My wife is a goddess, as was proof this past week when it comes to golf injuries. I am thankful for having such a great girl. You see my college buddies and I who have keep in touch over the years planned a golfing get away. We had planned this golfing get together for the past year. Then it happened my golfing back started to act up putting some doubt on the trip. We all had looked forward to this weekend of playing golf, shooting the breeze and yes perhaps a little side betting on our golfing.

Believe it or not, my wife encouraged the trip… (hmmm.. wonder why she wanted me out of town?) and showed me how to get my back into proper shape. She's a dancer and only watches golf when she walks through the living room and Tiger Woods is playing.

Here are the Top Ten golf injuries. Starting with golfers elbow, knee pain, trigger finger, ecu tendon subluxation, bad back, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, DeQuervain's Tendinitis, wrist impaction and fracture of the Hamate Bone.

During my college days I had dreams of playing on the PGA circuit while playing on the golf team. It seems that I was better suited for business than playing golf in the same league as the professionals. It's funny how when you are twenty you don't sustain any golf injuries compared to being over forty.

When I turned thirty, I could feel my back begin to strain when I used my driver, and now nearing forty, if I don't do a proper warm up, I'm asking for back troubles. So guys, take the following advice from my wife and maybe I'll see you at Cochise golf course some weekend.

"Honey"… this is how my wife talks when she wants me to pay attention. "Whether you're playing golf or dancing, you need to pay attention to core strength, stability and flexibility." Since she was wearing alluring leotards, I could only sit spellbound and listen. "You need to do strength training to tighten up your abs (could that be hint?) since all your power comes from your center" (she motioned to her stomach, then did an imaginary golf swing) showing me how my abdominals effect my back and hips. Hmmm… maybe she was onto something. "And", she continued, now on flow, "you have to stretch before you play, the better your strength and flexibility, the better you'll feel during and after the game". I couldn't argue with her, and especially not when she smiled, that's the gleam that caught my eyes years ago. So I took my wife's advice, although she doesn't know a divot from a shank and heaven forbid if I mention a foursome. But keeping a body in shape was her specialty I began to implement her advice, into my daily gold regimen; strengthening my midsection, stretching before tee time, trying (in general) to live healthier. Believe it or not, it not only helped my golf game, but my overall outlook, I could drive longer and straighter and playing eighteen holes didn't wear me out.

Now my buddies from college are envious, of my golf game, my "drop dead gorgeous" wife and of course my core strength (though they'd never admit to that one). Golf injuries can be a thing of the past, stay in shape stretch before tee time, and give a listen to what the little lady has to say.