Can I still play golf with golfer's elbow?

Often yes, with changes. If the elbow only niggles after golf, cut back on holes and range balls, lighten your grip, tee the ball up and let your body lead the downswing. If it hurts with everyday tasks or the pain is sharp, take a few weeks off golf and focus on gentle forearm exercises. If it is not easing after a few weeks, see a GP or physiotherapist.

How long does golfer's elbow last?

It varies a lot. Many people improve over a few weeks to a few months with load management and regular exercises, but it can take longer, and some cases linger for many months. Progress is usually gradual rather than sudden. Surgery is rarely needed and is normally only considered after six to twelve months of non-surgical treatment that has not helped.

Does a golfer's elbow brace help?

A counterforce brace or epicondylar clasp, worn just below the elbow, aims to reduce the pull on the irritated tendons, and many golfers find it makes playing more comfortable. It eases symptoms rather than fixing the cause, so it works best alongside a lighter grip, sensible practice habits and regular strengthening exercises. A physiotherapist can check that it sits in the right place.

What is the fastest way to heal golfer's elbow?

There is no quick fix, but the most reliable approach is to reduce the activities that aggravate it and do gentle stretching and strengthening most days, especially slow lowering exercises for the wrist. Ice can ease soreness after activity. Avoid playing through sharp pain, because repeatedly flaring the tendon tends to slow recovery. A physiotherapist can tailor the exercises and progress them safely.

Should I use graphite shafts if I have golfer's elbow?

Graphite shafts are worth considering. A 2026 study of 40 golfers with an average age of 51 found graphite shafts led to lower forearm muscle activity than steel shafts in part of the swing. The study measured muscle activity rather than recovery, so it is not proof of benefit, but if you are buying new irons anyway it is a sensible conversation to have with a club fitter.

Golfing With Golfer's Elbow? How to Keep Playing Safely

Golfing with golfer's elbow is often possible, as long as you reduce the load on the irritated tendon while it settles. That usually means a short break or fewer practice balls, a lighter grip, a smoother swing that lets the body lead, and a few minutes a day of gentle forearm exercises. If pain is sharp, getting worse or affecting everyday tasks, rest from golf and get it checked.

Golfer's elbow (medical name: medial epicondylitis) causes pain on the inner side of the elbow. It is rarely serious, but it can be stubborn. The good news is that most of what helps is simple, gentle and within your control.

What is golfer's elbow?

The muscles that bend your wrist and fingers and turn your palm downwards all start from a small bony bump on the inside of the elbow, called the medial epicondyle. Golfer's elbow is irritation where those tendons attach. The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust describes it as often an overuse injury, usually from repeated or strenuous bending of the wrist, with tiny tears and inflammation forming near that bony lump.

Typical signs, according to NHS Borders' patient guide, include:

pain on the inside of the elbow
tenderness when you press on that spot
pain when lifting heavier items or bending the wrist
pain and weakness when gripping

The same guide offers some reassurance: it should not cause any lasting damage and does not lead to arthritis. Despite the name, golf is far from the only cause. Gripping, lifting and DIY can all bring it on, and a 2023 clinical overview in Orthopedic Reviews notes that being 40 or older is associated with developing it.

Golfer's elbow or tennis elbow?

The difference is which side of the elbow hurts. Golfer's elbow affects the inner side, tennis elbow the outer side. Somewhat confusingly, golfers get tennis elbow more often than golfer's elbow, according to a 2023 review of golf injuries in the Aspetar Sports Medicine Journal. The same review notes that the elbow is the second most frequent injury location for recreational golfers, and less common in elite players. Much of the advice below helps with both.

Why golfers get golfer's elbow

Hitting from the top

The classic golf cause is a swing fault. The MSD Manual explains that it happens when "hitting from the top", forcefully bringing the club down with the right arm (for a right-handed golfer), which places extreme stress on the flexor muscles of the right elbow. The Hospital for Special Surgery (HSS) adds that it is most common in the right elbow of a novice right-handed golfer, and that golfers who "throw the club down" at the ball with a poor weight shift face more strain. HSS also notes the lead arm (left arm for a right-hander) can be affected if the follow-through turns the wrist over.

Gripping too hard, too often

The forearm muscles that grip the club are the same ones that pull on the inside of the elbow. The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital advises using the least grip force possible, or a larger grip size, when the elbow is sore.

Heavy contact and too many balls

Every shot that digs into hard ground sends a jolt up the shaft and into the forearm. Long range sessions add up too, because golfer's elbow is a load problem: the tendon gets more work than it can recover from. Repetitive motion is the main story in amateur golf injuries generally; the Aspetar review cites a study in which repetitive motion accounted for 83% of amateur injuries.

A stiff body turn

This one is less direct, but worth considering. If your hips and upper back no longer turn as freely as they did, it is natural to make up the difference with the arms, which is exactly the "hit from the top" pattern described above. If you are not sure how freely you turn, our free golf mobility test takes a few minutes at home.

Golfing with golfer's elbow: can you keep playing?

Often, yes, but with changes, and not through sharp pain. HSS lists not playing through pain among its prevention tips, and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital suggests resting the elbow and wrist between activities, or stopping sport for a few weeks, so the tendon can heal.

A sensible middle ground for most club golfers looks like this:

If it hurts during everyday tasks (lifting a kettle, shaking hands), take a few weeks off golf and focus on the gentle exercises below.
If it only niggles after golf, keep playing but cut back: fewer holes, far fewer range balls and no long practice sessions.
Use a simple next-morning check. If the elbow is worse the morning after a round, you did too much. Ease back next time.
Build back gradually. Short game and putting first, then half swings with short irons, then longer clubs.

Golf changes that ease the load on your elbow

You do not need a new swing. A handful of small changes, ideally talked through with your club professional, can take a surprising amount of strain off the elbow.

Lighten your grip and check its size

Hold the club only as firmly as you need to. A larger grip can also help, as the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital suggests. There is also early research on grip design. In a 2024 study in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders, 30 golfers aged 18 to 70 hit shots with a standard grip and with an ergonomic grip. The ergonomic grip reduced activity in several forearm muscles during parts of the swing, with greater reductions in amateurs. It was a small study measuring muscle activity rather than injuries, so treat it as promising rather than proven.

Consider graphite shafts

A follow-up study by the same group, published in BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders in 2026, tested 40 golfers with a mean age of 51. Graphite shafts led to lower forearm muscle activity than steel shafts in the late follow-through, and the authors suggest graphite may serve as a non-medical option for elbow overuse problems. Again, this measured muscle activity, not recovery, but if you are due new irons it is a reasonable choice to discuss with a club fitter.

Let the body lead the downswing

Since hitting from the top is the classic cause, the fix is to start the downswing with the lower body and let the arms follow, rather than throwing the club at the ball with the trail arm. A slightly shorter, smoother backswing often makes this easier. If you are worried about losing distance, our guide on how to increase swing speed for seniors covers ways to keep clubhead speed that do not rely on the arms.

Be kind to yourself on the range

Tee the ball up, even for irons, while the elbow is sore.
Practise from good grass where you can, rather than hard ground.
Hit fewer balls, with a pause between each.
Spend more of the session on chipping and putting.

Warm up before you play

HSS recommends warming up and building activity gradually. Five minutes of gentle movement, wrist circles and half swings with a wedge before the first tee is time well spent. Our golf stretches for seniors include a short pre-round routine.

Try a brace or clasp

A counterforce brace is a strap worn just below the elbow. OrthoInfo, from the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, says it can limit the force on the injured tendons, and the NHS Borders guide says an epicondylar clasp aims to remove some of the tension from the tendons. Many golfers find one helpful while playing. It eases the load rather than fixing the cause, so use it alongside the exercises below.

Golfer's elbow exercises: a gentle 5-move routine

Exercise is the main treatment. OrthoInfo describes exercises as having long been the main treatment for golfer's elbow, starting with stretching and then strengthening, with eccentric (slow lowering) exercises considered particularly beneficial. The routine below is adapted from patient guides by NHS Borders and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital. You need only a table, a chair and a tin of beans or small bottle of water.

Move within comfort throughout. Mild discomfort while strengthening is common at first, but sharp or worsening pain is a signal to stop. Do moves 1 to 3 once or twice a day, and add moves 4 and 5 only when the first three are pain-free.

Forearm stretch. Reach your sore arm forward with the elbow straight and palm facing down. Bend the wrist so your fingers point up, then use your other hand to ease the hand back gently until you feel a stretch on the inside of the forearm. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. Repeat 3 times.
Palm turns. Sit with your elbow bent at your side, palm down. Slowly turn the palm up, then back down. Repeat 10 times.
Elbow bends. Slowly bend your elbow fully, then straighten it as far as is comfortable. Repeat 10 times.
Static wrist hold. Rest your forearm on a table, palm up. Try to curl your wrist upwards while your other hand presses down with equal force, so nothing moves. Hold for 5 to 10 seconds. Repeat 5 to 10 times, starting gently.
Slow lowering. Rest your forearm on the table, palm up, with your hand just over the edge. Use your other hand to lift the sore hand up, then let go and lower it slowly over about 6 seconds. Start with no weight. Build towards 3 sets of 10 and, when that feels easy, hold a tin of beans or small bottle of water. The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital notes that adding a weight may take a week or two.

Done regularly, this short routine is the backbone of golfing with golfer's elbow. Expect progress to be measured in weeks, not days.

Golfer's elbow relief after a round

A little care after you play helps stop a niggle building.

Ice for 20 minutes. OrthoInfo suggests ice several times a day for 20 minutes at a time, never directly on the skin.
Check before taking painkillers. NHS Borders advises speaking to your pharmacist about the best pain relief, and using anti-inflammatory gels only on the advice of a GP or pharmacist.
Spare the elbow at home. Carry bags with the palm facing up or close to your body, and avoid heavy gripping on the day after a round.
Keep a note. Score your elbow from 0 to 10 the next morning. Patterns soon show, such as flare-ups after range sessions.

How long does golfer's elbow take to heal?

Patience is part of the treatment. HSS says physical therapy can take weeks to months to show improvement, and the Royal Orthopaedic Hospital says the condition will settle on its own but could take months or years. Surgery is rarely needed. When it is considered, it is usually only after 6 to 12 months of non-surgical treatment without improvement, according to HSS.

Steroid injections are sometimes offered for short-term relief, but they are not right for everyone. OrthoInfo notes some research suggests they may lengthen rehabilitation, and the 2023 Orthopedic Reviews overview reports that their pain relief lasts under about 8 weeks, with worse long-term results than saline injections or no treatment. That is a conversation to have with your GP or doctor.

When to see a professional

Most golfer's elbow settles with load management and exercise. HSS advises seeing a doctor if pain continues for several weeks despite rest and a short course of pain relief. See your GP, doctor or a physiotherapist (many UK areas let you refer yourself) if:

pain has not eased after a few weeks of rest and gentle exercise
it wakes you at night or aches at rest
your grip is getting weaker
you have numbness or tingling in the ring and little fingers, which OrthoInfo notes can come from irritation of the nearby ulnar nerve

Seek urgent help (NHS 111, A&E or 999 in the UK, urgent care or 911 in the US) if the pain started with a fall or a pop, the elbow looks misshapen, you cannot bend or straighten it, or it is hot, red and swollen and you feel unwell. A physiotherapist and your club professional working together is often the best route back to comfortable golf.

Turning this into a daily habit

Recovery from golfer's elbow rewards little and often, and so does keeping the rest of your body turning freely so your arms do not have to do the work. Evergreen, coming soon to iPhone, builds a personalised 10-minute daily mobility routine from a short assessment of where you feel stiff (hips, mid-back or shoulders), shown as illustrated, step-by-step demonstrations with a timer and a simple stiffness check-in to track progress. It is a fitness product rather than treatment, so use it alongside your physiotherapist's advice. You can read more about how Evergreen builds your daily plan.

This article is general information, not medical advice. If you have elbow pain that worries you, or that is not settling, speak to your GP, doctor or a physiotherapist.

Golfing with golfer's elbow: how to keep playing while it heals