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Golf After Hip Replacement: 5 Tips to Get in the Game Quicker

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Looking to golf after a hip replacement? Read on for our best golf tips from a golf professional to get you in top golf shape.

Golf can be harsh on the hips, and for some dedicated golfers, a hip replacement is the only way to enjoy playing the game again. Hip replacement surgery isn’t fun; it takes some recovery time, and you certainly will have to put the clubs down for a while. 

However, I’ve taught many students who have had one or even two hips replaced, and they have become even better golfers than they were before their surgery. 

Here are some of my best tips for golf after a hip replacement and a few words of caution to ensure you don’t slow down your progress.

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How soon after a hip replacement can I play golf? 

Most doctors recommend that you wait twelve weeks to start playing golf again. However, this is something that will depend on the individual. Sometimes, it could be longer than twelve weeks and others that could be closer to ten weeks. 

If you are eager to get out on the golf course, the key is to follow all recommendations from the surgeon. Do not over-extend yourself too early; go to physical therapy, do stretches , and follow all your doctor’s advice.

Enough studies have been done that these doctors know how to get you back out on the golf course again; all you need to do is listen! 

How to Work on Your Golf Game After a Hip Replacement

Once you have your hip surgery, you will be in recovery mode. It’s completely normal to be a little anxious about the downtime you have.

Luckily, there are still a few things you can do to ensure that your transition back into the game is more successful. 

Don’t Discount the Importance of Your Golf Mental Game

The mental game of golf takes a lot of work. It will take at least twelve weeks for those new to the game to have a handle on the mental aspect.  

I highly recommend investing in a few great golf books for the mental game . You can read through them and choose individual strategies that work best for you. In addition, you can work towards a mental approach that you will use the next time you can play golf. 

So many players stand on a tee box and think negative things about where the ball will go. For instance, “don’t slice,” “please don’t ruin this round,” or “Keep it out of the water.”

When you study the mental game, you can change those thoughts to things like “you will hit this in the fairway” or “do what you know how to do.” Anyone who has played golf for many years will tell you that these strategies are very powerful. 

Practice Your Golf Grip 

While you may be unable to swing a golf club, nothing states you can’t hold one. It’s the perfect time to work on your golf grip.

Here’s a short video that we did to help you with this. In fact, even skilled golfers may pick up some tips from this.

If you are a newer player that is still uncomfortable with hand positions, there are grip trainers out there that can ensure you are going to get comfortable with the proper grip. 

Set Personal Golf Goals

Set goals for yourself while you are recovering from your hip replacement surgery. Chances are you will be able to get back out there with as much power , accuracy, and distance as you once had. Some golfers find they play better as they are no longer in pain. 

I highly recommend playing some mental rounds of golf. In your mind, start on the first tee box of your home course and focus on the different shots you will hit to shoot your best scores.

You may find that you have been managing the course entirely incorrectly, and switching the mindset is all that you need to do. 

Additionally, if you are a beginner, this is a great time to learn course management strategies .

5 Important Tips for Your Golf Swing After Your Hip Replacement

Many golfers can return to the same swing after a hip replacement. They work on making sure they are not in a poor position, according to the doctor, and then they go for it.

Here are some tips for putting together the best golf swing to avoid hip pain and encourage the best movement after a hip replacement. 

1. Start Slow, Don’t Swing for the Fences Right Away 

I would highly recommend starting slow the first few times you put a golf club back in your hand. Spend some time hitting a few chips and pitches and takes some swings with a mid or short iron. 

Don’t try to swing for the fences with your driver when you get the all-clear to play golf. 

Not only do you risk hurting yourself, but chances are the results will not be precisely what you want them to be. These mishits are discouraging and may make you think your golf game will never be the same. This is not the case!

It takes some time, and the best way to do this is to ease into the process of your golf swing to avoid hip pain.

2. Open up the Toes 

One of my favorite tips for the golfer recovering from a hip replacement surgery is to open the toes a little bit at setup.

Instead of standing with your feet entirely square to the target, rotate them slightly open. 

When you do this, you take a little bit of pressure or tension off of your legs , and it results in a much easier movement on the backswing as well as the downswing. 

3. Allow for Rotation

Some golfers are under the misconception that rotation in golf is a problem. However, most doctors will recommend that you allow the hip to rotate back and through the swing as well. 

If you choose a swing thought that tries to create more tension in the hips, you could do some damage. For some players that I worked with, feeling a slight over-rotation or wider turn was the best choice until the hip was entirely healed. 

This is especially important on the side of the swing where the surgery was done.  

4. Your Heels May Need to Move 

When you are working on creating torque in your golf swing, it’s generally not a great idea to let the left heel come up off the ground in the backswing. However, after a hip replacement surgery, you will want to allow for any release of pressure that you can. 

Sometimes by letting this left heel move just slightly, the overall rotation is improved, and there is less pain in the swing. 

The same goes for the follow-through when you should allow the right heel to rotate fully forward. 

5. Experiment With a Golf Cart and Walking 

Some golfers find that getting in and out of the golf cart is more painful than simply walking around the course. If you find this to be the case, start by walking nine holes and invest in a really excellent golf push cart (or a caddie). 

In addition, whether you are walking or riding, make sure to choose high-quality golf shoes . If the golf shoes have good traction and stability, you will lessen your chances of slipping while on the golf course. 

Final Thoughts

Hopefully, you feel a bit encouraged to return to the golf course after your hip replacement. Many golfers choose to have this done in the off-season so that there are fewer days of golf missed.

If you have an off-season where you live , you may return to the golf course in better shape than any of your playing partners. The key to remember here is that golf after a hip replacement can be just as good (if not better) than golf before a hip replacement. 

FAQ on Golf After Hip Replacement

Here are a few of the most commonly asked questions about playing golf after a hip replacement. Remember to talk to your doctor about any specific questions and your personal status after your surgery. 

Should you change golf swing after hip replacement?

After a hip replacement surgery, it is a good idea to take a little pressure off the hips in your swing. This can be done by turning the toes slightly out at setup. This allows for more rotation without restricting the turn and causing pressure on the hips. 

How do you swing a golf club after a hip replacement?

After a hip replacement surgery, take it slow and make smaller swings that allow for hip turn and even a little sway. You can always work on tightening the hip rotation once your hips are healed. In the beginning, just be lenient and allow for a little extra turn and not so much movement in the other areas of the game. 

How long after hip replacement can I swing a golf club?

Most doctors are going to recommend about twelve weeks of recovery, including physical therapy, before you head out to the golf course. If you have some incredible healing times, it could be sooner. However, you must have clearance, or you could do real damage to the work that was done. 

What 3 things should be avoided after hip replacement surgery?

After hip replacement, try to avoid crossing your legs in the golf cart, bending over to tee the ball, putting pressure on your leg, and trying to create too tight of a turn. 

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Brittany Olizarowicz is a Class A PGA Professional Golfer with nearly 30 years of experience. Many of her teaching years were spent training senior golfers. In recent years, Britt's career has moved to golf writing, where she shares her knowledge with a global audience. Britt is still a scratch golfer and enjoys playing golf with her husband and two young children several times a week.

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Davis Love III continues to have injury problems and will be out until August after hip surgery

Health problems continue to persist for Davis Love III of St. Simons Island, Ga. 

The two-time Players champion (1992, 2003) will undergo surgery on his right hip in Birmingham, Ala., after he tied for 38th at the Insperity Invitational near Houston two weeks ago (the tournament was cut to 36 holes because of weather) and he had to withdraw from last week's Wells Fargo Championship in Charlotte — an event he wanted badly to play since he was born in Charlotte and will be the U.S. Presidents Cup captain in 2022 when the event is held at Quail Hollow. 

Love, 57, has now withdrawn from next week's PGA Championship at Kiawah Island, where he has a past champion's exemption until he's 65 years old. 

“He just got wobbly out there, and he knew he couldn’t walk,” Love's manager, Jimmy Johnston, told the Associated Press. 

Love had hip replacement on his left hip in 2017 and has had neck issues. His goal now is to be able to play in the Wyndham Championship Aug. 12-15 in Greensboro, N.C., an event he tries not to miss since it was where he won his last PGA Tour title, 2015, at the age of 51.

Furyk gets first Sugarloaf test 

Jacksonville resident Jim Furyk always shied away from the TPC Sugarloaf near Atlanta during his PGA Tour career, because he simply didn’t think it would suit his game. 

He’s playing the PGA Tour Champions Mitsubishi Electric Championship at the Greg Norman-designed course this week for the first time because he no longer thinks it’s a clash of styles. 

“It was always described to me as a bomber’s course,” said Furyk, among the accurate players on the PGA Tour during a career that produced 17 victories and the 2003 U.S. Open title. “But that wasn’t me. I’ve seen a little bit of that now, where a lot of tee shots up over hills. The shorter guys would hit it into the hill and the longer guys just go over the hill. There was a bit of a disadvantage and it kept me a little hesitant to come in here.” 

However, a combination of the PGA Tour Champions not using every inch of the 7,300-yard course (the course is about 6,900 this week) and Furyk being one of the younger players on the tour has removed any of that hesitancy. 

“I’m not a short hitter out here,” he said. “I’m now a little above-average in length.” 

Furyk, who won his first two Champions Tour starts last year, has played a hybrid schedule this year. He made his first four cuts on the PGA Tour but has missed his last three. In three PGA Tour Champions starts this calendar year, he had a pair of ties for ninth in Hawaii and Houston and a tie for 17th in Tucson. 

Furyk is 10th on the Schwab Cup standings. 

Quick decision 

Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama has already started thinking of what to serve when he hosts the Champions Dinner next year at the Augusta National Golf Club. 

“Sushi does come to mind,” he said through his interpreter on Tuesday at the TPC Craig Ranch, the site of this week's AT&T Byron Nelson Classic and his first start since winning the Masters. “I'm a little worried. I don't know if everyone will really like sushi or not, but I’m going to check with some people and get their advice and what they think.” 

However, Matsuyama does know the room — which contains some dedicated carnivores — and reminded everyone that Japan raises some of the best beef in the world. 

Matsuyama returned to Japan after the Masters but before any welcoming celebrations could be held, he had to quarantine for two weeks. He said he used the time to read, mostly what was written about his victory at Augusta. 

“I was able to probably read every news article and newspaper and magazine and TV," he said. "And seeing how the Masters win was portrayed in Japan was great, really unforgettable, and that really stands out for my trip back to Japan." 

He did say it was tough to read the glowing tributes about his victory. 

“A bit embarrassing,” he said. “I’m not used to all that attention, but grateful that people took notice.” 

R&A optimistic about fans at Open 

The Open Championship was the only major canceled by the COVID-19 pandemic last year, with the PGA, U.S. Open and Masters moved to late summer or fall. 

Europe and the British Isles have had some of the most severe lockdowns in the world but the Royal & Ancient Golf Club is optimistic that a “significant number of fans” will be able to attend July 15-18 at Royal St. George's. 

Martin Slumbers, the chief executive of the R&A, said in an update posted on its website that a number of details have yet to be finalized, such as testing, vaccine certification and social distancing policies. 

“Our absolute priority is to ensure we can stage The Open safely for all involved,” Slumber said. "Our end goal remains to stage a fantastic Open at Royal St. George’s and give our fans and players something to be genuinely thrilled about this summer." 

Going low at local 

Past and present University of North Florida golfers dominated a U.S. Open local qualifier on Monday at the Plantation at Ponte Vedra Beach, with UNF freshman Nick Gabrelcik winning with a 6-under 66, former player and assistant coach Jordan Batchelor finishing second with a 67, freshman Davis Le e third with a 69 and former player Joe Stepnes tying for fourth with a 70. 

The four players were a combined 16-under par and totaled 24 birdies. Lee led the foursome with eight birdies, Gabrelcik had six and Batchelor and Stepnes had five each. 

Their best-ball score was even more frightening. 

If they were playing the format of, let's say, the Henry Tuten Gator Bowl Pro-Am, their best ball score would have been 13-under 59. They birdied seven holes in a row, from No. 5 through No. 11. 

One more former UNF player will advance to a U.S. Sectional. Sean Dal e shot 71 and tied for fourth at the Shingle Creek Country Club. 

Event: AT&T Byron Nelson Classic, Thursday-Sunday, TPC Craig Ranch, McKinney, Texas 

At stake: $8.1 million purse ($1,458,000 and 500 FedEx Cup points to the winner). 

Defending champion: Sung Kang. 

TV: Golf Channel (Thursday-Friday, 3:30-6:30 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 1-3 p.m.); CBS (Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.). 

Area players entered: Chris Baker, Ryan Blaum, Jonas Blixt, Jonathan Byrd, Sebastian Cappelen, Tyler Duncan, Harris English, Matt Every, Patton Kizzire, Russell Knox, Matt Kuchar, Tyler McCumber, Keith Mitchell Adam Schenk, Hudson Swafford, Tim Wilkinson. 

Notable: Kang shot 61 in the second round in 2019 and went on to beat Every and Scott Piercy by two shots at the Trinity Forest Golf Club. ... Also playing are Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Jon Rahm, Jordan Spieth and Will Zalatoris. ... Koepka is playing for the first time since March because of a knee injury. ... The last chance for anyone to get into the field for next week's PGA at Kiawah Island is to win this week. 

PGA Tour Champions 

Event: Mitsubishi Electric Classic, Friday-Sunday, TPC Sugarloaf, Duluth, Ga. 

At stake: $1.8 million purse ($270,000 to the winner). 

Defending champion: Scott McCarron. 

TV: Golf Channel (Friday, 1-3 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 3-6 p.m.). 

Area players entered: Fred Funk, Jim Furyk, Vijay Singh. 

Notable: McCarron beat four players by two shots in 2019. ... Also playing are John Daly, Ernie Els, Retief Goosen, Bernhard Langer, Colin Montgomerie, Jose Maria Olazabal and Steve Stricker. ... Stricker has 25 top-10s in 30 PGA Champions starts. ... McCarron has won at Sugarloaf three times, twice on the PGA Tour when it hosted a tournament the week before the Masters. 

Korn Ferry Tour 

Event: Visit Knoxville Open, Thursday-Sunday, Holston Hill Country Club, Knoxville, Tenn. 

At stake: $600,000 purse ($108,000 to the winner). 

Defending champion: Robby Shelton. 

Area players entered: Blayne Barber, Chandler Blanchet, Luke Guthrie, Rick Lamb, Trey Mullinax, Jared Wolfe. 

Notable: Shelton defeated Mark Anderson by one shot in 2019. 

Golf: Holden's Fran Quinn is ready to shoot from new hip

When Fran Quinn begins his third full PGA Tour Champions season on Friday in the Oasis Championship in Boca Raton, Florida, he’ll play with a new set of TaylorMade P760 irons and more importantly with a new right hip.

Quinn’s hip bothered him for two years, so Dr. Christopher Vinton performed replacement surgery on the 53-year-old Holden resident on Nov. 2 at St. Vincent Hospital in Worcester. Quinn said recently by phone from Florida that he feels no pain.

“I wouldn’t even know I had it done,” he said. “I’ve got range of motion that I never had in that right leg or that I can remember.”

Eight hours after his surgery, he was out of his hospital bed and taking his first steps. Three days after surgery, he used a walker to watch his daughter, Katie, the T&G Hometeam Player of the Year, and Wachusett Regional beat Doherty in the first round of the Central Mass. girls’ soccer tournament. He attended every game while the Mountaineers went on to capture the state championship.

“I probably shouldn’t have been out and about as much as I was,” he said, “but I did it because I wanted to see that whole deal. That was great.”

Quinn rehabbed his hip under the guidance of Dave Abraham, a former trainer for the Toronto Blue Jays, and Richard Sheehan at Worcester Physical Therapy Services, and they got him ready to play golf again. He hit his first wedge shot on Dec. 15, less than six weeks after his surgery. He played his first round of golf after the surgery on Dec. 27 at LaCosta Resort in California with his son Owen, the reigning Mass. Amateur Public Links champion.

“We were both a little rusty,” Quinn said.

Quinn estimated that 35-40 percent of the PGA Tour Champions golfers, all of whom are ages 50 or older, have undergone hip replacement surgery. Others who had it told Quinn that while it was major surgery, recovery didn’t last long, and they were right. Rehabbing from knee replacement surgery would have been more difficult, but Quinn said his knees feel fine.

Quinn won a career-high $349,056 last year to rank 47th on tour, but his hip grew worse throughout the season, and Advil became a constant companion.

“Everybody noticed that I was limping,” he said. “I didn’t really notice it, but I was limping all the time, and now I don’t limp. It will be a lot easier to walk the golf courses, I can tell you that.”

Quinn doesn’t expect to be able to hit the ball any farther with his new hip, but he doesn’t really need to because he ranked 18th on tour in total driving last year. He does believe he’ll be more durable and be able to practice longer.

“I have high expectations,” he said. “I expect to go out there and definitely do a little bit better than I did last year. Last year in the middle of the year, I wasn’t able to practice as much with my putting because of my back and my hip, and I was trying to preserve myself.”

In mid-January, Quinn headed to Florida to work on his golf game at the Floridian Golf Club in Palm City. For the first 10 days, the temperature remained mostly in the 50s, cool for Florida, but he realized he couldn’t complain to his family and friends who had to cope with sub-zero weather.

On Friday, Quinn will tee off in the Oasis Championship, an event in which he tied for 20th in 2017 and tied for 44th last year. He is scheduled to play in pro-ams in Boca Raton on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday before teeing off in the tournament.

Each of the past two years, Quinn played his best when it counted the most.

Last October, he closed with a birdie to card a 3-under 69 and grab a share of third place in the first round of the tour playoffs in the Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Virginia. He jumped from 64th to 45th in the Charles Schwab Cup points, well within the top 54 who kept their playing cards.

The year before in Richmond, Quinn ended with an eagle and a final-round 6-under 66 to tie for eighth and jump from No. 59 to No. 53 in Schwab points to keep his playing card.

Jim Becker has caddied for Quinn during his 2½ PGA Tour Champions seasons, but after the Chubb Classic Feb. 15-17 in Naples, Florida, he will head north to begin his new job as head pro at Blue Fox Run Golf Course in Avon, Connecticut.

“It’s a great opportunity for him,” he said.

Quinn said he may go without a regular caddie for a while before settling on one.

—Contact Bill Doyle at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @BillDoyle15.

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Tom Watson Recuperates From Hip Surgery

The decision to have surgery was driven by Watson's competitive spirit.

SANTA MONICA, Calif. (AP) -- Eight-time major champion Tom Watson is recovering from hip replacement surgery, saying Thursday he wanted to improve the qualify of his life and still be competitive on the golf course.

The surgery to replace his anterior approach hip was Oct. 2 at St. John's Health Center.

Watson, 59, left the hospital one day after surgery with the use of only a cane. He is rehabilitating at home in Kansas City, Mo.

"Tom Watson evaluated his options for hip replacement with a goal of returning to professional golf competition," said Joel Matta, director of the Hip and Pelvis Institute at St. John's who performed the surgery.

Watson said he plans to return for the Senior Skins Game in January.

He won twice on the Champions Tour this year and was 12th on the money list with $972,343 in only 10 starts.

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Sutton, after hip replacement, among four leaders at Miss. Resort Classic

SAUCIER, Miss.  -- Hal Sutton has a new left hip and that's helping him get back to his old swing.

The result is the 54-year-old's best golf in more than a decade.

Sutton shot a 3-under 69 on Friday in the first round of the Champions Tour's Mississippi Gulf Resort Classic for a share of the lead with Steve Elkington, Corey Pavin and Roger Chapman.

"I've been trying to correct some bad habits that I had from that bad hip," Sutton said. "Today was progress."

The round was peppered with light showers and unpredictable wind gusts that helped keep scores from going too low. Sutton played in the first group of the day and managed to stay out of trouble for most of the morning -- moving to 5 under with a birdie on 13 -- but had two bogeys on the back nine and needed a 15-foot putt on 18 to save bogey.

The 18th hole nearly undid much of Sutton's hard work.

Sutton, from Shreveport, La., hit his second shot into the bunker. It smacked the side of the trap and ricocheted across for a difficult lie in the sand.

That's when things got really interesting. He fell on his back as he was trying to get into the bunker -- not the greatest move for a man who just had hip replacement surgery -- and then his first attempt to get out of the bunker hit the lip and fell backward.

His second shot was much better, but slid about 15 feet past the hole, which set up the clutch bogey putt. Sutton hasn't won a tournament since the PGA Tour's 2001 Houston Open.

Sutton won 14 times on the PGA Tour but didn't play for about five years before becoming eligible for the Champions Tour in 2009. He hasn't had much success over the past few years -- mostly because his painful hip made it difficult to maintain a consistent swing.

But now he says he's healthy and his old swing is returning.

"I really felt good on the golf course today," Sutton said. "I have not had a round since I've been out here that I felt as solid as I did today. So we'll just keep trying to do the same thing."

Pavin made three straight birdies on Nos. 6-8 to vault into a tie for the lead. He has had a good start on the Champions Tour this year with two top 10s in four events.

Six players a stroke back, including points leader and money leader David Frost, the winner last week in Newport Beach, Calif. Defending tournament champion Fred Couples opened with a 72.

Tee times for Saturday's round have been pushed up three hours because severe thunderstorms are expected in south Mississippi. The first group will tee off at 8:00 a.m.

"It's a hard golf course to score on when the greens are firm like this," Pavin said. "So if we don't get rain, it's probably going to give a bunch of guys a chance."

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How Hip Surgery Can Affect Your Golf Game – An Interview With Kurt Brown

• June 3, 2020

People considering hip replacement surgery are often concerned about how it will affect their golf game. We sat down with Kurt Brown, a PGA professional instructor and Director of Instruction at the Encanto Golf Course in Phoenix, Arizona to talk about playing golf with limited mobility. What he had to say might surprise you. It sure surprised us.

Encanto Golf Course was built in the 1930’s and designed by a world-renowned architect William Bell, whose legacy includes one of the most cherished PGA Tour stops of the modern era, San Diego’s Torrey Pines. But well before he broke ground by the ocean he made the Valley of the Sun his residence for a time in the 30’s and left his mark with some of the finest courses ever constructed. The enduring fascination with Encanto’s playability is evident when contrasting the coterie of older gentlemen who gather there for an eighteen-hole walk and a round or two after in the bar with the throngs of junior players who flood the fairways for junior events. Each enjoying the test only a timeless design can provide both scratch and high handicap golfers.

On this day the course was less busy than usual so we were able to chat with Coach Brown at length about what it is like playing with limited mobility and what players experiencing those difficulties can do to better their scores. Kurt went to Ferris State University which boasts the top-rated Golf Management Program in the United States. Upon graduation, he went to work at Camelback Golf Club in Scottsdale, Arizona. It was there and at the Titleist Performance Institute where he honed his skills as an instructor and furthered his education in the body mechanics of the golf swing. So, naturally, our first questions were about the body mechanics of playing with a less than functional hip that would soon require minimally invasive hip replacement surgery.

Golfers with hip pain swing to avoid excessive hip rotation. Coach Brown says, “we can always limit a swing away from pain, but we don’t need to.” The physical demands of a proper swing are not incompatible with an arthritic hip. “Pain limits speed and power… the reason people get hip replacements is to increase (their) range of motion and to decrease pain.” So, if you have been putting off minimally invasive hip replacement surgery because you are worried about what effect it will have on your golf game then you’ve been hurting your game. You don’t need a new shaft or driver when a new hip or knee will pick up an additional thirty or fifty yards practically overnight.

A traditional hip replacement surgery involved opening a patient with a large incision that would totally sever primary muscles. The patient would require an extended hospital stay and typically be on narcotics through a substantial portion of their recovery. Surgeons today perform hip replacement surgery using less invasive approaches such as superPATH and the anterior approach. These newer approaches have fewer complications and faster recovery. They both give surgeons access to the hip through incredibly small incisions that spare the muscles from major damage.

Typically, patients can walk hours after surgery and do not require narcotic pain medication during their recovery. If you cannot find a surgeon who meets our established positive outcome-based criteria, contact us and we will find one in your area for you.

Next, we asked Coach Brown about post-operative golf swing work, how do you get back in the game and how quickly can you do it? Coach says the first thing is to “listen to the people who the people who understand your body.” So, consult your surgeon and physical therapist before going out to the range. Coach also warned to be wary of “the early adaptation period.” When you come out of surgery your brain knows your hip is fixed and ready to play, but while your brain is good at telling your muscles what to do, your muscles don’t quite work at the same speed. So, they still think they’re compensating for your hip and end up doing harm while trying to help.

Use this period to work on putting and short game, really let the rest of your body catch up before swinging a club at full speed again, as Coach Brown says, “start small.” Your patience will be rewarded with renewed health and a newfound faith in your putter and wedges if you follow our tips from earlier in the week about how to recover like Tiger. If you absolutely must hit a golf ball down range again, we encourage you to work on your full swing as slowly as possible. Try hitting twenty golf balls thirty, sixty, then one hundred and twenty yards with a full swing in order to let the body relax and understand its new capabilities.

Coach says working from “the ground up in the golf swing” is the biggest factor in increasing speed. The footwork and weight transfers required to in an efficient golf swing with a high smash factor are best learned and absorbed at slow speeds. This is how the best players in the world learned these moves when they were younger. If you embrace the slow-motion drill you will develop better muscle memory, weight transfer and understanding of your swing in the process.

What surprised us most about our interview with Coach Brown was how overtly obvious it was to him that delaying a minimally invasive hip replacement surgery would harm a player’s golf game. From our familiarity with the research and relevant data we knew that would be the case going into the interview, but we somewhat expected the conversation to end at limiting the swing away from pain. Instead we were refreshed with a discussion about post-operative increased range of motion that allow for swing changes to bolster speed and can have players playing better golf than before they were injured.

For a long time, many people who absolutely needed a new hip were told they were too young for a hip replacement surgery. Times have changed. Today nobody is too young for a minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. Similarly, the old notion that some people were too heavy, and would wear out their implant, has changed as well. No one is too heavy for minimally invasive hip replacement surgery.

If you have been struggling with hip pain that keeps you from doing the things you would like to be doing in your life it is time to find a surgeon and seriously consider minimally invasive hip replacement surgery. Life is too short to spend any more of it suffering. If we have one more parting piece of advice it’s this, when you are ready to swing a golf club again, contact Coach Kurt via his website or on Instagram @bigkurt_golf

• Hip Replacement
• Hip Surgery Recovery

Total Joint Replacements Tested on PGA Tour

10/19/12 Until a couple years ago there was no player on the PGA Tours who had a total joint replacement.  The first publicized was Jack Nicklaus and then Tom Watson.  Nicklaus did advertisements for Stryker’s ceramic hip and it did not work out well and was replaced.  That fact was not in the TV promotions.  Watson competed well in the British Open couple years ago just months after his hip surgery.  The nature of the geometry of the hip joint, being a ball and socket accepts axial and rotation forces incurred while playing golf.

The knee is constructed very differently and is subject to flexion, rotation and shear forces.  I know of three active players on the Champions tour who have had a total knee replacement; Fred Funk, Mark McNulty and Peter Jacobson.  Jacobson also had one hip replaced.  All three players are now at least two years since the knee surgery.  So far, all are still competing and Funk won just last week.  In private conversations all feel they are much better off pain wise, but recognized it took some time to adjust to the surgery.  The reason being that the proprioception so necessary for athletic moves in golf is diminished following knee replacement.  This function gradually is compensated for in time.

The loads on the knee are very high in golf.  I reported this on www.golfersknee.com.  I do not know the exact model of joint replacement each player has implanted, but the question yet to be determined is how long will the artificial knee hold up under the loads placed on it during play on the PGA tour.

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Your guide to golf and hip replacements

Whether you prowl the greens like Tiger or create your own bunkers on the fairways, golf is a sport that’s almost inexplicably addictive. As Microsoft owner and tech businessman Bill Gates once said of the game:

“I find golf very relaxing. It’s a way to get away from work and get outside. It’s a lot of fun and once you get going, it’s kind of addictive.” Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft

But what happens to that enjoyment if you need hip surgery? Will you still be able to get out in that fresh air and swing a club? Join us as we explore the relationship between golf and your hip health while answering the question: can you play golf after a hip replacement ?

Is golf bad for your hips?

While rugby has heavy hits, football has sliding tackles and skiing has the potential for falling off a mountain, golf is just a leisurely walk in the countryside. Right? Well, yes and no.

Golfers aren’t as immune from injury as you might think, especially when it comes to hips and knees. The repetitive nature of the golf swing means that golfers are performing the same action of hip rotation over and over again. In fact, when you think about it, the average player is probably performing the same motion over a hundred times during a golf game. This puts pressure on the lead hip (the one attached to your front leg at the end of your swing) and the surrounding muscles. Over-rotating and not keeping your upper body still during your swing can exacerbate any issues that may arise.

Common golf-related hip injuries

Muscle strain, tendonitis and osteoarthritis are all relatively common hip problems that can either be caused by golf, or worse by continuing to play.

Among the more serious golf-related hip injuries are:

• Stress fracture
• Labral tear or hip impingement
• Loose bone or cartilage in the joint

Treating hip and groin pain from golf

If you’re experiencing persistent hip pain while playing, the first thing you should do is rest. Putting the clubs away for a few weeks could benefit you in the long run and give your injury a chance to heal.

Heat and ice treatment could also be effective at managing the injury, along with limiting the amount of weight you’re putting through the affected joint. Your doctor should be able to give you some helpful tips and advice when it comes to treating your hip pain.

Golf hip pain exercises

Once you’ve given yourself enough time to rest and recover, you should start some exercises. These will rebuild the strength in and around your affected hip. You’ll want to target your glutes, lower back and the thighs to give your body the best chance of absorbing and managing the strains of playing golf. Your doctor should be able to provide a list of specific exercises to try.

Hip stretches for golf

Regardless of what physical activity you’re doing, you should warm up beforehand. Stretching both before and after will warm up and prepare the muscles for the activity, while relaxing them once your game is finished. Thorough stretching can also reduce the risk of injury, alleviate any symptoms of DOMS , and speed up your recovery in the hours and days following your activity.

Ask your doctor for specific stretching exercises to target your affected hip.

Hip mobility exercises for golf

One of the unfortunate consequences of our increasingly sedentary lifestyles is the loss of hip mobility. This can have a negative impact on your game beyond technique and timing. Limited hip mobility can lead to compensation on other parts of the body which can, in turn, increase the risk of injury. The following exercises can help:

• Step-ups : Standing up straight, raise one knee up in front of you to hip level. Keeping the knee at hip level, move your leg out to the side and make a full circle with your knee. Alternate between the legs five times.
• 90/90s : Sitting on the floor, place one leg in front of you, bent at a 90-degree angle at the knee so your toes are pointed forwards. Put your other leg out to the side with your knee also bent at a 90-degree angle so the flat of your foot is facing directly behind you. Using your hips, lift your bottom off the floor and sit up tall over your front leg. You can use your hand to support if needed. Repeat this exercise 10 times before switching so your front leg is now out to the side.

Physiotherapy

A physiotherapist can offer you advice, stretches and exercises tailored to your specific needs. If you’re experiencing hip pain or wish to know more about stretching and exercises to strengthen your hip, it’s a good idea to consult a physiotherapist.

Partial or total hip replacement

If you’re experiencing pain in your hip joint that’s affecting your golf game, you should consult your doctor. He or she should be able to recommend a specific course of action that’s tailored to your needs. Long-term hip pain may result in a prolonged period of rest, a strengthening and recovery plan, or even hip joint replacement surgery .

Can I play golf after a hip replacement?

If you’re making plans to go under the knife or you’re on the road to recovery, you’re probably wondering whether you can play sport and exercise after total hip replacement surgery .

For the majority of patients, the news is good: after a period of recovery, you should be able to return to golfing action. In some cases, a consultant may advise against picking up your clubs again, while the speed of recovery from hip replacement varies from patient-to-patient.

How long after a hip replacement can I play golf?

Just as golfers differ from one another in their playing style and on-course fashion choices, no two will be the same when it comes to recovering from a hip replacement. Some may be able to start playing much sooner than others, while their playing partners face a much longer wait before they can return to golf. As a general rule, patients that have had hip replacement surgery should aim to return to golf after 12 weeks. Patients should seek the advice of their doctor before resuming or starting a new activity following surgery.

Does having a hip replacement affect your golf swing?

While the majority of hip replacement patients will be able to return to prowl the fairways, they may have to make some adjustments to their swing. For example, some doctors and golf pros may recommend lifting the front heel off the ground during the backswing. This is to reduce the amount of stress placed on the affected joint and the surrounding area.

What is the best golf swing after a hip replacement?

The answer to this question will differ from golfer-to-golfer. If you’re returning to the course following hip surgery, you should consider taking a few lessons with a pro. They should be able to make the necessary adjustments to your swing and provide hints and tips as to how you can reduce the amount of stress on the affected joint.

Has any professional golfer had a hip replacement?

While it isn’t an endless list, there have been a number of famous athletes that have had knee or hip replacement surgery and made successful returns to their sport. Golfers are no exception. From Jack ‘The Golden Bear’ Nicklaus to Tom Watson, there are a handful of big names that have gone from the operating theatre to the drama of the golfing Majors.

Pro golfers with hip replacements

There are some big names in the list of golfers who have received a hip replacement. Among the senior players are:

• Jack Nicklaus, winner of a record 18 Majors and considered one of the greatest golfers of all time
• Tom Watson, eight-time Major winner
• Davis Love III, one-time Major winner and two-time US Ryder Cup captain

While there aren’t many big name players currently on tour that have received a hip replacement and returned to the heady heights of the leaderboards, Brooks Koepka is one most golf fans will recognise. From 2020 through to 2022, his golf was plagued by injuries, all stemming from recurring hip and knee problems.

Tips for getting back into golf after a total hip replacement

So, the surgery is done, the anaesthetic is wearing off and you’re dreaming about that bright sunny day when you make your return to the 1st tee. Dreaming is for free, of course, but it’s important not to get too carried away with thoughts of putting your golf shoes back on within the week.

In fact, speaking of golf shoes, when you’re ready to make your return it’s a good idea to invest in a pair of good shoes. A specialised golf retailer or pro should be able to help you choose the best golf shoes after hip replacement.

Among some other tips for getting back into the swing of things:

• Choose a good weather day : golf is a fair weather sport anyway – no-one likes playing in the rain – so teeing off when the sun’s shining can make all the difference to your mental wellbeing while reducing your risk of slipping and falling over.
• Use the right equipment : As a general rule, when standing on its end, your longest club (usually your driver) should come just past your hip. Using clubs that are too short or long for you will put pressure on the key joints and muscles used in the golf swing which, in turn, could lead to injury. Ask a golf pro for more help and information.
• Use a caddy : if you don’t like the idea of carrying your own bag, you can ask a friend to do it for you. Alternatively, hiring a buggy is another option that will be worth the money given the stress you’ll be taking off your affected joint.
• Practise your technique : once you’re back playing, it’s likely you’ll need to make some adjustments to your game. It’s time to grab a bucket of balls and hit the driving range! On the range you can take your time while figuring out what works for you and what doesn’t. Following your hip replacement, you may need to use bigger hip turns or shorten your backswing. A lesson or two with a pro should be able to help you find a comfortable swing action and practise your technique.
• Remember to warm up : and don’t forget to cool down either! Stretching before and after your round will help loosen your muscles while taking the stress off your affected joints.

Remember, take it slowly. Everyone heals at different rates and your recovery won’t be an overnight miracle. Follow your exercise plan and seek advice when needed.

Golf exercises after a hip replacement

While there are more exercises aimed at golfers than you can shake a 9-iron at, not all will be effective for you. Consulting a physio or golfing pro is a good idea, particularly when you’re making your return to the game. He or she will be able to provide you with hints and tips that are tailored to your specific needs.

Learn more about hip replacements and golf

At Practice Plus Group, we’re passionate about providing you with a positive experience during your hip surgery and treatment , while delivering personalised care every step of the way. Whether you’re paying for yourself or using private medical insurance, with our short waiting times, unrivalled Care Quality Commission (CQC) ratings and high levels of cleanliness, we’ll make sure you’re looked after.

Take a look at our Private and NHS care options for information and advice on booking appointments to choosing the right hospital for your treatment.

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Swing Surgeon - Don Trahan Peak Performance Golf Swing

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Playing Golf with a Hip Replacement

I often get asked if the Peak Performance Golf Swing can really help golfers play pain free golf. In fact, one of the main ways in which golfers find this swing is by searching the internet for things like "pain free golf swing." Read any of the testimonials or comments that have been sent in over the years and you'll start to see that the PPGS really is the true body-friendly swing.

Howard Haas had a full hip replacement two years ago and was wondering if the PPGS could help him and others who have had similar procedures. The simple answer would be yes, but today I'm going to explain exactly why those who can't swing with a big turn can find success with the 3/4 limited turn, vertical swing known as the Peak Performance Golf Swing.

Don, I had a full hip replacement of my right hip 2 years ago. After 18 holes of golf with a [rotational] swing, I have fairly severe soreness in the hip for several days. Can your vertical swing helped people like me? Best regards, C. Howard Haas

The biggest enjoyment I get out of teaching golf is helping people play again, without the physical difficulties they were faced with before. Why play golf if you're just going to be in pain for the next two days? That's no fun! 

I learned many years ago that my back only hurt during golf season. There was a correlation that I finally realized and it dawned on me that a vertical swing with a limited turn could alleviate all of my pain. I was right and I've been swinging pain free ever since, conducting scientific research along the way that proves this swing is better for the human body.

Don't wait until it's too late. Start playing with a vertical swing today and your body will thank you down the road.

Keep it vertical!

If you can't view the YouTube video above try CLICKING HERE . You must allow popups from this site for the link to work.

Discomfort between shoulders

This did a great job of explaining the cause of discomfort in the lower back, but I find that I start to get 'tired' or uncomfortable between my shoulder blades after several holes. Is there a possibility that I'm executing the swing incorrectly or is this just an indication that I need some strength training.

Thanks, Gary Mayer

L is for Lumbar

L 1-5 is indeed where many golfers and other people have tension, strain and pain. As far as the shoulders go Gary, I believe you are 'right on' point that strength training and might I add - a stretching and or yogs routine would help you and every one else deal with that 'in between the shoulder blades' pain. I have been (and am still currently a professional massage therapist. It is of note that almost every one I work on has similar stress and 'knots' or issues in the neck, shoulder area. And this is regardless of whether they play golf, are fit or not, tall, short, fat, skinny, a couch potato or a stealth athlete. I here a great variety of stories from each individual but the aches and pains are nearly always identical. After going through some physical issues myself and seeing a really good PT for a few months, it was careful, proper and regular exercise and stretching that has saved my back, hips, legs and neck/shoulders. There is no easier answer. Just do it and do it regularly every week. Oh ya, and get get regular massages if you are able.

Mid-back / shoulder discomfort

This season for me has been marked by similar, somewhat more severe, symptoms between the shoulder blades, and also nagging pain in the left ribcage. I've been doing some internet medical research and have come to believe that I probably have strained muscles in the ribcage. The pain moves around because the ribs are connected to the sternum in the front and the spine in the back and have complex muscles running in-between. Sometimes a muscle goes into spasm, and sometimes a connecting joint is sore from being stressed or pulled out of place. I am reading that these sorts of rib injuries are fairly common as we get older. Most of the time the "treatment" is rest, but I enjoy a weekly round of golf too much to just sit out for a couple months. Maybe playing less during the upcoming winter will help. As for the PPGS, I enthusiastically support the claim that it HELPS us avoid injuries. That said, I think sometimes we unconsciously revert back to making a bigger turn, especially when we want to get a couple extra yards out of a shot. With outward pressure on the knees holding the lower torso in place, trying to turn a bit more means more torque on the mid- and upper-spine. I respectfully suggest you check yourself on that point and see if that's the culprit. If yes, a little more focus on nice tempo in the transition (getting to the 3/4 turned and vertical position and making the nice little bump to start the FUS) should help protect your mid-back and allow you to generate plenty of arm/clubhead speed. And, most certainly, finding some mid-back exercises to keep those back muscles toned will help.

Gary, the area you are describing has it's challenges. It's a tough spot. (It keeps chiropractors, massage professionals, and personal trainers busy.)

My sports chiropractor indicated it was the weakest part of my body. One Solution: go hire a great personal trainer. Results were very rewarding. Stronger, much less vulnerable. Best money you can invest, a good trainer.

BTW-Robert's input here is really good, and much more comprehensive. It's more his world, this kind of thing, and I find his input on this subject both credible and helpful.

pain between shoulders

Gary, for the last two years I've suffered the same malady. I'd start the golf season shooting as well as I have ever played, and by mid season could barely make a golf swing. It was amplified this year since I joined a second 9 hole league. However, I've suffered the same discomfort fore years doing other activities so it's not caused by PPGS, but an underlying physical problem.

After doing some internet research, about a month and a half ago I used a small rubber ball in a sock placing it between a wall and my back to try to massage my achey muscles. I discovered very painful knots, predominately on my right upper back. subsequently, I bought a Shiatsu massage pillow, which has been very effective getting the knots loosened up. However it doesn't work overnight, and they will come back. I've developed a series of exercises to strengthen the afflicted muscles as well as stretches. The worst knots were along my upper right spine and all around the perimeter of my right shoulder blade. I'm optimistic that by doing the exercises and stretches over winter will provide a much more pain free summer next year.

From what I read, the problem arises when the chest muscles are too strong and tight compared to the upper back muscles, so stretches of the chest muscles are also in order.

it just works

I just think Surge's swing works for anyone. they just have to be committed to it. I've got a surgically repaired right knee that I keep dragging with me to the course. It barks at me off and on. sleeping, standing, sitting, whenever. people with arthritic knees know what I'm talking about. i can't be far off a knee replacement but Don's swing has allowed me to walk and play many rounds this year, 150? , and never aggravate it. I've been listening and using Don's ideas for 3-4 years now. I have not had any elbow, shoulder, hip, neck, knee pain from all this golf and there is no doubt Surge's swing is responsible. I'm sure if Don saw my swing he would make some changes to it but I think it fits me. I'm comfortable and confident with it. Throw in Don's brother's putting grip and I can play some decent golf. I'm heading to MB in a couple weeks and I'll play ever day that week. 18-27 holes. I'll have a blast and never will a day go by on the course, I wont forget to thank my lucky stars I listened to Don and Doc and all their great tips and ideas. Fairways and greens and stay out of the SBG! It works!

Hip Replacement

Don I had my right hip replaced 7 years ago and my left hip replaced in February last year. I played all summer using a golf buggy but have walked the course for the last three rounds. I play 3 or 4 times per week and I have no trouble, infact I am hitting the ball better than ever. I'm 78 years of age and have been using your swing since 2009 Regards Albert Bell

On another note ......

Driver. I know most love that subject because we all would like more distance and more fairways. Inspired by some videos and articles I've recently re-visited learning how to draw the ball and get more length while keeping it in the short grass. It has been established that hitting it further is best accomplished by swinging slightly from the inside with upward angle of attack and a club face that is slightly closing through impact. As Surge says we need to work from the ground up and bump or laterally slide to initiate the FUS. I have mentioned before that this has always been challenging for me to do. I had a break through in my back yard driving range with the bump and everything has changed for the better. It came through repetitive exaggeration of the vertical lift followed by allowing the club to drop in (become slightly laid off) and then swinging up to the T finish. The results have been really cool. I have been hitting a high, long (for me 260-280) drives the last couple of weeks. Yesterday I hit several drives into rarely visited areas that left me with short irons. Was not on with the 53 and 56 degree wedges yesterday so didn't score well. Now I have to once again must become better with those 50-80 yard shots. Once that comes around with more consistently I am thinking sub 38 9's and sub 78 18's or better will soon follow. The putter is really going well (L2) as are the shortest chips 40 yards in s it really is those 'twinners' that need work. Mean while I am thrilled with the driver. I have discovered how the "old guys" still hit it far enough. So I am sharing this so that those struggling with the bump might be inspired to not give up. Ironically my break through has come by doing the opposite of what Surge has advised. Before you think I have become a rebel read on. He says he fights getting too laid off when bumping and 'dropping into the slot'. Right? It is my experience that most of us habitual over the top slicers have the opposite challenge in the initiation of the FUS. We don't drop under but over. Anyone else feel this way? I think that better players that have never had the bad habit (like Surge) don't need to fight the over tendency but getting too laid off. We natural slicers have the opposite path to battle. Having said that I do not want to get into the sacred burial ground and I am not suggesting a flatter swing. I still go back vertical which BTW also helps accommodate a cleaner drop in move and I am actually able to finish vertical and and facing the target more easily when coming up from the inside. What goes up vertically can drop under and then swing up again:) It seems that of the best golfers have the same from the inside move whether they use an upright style or not. Does anyone out there identify with my experience?

The Bump & Slicing

I identify with you in that I still struggle executing the Bump. I slice my driver and although I may have some club fitting issues, I have never felt that I am getting the Bump right. I saw an earlier post by you about your experimenting with exaggerating the Bump. and I plan to work on that. Alas, snow has arrived here in Upper Michigan, and most of my work is going to have to wait until February when we will be staying in Naples, FL for a month. I always find your posts helpful, and I have looked carefully at some of your You Tube driver clips and will continue to do so. I'd love to see some footage of you doing your Bump routine if you have either the time or the inclination to share. Thanks again.

A golfing friend of mine had hip replacement surgery Tuesday. He's only about 40 years old but has been overweight for years. More than likely that was a big contributing factor and will also not help obtain the quickest rehab.

Keep yourselves in shape. It doesn't cost anything.

On the shaft laying off that Robert was talking about: I've been working on that since April and the improvement in accuracy with my driver is undeniable while staying as long as I ever was. The stills of me were from 3 years ago and not what I wanted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ir_FkxzH-eo

This is from today. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udhGq7xaiBM

Now that I've got that under control I can work on some other things I've let slip. Always something. ;-)

Steve I see that your swing looks as good as ever, I have just started working on mine again the best I can right now just had surgery a week ago to put graphs on my leg to get it healed up the rest of the way. Cant wait to get out and play.

Ha ha! More like crappy as always Mike. Thank goodness we don't necessarily have to have a "good" swing to hit a ball.

I do think it was worth the effort to abandon everything else and get the shaft in line. Now for other things...

Don't jump all over me

This isn't a criticism only an observation. No over the top possible here. Your shoulders haven't moved at all towards the target when you reach this excellent shaft/forearm position. From the camera angle it looks like you also pass through this shaft/ forearm position while doing the BUS and have a less upright shaft at the top. Was this one of the things that you had to think about while working on this move? It looks like a simpler way to perform this classic move, than making the transition from a completely upright top of back swing. I know that Surge can do it but what you are doing involves fewer angles and may be easier to repeat.

For the last few months I've pretty much had to put everything on the back burner except the shaft angle I was working on.

There are a few things that have actually regressed in the meantime but no apparent difference in play because of it.

Not gonna jump on you, Steve

I think we all know that impact is the kingpin of the entire golf swing. There is a YouTube video out there about the 10 craziest swings on the PGA Tour. But all 10 of those players could play quite well. A golf pro named Wayne de Francesco has even done a critique of Surge's swing.

As for me, I have taken the PPGS quite literally and try to be as vertical as possible with EVERY club in my bag. If Surge says vertical, then I'm going vertical. Even with some semblance of a bump, my vertical swing tends to dig right into the ground before or after impact. Yes, I still take divots. I haven't found a way to pick the ball off the turf. And I have not found any more distance yet.

Steve, stay the course. We are all at some level of development with our PPGS swings. I hope that 2014 will be my PPGS success story time.

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• Bone Jt Open
• v.3(6); 2022 Jun

How does hip and knee arthroplasty affect golfer performance and what should be expected regarding return to play?

Lee hoggett.

1 Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Royal Preston Hospital, Preston, UK

Samuel Frankland

2 University of Manchester Medical School, University of Manchester, Manchester, UK

John Ranson

Chris nevill.

3 Royal & Ancient Golf Club, St. Andrews, UK

Pete Hughes

Hip and knee arthroplasty is commonly performed for end-stage arthritis. There is limited information to guide golfers on the impact this procedure will have postoperatively. This study aimed to determine the impact of lower limb arthroplasty on amateur golfer performance and return to play.

A retrospective observational study was designed to collect information from golfers following arthroplasty. Data were collected from 18 April 2019 to 30 April 2019 and combined a patient survey with in-app handicap data.

A total of 2,198 responses were analyzed (1,097 hip and 1,101 knee). Of the respondents, 1,763 (80%) were male and the mean age was 70 years (26 to 92). Hip arthroplasty was associated with a mean increase in handicap of 1.03 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81 to 1.25). No difference was seen between isolated leading or trailing leg (p = 0.428). Bilateral hip arthroplasty increased handicap (p < 0.001). Overall, 1,025 (94%) maintained or increased the amount of golf played, 258 (23.5%) returned to iron shots at six weeks, 883 (80%) returned to club competitions at six months, 18 (1.6%) had persistent pain, and 19 (1.7%) were unable to return to play. Knee arthroplasty was associated with a mean increase in handicap of 1.18 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.38). Trailing leg arthroplasty alone was associated with higher postoperative handicap (p = 0.002) as was bilateral surgery (p = 0.009). Overall, 1,009 (92%) maintained or increased the amount of golf played, 270 (25%) returned to iron shots at six weeks, 842 (76%) returned to club competition at six months, 66 (6%) had persistent pain, and 18 (1.6%) were unable to return to play.

Hip and knee arthroplasty enables patients to maintain or increase the amount of golf played. The majority return to competitions within one year. Return to iron shots occurs from six weeks. A small increase in handicap following surgery is expected and is larger in patients undergoing bilateral surgery or those with knee arthroplasty to their trailing leg. Patients may still experience pain when playing golf.

Cite this article: Bone Jt Open  2022;3(6):510–514.

Introduction

Every year in the UK, approximately 250,000 arthroplasty procedures are performed. 1 It is currently estimated that there are 5 .2million golfers across the UK, with the golfing community representing a large portion of the UKsporting population. 2 Golf is a sport where participation, with associated health benefits, commonly continues through middle age. 3 Many golfers may undergo a major arthroplasty procedure during their playing lifetime.

Previous literature has demonstrated that patients can return to play following hip and knee arthroplasty in small case series. 4 No large scale observational studies exist in the literature. Despite this, there is still no clear consensus or information that can be given to patients undergoing arthroplasty regarding their return to golf.

The physical demands of golf can be split into both movement around the course and the swing itself. For most people struggling with osteoarthritis, augmentation of this activity by use of a golf buggy, walking aids, or assistive devices, such as battery powered trolleys, can allow relief of symptoms when moving around the course; however, the golf swing can remain an area of concern. Physical limitations with both range of motion and pain have been shown to adversely impact on a golfers swing. 5 For most golfers, having the ability to return to the sport and perform their usual swing during iron shots and driving is important in order to not adversely affect player handicap.

Hip and knee arthroplasty is ultimately a procedure performed to improve quality of life, and for most golfers, return to their sport is paramount to this. We therefore conducted a large, observational study of a heterogenous group of amateur golfers to assess patient experience following hip and knee arthroplasty to give a pragmatic view of what effect surgery has on golfing activity.

A retrospective, observational study was designed to collect information from golfers who had undergone arthroplasty. Details collected included basic demographic information, the joint replaced, player handedness, time to return to play, amount of golf played prior to and following arthroplasty, patient-reported pain, assistive devices used, and player handicap. The survey was circulated to golfers via the newsletter for the HowDidIDo app, 6 an app which provides free performance statistics for golfers. In order to encourage uptake, an optional prize draw was available to those completing to win a set of 12 golf balls.

The survey itself was released during the R&A first annual golf and health week, 7 and the survey was live between the 18 April 2019 and 30 April 2019. Patients were included in the data set provided that they had undergone a hip or knee arthroplasty.

Data was analysed using Excel (Microsoft, USA). Analysis was conducted using independent-samples t -tests. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05.

There were a total of 2,333 complete unique responses received during the study period, and 135 patients were excluded from the analysis as they had undergone both hip and knee arthroplasty surgery. The remaining 2,198 responses were split into hip (1,097) and knee (1,101) arthroplasty and analyzed separately.

Hip arthroplasty

A total of 1,097 golfers responded following hip arthroplasty (851 (78%) male and 246 (22%) female). The mean age of the cohort was 69 years (35 to 92). The majority of golfers were right handed (1,050; 96%). Overall, 340 golfers had bilateral surgery (31%) and 757 unilateral surgery. Of these, 377 had a left total hip arthroplasty (THA) and 380 a right THA.

Across the whole cohort, the mean change in handicap following hip arthroplasty was +1.03 (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.81 to 1.25; -19 to +16). Subgroup analysis of unilateral and bilateral patients was undertaken, which demonstrated a statistically significant difference in handicap increase between bilateral and unilateral hip arthroplasty in golfers (p = 0.009, independent-samples t -test) favouring unilateral arthroplasty for a smaller increase in handicap.

Further subgroup analysis was undertaken looking at unilateral arthroplasty surgery and the impact of the operated side being either the leading or trailing leg. No statistical difference was found between these groups (p = 0.428, independent-samples t -test). Mean change in handicap with 95% CI are presented in Figure 1 .

Mean change in golf handicap following hip arthroplasty with 95% confidence intervals. THA, total hip arthroplasty.

Prior to surgery, the majority of the cohort (836; 76%) were playing golf at least once per week or more. Postoperatively, this increased to 1,031 (94%) reporting playing at this level. A total of 1,025 golfers (94%) reported that they were playing either the same amount or more golf than prior to surgery, while 19 golfers (1.7%) reported that they were unable to play following surgery. No differences were seen in the use of mobility aids with the majority of golfers using a battery-assisted trolly both prior to (68%) and following (74%) surgery. Temporary access to a golf buggy was a definite assistance to early return to playing.

Return to play was swift for most golfers, with 258 (23.5%) returning to iron shots at six weeks or sooner, and 782 (71%) having returned at three months. The majority of golfers had returned to club competitions at three months (445; 40%) or six months (883; 80%).

Overall, 542 golfers (49%) reported never having pain when playing following surgery, and 867 (79%) reported either never or only rarely having pain ( Figure 2 ), while 18 golfers (1.6%) reported always having pain despite surgery.

Patient-reported experience of pain when playing golf following hip arthroplasty.

Knee arthroplasty

A total of 1,101 golfers responded following knee arthroplasty (912 (83%) male and 189 (17%) female). The mean age of the cohort was 70 years (26 to 89). The majority of golfers were right handed (1,036; 94%). Overall, (337; 31%) golfers had bilateral surgery and (764; 69%) unilateral surgery. Of these, (321; 42%) had left-sided surgery and (443; 58%) had right-sided surgery.

Across the whole cohort, the mean change in handicap following knee surgery was 1.18 (95% CI 0.99 to 1.38; -17 to +20]. Subgroup analysis of unilateral and bilateral patients was undertaken which demonstrated a statistically significant difference in handicap increase between bilateral and unilateral knee arthroplasty in golfers (p = 0.002, independent-samples t -test) favouring unilateral arthroplasty for a smaller increase in handicap.

Further subgroup analysis was undertaken looking at unilateral arthroplasty surgery and the impact of the operated side being either the leading or trailing leg. A statistical difference was found between these groups (p = 0.009, independent-samples t -test) in favour of a smaller increase in handicap on golfers who inderwent knee arthroplasty on their leading knee. Mean change in handicap with 95% CI are presented in Figure 3 .

Mean change in golf handicap following knee arthroplasty (95% CI).

Prior to surgery, the majority of the cohort 892 (81%) were playing golf at least once per week or more. Postoperatively, this increased to 1,036 reporting playing at this level (94%); 1,009 (92%) golfers reported that they were playing either the same amount or more golf than prior to surgery and 18 golfers reported that they were unable to play following surgery (1.6%). Small differences were seen in the use of mobility aids, with the majority of golfers using a battery-assisted trolley both prior to (65%) and following (80%) surgery. Fewer golfers required the use of a buggy following surgery (212; 19%) before and (132; 12%) afterwards.

Return to play was swift for most golfers, with 270 (25%) returning to iron shots at six weeks or sooner, 743 (67%) having returned at three months, and the majority of golfers had returned to club competitions at three months (44; 40%) or six months (842; 76%).

Overall, 362 (32%) of golfers reported never had pain when playing following surgery, 667 (61%) reported either never or only rarely having pain ( Figure 4 ), while 66 (6%) reported always having pain despite surgery.

Patient reported experince of pain when playing golf following knee arthroplasty.

Golfers undergoing arthroplasty surgery have a very good chance of returning to a similar level of play postoperatively, with fewer than one in ten not being able to play as frequently. Less than 2% of golfers reported being unable to return to the sport following surgery.

Self-reported ability to return to shots requiring an adequate golf swing is a good marker of a player’s ability and speed of return to the sport. One in four players were able to return to iron shots within six weeks following arthroplasty with (270; 25%) of those undergoing knee arthroplasty and (258;24%) of those undergoing hip arthroplasty achieving this, while overall for both hip and knee (1,525; 69%) had returned to iron shots by three months. Return to club competitions took slightly longer, with (1,726; 78%) able do so within six months of surgery. The information may assist golfers in decisions with regard to suspending playing membership around the time of arthroplasty.

The use of golfing aids, including buggies, caddies, and motorized trolleys, were prevalent both prior to and after surgery with similar rates of use despite the procedure. There was a decrease in the number of golfers requiring the use of a golf buggy in those undergoing both hip and knee arthroplasty, but this was most marked in those undergoing knee arthroplasty (212; 19% to 132; 12%).

Pain relief is the main expectation of patients undergoing arthroplasty, and current evidence places an unfavourable pain outcome in around 9% of patients after hip and about 20% of patients following knee arthroplasty. 8 In our cohort, roughly two-thirds of patients either had no pain or rarely had pain either playing or following golf, demonstrating a successful outcome in these patients. Pain relief was notably better in patients undergoing hip arthroplasty, with four out of five patients having no pain or rarely having pain, compared to three out of five following knee arthroplasty. Golfers with persistent pain were in the minority and again hip fared better (18; 1.6%) than knee (66; 6%) which is in keeping with the greater rates of persistent pain following knee arthroplasty in the literature.

Player handicap data demonstrates that following arthroplasty there is an increase of approximately +1, although individual differences are highly variable, with a large range of handicap changes in the cohort from -19 to +20. This is to be expected with a large heterogeneous patient cohort. The reasons for this are likely multifactorial and may include differing preoperative morbidity and the preoperative handicap level.

Bilateral surgery for both hip and knee arthroplasty was associated with greater increase in handicap following surgery, which is to be expected given the greater morbidity associated with multiple operations. Interestingly, no difference was seen in hip arthroplasty whether the leading or trailing leg was replaced in isolation. Conversely, in patient undergoing knee arthroplasty, a significantly greater increase in postoperative handicap was noted in those who had the knee in the trailing leg replaced in isolation. This is likely due to the greater amount of rotation required in a golfer's trailing leg and the limitation posed with conventional knee arthroplasty.

With an ever-increasing focus on patient-reported outcome measures and patient education within medicine, it is important to provide individualized information to patients undergoing major surgery 9 in order to guide postoperative expectation. The golfing community is a large proportion of the UK's sporting population, and, given that players continue to play throughout middle age and later life, they fall within the demographic likely to require arthroplasty. Our study is limited by virtue of being retrospective, observational, and self-reported. However, it is the largest known study to date of return to golf following arthroplasty and its impact on amateur golfer performance. It is non-selective and therefore representative of a large heterogenous group of golfers. The study was performed prior to the recent conversion to the new World Handicap System. 10 It is unclear whether specific different changes to handicaps will occur postarthroplasty as a result of this new initiative.

We conclude that patients undergoing arthroplasty to the hip and knee are able to return to playing golf regularly and most increase or maintain the amount of golf played. Most golfers will return to competitions within one year. Return to iron shots occurs from six weeks and limited improvement with use of golf aids is seen. An increase in handicap following surgery is expected and is larger in patients undergoing bilateral surgery or those with knee arthroplasty to their trailing leg. Most golfers should expect pain relief following arthroplasty; however, some may still experience pain when playing golf, more commonly following knee arthroplasty.

Take home message

- Arthroplasty allows most golfers to maintain or increase the amount of golf played.

- Golfers return to iron shots after six weeks; impact on handicap is variable, but, on average, players increase by + 1.

- Most golfers will never, or only rarely have pain in the joint following arthroplasty.

Acknowledgements

We would like to acknowlege the support from HowDidiDo.com who offered support with circulation of our study to golfers accross the UK. We offer our sincere thanks to both the Royal and Aincent Golf Club of St Andrews and the Orthopaedic Department at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation trust for their support towards the open access fee.

Author contributions: L. Hoggett: Methodology, Project administration, Supervision, Formal analysis, Writing – original draft.

J. Ranson: Project administration, Writing – review & editing.

C. Nevill: Conceptualization, Supervision, Writing – review & editing.

P. Hughes: Conceptualization, Methodology, Supervision, Data curation, Validation, Writing – review & editing.

Funding statement: The author(s) disclose receipt of the following financial or material support for the research, authorship, and/or publication of this article: £300 grant from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews towards the open access fee. The remainder of the open access fee was met by the orthopaedic department at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Open access funding: The authors declare a £300 grant from the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews towards the open access fee. The remainder of the open access fee was met by the orthopaedic department at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

Twitter: Follow L. Hoggett @lhoggett

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‘I want to see what my competitive juices take me to’: MLB Hall of Famer eyes Champions Tour

John Smoltz, a Hall of Fame pitcher after 22 seasons in the MLB, said he's hoping to compete on the Champions Tour following hip surgery.

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If there’s one thing that Hall of Fame pitcher John Smoltz won’t shy away from, it’s a little competition — assuming his body and mind are capable.

That’s the current dilemma the 55-year-old is facing, as Smoltz recently told TMZ that he’s hoping to compete on the Champions Tour following a couple of hip surgeries. This would be Smoltz’s latest attempt at joining the Champions Tour — but it all comes down to his health.

“I’ve got a new hip. I’ve got one more hip to do, and after that I want to see what my competitive juices take me to,” Smoltz told TMZ. “I’ll be 56 this year. So time’s running out a little bit on the competitive side, but golf is definitely something I’m passionate about.”

For those unfamiliar, Smoltz is quite handy with a golf club in his hand. In 2018, he qualified for the U.S. Senior Open and regularly competes in pro-ams. It was during his first attempt at the Champions Tour that he tried pushing his body, eventually experiencing major pain.

Added Smoltz, “I tried to play hurt, and I tried to do it a little too long. If my other hip gets done, and I can rehab it and get back to where I think I’ve learned in the game of golf of how to navigate that, I want to try and qualify for things again.”

John Smoltz’s golf game earns high praise from Tiger Woods

John Smoltz on teeing it up on the PGA Tour Champions and his epic off-day golf outings

Smoltz is one of the greatest pitchers of all time, having played 22 seasons, winning one Cy Young Award and a World Series. He was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2015.

But baseball is just one of his athletic gifts, as his golf game also receives high praise.

In 2022, Tiger Woods even gave his seal of approval, saying Smoltz joined Tony Romo as the best non-golfer the 15-time major champ has ever played with.

Who’s the best celebrity golfer Tiger has ever played against? 👀 #CapitalOnesTheMatch goes down Dec. 10 on TNT 🍿 pic.twitter.com/59x922uIJS — Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) December 7, 2022

It’s unknown how Smoltz’s latest attempt at the Champions Tour will go, or if his body will allow him to compete at such a high level. But even if he falls short of his goal of joining the Tour, he said he’s still going to try and qualify for competitive tournaments.

“As long as they’re going to keep score, and they’re going to have a scoreboard, I want to be on the leaderboard.”

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Pros vs Joes: How Hip Turn Can Increase Distance

Think more, not faster, when it comes to hip turn.

By Steve Lippincott

Playing golf with power has always been a benefit to the Pros and a never-ending quest for the average “Joes.” With Bryson DeChambeau pushing the limits on the PGA Tour and Kyle Berkshire hitting 302-yard 8 irons on Instagram , weekend warriors are mystified by how these golfers can create so much more power, while they continue to hit the same distances or even shorter year after year.

One of the biggest differences that GOLFTEC’s SwingTRU motion study found after looking at hundreds of thousands of swings was how much more PGA Tour players turn their hips at impact than lower skill level players. This movement directly correlates to skill, and more importantly, power. Let’s dive into what hip turn is, and how you can get the most of your swing to hit the ball farther.

Hip turn, as measured by GOLFTEC, is simply the rotation of the lower body towards or away from the target. GOLFTEC Coaches measure this movement in degrees either open or closed relative to a neutral body position. What SwingTRU suggests is that the more you move your hips open at impact, the higher-skilled golfer you have the potential to be.

Now that you know a little more about hip turn and how it relates to skill, you can begin to identify if you need to improve your hip turn through impact. If your contact is good but you struggle to hit the ball far enough, or if your distance is good but you struggle with control – often pushing or overdrawing your shots, you will want to work on looking more like the golfer in the picture above.

If either of these issues sound like something you or someone you know struggles with, we’re addressing how you can start to turn more at impact and watch your shots fly higher, straighter and farther. 

Before you start to turn faster it’s important to know that is more difficult for your body to rotate when it flexing or bending towards the ground. Think of a figure skater making a spin in the Olympics. As the skater gets “taller” they begin to spin faster, when they move closer to the ice their spins slow down. 

If you are trying to turn more at impact, you need to straighten your legs, hips, and shoulders to make it easier for your body to turn faster. Doing this often comes with ignoring the old adage “keep your head down”. The longer your eyes are looking at the ground, the slower you will turn. 

If you want to get it out there like the long hitters on the Tour, then start your next practice session with this drill as you swing. In your follow through, take note if you’re finishing with your knees straight and your belly button facing the sky. If you can make these movements you will be turning your hips more like the golfers you see on TV.

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Golf's Great Divide Continues, But LIV Golfers May Have a Point

Yes, the LIV players caused the schism by taking the money, but Bob Harig says the big-picture issues of pay for everyone was helped by their move.

• Author: Bob Harig

MORE WEEKLY READ: Time for Stars to Shine | Tiger at Augusta  | Hatton and the Ryder Cup

There was a good bit of reaction to the comments from several LIV Golf players last week who expressed their desire to see the game come back together .

Phil Mickelson talked about the game becoming “much more global” and Jon Rahm noted the potential for a “better product for the fans” and Bryson DeChambeau said “it needs to happen fast ... for the good of the sport.”

Of course, the blowback in many circles was intense. The general reaction to those comments was that the game would not be in this situation if those players had not taken the hordes of cash to join LIV Golf.

And yes, on the surface, that is exactly right. Had nobody taken the offers, the game would still see all of them competing together on the PGA Tour and DP World Tour.

But that also misses a big picture. Yes, of course, had there been no disruption there would be no divide. But there would still be the age-old issue of guaranteed pay for the stars, the basis for all the upheaval.

And yet, many of the riches they’ve received have also resulted in greater monetary opportunities for those who remained—a fact that Mickelson pointed out.

Phil Mickelson said at LIV Golf Miami that not everyone sees far ahead in golf's current disruption.

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

“If you look at all the changes that have taken place with equity for players, elevated events, increases purses … none of that was an option for the guys who left (for LIV),” Mickelson said last week in Miami. “Had LIV not happened and we not done what we did, none of that would have happened now.

“I knew the first two years were going to be difficult. But in the end, where it ends up I think the game is going to be a lot more global, appeal to a lot more people. Appeal to a lot younger crowd and is going to be in a much healthier place in the end.

“But in the disruption phase, which is what we’re in, sometimes not everybody sees that far ahead.”

When LIV golfers say they want the game to come back together, they are not suggesting going back to the PGA Tour. Many are perfectly content with LIV Golf. But they want an avenue to compete against the best more often than just the major championships.

And that’s where it would get interesting if there is ever a deal between the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia. Rory McIlroy has suggeste a Champions League-type of competition that would see the best players from all the tours compete outside the current structures.

There have been calls for PGA Tour, DP World Tour and LIV Golf events to see their top players funnel to one big circuit outside of the respective tours.

“How great would it be to have these signature events have a team aspect as part of it?” DeChambeau said during an interview at Doral. “It increases the value of those tournaments. You create a 50-50 partnership on the team stuff and call it day. We have certain events outside of the PGA Tour, we play on the PGA Tour and we came together at the end of the season like the NFC-AFC (in the NFL). It’s not a hard fix.”

It is difficult if you are not in favor of team golf, and there appears to be considerable pushback to that idea on the PGA Tour side. How that is resolved is one of the big issues going forward.

But LIV Golf appears content to ride it out. It continues to plan for a future without an agreement as it keeps adding smaller sponsorship deals for its teams while locking down future venues.

If the idea was that Yasir Al-Rumayyan, the governor of the PIF, was going to shutter LIV Golf as part of an agreement, that seems to be far off.

Hence his meeting three weeks ago with Tiger Woods in the Bahamas has taken on more intrigue. Since joining the PGA Tour Policy Board as a player director last year, Woods has stayed neutral on his feelings about the PIF and its possible investment in PGA Tour Enterprises. But previously, he was no fan of LIV Golf and spoke out against it.

Meeting Al-Rumayyan was viewed as important. What they discussed and how much it might have swayed Woods in any manner is unclear.

“Huge. Huge step,” DeChambeau said. “And I appreciate them for doing that. I think it was necessary. A big step for the game of golf. I just don’t know what his intentions (Woods) are. Nobody does. I wish for them to have the best intentions for the game of golf.”

“I have nothing but respect for Tiger. He’s been so amazing for the game. He inspired me to play the game. ... Let’s bring it back together. That’s all that matters now. I don’t care who is the resistance. Let’s come to terms and figure out, sit down in a business room, see what works for both sides.”

Again, it will be easy to take shots at DeChambeau here. None of this occurs if the players who left had not done so.

But as Mickelson said, there’s a good chance that the big purse increases seen through the signature events and the private equity that will make PGA Tour players part-owners of PGA Tour Enterprises would not have occurred, either.

And so complaining about who did what and when they did is not going to change golf’s current plight.

What happens next? To be determined.

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Patriots star says the quiet part out loud about NFL's bold new rule change

The new hip-drop tackle ban is not popular with defensive players

By Terrence Jordan | 3:17 PM EDT

News flash: it is unbelievably difficult to play in the NFL. There are 32 teams in the league, with 53 players on each active roster. Every year, over 200 more players are drafted. Dozens more are signed as undrafted free agents. Even for players that are fortunate enough to make it to the league, the experience is often short-lived, as the average NFL career length is less than four years.

Take that difficulty and multiply it exponentially to understand how impossible it is to play defense as an NFL player. Defenders need to chase down Tyreek Hill and wrap up Derrick Henry in the open field. They need to sack Josh Allen and shed the blocks of Trent Williams. They have to out-think Andy Reid and Kyle Shanahan. Here are just a few of the things defenders can't do to accomplish those goals.

They can't hit a quarterback in the head, but they also can't hit him below the knees. If they do manage to sack the quarterback, they can't fall on him with all of their weight. They can't touch a receiver that's more than five yards downfield or hit a "defenseless" receiver that catches a ball over the middle. They can't make a blindside block after an interception. They can't tackle a ballcarrier by using his facemask or by grabbing the inside of his collar. Running afoul of these rules could result in penalty yardage, a fine, or even a suspension.

Now there's a new addition to the "can't" list, as the NFL has approved a rule change to ban the hip-drop tackle for this upcoming season. Click the link for a great explanation of what exactly that is from Mike Florio and Chris Simms of PFT Live .

The NFL has argued, much as it did in outlawing low hits to the quarterback and horse-collar tackles, that banning the hip-drop tackle is the best move to make in the name of player safety. Florio and Simms echo that sentiment above, but what the rule fails to take into account is that with every passing season, there are fewer and fewer legal ways for defenses to stop opposing offenses.

Patriots safety Jabrill Peppers speaks out on controversial hip drop tackle rules

Jabrill Peppers of the New England Patriots is one of many NFL defenders that have spoken out in frustration about this rule change.

Patriots S Jabrill Peppers on the new hip drop tackle rules: "I don't like it. I don't know how you officiate it." pic.twitter.com/Kw9gAEjTfw — Doug Kyed (@DougKyed) April 9, 2024

Peppers is right to be concerned. The NFL has been legislating away the ability to play defense for years, and this is just the latest, but almost certainly not the last, result of that. He also brings up another great point, which is how can officials be trusted to enforce the new rule correctly when they already do such a poor job with the current rules? The disparity in penalty calls from one crew to another, plus the prominent examples every single week of botched calls in high-leverage situations, don't inspire much faith that referees can handle even more on their plate.

The NFLPA has echoed this, saying, “The players oppose any attempt by the NFL to implement a rule prohibiting a ‘swivel hip-drop’ tackle,” the NFLPA said in a statement last week. “While the NFLPA remains committed to improvements to our game with health and safety in mind, we cannot support a rule change that causes confusion for us as players, for coaches, for officials, and especially, for fans. We call on the NFL, again, to reconsider implementing this rule.”

With the proliferation of season-ending injuries and CTE, it makes sense that the NFL should care about player safety. Why then, doesn't the league mandate that all teams play on grass, which has been proven to be much safer than artificial surfaces? It seems like a weekly occurrence that we lose a star player to a non-contact injury on an artificial field, but despite a vocal contingent of current and former players calling for change, the NFL hasn't acted.

Injuries, unfortunately, are always going to be a part of the game. Football is a fast, physical, violent sport played by some of the best athletes on the planet. This isn't to say that we should ignore player safety, not at all. But there has to be a balance between protecting players and allowing them to compete on an even playing field. There are inherent risks to playing, and injuries sustained to players such as Mark Andrews and Tony Pollard (both of which came on hip-drop tackles last year) can't outweigh the reality that defenders in the NFL are playing with the deck stacked against them at all times. This is only going to make it worse.

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2024 NFL Draft rumors: Jets eyeing Day 3 QB to learn behind Aaron Rodgers? Team hosts two for top-30 visits

The jets may be eyeing a developmental qb.

The New York Jets know who their starting quarterback is: Although he's working his way back from an Achilles tear, Aaron Rodgers will be under center so long as he is healthy. They also know who the backup is: They signed Tyrod Taylor away from their MetLife Stadium co-tenants, the New York Giants .

But they probably don't know who their quarterback of the future is. Zach Wilson remains on the roster, but he's expected to be traded at some point this offseason. 

To that end, the Jets have taken a look at two draft-eligible quarterbacks on top-30 visits. According to Bleacher Report , the Jets are bringing in Tulane's Michael Pratt for a visit this week. And according to KPRC2 , the Jets recently hosted Samford quarterback Michael Hiers as well.

In four years at Tulane, Pratt completed 60.6% of his passes at an average of 8 yards per attempt, throwing for 90 touchdowns against 26 interceptions. He also showed some dual-threat ability, rushing 447 times for 1,147 yards and 28 additional scores. Hiers started for two years at the FCS level, completing over 72% of his passes in both seasons while racking up 6,590 yards, 54 touchdowns and just 12 interceptions. The level of competition was obviously not the same as for FBS players, but the numbers are certainly impressive.

Pratt is the No. 7 quarterback and No. 87 overall player in the CBS Sports NFL Draft  prospect rankings, making him a potential Day 2 or early Day 3 pick. Hiers is unranked, placing him outside the top 390, and could either be a late-round pick or an undrafted free agent target for New York.

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This week’s Valero Texas Open boasts one of its best fields in recent memory. Nine top-20 players are teeing it up at TPC San Antonio, including Rory McIlroy, Max Homa, Brian Harman and Ludvig Åberg. Thirty players in the field also are exempt for the Masters Tournament, giving them one last opportunity to compete before the first major championship of the year. The rest of the Valero field will be hoping to nab the final invitation to Augusta National Golf Club, an extra perk added to the benefits that this week’s winner will accumulate

The Valero Texas Open’s origins date back to 1922. It is the third-longest-running event on the PGA TOUR and the longest held in one city. This week, The Five will focus on the top names in the field, and the biggest questions they need to answer as the start of the major season looms.

1. Will McIlroy’s preseason plan come to fruition?

McIlroy had an edict to start 2024: play early and often to arrive at Augusta National in peak form.

The PGA TOUR superstar has tried everything in his quest for the lone title standing between him and the career Grand Slam. He’s tried to treat the Masters like every other week. He’s tried to embrace the importance of the week, accepting the pedestal upon which it stands. There are years he’s made several early scouting trips and others where he’s arrived cold turkey, seeing the course for the first time during the week of the Masters.

None of those approaches have netted him a green jacket. His focus this year was to come in with good form. He added several events to his schedule on the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour to ensure it. The Valero will be his eighth event of an eventful year.

By adding a couple more events to his pre-Masters schedule, “I'll hopefully be a bit sharper and know exactly where my game really is,” he told Golf Digest in January.

"Sharp" is not how he would describe his game in recent weeks, however. His performances have been unpredictable in 2024. He had a win and runner-up in a pair of season-opening events in Dubai but has not finished better than T19 in five PGA TOUR starts. For a while, he felt like his putting was holding him back. Then his ball-striking was inconsistent in his most recent start, a T19 at THE PLAYERS Championship.

“Just a lot of volatility in my game,” McIlroy said at TPC Sawgrass. “The good is good. The bad is still quite destructive. … I honestly expect a lot more from myself.”

Rory McIlroy’s 10 birdies to tie THE PLAYERS single-round record

That week was a microcosm. He shot a 7-under 65 in the first round to co-lead but played the last three rounds in just 2-under. After notching 10 consecutive finishes inside the top 11 to close out the 2023 season, McIlroy is still searching for his first on TOUR this season. He hasn’t gone without a top-10 before the Masters since 2010. McIlroy is 66th in the FedExCup and 41st in Strokes Gained: Total.

This will be his third appearance at TPC San Antonio and first since 2022. The event hasn’t served as a harbinger of his Augusta showing, however, he finished runner-up at the 2013 Valero before posting a T25 at the Masters. McIlroy missed the cut in Texas two years ago but was runner-up at Augusta National the following week.

2. Where is Spieth’s psyche?

By Spieth’s admission, he’s had a weird year.

There’s been some good. The 13-time PGA TOUR winner has contended multiple times this season, finishing third at The Sentry and in a tie for sixth at the WM Phoenix Open.

The season has also been filled with anomalies. He cracked his driver ahead of the season opener at The Sentry and spent a few weeks finding an adequate replacement. He shot an opening-round 66 at The Genesis Invitational, then caught the flu and signed for an incorrect scorecard after the second round to get disqualified. His statistical profile has flipped in comparison to the past two seasons. His putting is keeping him in tournaments, not his iron play.

“I'm kind of a little uncertain of where things are," Spieth said after a first-round 69 at the Valspar Championship. "So hopefully I feel a little more stable this week and can continue to shoot under par each round."

He shot 74 in the second round to miss back-to-back cuts. Not the stability Spieth was looking for.

Spieth has always lived on the edge of erraticism. When he controlled his swing and psyche, it led to success rarely seen outside of Tiger Woods. But it has gone the other way if one piece was missing.

So where is Spieth’s mind heading into the major season? This is typically a time of year when Spieth excels. He’s won the Valspar before and the Valero, too. Then there’s the Masters, the tournament in which Spieth seemingly always reaches his ceiling, regardless of his form. His 2015 win was one of four top-three finishes in his first five Masters. He also finished fourth last year after finishing outside the top 20 in each of the previous three seasons.

3. Can Åberg add another accolade before his first major?

List Åberg’s accomplishments like a resume and it’s remarkable what the Swede has amassed in his first 10 months as a professional.

He’s already ninth in the Official World Golf Ranking, has won on the PGA TOUR and DP World Tour and has been part of a victorious Ryder Cup team. He’s missed the cut just one time in 16 starts as a pro. That includes his two wins, two more runners-up and a total of 10 top-10s. Notably missing? A major championship start. No, not a top result in a major or even a made cut. Åberg, 24, has never appeared in a major. That will change next week at Augusta National, where Åberg enters as one of the most accomplished pros to make their major championship debut. That Åberg hasn’t played in a major is a mere coincidence of when he turned pro (just before the 2023 U.S. Open as the No. 1 player in PGA TOUR University). Still, it sets up a storyline not often seen – a player with immense talent and the accolades to boot, without a shred of experience in some of the sport’s biggest events.

Åberg is in his adopted home state of Texas this week – he starred at Texas Tech, winning back-to-back Ben Hogan Awards before turning pro – before heading to his Masters debut. TPC San Antonio plays into his strengths, requiring accurate driving. He’s among the world’s best off the tee, which is one reason many think Åberg can contend next week. He’s coming off a top-10 finish in his debut at another big event played on a course that presents unique challenges. Åberg finished T8 at THE PLAYERS in his most recent event.

4. Can Morikawa and Fitzpatrick find consistency?

Scan through Morikawa and Matt Fitzpatrick’s stats in 2024 and you won’t find anything too concerning. Both players rank just inside the top 40 of the FedExCup. Fitzpatrick finished fifth at THE PLAYERS and has three other top-25s. Morikawa finished in a tie for fifth at The Sentry and backed it up with two top-20s in the next two Signature Events.

Yet both are searching for what every top player craves: consistency. Ask any pro what has been most impressive about Scottie Scheffler and almost all will marvel at the consistency. It wasn’t the one or two peak weeks, but what Scheffler did when his game wasn’t sharp. He still found ways to contend and finish in the top 10.

For Morikawa and Fitzpatrick, that is a work in progress. Morikawa shot 80 in the second round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard to miss the cut. After shooting 67 in the first round of the Farmers Insurance Open, he shot 75 the next day to miss the cut. Morikawa, who ended a two-year winless drought with his win at the ZOZO CHAMPIONSHIP in the fall, has been within four shots of the lead entering the final round just once this season. Perhaps he can change that in his tournament debut at Valero. He’s still just a couple of months into his switch to swing coach Mark Blackburn, which came just before his win in Japan.

Matt Fitzpatrick on removing 4-gram weight from driver

5. Any last chance Masters invite?

Last week’s Texas Children’s Houston Open was the last week players could qualify for the Masters by playing their way into the top 50 of the Official World Golf Ranking. Stephan Jaeger was the only player to do so, though he earned his spot at Augusta National with his victory.

That leaves just one possible addition to the Masters field, if a player who has not already qualified wins the Valero.

So, who could that be? The PGA TOUR season has been defined by longshots, from Grayson Murray at the Sony Open in Hawaii to Nick Dunlap and Matthieu Pavon in back-to-back weeks on the West Coast. Even Jake Knapp and Jaeger would qualify as surprises.

All that is to say, it’s hard to predict. Based on who is playing well, here are some possible candidates:

• Tom Hoge – No. 57 in the OWGR, Hoge needed a solo fifth in Houston last week to get inside the top 50 and earn a Masters berth. Hoge played well, finishing T14, but not well enough. On the bright side, it was his sixth top-20 this season and moved him to 13th in the FedExCup standings. Hoge has two top 20s in six appearances at Valero, including a T12 in his last appearance in 2021.
• Akshay Bhatia – It’s been a boom or bust season for the 22-year-old. He’s made five of nine cuts and in each of those five events, he’s finished T17 or better. That’s the formula for picking off Valero and earning a spot in the Masters. Bhatia finished T11 at the Texas Children’s Houston Open and briefly held the lead on Sunday afternoon. He’s likely among the most talented players without a Masters invite, and he could right that wrong with a special week in San Antonio.
• Charley Hoffman – The Valero Texas Open is always a special week for Hoffman, who will make his 18th appearance at the event. It’s made more special considering it will be his 500th overall career start. There’s likely not a better venue to mark the occasion. Hoffman won this event in 2016 and has finished runner-up on three occasions, most recently in 2021. He has 13 top 25s and seven top 10s here. Hoffman very nearly won earlier this year, pushing Nick Taylor to a playoff at the WM Phoenix Open in February. Taylor ultimately prevailed, but it was a sign that Hoffman still has elite golf in his arsenal. If it comes out at Valero, it could set up a special week for Hoffman and another trip to the Masters, where he is 6-for-6 in made cuts with two top 15s.