JAMESTOWN, N.D. (NewsDakota.com) – Although a leisurely sport for most, there are things golfers can do to ensure they avoid any injuries this summer when hitting the links.

A safe sport, as long as a few basic and common sense rules of safety are followed, injuries aren’t very common in golf. Nick Schmidt with Sanford Health says there was an increase in golf participation over the last year.

With a lot of inexperienced golfers, Schmidt says there is an chance they could get injured while out on the course this year.

A study by the British Journal of Sports Medicine shows that the risk of injury among amateur golfers has an incidence between 15.8% to 40.9% on an annual basis. In professionals, the rates are even higher from 31% all the way to 90%.

Schmidt says the three most common injury areas are the back, shoulders, and elbows. He added you can begin stretching and strengthening those muscles can help prevent some of those common injuries experienced after excessive use. He says a recent study found a majority of those who have been injured while golfing failed to warmup adequately.

Schmidt added that taking lessons from trainers and ensuring you have the correct equipment from shoes to clubs may help decrease your chance of getting injured while enjoy the sport.

Schmidt says many clubs and shops can assist you in finding the best clubs for your game. Proper shoes, such as soft spikes, will lessen your chance for possibly slipping and injuring yourself on the course.

You can listen to a full Let’s Talk About It with Nick Schmidt below: