Of all the joints in the body, the shoulder is the most flexible but also the weakest. However, it is also the least stable joint in the human body. There are four muscles that make up the rotator cuff; they stretch across the joint and are the strongest portion of the shoulder. There are also smaller stabilizing muscles that help the shoulder rotate.

For golfers, the rotator cuff is one of the most used portions of the human body, this is especially vital when driving the golf ball. The drive is a movement that requires the arms to be raised high in order to deliver great force to the golf ball.  If a golfer’s rotator cuff is rigid and stiff, this swing can put a lot of strain on the rotator cuff and can cause the tendons to wear down, resulting in severe pain and inflammation.

The shoulder is at risk for numerous injuries including:

• Tendonitis: inflammation and pain in the tendons.
• Bursitis: a condition where the fluid -filled sac that covers the tendons of the rotator cuff becomes very irritated.  
• These two conditions often occur together since the same tendons are affected by this kind of irritation and over use.  
• Torn Rotator Cuff