At a Glance
- Golfer's elbow is a tendon-loading problem — rest alone rarely fixes it
- Progress load gradually: pain during the exercise should be mild and settle quickly
- Do these exercises every other day at first, not daily
The Program
Weeks 1–2 (gentle loading):
- Grip squeezes with a soft ball: 3 sets of 10–15, twice a day
- Wrist curls with a light weight (palm up): 2 sets of 10–12
- Gentle golfer's elbow stretch after exercise
Weeks 3–5 (build tolerance):
- Wrist curls: 3 sets of 12–15, increasing weight slowly
- Reverse wrist curls (palm down): 2 sets of 10–12
- Finger extensions with a light band: 2 sets of 10
- Grip squeezes: 3 sets of 15
Weeks 6–8 (strengthen):
- Add slow, controlled wrist curls with a heavier weight — 3 sets of 8–10
- Wrist rotations (palm up and down) with a light weight: 2 sets of 10 each way
- Eccentric wrist curls: lower the weight slowly over 3–5 seconds, 3 sets of 8
Do This
- Warm up with light grip work before the main exercises
- Increase weight only when the current level feels easy and pain-free
- Keep pain during exercise at 3/10 or less, settling within a day
Avoid This
- Resting the arm completely for weeks — tendons need load to adapt
- Jumping straight to heavy gripping or lifting
- Pushing through sharp pain, especially at the inner elbow
When to See Someone
See a physiotherapist if pain is sharp, waking you at night, or not improving after 4–6 weeks of consistent loading. See golfer's elbow for more.
References
- AAOS OrthoInfo. "Golfer's Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis)." https://orthoinfo.aaos.org/en/diseases--conditions/golfers-elbow/
- NICE Clinical Knowledge Summaries. "Elbow Pain — Golfer's Elbow." https://cks.nice.org.uk/topics/elbow-pain/
This information is for education only and is not a medical diagnosis. If pain is sharp, severe or getting worse, stop the exercises and get assessed.