I'm 68 years old and looking to get back into disc golf after not playing for 15 years. I threw BHRH, I had a meniscus surgery on my right knee. I have not tried throwing yet. My question is.. should I throw fore hand now or will my knee hold up to a back hand throw.
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Knee question
- Thread starter bobcat124
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Only one way to find out for sure. The main thing is to make sure your foot will rotate when you do. If you rotate and your foot does not, that would put a lot of stress on the knee. You can also start out with short standstill throws and slowly work up from there.
FWIW I had meniscus surgery on my BH plant knee decades ago, and so far that knee is holding up. The other knee, on the other hand . . .
I'm now 64. I've been playing disc golf since 1995. I had meniscus surgery on my left knee in 2012, my right knee in 2016. I was back throwing lightly in a few weeks, full speed (such that it is) in 2 months. I re-injured the right knee -- but not by playing disc golf, but rather by walking through a dark room and into the side of a sofa.
My experience says your knee should be up to the challenge, throwing either way. At least as pertains to the meniscus surgery; being 68 is another issue, entirely. Stretch, start with standstills, ease into it, but I'll bet you'll be fine.
...to put it another way, my pre-surgery discussion with the orthopedist, before my first surgery:
How long until I'm good to go?
"Two weeks"
I play disc golf.
"Three weeks"
Your mileage may vary, and you should listen to your medical experts, not to me. But that was the advice I got, at the time of my surgery.
How long until I'm good to go?
"Two weeks"
I play disc golf.
"Three weeks"
Your mileage may vary, and you should listen to your medical experts, not to me. But that was the advice I got, at the time of my surgery.
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I'm still probably at least a couple of months away from throwing, but I hope to learn a thing or three from this thread.
opcorn:
Was already thinking this is the way. Pre round stretching and ditch run-ups for a while. Just stand and deliver to start out. Have a feeling my 150 Storm is gonna be my "Go to."
opcorn:Was already thinking this is the way. Pre round stretching and ditch run-ups for a while. Just stand and deliver to start out. Have a feeling my 150 Storm is gonna be my "Go to."
Haha I am also subscribing to this thread. I'm late 40s but I'm construction electrician and my knees have taken a beating, I've had surgery for the meniscus on my point leg as well and you older farts are putting me to shame.
I was on crutches for probably two or three weeks and I did not really play disc golf for a few months, I did go out and play with crutches a few times wrong handed. I also was using my forehand a lot more. Lately I have been trying to rebuild my form and I realize why my form is in the shape it not the hip rotation it is my plant leg. I have been struggling with rotating my foot and my knees are taking a beating
All I can suggest is that you put a knee brace on there and start carefully you end up putting a lot of stress on your plant leg and a good forehand will be in your best interests
I was on crutches for probably two or three weeks and I did not really play disc golf for a few months, I did go out and play with crutches a few times wrong handed. I also was using my forehand a lot more. Lately I have been trying to rebuild my form and I realize why my form is in the shape it not the hip rotation it is my plant leg. I have been struggling with rotating my foot and my knees are taking a beating
All I can suggest is that you put a knee brace on there and start carefully you end up putting a lot of stress on your plant leg and a good forehand will be in your best interests
Brychanus
* Ace Member *
Younger than you but have my share of bilateral issues including meniscus on left knee and diffuse issues elsewhere. Best rec is consult Dr., and if you have access to a sports PT who knows about golf mechanics (ball golf is more likely but very relevant) that is helpful.
In general listen to your body and find a good pace for you. Spending time working on mechanics on front leg can get you a lot of mileage and you can take it slow.
This is all good stuff to try if your knee is up to it:
In general listen to your body and find a good pace for you. Spending time working on mechanics on front leg can get you a lot of mileage and you can take it slow.
This is all good stuff to try if your knee is up to it:
jenb
* Ace Member *
Knights say it.
So something I do is put my front foot forward at a 45, not perpendicular.... it helps relieve the stress on my leg, I realize this is not ideal when driving. I have a fear of slipping out and injury so pivoting my front foot on the heels seems to be a mental problem. How bad a thing is that, knee wise on a standstill?
Is there some solid guidelines for "form with knee injuries"? Stupid stuff to avoid, like when I did mine in on a Sunday looking at a busted well pump (after 27 holes of disc)... I went to the doctor, described it and he said
"OH yeah, never kneel and twist, that always happens"
So I'm currently taking some time off from fieldwork, I'm doing exactly what Monocacy is describing.. and it's not recommended ��
Is there some solid guidelines for "form with knee injuries"? Stupid stuff to avoid, like when I did mine in on a Sunday looking at a busted well pump (after 27 holes of disc)... I went to the doctor, described it and he said
"OH yeah, never kneel and twist, that always happens"
So I'm currently taking some time off from fieldwork, I'm doing exactly what Monocacy is describing.. and it's not recommended ��
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CaptainAnhyzer
* Ace Member *
I also had meniscus surgery on my right knee. I'm 55 and play competitively every week.
I took a few months off while rehabbing the knee. Now that warmer weather is here I've felt pretty confident throwing RHBH drives from various tee pads. Still a bit apprehensive on the fairway where footing isn't always secure. I actually injured it on a natural grass rugby field when the tread of my shoes caught the grass like Velcro and my knee rotated rather than my foot.
1. Do all the physical therapy. When that comes to an end and they evaluate you, be honest with them about how your knee feels and continue PT if necessary. Everyone recovers at different rates.
2. Continue to do strengthening exercises and stretching once you start playing again.
3. Keep a sharp eye on footing on the course and in daily life(i.e DavidSauls couch incident above). Stairs are a HUGE peeve of mine since the surgery. I find myself stopping at each flight and consciously thinking about how fast i wanna go up/down, which foot to lead with, etc.
Bottom line is that joint is forever compromised and you will likely have to adjust your game. Start back into it slowly and you should be back on the course soon.
Getting old sucks! I'm 78 and have had left knee replacement and right knee is well worn. I've been stand still throwing for a long time. One of my greatest cautions is falling. I play some really nice courses but the ground is rough and plenty of hidden potholes. When I step into one of those holes my balance and reflexes aren't what they used to be. My biggest thing is to be constantly watching where I am stepping and to think ahead about your throws and what you are going to do or what they are going to do to you.
HB2017
Bogey Member
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These sites might be helpful:
http://www.atgonlinecoaching.com/
https://thereadystate.com/
Diet is another thing to consider. Opinions vary on what exactly constitutes a "low-inflammation" diet but your body will thank you for sticking to minimally processed foods and restricting your consumption of alcohol, red meat, sugar, etc. At 68 you probably know what your body likes but it still might be useful to try eliminating certain types of food (e.g., dairy, wheat) and see if you notice any difference.
http://www.atgonlinecoaching.com/
https://thereadystate.com/
Diet is another thing to consider. Opinions vary on what exactly constitutes a "low-inflammation" diet but your body will thank you for sticking to minimally processed foods and restricting your consumption of alcohol, red meat, sugar, etc. At 68 you probably know what your body likes but it still might be useful to try eliminating certain types of food (e.g., dairy, wheat) and see if you notice any difference.
Brychanus
* Ace Member *
Looked at your form thread again & remembered something & wanted to share.
Of course defer to Doc: In my case this reminded me that in the first year of form work, regardless of what I was learning, I had a hell of a time convincing my knees to help resist the ground correctly and "deweight" the front knee, which is what causes the pivot. It would always tend to get gunshy trying to prevent pain and not resist the ground enough, and the sad irony is that it just makes things worse by preventing the plant leg from pivoting as easily since my weight got 'glued' to the ground. It took a lot of time for me to get in the posture and swing so that I could resist at the knee without hurting it further. Any time I'm overzealous my knees still always feel the beating first and I have to account for it when I warm up.
These two moves in particular were really important for me and I still do them when I'm starting to feel a knee episode. By learning to hop-n-drop, my body started to learn what "crush & resist" meant. By learning to leverage from there and swing freely, it helped teach my body what causes the pivot and follow through. These help your body learn where swing power come from & how to protect the knee (approach cautiously of course).
Many thanks for that i will watch carefully tonight... yeah I'm overdue to update that form thread, I'm looking pretty different already. I appreciate the kick in the right direction...
Shameful as it is Haha, that's where I was at after a few years of trying to stop injuries and a declining throw and the worst offseason yet. I made myself a mess by not using my lower body and keeping a weird mix of old elements etc...
Shameful as it is Haha, that's where I was at after a few years of trying to stop injuries and a declining throw and the worst offseason yet. I made myself a mess by not using my lower body and keeping a weird mix of old elements etc...
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Just turned 58, been playing for almost 20 years, and never gave falling a thought.
It's not like I was skipping down hills before, but...
After what happened to me March 2nd, you can guaran-dam n-tee I will be very cautious going downhill from now on.
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I'm 54 and replaced the left knee in'14 and right in '18.
That choice is individual. I have some genetic predispositions on top of my physical activities (sports) that put a lot of wear and tear on my knees.
The thing I think would be meaningful in that regard is I was spending a lot of time out if action before knee replacement and that issue was essentially gone when I replaced my knees.
That's not to say I don't have age related issues as well as being overweight. But to go from my best days being a handful or less per month to always being near my best days such as they were pre-replacement was significant.
Said another way, I eliminated the days I was limited mobility to no mobility and sleeping with my feet elevated and wearing ice packs regularly.
Do everything you can to naturally eliminate/minimize inflammation as was said above. Pills only put off momentarily the effects of inflammation. Change diet and activity routines will provide greater more sustainable relief.
That choice is individual. I have some genetic predispositions on top of my physical activities (sports) that put a lot of wear and tear on my knees.
The thing I think would be meaningful in that regard is I was spending a lot of time out if action before knee replacement and that issue was essentially gone when I replaced my knees.
That's not to say I don't have age related issues as well as being overweight. But to go from my best days being a handful or less per month to always being near my best days such as they were pre-replacement was significant.
Said another way, I eliminated the days I was limited mobility to no mobility and sleeping with my feet elevated and wearing ice packs regularly.
Do everything you can to naturally eliminate/minimize inflammation as was said above. Pills only put off momentarily the effects of inflammation. Change diet and activity routines will provide greater more sustainable relief.
As far as plant foot rotation what are you all picking for shoes? I know cleats are bad haha... I play in my workboots a lot, they have good grip, played last night in my moccasins and got some good rotation but I'd be afraid to walk greasy rocks in em or thump bush without the ankle support.
Brychanus
* Ace Member *
I also had pretty weak ankles when I started DG & I think footwear is a big deal. I usually play in the woods so I like shoes on the hiking side of things. I used to use Merrell hikers (Yokota 2 I think) and they worked well but always felt a little clunky (and I already move clunkily enough!).
I switched to Merrell trail runners and they have really good lateral and overall stability and enough but not too much grip. Mine are holding up pretty well a few months in. I hear Merrell has some quality control issues recently but I'll probably always look at the trail runner market from now on.
Whenever I throw inside (hard basement concrete) I switch to sneakers with thicker and slightly softer soles which helps limit impact on my knees.
I got more confidence in wearing things like trail shoes after a lot of work on the mechanics that help "deweight" and protect the knee heading into the pivot.
Talking about knee replacements. My wife had both knees replaced on the same day, 2012, crazy woman, I still don't know how she did it.
I had my left knee replacement in 2019, thinking I would do the second in 6 months. After my first surgery I had no desire to have the second one done until it gets really bad. I'm gonna be honest, I get about as much pain and discomfort from my knee replacement leg as compared to the one that hasn't been done yet. Main difference is I know my knee replacement is not gonna get worse, where the other one will. That's just my experience.
I had my left knee replacement in 2019, thinking I would do the second in 6 months. After my first surgery I had no desire to have the second one done until it gets really bad. I'm gonna be honest, I get about as much pain and discomfort from my knee replacement leg as compared to the one that hasn't been done yet. Main difference is I know my knee replacement is not gonna get worse, where the other one will. That's just my experience.
