Foot pain in all professional and amateur golfers can disrupt sequencing components of a golf swing. All bodily forces of a golf swing start and end with the ground-foot relationship. Each week on the PGA Tour a golfer will come in with foot pain. Hopefully they come in early in the week so that we have a couple of days before the tournament begins to figure out the problem and correct the dysfunction.
Frequently pain is on the lateral side of the lead foot. Pain is present when the golfer moves the lead foot in an out and up movement (eversion). Tenderness is felt near the cuboid/calcaneal joint and is localized and specific. After assessing the lumbo-pelvic area and lower extremities it is often evident the lead foot was pronated in a static postural position and worsened dynamically with their backswing.
Checking the golfer’s shoes is important since most golf shoes have poor longitudinal arch support. Also the seams in the fabric on the lateral side of the shoe can create a pressure tendonitis On the dorsum and lateral side of the effected foot. The clinical thought is when the lead foot is required to pronate it does so excessively and over pronates compressing the lateral aspect of the foot. Tarsal joints are compressed and with repetition become inflamed. Therefore it is important to control the amount of pronation since the golf shoes were not doing that.
Treatment for local inflammation is usually given and muscle activation performed on foot invertors-evertors to tolerance. Golfers are advised to change shoes to ones that have no lateral seams, a better arch support and a wider toe box. It is also advised to purchase arch supports at a local drugstore and evaluate their benefit.
Often the golfer will finish their round the next day with new shoes and enhanced longitudinal arch support with less pain. It can be a simple fix to a problem that could progress, become chronic and disrupt your entire swing mechanics.
To every golfer: Be sure you are wearing comfortable shoes that offer longitudinal and transverse arch support. The stresses on your feet with the golf swing are often taken for granted. Be sure you are in the proper footwear. Your performance depends on it!
