The 2008 US Open showcased to the world what over half of all golfers already know. Golf can be tough on the body.

Although Tiger Woods’ knee injury reportedly occurred originally off the course, I assure you the rotational torque at the knee joint created by his powerful swing didn’t make it feel any better. The fact that Tiger could overcome his injury to go on to what can arguably be called the greatest Major victory in the history of golf is a testament to his superior physical conditioning.

On the surface, golf may look to be a slow paced low impact sport with little risk of injury. However, as many golfers have unfortunately discovered, looks can be deceiving. The "Physician and Sports Medicine" Journal reports 57% to 67.5% of all golfers will sustain some type of golf related injury. Unlike Tiger’s ACL which is an acute traumatic injury, most golf injuries are overuse injuries. The most common injuries are lower back related, followed by elbows injury; injuries to shoulders and wrists are also commonly seen.

Throughout the swing strong forces of compression, shear, and torsion are produced that place our spine, joints and muscles at a relatively high risk of injury. To limit the detrimental affects of these forces it is imperative that the golfer possess good muscle balance (coordination of muscle contraction and relaxation), postural stability and balance, and muscular strength and endurance. Sure there are many golfers out there that do not possess these attributes. The body does a great job in compensating for weakness and faulty biomechanics that allows us perform very dynamic movements such as a golf swing. There is a downside to this compensation, however. The downside is an overuse of certain muscles which often leads to muscle and joint pain and injury as well as a loss of power, an inconsistent swing and errant shots.

Unlike Tiger Woods, many golfers spend hours upon hours practicing their swing with little or no time devoted to training their bodies. This type of golf preparation usually results in two things: 1. Inconsistency and 2. Aches and pains

So, how does the golfer reduce their risk of injury? By establishing and maintaining core strength, muscle balance and flexibility by participating in a well developed integrated exercise program. Increased muscular efficiency and flexibility allow you to increase power and consistency while drastically reducing chances of pain and injury.

Beware; all golf fitness programs are not created equal. There are many common golf fitness mistakes made by well meaning golfers and trainers. Here are five of the most common golf fitness mistakes to avoid.

Mistake #1 Doing old school "Gym Science" exercises and thinking it will help your game.

A common mistake made by many well meaning but unknowing golfers is performing old - fashioned body building routines with the hopes it will translate to better golf. These programs generally focus on training specific muscles or body parts with little attention paid to movement or muscle balance.

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