Golf pros including Bubba Watson and Scott McCarron have praised the benefits of CBD. The GOLF website says CBD is a “power plant” and, “For a growing legion of Tour disciples, the hemp extract CBD is a game-changer.” We’ve all heard the claims, but what is going on with golf and CBD? Why are so many golfers using CBD?
There are several keys to overall wellness that are particularly important to golfers. Keeping calm, getting good sleep, supporting sore muscles and joints, and improving focus may be critical. Each can impact your golf game, and we’ve outlined steps you can take steps to improve in each key area. We’ve also explained the human endocannabinoid system, how it can help keep you in balance, and how CBD may help.
Staying Calm
Whether you are the next Tiger Woods or it’s your first time on the course, everyone experiences anxiety and nerves.
Andy Fish, PGA professional says, “First tee jitters, the final holes of your best round and 2 foot putts can all constitute a stimulus for anxiety…Your palms sweat, breathing shallows and you might get quick with your actions and decisions. It’s very difficult to play in this state.”
Fish recommends training in the types of situations that bring up fear and practicing deep breathing. Coaches and sports psychologists also suggest mental and physical training and visualization techniques. They even suggest forcing a smile to break the pattern of negative thoughts.
Good Sleep
Professional athletes know the value of good sleep and may go to any lengths to get it. The Sleep Foundation says, “Sleep plays a major role in athletic performance and competitive results…The quality and amount of sleep athletes get is often the key to winning.” Sleep may help with decision making, memory, energy and focus, and getting enough of it is key.
Sleep is so important that many sports teams hire sleep coaches or consultants to work with their top athletes. Some experts compare the benefits of a good night’s sleep to the effects of a performance-enhancing drug.
In our article, Can CBD Help With Sleep?, we share the benefits of sleep for athletes and strategies for getting more sleep. Some strategies include meditation, exercise, keeping a regular sleep schedule, and avoiding too much caffeine.
Keeping muscles & joints comfortable
A golfer’s body is engaged from head to toe during each and every golf swing. “It is common for golfers to have back, knee, wrist, and even shoulder injuries due to the rotational nature of the golf swing,” says the FrontlineER group in Texas.
The group goes on to say, “It is important for golfers to ensure their muscles are strong and flexible to avoid injury and to be able to play their best game. When muscles are tight and the joints are not healthy, the golfer can be injured.”
Reducing inflammation, exercising and stretching major muscle groups, physical therapy, and massage may help prevent injury and support golfers.
Maintaining Focus
Golf requires an incredible amount of focus and accuracy. It is an incredible feat to drive a 1.68-inch diameter ball hundreds of yards onto the next green and then putt it into the 4.25-inch diameter hole. Golfers navigate sand traps, water and trees along the way, and repeat this feat 9 to 18 times per game.
The website Swing Control notes the following about the game of golf. “[It] depends on maintaining a high amount of concentration for an extended period of time. If you’re just getting started, you’re going to have to sharpen both of your physical and mental skills to stay focused on the golf course.”
Techniques including meditation, mindfulness and visualization can help maintain focus both on and off the golf course.
Golf and CBD: Why are so many golfers using CBD?
There are many practices that can help golfers facing challenges with calmness, sleep, muscle and joint comfort, and focus. But everyone can use a little support from time-to-time. To better understand how CBD may help, it helps to have a basic understanding of the human endocannabinoid system.
CANVIVA’s article, CBD And the Human Endocannabinoid System, explains the human endocannabinoid system (ECS). The ECS is not an isolated system like the digestive or respiratory system. Instead, it is spread throughout our body on nearly every organ. It is responsible for homeostasis or keeping our body functions in balance. And it affects everything from sleep, appetite, pain, inflammation, memory, mood, and focus.
Adding a full spectrum CBD oil to your daily wellness regimen can help maximize your health and help keep your endocannabinoid system in balance.
CANVIVA has formulated many of our CBD products with essential oils that may enhance the beneficial properties of CBD. Golfers may be interested in trying our CALM, REST, RELIEVE, or FOCUS CBD oil or other products.
