**13. Anatomical site of injuries in elite and professional golfers**

The anatomical site and specific location also varies between professional and elite golfers and their amateur counterparts. There are also gender differences. For professional male golfers, the most frequently injured site is the low back at 25% of injuries, with the left wrist accounting for 16% and the left shoulder accounting for 11%. Among female professionals, the most commonly injured site is the left wrist (in 31% of cases) and the low back in 22% of cases. In general terms, therefore, the leading wrist is the most commonly affected structure among professional and elite golfers with a combined incidence of 37%, the low back at 24%, the shoulder at 10%, the elbow at 7%, the knee at 7%, the ankle and foot at 5% and the neck at 3% [25].

## **14. Anatomical site of injuries for amateur golfers**

In amateur golfers, the low back is the most commonly injured site with an incidence in males of 36%, the elbow causing injuries in 33% of cases, the wrist or hand 21% and the shoulder 11% with the knee accounting for only 9% of injuries. In female amateur golfers, the elbow is the most commonly injured anatomical site at 36% of all female injuries, the low back accounts for 27% of injuries, the shoulder 16% and the wrist and hand 15%, the knee accounting for only 11% of injuries. When combining the data, it suggests that the most commonly injured site for amateur golfers is the lumbar spine accounting for 35% of all injuries, whereas the wrist or hand is the most common location for elite or professional golf injuries.
