Coming Back To Golf After Being Injured

[tjh]

Hi there.  So in January I was hit by a car and bruised my ribs severely and also tore 3 out of my 4 quadriceps tendons in my left leg.   I just recently started hitting golf balls and playing golf again.  It's been an uphill battle as you can imagine and I had many doubts as I have been going through my rehab:  how would my surgically repaired leg hold up hitting golf balls? Could I regain my old form?  Would I discover a brand new set of bad habits as a result of compensating for my injury?  In short, what kind of game would I have compared to my pre-accident self?  At this point all I can say is I am thrilled just to be playing again, and am truly grateful for my recovery.   For me this journey is just beginning and I am excited to find out what the Golf Gods have in store for me!

I would love to hear other people's stories about coming back from injuries, what it was like and how they got through it.   No matter how minor or major, just know that you can do it! 

Thanks and all the best!

[BigtazzGolf]

Sorry to hear. Like you, I'm coming off surgery and broken rib. No golf till next month. My plan is to hit the chipping and putting green for a few weeks then slowly starting at the range with 1/2 swings until I have confidence in moving forward.

Good luck to ya

 

Tazz

 

Sent using the MGS app!

@bigtazzGOLF on Twitter

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

I tore my quadriceps tendons fully about 9 years ago. Right leg. Think it took 4 months to ditch the leg brace. Six months for decent mobility and starting to play around with the clubs. Starting playing again shortly after that. Didn't really affect the golf much. Biggest thing was getting over the fear of a slip or misstep and tearing it again. I was kinda timid on hills, slopes and steps. But full recovery, no issues at all with it.

 

Now if I can just get this metatarsal stress fracture healed.

 

BTW, I was told a quadriceps tear is a very rare injury. The rehab facility I was sent to for post op rehab didn't even have the therapy protocols for it in their binders.

[revkev]

Best wishes on your recovery. I have no story to tell.

 

Sent from my VS986 using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[tjh]

Thanks for your replies.

 

To Tazz:  the first thing I did when I was able, was to putt.  And I must say my putting has improved dramatically!  One tip as you come back about putting: one of the areas I believe is most neglected as it relates to putting is green reading!  That is part of becoming a better putter.  So dont just work on your putting stroke; work on green reading too.....Good luck!

 

To jaxbeach:   My surgeon said at least 6 months to recover since I tore 3 quad tendons.  My swing feels pretty good right now, but my distance isn't quite the same yet.  I love walking when I play golf and pre-accident, I NEVER was tired after playing 18 holes.  Now I find myself having stamina issues as my left leg gets fatigued.  I am still working hard in therapy and getting strength and stamina back, but it's a sloowwwww process and I hate that!  My rehab has been going well, and I feel lucky to have had a great surgeon:  the team Dr. for the Los Angeles Kings..........I decided to use the best when it comes to messing with one's body.   But the rehab is the key and keep working!!

 

to Fairhaven:  thanks for the well wishes; it helps!!

[fozcycle]

TJ, I shattered my left wrist in 1998. 4 surgeries later, I started golfing again. Now, 18 years later, I play twice a week and carry a 17 - 19 handicap. I have a steel plate, 13 screws and an inch of my right hip in my left arm(to make my arms the same length). It gets better, just a lot of hard work for the game I love dearly. You can get there too, maybe not like before, but you can continue to enjoy golf.

 

 

Sent from my iPad using MyGolfSpy mobile app

[cksurfdude]

Yeah - take it slow slow slooooooow. Sacrificing a little time now for a better, stronger heal will keep you going longer vs. re-injuring something.

 

I'd suggest avoiding the rotational stress of a full swing and commit yourself to "practice rounds" on short courses or from forward tees for a while where you only 1/2 swing shorter clubs.

 

Develop a killer short game !!!

[Kenny B]

Beware the wounded golfer!  I can't tell you how many times I have played with wounded golfers that flat out played better than before their injuries; myself included.  It seems like we practice more than we did before, and we swing a little more in control.  I've played some of my best rounds after a recovery.  Good luck on yours.

[cksurfdude]

^ Totally Agreed!!!!

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

So now I've had almost a week of no pain from my injury, the metatarsal stress fracture. Trying to walk with a normal gait--tough, cause I fear one misstep or overstep could fracture it all over again. But assuming a few more days of favorable recovery, I'll be ready to start trying to swing a club. But since the stress fracture originated from a golf swing-push off from the right foot--I'm going to be really leery of pushing off the foot. I'm assuming that won't be good for the swing, with compensation and all. Can't ignore it, 'cause an over stress will start the six week layoff process all over again. But I don't want to screw up my swing either, particularly since I was making such good progress with it. I'm going be conservative and wait a few more days before even thinking of picking up a club. Hate it.

[Kenny B]

Work on putting and chipping.  The short game will be the last part of the game that will come back, so get an early start and it will be ready when you are.

[BigtazzGolf]

Same here, but I haven't swung my clubs yet. I have cleaned them a few times to get them ready for when I can.

Short game work begins in week or so for me. 2 months since I last played, this is torture lol

 

Tazz

 

Sent using the MGS app!

@bigtazzGOLF on Twitter

[tjh]

It's tough coming back, isn't it?  We all, in some degrees, love to play this silly game!  I have always been a pretty good chipper, but the area most improved has been my putting.  I have to give credit to the short game guru Dave Stockton.  I was fortunate enough to be able to attend a clinic he gave and he was amazing.  The phrase that stuck with me was "try to be the best one inch putter in the world".   Since then I never look at the ball or my putter when I stroke the putt.  I pick a starting point one inch in front of my ball and I simply try to roll it over that spot.  Assuming I have read the green correctly (including speed and line), the ball will find the hole.   There were a number of other fantastic tips, which are all in his book Unconscious Putting, which I highly recommend!

My last two rounds I had 27 and 28 putts total!  Good luck all!

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

Tomorrow's the day! Playing at 9:15. They say a stress fracture takes 6 to 8 weeks to heal. Wait until there's no more pain and wait two weeks. That's what I did and tomorrow will be 8 weeks to the day since I went down.

 

Went to GolfTec today for a video practice to see what sort of swing I still had. Remarkably, I hit the ball real well, albeit about a club short of the distance I'm used to. Probably 'cause I'm a bit leary of letting loose on the foot.

 

Ironically, it was a heavy rainstorm the night before and walking up and down slippery hills on a cart paths only day that caused the fracture to pop. We've had 8 weeks of virtually no rain since--almost drought conditions around here. So, I'm planning to play tomorrow and what is it doing right now??? Pouring rain. Hopefully its not enough to saturate the course.

[BigtazzGolf]

@jax I'm going out sun myself. No real expectations except to just get back out and see the guys. Playing a short course helped me decide. Won't have any need to swing hard at all.

Good luck man.

 

Tazz

 

Sent using the MGS app!

@bigtazzGOLF on Twitter

[jaxbeachpackerfan]

Pretty good. Survived the round without mishap. Hit the ball surprisingly well, Driver and again, the long irons a whole lot better than the short irons. Full recap under "How did you play". Foot sore, but not injury sore (longest I've been on my feet in two months). Figuring I'm back full time now!

[tjh]

That's great you survived! Congrats! The first time I walked 18 after surgery it was one of the hottest days of the summer! And unusually humid. Before surgery, I could easily carry my bag and feel fine afterward. I must say my stamina was pathetic, and I was using my pushcart. The last 4 holes turned into a battle to just finish! I was exhausted. It's amazing how quickly you lose your fitness. Now I'm much better but will never forget that round!

[sp0rtsfan86]

my dad years ago shattered his ankle on ice. He also has a bad knee from years of walking around. We used to walk a lot of golf, and his ankle would always give him fits during a round and would swell after. After playing 9 holes one time, he had to bug out because of the knee. Ever since then he's in a cart, while I lug my clubs around. His game never really changed, (he always was around a 100 shooter when he played on the regular), but he's no longer able to walk due to age and the injuries.

[sp0rtsfan86]

That's great you survived! Congrats! The first time I walked 18 after surgery it was one of the hottest days of the summer! And unusually humid. Before surgery, I could easily carry my bag and feel fine afterward. I must say my stamina was pathetic, and I was using my pushcart. The last 4 holes turned into a battle to just finish! I was exhausted. It's amazing how quickly you lose your fitness. Now I'm much better but will never forget that round!

I hadn't walked a round in close to 2 years when I went back to NJ. Something about 100° plus temperatures in Arizona keep me from considering walking. I think I hit 9 and started to feel the strain, where usually I'd get to 15 before feeling a bit tired. On 15, it wasn't quite a death march, but it sure wasn't pleasurable.

Hope you all are on the road to recovery and doing well. Just don't let setbacks kill your drive to get back or rush too quickly.

[fozcycle]

Pretty good. Survived the round without mishap. Hit the ball surprisingly well, Driver and again, the long irons a whole lot better than the short irons. Full recap under "How did you play". Foot sore, but not injury sore (longest I've been on my feet in two months). Figuring I'm back full time now!

 

 

Great news Jax!  

[tjh]

You are all inspirational!!