“I’m 72 years old and get sore after playing golf. Is this normal?”

Although getting sore is often taken for granted, it’s by no means normal at any age. Improper stretching can cause painfully tight calves. Foot soreness is most commonly due to pronation or a flattening of the feet, while ill fitted equipment and improper conditioning can also cause soreness. There’s been a big surge in “golf fitness”

because of this.

But for the most part, soreness develops because of the abnormal movements we create to compensate for our inherent structural problems (like a longer leg or flattened foot). This is especially important as we age and develop arthritic symptoms. Many older golfers, who have the free time to play, suffer most. And if they’ve had a hip or knee replacement, they will have even more of a tendency to get sore. That’s because this type of surgery usually results in a leg that’s even longer or shorter than it was prior to surgery.

For example, if you’re a right handed golfer and have a longer left leg, it would be quite difficult to fully complete a natural golf swing because you’d basically be swinging “up hill.” So to complete your swing you’d have to develop “score inflating compensatory movements” to make up for this structural abnormality. That’s what causes pain and injury. And I’ve seen everything from neck pain to discomfort in the wrist, elbows, hips and low back due structural

problems.

Tour players travel with an entourage of physical therapists, chiropractors, massage therapists, etc. due to pain after a game. It’s assumed that this is because they’re swinging clubs at speeds over one hundred miles per hour and doing this millions of times during their careers. But while any repetitive motion can cause excessive stress and strain, it’s again, the improper (compensatory) movements that are the real hazards.

Even when severe, many of these symptoms can be resolved quite easily once the underlying structural issues are addressed. For example, putting a lift in the shoe on the side of a shorter leg can dramatically decrease hip pain as well as increase performance.

Since most golfers over pronate (flatten their feet excessively). This causes the foot to slide out from under the leg, increasing stress on the knees, hips and back. A good set of precisely and optimally corrected foot inserts can make a world of

difference in such cases.

If you wish to decrease your soreness after playing golf as well as prevent arthritic changes, keep your structure as well aligned and balanced as the tires on your car. Besides, you may also be surprised as to how much your game improves!