Lowering your golf score requires expert touch.

You don't need to be Tiger Woods to know that massage can improve your golf game. And a lot of golfers will find out this year on July 10th at the 10th Annual Westdale Charity Golf Outing at Highland Elks Country Club in Grand Rapids, thanks to Jennifer Keller, Certified Massage Therapist. Keller will be providing chair massages to participants in the event.

"A massage before golf can increase a player's performance by 30%," says Keller. "It can also help keep players on the course as well." Keller's massage for golfing clients differs from her general massage sessions.

"The lumbar region is the fulcrum of the coil that goes with the golf swing," Keller explains. She urges golfers to come for a massage that prepares the low back, shoulders, hips, legs and elbows for the motions and stresses of the game.

She also focuses on improving circulation in knees and hamstrings. She finds positional release is especially good for elbows. While she works, she talks to clients about the importance of thorough warm-up and stretching. Chiropractors and osteopaths often recommend massage for their patients who play golf. "A lot of people don't realize how many stresses golf can place on the body." says Keller. Here are some of the causes and most common areas of injury.

The most common causes of injuries in amateur golfers are:
   1. Poor swing mechanics
   2. Hitting the ground
   3. Over-swinging
   4. Too little warming up
   5. Twisting during the swing
   6. Bending over the putt

Golf’s Top 10 Stress Points
The areas most prone to injury in golfers are:

   1. Lower back
   2. Wrist
   3. Elbow
   4. Shoulder
   5. Knee
   6. Neck
   7. Hip
   8. Ribs
   9. Ankle
  10. Foot

—Source: John R. McCarroll, M.D., orthopedic surgeon and member of the American College of Sports Medicine.