Understanding Elbow Pain in Golf: Causes, Mechanics, and Treatment

Elbow pain is one of the most common injuries I see in golfers—and it affects beginners and low-handicap players alike. If you’ve ever felt pain during or after a round, chances are you’ve been told you have golfer’s elbow or tennis elbow.

But here’s the truth most golfers don’t hear: Elbow pain is rarely just an elbow problem.

Understanding why elbow pain happens is the first step to fixing it—and keeping it from coming back.

Golfer’s Elbow vs. Tennis Elbow in Golfers

Traditionally, golfer’s elbow refers to pain on the inside of the elbow. The medical term is medial epicondylitis, and it involves strain or irritation of the forearm flexor tendons where they attach at the elbow.

However, many golfers also develop pain on the outside of the elbow. This is called lateral epicondylitis, or tennis elbow, and it involves the extensor tendons of the forearm.

Despite the names, both conditions are extremely common in golfers and are typically classified as overuse injuries.

Why Golfers Develop Elbow Pain

From a clinical perspective, elbow pain usually develops when the forearm muscles are forced to compensate—again and again—for something else not doing its job.

In golfers, elbow pain is often associated with swing characteristics such as:

• Coming over the top

• Chicken winging

• Casting or scooping the club

This is an example of casting. The angle of the forearm at the top of the back swing was measured at 68 degrees. The video was advanced a few frames and the angle was remeasured to be 131 degrees. When wrist and elbow properly load the angle should have decreased. Instead, the golfer is casting or releasing the angle of the club.

These patterns place excessive and awkward loads on the forearm muscles and tendons, especially with frequent practice, range sessions, or long rounds.

The Real Root Cause Most Golfers Miss

Those swing faults don’t usually appear out of nowhere.

More often, they’re a compensation for lower body or core limitations, such as:

• Restricted hip mobility

• Poor pelvic or trunk control

• Inefficient sequencing between the lower and upper body

When the lower body can’t generate or transfer force effectively, the arms and hands are forced to “manufacture” speed and control. Over time, that repeated stress shows up as elbow pain.

This is why simply resting, icing, or wearing a brace often fails to solve the problem long-term.

What Actually Works for Golfer’s Elbow

If your goal is to keep playing—not just get temporary relief—you need a plan that addresses both the injured tissue and the reason it was overloaded in the first place.

1. A Proper Golf-Specific Assessment

The most important step is understanding:

• Whether your elbow pain is driven by swing mechanics

• Where mobility or stability is breaking down

• Whether the elbow is the source of pain—or just the victim

A golf-specific movement assessment helps connect your body mechanics to what’s happening in your swing.

2. Chiropractic & Soft-Tissue Treatment

Effective care often includes:

• Targeted soft-tissue treatments for irritated forearm muscles

• Joint treatments to improve motion and load distribution

• Reducing stress on the elbow while tissues heal

This helps calm pain and restore function—but it’s only part of the solution.

3. Targeted Strengthening as the Tendons Heal

Tendons need progressive, specific loading to recover properly. Strengthening the right muscles at the right time:

• Improves tissue resilience

• Reduces the risk of recurrence

• Helps you return to full play with confidence

4. Never Skip the Warm-Up or Cool-Down

This is one of the biggest mistakes golfers make.

A proper warm-up prepares your tissues to handle load, while a cool-down helps reduce post-round stiffness and irritation. Skipping either significantly increases your risk of elbow pain returning—even if you’re already feeling better.

The Bottom Line

Golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow aren’t just “wear and tear” injuries you have to live with.

They’re often the result of:

• Inefficient movement patterns

• Poor sequencing

• Muscles and tendons being asked to do more than they’re designed for

Fixing the elbow without fixing the cause is why so many golfers struggle with recurring pain.

Ready to Fix the Root Cause of Your Elbow Pain?

At The Movement Clinic, we offer golf-specific movement and swing assessments designed to determine whether your pain is coming from:

• Physical limitations

• Swing mechanics

• Or a combination of both

From there, we create a personalized plan to help you:

• Reduce pain

• Improve efficiency

• Stay on the course longer

👉 Schedule your golf assessment today and stop letting elbow pain limit your game.