Golf and Finger Pain

[pkrucz]

I googled searched for golf & finger pain and that is how I found TST today.  There were several post about this all from 2009, so I'm hoping there are more recent examples/suggestions for this.

I started playing regularly about a year ago (at least 1x a week w/ garage and range practice in between) after about 20 years of once a year golf.  I used an interlocking grip and noticed that the ring finger of my right hand ached a lot.  After several months I switched to the grip where the baby finger of the right hand lays atop and between the middle and index finger of the left hand.  The pain mention went away.

But, now I wake up every morning with other knuckles of both hands aching - very painful first movement.  Wondering if there are other examples and hopefully relief from this...thinking oversized grips?   I'm about 6'3"  - was strong once - still pretend to be...

 

[woodzie264]

I'm sure others on the site would be able to able you as well, but if you'd like to discuss it I'm avail by PM. As an orthopedic PA, I may be able to help (tougher without being able to examine ya), but I would bet the initial answer is going to be NSAID's x 2 week with restricted swings...work on chip/putting for a couple weeks. The thicker grips may help in the immediate period, but hopefully wouldn't be needed long term (i.e, I wouldn't invest in new grips just yet). You may want to google trigger finger/stenosing tenosynovitis and see if that sounds like you.

[pkrucz]

Thanks much!  I know what you are talking about.  I have Dupuytren's I think my ring finger palm side ligaments (i think ligaments) on both hands .. I've had this before I started working at my golfing.

My wife is peds nurse practitioner, ex-peds ICU and ER nurse, so she rolls her eyes when I complain of pain.  I stretch my fingers hoping I don't get contracture, but the finger joint pain is more of a concern.  oh - her suggestion same as your NSAID's. & if it hurts doing that - don't do that...

I'm seeing a hand doc next wednesday - I was just looking to see how prevalent it is with golfers

[newtogolf]

You might want to try Bionic Stable Grip golf gloves.  They have extra padding which reduces the amount of hand and finger pressure you apply on the club.  I know a few guys with arthritis and they said they helped a lot with their finger and hand pain.  

[woodzie264]

yeah, if its restricted to the MP, PIP joints, then its most likely its early arthritis; I was hoping for your sake that it may be more of a tenosynivitis type picture as a simple injection would take care of it, vs long term anti-inflammatories. Good luck with the appt!

[chilepepper]

Any chance you are gripping too tight?

[MrDC]

Relax the grip, it's hard to learn at first, but you'll get it, pain will teach you.

Your body will get little pains all around from starting golf, feet, arms, back... you're using muscles and tendons that have never really been pushed before, golf hits unique spots, so just relax the grip and you'll be fine.

[paininthenuts]

On 7/11/2016 at 6:23 PM, pkrucz said:

I googled searched for golf & finger pain and that is how I found TST today.  There were several post about this all from 2009, so I'm hoping there are more recent examples/suggestions for this.

I started playing regularly about a year ago (at least 1x a week w/ garage and range practice in between) after about 20 years of once a year golf.  I used an interlocking grip and noticed that the ring finger of my right hand ached a lot.  After several months I switched to the grip where the baby finger of the right hand lays atop and between the middle and index finger of the left hand.  The pain mention went away.

But, now I wake up every morning with other knuckles of both hands aching - very painful first movement.  Wondering if there are other examples and hopefully relief from this...thinking oversized grips?   I'm about 6'3"  - was strong once - still pretend to be...

 

The grip you have now adopted is called the overlapping grip, and it is the one I use. Stick with it, and I think you will be OK. Believe me, it's the last problem you will have to worry about. Golf has given me tennis elbow, shoulder impingement, and a bad back. As well as that, after most rounds I suffer a bout of depression 

On 7/11/2016 at 6:23 PM, pkrucz said:

I googled searched for golf & finger pain and that is how I found TST today.  There were several post about this all from 2009, so I'm hoping there are more recent examples/suggestions for this.

I started playing regularly about a year ago (at least 1x a week w/ garage and range practice in between) after about 20 years of once a year golf.  I used an interlocking grip and noticed that the ring finger of my right hand ached a lot.  After several months I switched to the grip where the baby finger of the right hand lays atop and between the middle and index finger of the left hand.  The pain mention went away.

But, now I wake up every morning with other knuckles of both hands aching - very painful first movement.  Wondering if there are other examples and hopefully relief from this...thinking oversized grips?   I'm about 6'3"  - was strong once - still pretend to be...

 

I knew somebody just like you. After a year he had to have both hands removed. He still plays golf, but to be honest he is rubbish now 

[DrvFrShow]

Bionic Stable Grip gloves have helped me.

[rkim291968]

@pkrucz - Most likely, it is your grip strength that is causing pain.  I am willing to bet that you are holding on to grip too hard through swing.  IF (please find out) that is the case, different grips and gloves are not going to help.  Pain is just going to move around your hand.   This is exactly what happened to me.   Once I solved my problem of gripping too hard, my pains went away for good.

[chilepepper]

9 hours ago, rkim291968 said:

@pkrucz - Most likely, it is your grip strength that is causing pain.  I am willing to bet that you are holding on to grip too hard through swing.  IF (please find out) that is the case, different grips and gloves are not going to help.  Pain is just going to move around your hand.   This is exactly what happened to me.   Once I solved my problem of gripping too hard, my pains went away for good.

This...........and it will help with ball control too!

[paininthenuts]

On 7/13/2016 at 9:44 PM, DrvFrShow said:

Bionic Stable Grip gloves have helped me.

Yes, they are great gloves, albeit illegal. 

On 7/14/2016 at 3:53 AM, rkim291968 said:

@pkrucz - Most likely, it is your grip strength that is causing pain.  I am willing to bet that you are holding on to grip too hard through swing.  IF (please find out) that is the case, different grips and gloves are not going to help.  Pain is just going to move around your hand.   This is exactly what happened to me.   Once I solved my problem of gripping too hard, my pains went away for good.

I once had a lesson, and the pro asked me to hold out my club. She told me that if I were gripping it correctly, she would be able to pull it from my hands with two fingers. 

[DrvFrShow]

6 hours ago, paininthenuts said:

Yes, they are great gloves, albeit illegal. 

 

No, they're not. If you have a medical reason, i.e., letter from your physician specifying that you need to wear that particular glove, they are perfectly legal to wear in any USGA competition.

Seriously, they don't give you any advantage in making a stroke that you can't get by changing to a Winn Dri-tac grip. The difference is that the gloves cost $20. The grips cost about $90 incl tax per set every 4 to 6 months, but you can play without a glove. Just make sure that you get the next larger size grip than you normally use.

I wear them. I can still screw up a shot just as easily with these gloves as I can without them. The USGA needs to get over themselves and just allow the glove. That little bit of padding makes zero difference in one's ability to make contact with the ball. It can help make the knuckles of an older person feel a bit less painful after a round.

My suggestion is that you try out the glove in non-competitive rounds. If it works for you, fine. If you plan to play in any competitions, get a note from your doctor. If you don't play competitively, don't worry about it.

[pkrucz]

thanks all for the advice, and humor, I wondered if my grip was too tight, but I'm not able to hang onto money very well so I'm a bit suspect there...I've been double dipping on the NAISDs all week, and just played 9 today ... I'll see how they feel in the morning.  Started taking hot yoga clases because a friend recommended it ...  hope that looens me up a bit.   My fingers don't hurt as much as the rest of my body now... I think that's progress..

one more thing - it's the fingers on both hands, but left a bit more I guess..

[DrvFrShow]

Just to follow up: Bionic Stable Grip gloves are legal for USGA sanctioned competitions with a prescription. You don't need a prescription for playing with them and keeping a handicap - only for playing in competitions. If you're not a member of the USGA use whatever you want.

[pkrucz]

yeah, I'm not ready for any competition I'm trying to hit them straight and keep them in the fairway a little more successfully than last year, but not much -  I signed up to play in bi-wkly tournaments, I played so badly before the first one I decided not to embarass myself.

I'm going to try to loosed my grip and see how that goes first - thanks!

[rkim291968]

19 hours ago, pkrucz said:

thanks all for the advice, and humor, I wondered if my grip was too tight, but I'm not able to hang onto money very well so I'm a bit suspect there...I've been double dipping on the NAISDs all week, and just played 9 today ... I'll see how they feel in the morning.  Started taking hot yoga clases because a friend recommended it ...  hope that looens me up a bit.   My fingers don't hurt as much as the rest of my body now... I think that's progress..

one more thing - it's the fingers on both hands, but left a bit more I guess..

Do you hit the ground hard once in a while?  If you are not gripping hard consistently, (it could be) hitting the ground can cause pain and damage your hand.   Both the issues can be fixed relatively easily.   That's the good news.  I practice and play almost every day and hand pain was an issue until I fixed my gripping.  

[pkrucz]

yes, I was hitting fat a lot, but that's reduced quite a bit with some weight transfer practice.  I do hit off mats at least once a week and in the garage I'll swing off some very thick (modern) astro tuff I pickedup ... the shock of hitting the ground hard is felt immediately and i'm sure is a partial cause.