for golf.

It is an evolving process. In fact, just last week I just straightened out my neck a little bit to alleviate stress on the shoulders and the neck on the takeaway. The more things I "fix" and the more range of motion I have, the farther and straighter I hit the ball with less effort. Eventually, I can see myself doing a stress free swing which I can see myself doing well into my 70s. Maybe I will not swing as fast, but I'm pretty confident that I can probably maintain same range of motion as long as I continue to work on my flexibility and core strength.

So, that's pretty much it in a nutshell. A golf swing does not have to be stressful on the body in a deteriorating manner, and one optimal for your body will simply be good exercise like walking.

[iacas]

I disagree that a well made swing is stressful on the body. It might be stressful in the way a pullup or pushup is on the upper body or the way situps are stressful on the abdominal muscles, but not in a "bad" way.

I disagree. The golf swing is a violent, rapid, twisting motion. It's hard on a body. You're just coming off an injury @Lihu , you couldn't play because it's hard on you. Not as hard as some things, but not easy either.

[JetFan1983]

Yea a golf swing is always going to be stressful on the body because it's such an unnatural action, but a well made one will be less stressful than a poorly made one, FireDragon. I would imagine the biggest benefit is that a good golf swing doesn't twist around the lower back nearly as much as a bad swing does. My not so subtle point here is to listen to what the pros here are suggesting you work on.

[colin007]

Listen to the doctor. I had a torn and detached labrum, just like what you've described. Surgery was the only fix. Interestingly enough, I had no pain when swinging a golf club. The pain was lifting the arm, and bench pressing.