This Guest Post is written by Joe Fleming, the President of Vive Health.

Arnold Palmer once said that a good grip is the most important fundamental in a sport replete with fundamentals. Palmer recalled how his dad placed his small hands on a golf club at a very young age and told him to always maintain the same grip. Not only hand positioning but also grip pressure is important. Consistency in pressure leads to consistency in swings.

But a variety of issues can rob golfers of this consistency, and also rob them of the enjoyment that the game of golf brings to so many people. What are some ways to deal with these issues quickly and without going to the doctor?

Hand Pain Prevention

The old saying that “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” may not be entirely accurate, but it contains a large measure of truth. Traditionally, preventions are much easier to implement than cures. Preventions are normally more cost effective as well.

These rules certainly hold true with regard to finger strength, because it is much easier to use the best grip strengthener than it is to address grip-related problems. For best results, use one of these gadgets every day, whether or not you’re headed off to the links.

Some Common Conditions

None of these hand strength issues are life-threatening, and depending on the degree of injury, some of them are not even particularly bothersome. But for those of us who care about our golf games, an even and comfortable grips could mean at least five or six strokes on most games.

Arthritis

Arthritis is a serious issue for many older golfers, usually because the available medications all have question marks. Most of the effective opioid pain relievers are very addictive, many non-addictive analgesic pain relievers (e.g. Motrin) are not particularly effective, and nonmedical creams and ointments are usually hit or miss.

Just like daily exercise is the best way to strengthen grip, it may also effectively relieve arthritis pain. Try some of these arthritis hand exercises for starters. If they do not take away the pain altogether, which they probably will not, at least they may decrease it to the point where an Advil can get you through eighteen holes.

Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) is commonly caused by repetitive keyboard typing or using your hands to do the same action over and over again. CTS is more of wrist issue rather than hand pain, yet it’s a serious problem, especially for younger golfers. However, unlike arthritis, CTS is easy to treat with a carpal tunnel syndrome wrist splint. Practice your grip and swing wearing the splint so you get used to how the club feels. If the splint is not enough to end the discomfort, an analgesic pain reliever should take the edge off.

Trigger Finger

Trigger finger is much the same, as there are many good splints available to restore grip. You may miss a day or two because some splints are hard to get used to, but trigger finger, if properly addressed, should not significantly affect your game.

The golf grip is an important part of the game that we often take for granted. If your grip fundamentals are good, you should be able to play through some minor hand pain, and you should also be in a good position to use a specially designed splint to play through more chronic wrist and hand pain as well.

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