The title might be a bit confusing as my golf season ended last month. At this time every year, I take at least three months off without swinging a club. I have the facility in my garage to hit golf balls, but I also like to take the time off to recharge. This year, however, I am taking the time to heal some nagging injuries I played with all summer. I went to my first physio appointment and have some exercises to do a few times a day, but I expect the time away from golf will help with my healing process. It just makes sense to take these three months and to get healthier.
I consider my injuries to be nagging. I was able to play golf, but the repetitive nature of my golf swing did not allow my left elbow or left Achilles tendon to heal as in years past. Not to worry, I expect these injuries to disappear quickly and I will work on building up my strength for the upcoming golf season.
Similar to previous years, I am not walking away from golf completely. I intend to continue writing most days and to watch my favourite YouTube channels. I take this time away from the physical aspects of golf to increase my knowledge and understanding of possible improvement areas. I already have a couple of topics to research that will make their way into an article. You will know that I am expanding my knowledge because these topics are new to me, hence new to The Grateful Golfer.
Lastly, there is always an adjustment period to the dumping of white stuff. Fortunately, our weather is perfect right now and the traditional snow for this time of year has yet to arrive. The longer it stays away the better, but as a Canadian who embraces winter, it is coming.
Until tomorrow, have a wonderful Wednesday. Keep smiling and remember to be grateful.
I am a grateful golfer! See you on the links!
The Grateful Golfer 
I must admit I have been fortunate not to have any injuries in the last 5 years that have made me take a break. In those 5 years there have only been 2 months where I did not get in at least one round of golf. You are right the only thing that gets injuries better is tincture of time and rest.
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Thanks Vet. Reat is definitely in order.
Cheers Jim
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Jim, I hope your rest and rehab goes well. It becomes increasingly important as we age. You may also have to consider a few changes in future to avoid repetitive strain injuries.
I have found as I aged that I had to make some changes. It was hard at first to accept that changes were necessary. But watching so many of my range rat friends wearing neoprene sleeves brought it home. Two of my friends had to shut down their golf early this year due to wrist and elbow issues. Both have beautiful swings but in my opinion swing too hard and hit way too many balls.
In my case, several years ago, chronic knee problems forced me to face the facts. I could no longer swing as hard or practice as hard as I had for so many years. I came to this conclusion through the school of hard knocks.
First of all, I shortened my swing. It immediately eased the stress on my lower body and joints. I lost a little distance but gained more control. Second, I limited the number of full swing practice shots, especially off mats. I increased my short game practice since it was not stressful. To my surprise, my play remained at a high level and I felt better. At the start of the season, we played one tee forward, reduced the temptation to swing too hard.
I hope my experiences can be of some help as you reach your milestone. Good luck on your rehab.
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Lorne
Thank you for the sage advice. I am really taking to heart that less is more and have been working on my swing tempo. In the meantime I will continue my rehab and fitness training.
Cheers Jim
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Over the years I have forced myself to do the same thing. There is nothing worse than having a nagging injury such as tendonitis that hasn’t healed when the new season starts. I live in a warmer climate so the temptation of playing golf and practicing on a sunny winter day is always there
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Brian,
I hear you, rest is definitely on the agenda for the next few months. Are you still hitting the links now and again?
Cheers Jim
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Golf can be tough on the body. And age catches us all. Thankfully you don’t have a perfectly good golf course waiting outside your door to threaten your peace while you recoup. 😎 Just our summer weather was enough to make me fully aware how painful missing out on golf can be when I see the course out my window.
I think I mentioned I wanted a new longer shaft for my short 3 hybrid to match the one in my new 4 hybrid. I’ve done a bit of research on that and it seems very doable. It doesn’t save much money though by the time you figure in the cost of the shaft, new grip, and lie angle adjustment you only save about 35 dollars if you do the shaft and grip yourself. And of course it will take longer too. But I’m wondering if it might be a great learning experience. I’d still need a pro to deal with the lie angle adjustment, but even with that, I’d bet I could talk myself into the shop to watch while he does it. I’ve done that before with his dad before he retired. But I’ve not yet seen the bending machine put to use in person. Decisions, decisions. Next step is contact the pro and check to see if a 4.5 degree bend is possible/dangerous/easy? I know a bend is possible, just not sure if there are any limits. And it’s time I made the appointment for the next lesson. I want to get that in Sunday or Monday if possible and since I have all day and the facility I’ve chosen has 5 pro’s on staff, I believe it will be.
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Kevin,
Rest is definitely in my future. As far as bending a club 4.5 degrees, not sure that is possible either. I would be interested in hearing the answer. Replacing a shaft and grip is not that difficult if it is a screw in bottom. Making sure the glue that holds the nut would be the biggest challenge. To me, watching a professional work on my club would be worth the $35. Money spent on education is never wasted.
Cheers Jim
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