Hey all,

New to the boards - so, hi!

Quick question - and maybe others have the same issue. I currently throw a sidearm or flick for distance drives and this is killing my side (the opposite side from the hand I use) down below the rib cage but higher than the hip - in the muscle that exists there.
Is there something I'm doing to entice this?
Is there a stretch that I can do to warm up to prevent this?

Any help would be great as I start feeling the pain on the start of a second round each time I go out.

Thanks :)

Is it your oblique muscle? That's the one that is next to your abdominals. I'm not a doctor; but I wonder if it is a hernia.

Yeah, come to think of it is (oblique ext)... I haven't felt the non-stop pain that others have described as a hernia though. I'm just not quite sure...

Sounds like you just pulled your oblique.

I drive almost exclusively sidearm and I did this when I was starting out too. Take it easy on it for a couple of weeks and it should be fine if that's all it is.

Various toe touching stretches and also not straining too hard during the first few holes have helped me to keep it from happening again... so far.

Hope this helps,

- JPB

warm up before you play...take a short jog or something like that...ride bike maybe.

I strain those muscles at least once a year. I try to minimize the problem by warming up with a 5 lb. weight before I play. I swing it in the same motion as my forehand throw. It really speeds up warm up time and helps build those muscles.

Thanks for the replies folks... good advice! I'll be implementing one or two of those exercises into my routine.

Now that I think about it; I do strain my abdominal muscles a bit when I really try to torque a really overstable driver sidearmd at an anhyzer or sky roller angle. I have noticed that if I have my forehand more vertical relative to my elbow, it doesn't strain it as much. I do tend to sidearm less overstable drivers this way, most notably a pro starfire for about 350. If that sounds goofy, think of how a waiter holds a tray.

One of the most important things to do before throwing any discs is to stretch your muscles. Have you ever caught yourself saying, "I seem to play better after the first round."? I'm a sidearm thrower myself and have experienced the same discomfort in that area. Ball golfers are especially vulnerable. You'll also want to work on building-up your obliques (both sides) with exercise. Understand that you will have muscle soreness.
It is also important to stretch after and during the round.