Trail hand wrist injury (recovery strategy and healing timeline)

Yesterday at the range, I felt a pop on the outside of my right wrist as soon as my club contacted the turf after flushing a PW. (For those who immediately think STEEP!, the strike was shallow and pure, with a very small divot.)

The pain was intense and rendered me unable to grip the club with my right hand, much less execute a golf swing. Because I've had a similar injury to my left hand/wrist in the past, I knew right away I had either fractured something (like my hamate) or else severely sprained some of the soft tissue in that area (TFCC tear).

Injury and treatment:

• I did not see a doctor and do not have an official diagnosis, but I don't believe I broke anything (significant) because no tissue turned purple in the aftermath of the injury. I think it's likely a TFCC tear or severe sprain.
  
• Treatment will consist of ibuprofen, icing the affected area 2x/day (15-20 minutes per), and wearing a "wrist widget" to stabilize the bones on the outside of the hand/wrist.
  

Recovery milestones:

• Milestone 1 is gripping a club normally and without pain.
  
• Milestone 2 is being able to execute a backswing without pain. One day after the injury, any right hand motion in the "karate chop" direction is excruciating.
  
• Milestone 3 is executing a full swing and being able to practice (we'll say 1 range bucket).
  
• UPDATE: I ended up knocking out all 3 milestones within 4 days, but milestone 1 is actually still not "in the clear." There's still a lot of pain in my wrist, especially the day after playing or hitting balls.
  

I have two great reasons to track my healing progress:

First, the Austin Men's City Championship—the only 72-hole "major" on my tournament calendar—starts August 3. I have 17 days and am probably screwed, but by god, my goal is to play in that thing and make the cut.

Second, this "diary" will help to establish expectations for recovering from an injury like this. I'm also hopeful this will result in a strategy that can help others recover more quickly (and confidently) from injuries like this in the future.

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Progress Timeline:

• July 16: Injured right wrist at the range (likely TFCC tear)
  
• July 20: Hit 30 balls on a launch monitor with left-hand-only swings, but with increasing levels of right hand involvement to stabilize the club on the backswing and through transition
  
• July 24: Bent a set from 4-LW 3º flat and hit about 60 balls on the launch monitor. Still unable to have the right hand on the grip at impact (the shock is extremely painful).
  
• July 26: Played 18 from 1 tee up (70.0/117) and shot a 76 (+5)...which included a quadruple bogey! Not too shabby for no right hand on the club at impact.
  
• July 29: Played 18 from the tips (73.0/124) and shot a 73 (+1), including an eagle. Mind = blown.
  
• August 1: Played 18 and was largely terrible with a few moments of brilliance. Right wrist is getting stronger, and the right hand is now having too much influence over the club face again. One practice session to go before my big tourney.
  
• August 3: Tourney round 1 in extreme humidity. Pain in my wrist disappeared; I lost all my feels and exploded on the back 9. Shot an 87—by far my worst score of the year. Zero chance of making the cut, and zero chance of achieving my goal for the season. Extremely disappointed.
  
• August 4: Tourney round 2 in 97º heat and humidity. Pain was evident early and my play was strong. Started birdie-birdie, but the pain in my wrist disappeared after about 5 holes, leaving me to struggle with feels and wayward shots the rest of the way. Shot a 79 and missed the cut.
  
• August 11: Played at 70ºF in low humidity (~35%). Experienced wrist pain during warmups, but had no pain during the round. Shot an uninspired 75 on an easy course.
  
• August 14: Played at 83ºF in low humidity and had almost no pain. Thin shots during warmups were semi-painful, but really, my wrist was a non-factor. Struck the ball well all day but finished with a ridiculous quad to shoot 76 (+4).
  
• August 20: Still wearing a wrist brace all day every day. The bones in my wrist feel weird without the compression, and supination movements are quite uncomfortable. That said, the wrist is more or less a non-factor on the course now. I'm definitely not fully healed, but I have no reservations about going out and hitting balls. Shot a meh 76 (+5), but I felt like I had my full arsenal at my disposal out there.
  

Not likely your hamate. Look up TFCC injuries. I have a small tear in my right wrist (MRI confirmed). It took several months of immobilization (Removable cast) and physio and then I had to tape the wrist for most everything. After about a year I had built up the wrist enough to compensate for the tear. It still hurts every once in a while but I don't have to tape it any more. Did mine using an impact wrench changing out my summer for winter tires. If I had been a real athlete or the tear had been larger, the only recourse would be surgery.

I think you're right about a TFCC tear—I had completely forgotten that terminology from when I injured my left wrist in 2014.

Back then, I wore my wrist widget and stayed away from the clubs for about 2 weeks. I continued to wear athletic tape on my wrist for about a month and a half after I finally got back on the course, but I remember it taking quite a while to feel confident in that wrist again.

Although it's not looking too good for August 3, I'm still going to set the bar high for this recovery process.

Wore one of these for a few months. You get it molded to your arm/hand (most places that stock it have a little oven). Cost me about $150 cdn. The great thing is that you can take it off, loosen, tighten as required.

I think you're right about a TFCC tear—I had completely forgotten that terminology from when I injured my left wrist in 2014.

 

Back then, I wore my wrist widget and stayed away from the clubs for about 2 weeks. I continued to wear athletic tape on my wrist for about a month and a half after I finally got back on the course, but I remember it taking quite a while to feel confident in that wrist again.

 

Although it's not looking too good for August 3, I'm still going to set the bar high for this recovery process.

I taped it up and played with the injury until the snow came. Just remember to ice it after golf. Then I immobilized and rehabed.

I taped it up and played with the injury until the snow came. Just remember to ice it after golf. Then I immobilized and rehabed.

This is precisely what I did with my left wrist in 2014.

I'll try the same approach with my right wrist next week, as I've got no shot in the City Championship if I can't practice by July ~24.

Sounds like the same thing I had latter part of 2016. MRI indicated several small tears in tendons. Immobilized at night with wrist brace (I tend to sleep with my right hand in my left armpit for some reason which kept it inflamed), kept it wrapped for a couple of weeks & was able to get back to playing. Don't think mine was as severe as yours sounds.

Doctor gave me some samples of a pain release patch designed for knee injuries. Can't remember the name of it, but it comes in roughly six inch squares. He said cut a small piece, stick it to the outside of my wrist on the site of the pain & secure with elastic wrap. Good for about 6 hours of pain relief. Worked very well.

Sounds like the same thing I had latter part of 2016. MRI indicated several small tears in tendons. Immobilized at night with wrist brace (I tend to sleep with my right hand in my left armpit for some reason which kept it inflamed), kept it wrapped for a couple of weeks & was able to get back to playing. Don't think mine was as severe as yours sounds.

 

Doctor gave me some samples of a pain release patch designed for knee injuries. Can't remember the name of it, but it comes in roughly six inch squares. He said cut a small piece, stick it to the outside of my wrist on the site of the pain & secure with elastic wrap. Good for about 6 hours of pain relief. Worked very well.

Checked when I got home, the patch is a Flector Patch.

...the patch is a Flector Patch.

Thanks for the tip! I'll have to see if I can get a few of these.

I'm not sure if it's available OTC, think it's prescription only. But an orthopedist probably has samples they can give you to try. That's how I got mine.

I had a TFCC tear on right wrist. I am a right handed golfer.

It was not a complete tear but still needed surgery to clean up the debris field.

6-8 weeks post op on the shelf.

Best of luck.

It was not a complete tear but still needed surgery to clean up the debris field.

 

6-8 weeks post op on the shelf.

Was there anything in particular (lingering pain, limited range of motion, etc) that made you think surgery might be necessary?

My TFCC injury from 2014 healed up fine, and I've not had any lingering effects.

After having surgery on my right wrist this past December, I am personally back to almost 90% at work. As far as golf goes only a couple times has it hurt from coming in steep and such. So for golf it has been better than for work. I'm good with that.

I hope yours feels better and you make your tournament! Good luck !

It was not a complete tear but still needed surgery to clean up the debris field.

 

6-8 weeks post op on the shelf.

Was there anything in particular (lingering pain, limited range of motion, etc) that made you think surgery might be necessary?

 

My TFCC injury from 2014 healed up fine, and I've not had any lingering effects.

I injured my lead hand pinky ulnar side, playing way too much golf (36 plus holes a day and range time) I self diagnosed it as a TFCC injury. Out 6 weeks now. I can swing a club with a Wrist Widget pain free, but I still feel a little sharp pain at impact with a ball. I am getting massages and starting physio soon. My guess is I will be out at least another 4 weeks plus. I was like yourself, the day after the injury I could not even hold a club and it hurt making a thumbs up. It's improved tremendously. Its such a bummer of an injury though, not fun at all.

Out 6 weeks now. I can swing a club with a Wrist Widget pain free, but I still feel a little sharp pain at impact with a ball. I am getting massages and starting Physio soon. My guess is I will be out at least another 4 weeks.

I've had a wrist widget on since the injury. I just passed the 100 hour mark, and I am at least able to stabilize the club while trying to swing with only my left hand.

I can also tell that a bunch of strength has returned to the outside of my wrist, as I've been able to perform a few super-slow motion 3/4 swings without pain or (much) discomfort.

The one disappointment so far is some pain in my left wrist just beneath the thumb pad. I think it's just a product of making left-hand-only swings, which is something I've never bothered to do before!

Well you're way ahead of where I was. I could not do slow motion swings that shortly after. Looks like you will be back on the course in no time. You must have good blood flow to your wrists. Peter Finch has a similar injury to yours last year. Can you karate chop yet?

Can you karate chop yet?

Transverse tension along the karate chop axis is still pretty brutal.

Think, for example, about opening a ball jar lid with your left hand while you stabilize the jar with your right. That stabilizing torque with the right hand/wrist is quite painful.

Any kind of shock absorption (such as that from contact with a golf ball) is very painful as well.

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In other news, practicing with my left hand has been both interesting and revealing. For months, I've been battling this issue where my brain doesn't seem to like the position of the club face and sole at impact. I hit a lot of towering blocks, smother hooks, and thin shots right on my target line—in other words, my alignments aren't totally in harmony, and although I've been unsure about the exact cause, my brain constantly lets me know that something isn't right.

Left-hand-only swings have revealed the problem—I need a significantly flatter lie angle for all of my alignments and natural tendencies to make sense!

With this info in mind, I bent an old Hogan 8-iron 3º flat and started hitting balls with my left hand...and whaddya know, I was finally able to flush the ball with one hand! The results with the flatter club versus my standard 8-iron are remarkable: I can only hit low smother hooks and a lot of extremely thin shots with the "standard" lie angle, but I can flush the hell out of the flatter club with the feeling of a much more stable release.

And this is really the problem with my golf swing—with standard lie angles, my left arm cannot release normally relative to the face and sole of the club. I am forced to make a steepening move right before impact, and this makes it nearly impossible to be consistent throughout a round.

Beyond that, I've long known that I tend to dig the heel on anything other than a full swing (especially with wedges). This is evidence of how my arms want to work low and shallow through the ball, and I need the flatter lie angles to accommodate what is, for me, a more stable impact position with the hands.

Bottom line? A setback like this injury better yield some positive fruit, or else it's just a waste and a bummer.

I may miss my most anticipated tournament of the year, but if I can close out the season with some serious improvement thanks to new insights from this injury, it'll be totally worthwhile.

For long term best effects you probably must miss your tournament. Taking it slow early and doing what is best for the many more expected years of your golf life is probably the smarter option. People often underappreciate recover time and necessity for rest and proper rehab.

10 days after my injury, I finally made it out to the course. I still couldn't swing with my right hand on the club at impact, as it can only play a limited role in the backswing and early in the downswing due to the pain that accompanies certain positions.

Despite this handicap, I managed to scrape together one of the most enjoyable rounds of golf I've ever played:

• 76 (+5) on a 70.0/117 track
  
• 10 GIR
  
• 6 FIR
  
• 31 putts
  
• 3 birdies
  
• 1 quadruple bogey :(
  

Bottom line? I hit the ball great. And with only 1 arm!

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From my limited work on the launch monitor over the last 6 days, I knew I had figured out some interesting things about how the left arm must work through impact. During this time, I went from not being able to get a ball off the ground to carrying a driver over 250 yards...with only my left hand on the club at impact.

If you had asked me 2 weeks ago what provides the most power in the golf swing, I'd have said the shoulder turn with a big assist from the right side via the right arm.

Now that I've figured out how to smash the ball with only my left hand on the club at impact, I no longer think the above statement is true. In fact, I'm simply blown away how far one can hit the ball with only a sound shoulder turn and proper support of the club at impact.

Perhaps it was my focus on great contact rather than distance. Perhaps it was simply the fact that my right arm can't run the show when it's not on the club. Whatever the reason, I was somehow able to hit, by my count, 22 flushed shots during a single round of golf...and my right hand didn't even make it to the party!

Considering I was unable to make a reasonable 1-handed swing 10 days ago, this feels a little bit like a miracle.

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The big takeaway here is that I think golfers ought to practice making 1-handed swings with their lead arm. Figuring out how to do this has taught me a TON about how the club must work through impact and what the hands can (and cannot) do. I've also learned how to enable the shoulders to work better—more smoothly, and without mechanical interruption.

One thing I've noticed in myself that I'm now noticing in others is this idea of getting the rear shoulder deep during the backswing. To me, it feels like I am now clearing that shoulder to start my backswing (pulling it back in a perpendicular direction from the target line), and this gives me room to make a leveraged pass through the golf ball with no fear of coming over the top. (Side note: This also reduces or eliminates sway off the golf ball in the backswing.)

My one-handed swing feels like a baseball player executing a powerful swing with a one-handed release. Hitting golf balls this way feels a lot like batting practice, and for me, that's something of a comfort zone for confidence and consistency.

I suspect others would feel similarly if they mastered the one-handed swing!

Have you had a MRI and an official diagnosis yet? Sounds like you might be in more trouble than you think.

Have you had a MRI and an official diagnosis yet?

I find this outlook exhausting. So often with medical issues, we throw common sense out the window and bow at the altar of "muh doctors" and "muh diagnoses."

There are many possibilities with an injury like this, but only 1 requires significant medical assistance up front:

• You fractured a bone. Most fractures (everything but a stress fracture) in this area require an air cast. How do you know if you have a serious fracture? The area around the fracture will hurt like crazy, turn purple within 36 hours of the injury, and also be accompanied by significant swelling. In this case, it is idiotic not to seek medical help.
  
• You tore some tissue (ligament, cartilage, etc). Rest and relative immobilization/stabilization are key. If the area doesn't heal properly—aka you still experience debilitating pain months after the injury—then surgery may be required. But here's the clincher: Surgery can only "clean up" the area; it cannot repair the damaged tissue or torn ligaments. Surgery for these kinds of injuries generally consists of moving tissue away from the base of the ulnar bone, which can rub and cause ongoing damage to the affected area.
  
• You sprained some tissue. In the words of my two-year old, "you got a boo-boo," and you need to rest so as not to cause further damage. These types of injuries generally heal quickly and completely.
  

Now, obviously, if I continue to experience terrible pain in my right wrist by the end of August, I may indeed visit a doctor about the problem.

For now, I can tell that I am regaining strength in my wrist, and I have no reason to believe there is any significant damage.

As I said in my first post on this topic, I experienced the same injury to my left wrist in 2014, and I was able to resume playing after only 14 days off (but with a ton of tape on that wrist to limit its range of motion and provide stabilization). So far, my right wrist seems to be healing at a similar rate.

Have you had a MRI and an official diagnosis yet?

I find this outlook exhausting. So often with medical issues, we throw common sense out the window and bow at the altar of "muh doctors" and "muh diagnoses."

 

There are many possibilities with an injury like this, but only 1 requires significant medical assistance up front:

• You fractured a bone. Most fractures (everything but a stress fracture) in this area require an air cast. How do you know if you have a serious fracture? The area around the fracture will hurt like crazy, turn purple within 36 hours of the injury, and also be accompanied by significant swelling. In this case, it is idiotic not to seek medical help.
  
• You tore some tissue (ligament, cartilage, etc). Rest and relative immobilization/stabilization are key. If the area doesn't heal properly—aka you still experience debilitating pain months after the injury—then surgery may be required. But here's the clincher: Surgery can only "clean up" the area; it cannot repair the damaged tissue or torn ligaments. Surgery for these kinds of injuries generally consists of moving tissue away from the base of the ulnar bone, which can rub and cause ongoing damage to the affected area.
  
• You sprained some tissue. In the words of my two-year old, "you got a boo-boo," and you need to rest so as not to cause further damage. These types of injuries generally heal quickly and completely.
  

Now, obviously, if I continue to experience terrible pain in my right wrist by the end of August, I may indeed visit a doctor about the problem.

 

For now, I can tell that I am regaining strength in my wrist, and I have no reason to believe there is any significant damage.

 

As I said in my first post on this topic, I experienced the same injury to my left wrist in 2014, and I was able to resume playing after only 14 days off (but with a ton of tape on that wrist to limit its range of motion and provide stabilization). So far, my right wrist seems to be healing at a similar rate.

I totally agree. I am shocked reading some of these posts about how easily people sign up for surgery. Surgery is always the very last possible resource for recovery.

Have you had a MRI and an official diagnosis yet?

I find this outlook exhausting. So often with medical issues, we throw common sense out the window and bow at the altar of "muh doctors" and "muh diagnoses."

 

There are many possibilities with an injury like this, but only 1 requires significant medical assistance up front:

• You fractured a bone. Most fractures (everything but a stress fracture) in this area require an air cast. How do you know if you have a serious fracture? The area around the fracture will hurt like crazy, turn purple within 36 hours of the injury, and also be accompanied by significant swelling. In this case, it is idiotic not to seek medical help.
  
• You tore some tissue (ligament, cartilage, etc). Rest and relative immobilization/stabilization are key. If the area doesn't heal properly—aka you still experience debilitating pain months after the injury—then surgery may be required. But here's the clincher: Surgery can only "clean up" the area; it cannot repair the damaged tissue or torn ligaments. Surgery for these kinds of injuries generally consists of moving tissue away from the base of the ulnar bone, which can rub and cause ongoing damage to the affected area.
  
• You sprained some tissue. In the words of my two-year old, "you got a boo-boo," and you need to rest so as not to cause further damage. These types of injuries generally heal quickly and completely.
  

Now, obviously, if I continue to experience terrible pain in my right wrist by the end of August, I may indeed visit a doctor about the problem.

 

For now, I can tell that I am regaining strength in my wrist, and I have no reason to believe there is any significant damage.

 

As I said in my first post on this topic, I experienced the same injury to my left wrist in 2014, and I was able to resume playing after only 14 days off (but with a ton of tape on that wrist to limit its range of motion and provide stabilization). So far, my right wrist seems to be healing at a similar rate.

 

 

I totally agree. I am shocked reading some of these posts about how easily people sign up for surgery. Surgery is always the very last possible resource for recovery.

But it might be smart to get an accurate diagnosis. At least with accurate info, you can make an informed decision and decide what is best for you. More often than not, rest and rehab is the right thing. Most of us just won't let it rest. Case in point... my left wrist has some issues and not doing some things like golf is in order, but I won't for 3 months until the snow comes. I'm sure my physio is pissed, but I know that nothing bad will happen in the mean time. Just delaying the rehab at this point. I hope I'm right.

Case in point... my left wrist has some issues and not doing some things like golf is in order, but I won't for 3 months until the snow comes. I'm sure my physio is pissed, but I know that nothing bad will happen in the mean time. Just delaying the rehab at this point. I hope I'm right.

Your senses are probably correct.

I know if I had the specter of winter looming on the horizon, my Word not allowed would be on the course every day, regardless of health issues.

Thankfully, I moved to the Land of No Winter in 2008 and have never looked back. At this point, I can't imagine going 4-6 months without golf—seems like a cruel joke!

Got out for my second round post-injury yesterday, and despite driving the ball like crap for most of the day, I managed to keep it together and then make a nice charge at the end to post a strong number (more on that in a sec).

Unlike my first round, I struggled a little more with nearly all my shots going left. Through the first 12 holes, I made 4 bogeys, but I also had 4 extremely good looks at birdie (inside 15'). Sadly, I missed every damn one of them, but a couple of huge par saves on 9 and 11—with the latter coming from 41'—kept me at +4 heading to the 13th tee...

On the 13th tee, I worked out my left miss and proceeded to torch the remaining 6 holes. The putter even decided to get hot during that stretch, too!

After a solid par on 13, I barely missed birdies on 14 and 15. I followed that up with one of my best tee shots of the day on 16, and then I drained a bomb up and over a ridge for my first birdie of the day.

On the par 5 17th, I absolutely crushed my tee shot and then pured a 5-iron to 11'. Struck my most solid putt of the day for an eagle 3, and then I proceeded to make a nice par on 18.

So during my second post-injury round—and playing with only my left hand on the club at impact—I managed to get around in +1 73, tying my personal best on this particular course.

Somewhat ironically, this injury is turning out to be the best thing to ever happen to my golf game. I'm getting a much clearer picture of what has to happen at impact and how my arms need to work through the strike, and the quality of my misses is at least 1 standard deviation better than pre-injury.

I have a TFCC tear in my left wrist, so I feel your pain. It sucks. I have a golf trip this week and I'm just hoping to get through it and then I'll have surgery on it to clean it up. Doc told me I'll be out about 3 months.

I have a TFCC tear in my left wrist, so I feel your pain. It sucks.

I tore the TFCC in my left wrist in 2014 and healed rapidly. I really liked the stretchy ace-bandage-style tape on that left wrist for playing through pain, but it hasn't been the same with the right wrist at all. Impact is so jarring on your bottom hand...

Hopefully you'll be able to scrape by on your trip. I definitely know that the better you are, the worse an injury like this becomes, as outcomes and expectations often start to deviate to an unacceptable degree.

Get well soon! I know you've been battling injuries ever since you went ape sh*t on your home launch monitor. In fairness, I'd have done the same thing if I saw my launches and dispersion get as tight as you got yours.

One of the most remarkable insights to come from this injury is just how much negative influence my right hand has on the club face when it's strong and healthy. Overusing the right side, at least in my case, really shuts the club face down through impact.

My inclination is to provide as much power as possible with the right side (via the right hand), but this injury has really proven that, at a minimum, I'm doing it wrong. I can absolutely launch the ball when I time everything just right, but it's frustrating army golf when things are a bit off (and they always get off kilter from time to time).

Bottom line: I think my extreme focus on the right side for the past few years has really kept me from making a significant improvement in ball-striking.

And it makes sense, too. You want to get stronger? Work on your weaknesses. My left arm is "dumb" compared to my right, and I probably should have been working on it all along anyway.

Are you swinging entirely left arm only? Or letting go of the club with your right hand at some point prior to impact? I've hit balls left arm only since I was a teenager as a drill but pretty much short irons only, never tried it with longer clubs. I'm not sure I could let go of the club (intentionally) with my right hand/arm during the downswing.

Acupuncture and deep tissue massages have worked wonders for me. I'm chipping and putting right now pain free!