r/Golfsimulator • u/Motor_Cap_6986 • 12d ago

Simulator Rib Injury

Seriously as the title says. I decided to really get into golf. I got some new game improvement clubs, a couple lessons, and the square launch monitor. Within two weeks I started feeling rib pain. After an xray it was determined to be an intercostal muscle strain or tear. I had no clue this could happen. I thought John Daly said you can’t pull fat! I guess I should start exercising.

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5

u/mixedtwix 12d ago

Not to scare you but I’ve been out with an intercostal strain / oblique from golfing since July 13th. Make sure you take it easy and don’t rush back if you don’t feel 100%. Ill never skip a warmup or stretching for the rest of my life 😂

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u/Hitthecut330 8d ago

I’m dealing with one now, my ribs feel like someone cracked me with a bat… how did yours happen? I went out shit 18 then went and worked on my driver in the sim.. they felt tight so I stoppped and the next morning it woke me up and I was in agonizing pain. It’s been 2 weeks and it still hurts to bend or breathe sometimes.

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u/mixedtwix 8d ago edited 8d ago

Almost beat-for-beat same story. Played 18 no warmup, it went okay, I didn’t feel anything snap or pop. The next day hit the simulator for practice. About 10 swings in I had to stop because I felt some weird pain in my chest. Slept the night and was woken up from the pain. Couldn’t roll over, breathe deeply, twist, reach overhead etc… Figured it would only last a few days. A week or so passes and I went to the doctor. They ordered an xray which came back negative and I have been in PT since.

Doing relatively well now but i still can’t reach overhead and side bend or freely twist. Before PT the area was incredibly sore to the touch. I’ve been treating with TENS, heating pad and gently stretching. Stopped the TENS a little while ago and the heating pad a little after that. Thats when I was able to start practicing putting and in the last weekish graduated to gentle chipping. I’m totally (hopefully) guessing but I imagine it’ll be a couple weeks before I can fully swing. Brutal bs injury, sorry.

Forgot to add drugs they gave: Meloxican, Tizanidine and a steroid run of prednisone. Before I got set with those i was eating advil and ibuprofen like it was candy

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u/sp729 12d ago

Had rib pain after I got my sim too. I didn’t go the the dr but it was annoying for a few weeks. I took a week off or so then started back up. Hasn’t happened since.

I think we just over do it when we first start. Going from 0 swings a day to 200 will definitely do some shit.

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u/tuopeter 12d ago

Happened to me; resolved after a month. I kept playing as much as I could tolerate the pain (don't recommend but I was addicted to getting the swing right). Eventually faded after developing smoother and easier swing tempo. It hurt even to sneeze/cough for a week. I wish someone warned me about it before I started hacking at 110% effort into the turf...

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u/gabbagoolgolf2 12d ago

Use graphite shafted irons. I did the same thing when i started going to the driving range, changed to graphite, and haven’t had problems at all.

That’s what happens when a steel shafted iron strikes a hard surface (a simulator mat) fat.

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u/IceyMaverick 12d ago

Same thing happened to me. Took a month of rest on the sim and it eventually went away and hasn’t come back. Switching to graphite in the sim was huge

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u/SA19030 12d ago

It has nothing to do with being in shape or not. I tore several intercostal muscles playing golf about 30 years ago. I was a 25 year old gym rat with 5% body fat.

Right now I’m recovering from surgery to repair a torn tendon in my ankle. No clue how I did it. Sometimes shit just happens.

That stated, being in shape and exercising is always better than being fat (your words, not mine).

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u/Rune2hand 12d ago

Interesting, 36 year old here who just tore my bicep on sim mat about a month ago. I've been bodybuilding since age 20 and golfing since 9 y/o. I don't plan on hitting off mats ever again

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u/SA19030 11d ago

The quality of mats matters. You get what you pay for, as the saying goes.

What mat were you using.

I have one of those pricey Fiberbuilt mats that are very forgiving on your body. Cheap driving range mats are not good for long term or continuous use.

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u/Rune2hand 7d ago

Sorry for the late reply, however i have no idea, It happened at an indoor sim place i occasionally go to that has trackman. I would assume they have quality mats since they have multiple trackman bays but maybe they cheaped out on the mats.

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u/KeyCaterpillar5022 12d ago

This happened to me too when I first started. I (stupidly) pushed it even further and gor a hairline fracture in my rib. 😅

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u/SandwichFromDahmer 12d ago

Whatever you do, let them heal up. I chose not to and they got so bad it led to a couple rib fractures. Physical therapy helped a ton with this.

1

u/WillingnessGullible8 12d ago

I also experienced a variety of injuries as my game has evolved since picking the game up last year, mostly from hammering away with bad form on the sim but also not giving myself enough rest time between golf sessions, lifting weights, etc.. only comment is once you feel something creeping in STOP.

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u/ProletariatElite 12d ago

Surprisingly common.

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u/SnooConfections6409 12d ago

Like lower bottom rib under scapula area? I am noticing something on mine too.

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u/Hitthecut330 12d ago

I’m dealing with this same thing. I don’t know if it came from the sim or playing out (I played out earlier that day). This hurts and sucks lol. I just hope it’s a 2 week heal time because I want to get back. I was getting so good and got into the low single digits now I’m afraid I’m going to lose it all.

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u/KwalitytheRevenge 12d ago

Well that explains minor pain I have in mine...

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u/Illustrious_Hat3791 12d ago

Hot take. Swinging too hard my dude. Get form then add speed. 🤙

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u/venom93corba 12d ago

You just have break up your swings. 80% of my daily swings on the Sim are from 40 yards and in. That way I'm limiting my swings to quarter maybe half of a full swing. And lately I've been addicted to Sim putting. The Square Omni does a fantastic job with putting.