Rest. Rebuild. Play.

Golf injuries are now more common than ever, but by understanding your golf swing and undertaking a few simple fitness drills, you can manage those little niggles to ensure they don’t become long-term problems

- By Alex Narey. Photographs by Tom Miles and Getty Images

On the eve of the 2008 Open Championship at Royal Birkdale, Padraig Harrington took to the course late in the afternoon to play a practice round. It was the first time the defending champion had played the layout all week, with speculation rife that the 36-year-old was suffering from a worrying wrist injury sustained hitting balls back at his home in Ireland. So when the news flooded through that he had chosen to walk the back nine – hitting only putts and chip shots around the green – his withdrawal seemed inevitable. “If this wasn’t The Open, I wouldn’t be here,” he told reporters. “Trust me, I would have already pulled out.”

Fast forward five days and Harrington is still at Birkdale and still cradling the Claret Jug after returning a final-round 69 to win by four shots from Ian Poulter. Facing questions from the media, he is asked about the injury that had threatened to derail his hopes of back-to-back Open wins – before a wide grin cuts across his face. “As the saying goes,” he laughs, “beware the injured golfer. We always have a point to prove.”

Harrington’s approach to playing through the pain may sound somewhat emblematic of how golfers, particularly amateur club players, approach the thorny issue of injuries. Many simply soldier on expecting the niggle and discomfort to go away, whether it be their back – most common – or a hand injury sustained from a poor grip. But in Harrington’s case, a deliberate lack of golf in the build-up to that tournament – not to mention having the necessary physio help at hand to rebuild the strength in his wrist – meant he was able to find the right balance that would put him in a position to tackle the notorious Southport links.