We are all constantly being told by doctors to cover up from the harm full effects of the sun. A theme that some golf clothing manufactures have taken to heart, producing shirt ranges that are designed to give us added UV protection.
So is this all we should be thinking about? Are there other factors that we experience as golfers without us thinking about them? The answer of course is yes!
Golf is a physical sport – driving the ball towards the green, lifting a heavy bags, which can weight in excess of 20 kilograms, 50 times or more per round and carrying the bag for 2 or 3 miles, even further for high handicappers!
Every time we exercise like this we run the danger of creating micro tears in our muscles. These create pain and hinder performance not only for golfers but players of all sports: rugby, football, cricketers and swimmers for example. Now you may have noticed that many have tight fitting garments that often peaking out from under their clothing or in the case of swimmers almost completely encase them. Well these are known as compression garments that have the benefit of reducing muscle vibration and micro tearing, which is a key factor in energy loss. They assisting blood returning to the heart which increases the flow of oxygen to muscles for greater energy and faster healing.
The obvious last thing to consider is cutting out the lifting and carrying. This is best done with the help of an electric golf trolley like the Motocaddy S1. These also have the advantage over pull trolleys of reducing the need to twist the back. In the past these were the preserve of older golfers but this stigma is long past. Younger players now recognise the benefits on offer – after all Tour players use caddies!
