If the inside of your elbow aches after a round, or after a week of heavy grip work at the gym, you’re dealing with one of the most common overuse injuries tied to repetitive gripping. It’s not limited to golfers, either. Doctors call it medial epicondylitis, and it shows up in rowers, weightlifters, and anyone whose forearm tendons take on repeated strain, typing included. The good news: targeted forearm and upper body mobility work, including assisted stretching, can ease the tension that keeps this injury flaring.
What Is Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow, known medically as medial epicondylitis, is irritation of the tendons that connect your forearm flexor muscles to the bony bump on the inside of your elbow [1]. Cumulative gripping and twisting damage these tendons over time, which inflames the tissue and causes the ache right at that inner elbow point. It’s the mirror image of tennis elbow, which affects tendons on the outside instead.
And despite the name, plenty of people who’ve never picked up a golf club develop it. Repetitive wrist flexion from lifting, hammering, or gripping tools causes the same kind of damage.
What Causes Golfer’s Elbow in Golfers
For golfers specifically, the damage builds at the bottom of the swing, where repetitive motions like this lead to golfer’s elbow in the first place. Every impact sends force back up through the club and into the wrist and forearm, and gripping too tightly amplifies that load with every swing. Play enough rounds this way and the flexor tendons break down faster than they can repair, causing the inflammation and stiffness behind this injury.
Fat shots and heavy divots make it worse. Catching more turf than ball sends an extra jolt straight up the shaft and into the inside of the elbow.
Signs You May Have Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow symptoms are fairly consistent from person to person. The clearest sign is pain and tenderness along the inside of your elbow, sometimes stretching partway down the forearm. Grip strength often takes a hit too, and you might feel discomfort when you shake someone’s hand, twist a jar lid, or try to make a fist. Stiffness in the elbow joint is common, and some people feel occasional tingling running into the ring and little fingers, a sign the irritation sits close to the nerve running along the inner elbow.
Stretches for Golfer’s Elbow
These six stretches target the forearm flexors, extensors, and the tissue that feeds into the elbow joint. Hold each one gently. You should feel a stretch, not sharp pain.
- Wrist flexor stretch – extend your arm with the palm facing up, then use your other hand to gently draw the fingers back and down.
- Wrist extensor stretch – extend your arm with the palm facing down, then gently draw the hand toward your body to balance out the forearm.
- “Forearm Twisters” Pronation and supination stretch – tuck your elbow against your side and slowly rotate your palm up and down through its full range.
- Prayer stretch – press your palms together at chest height, then lower your hands toward your waist until you feel the forearms lengthen.
- Overhead triceps stretch – reach one arm overhead and bend it behind your head, releasing tissue above the elbow that feeds into the joint.
- Doorway chest stretch – open the front of your shoulder in a doorway so the forearm isn’t compensating for a tight chest.
These are dynamic stretches, moved through in a controlled fashion rather than held static, similar to the dynamic vs static stretching you’d use to warm up before a round. Two to three short sessions a day work better than one long one during a flare-up. Hold each position for just a few seconds before moving to the next, repeating the sequence 10 to 15 times. Tendon tissue adapts slowly, so give this routine a few weeks before judging whether it’s helping.
Strengthening and Load Management
Managing golfer’s elbow well means pairing stretching with the right exercises, not relying on one alone. Many physical therapists pair stretching with gradual eccentric wrist exercises for tendon recovery [2]. One common version: rest your forearm on your thigh and slowly lower a light weight through your wrist’s range of motion, like a reverse wrist curl.
You don’t need gym equipment to start. A dumbbell or a full water bottle works fine.
Where possible, ease back into rounds and range sessions instead of stopping golf altogether. Complete rest helps in the short term, but swinging again too abruptly tends to irritate the same tendon. It’s also worth reviewing grip size and grip pressure with a coach or club fitter, since a grip that’s too small forces your hand to squeeze harder and adds strain to the tendons you’re trying to heal.
Recovery Support with Stretch*d
A professional can fill in the gaps a solo routine can’t reach. Through assisted stretching, a Stretch*r can move your forearm, shoulder, and thoracic spine through positions that are difficult to reach on your own, all within a single session. Better mobility through the shoulder and upper back takes some of the compensating strain off the elbow during your swing, since a stiff shoulder often forces your forearm and wrist to do work they shouldn’t have to.
Pairing a session with stretch massage can help further with the tension surrounding the joint. Stretch*d offers both at its New York and Encinitas locations if you’d like to add this kind of support to your recovery.
When to See a Doctor
Most golfer’s elbow improves within a few weeks of consistent stretching and rest. If the pain sticks around longer than that, or gets worse instead of better, it’s time to see a doctor rather than push through it [3]. Numbness, marked weakness, or trouble fully straightening your elbow are signs worth acting on right away rather than waiting them out.
If the pain comes back every golf season, ask your doctor about physical therapy to help keep the tendon resilient year to year. This is general guidance, not medical advice. Loop in a professional before a manageable issue becomes chronic.
Sources:
- Mayo Clinic. 2026. Golfer’s elbow (Medial epicondylitis) – Symptoms and causes. https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/golfers-elbow/symptoms-causes/syc-20372868
- National Center for Biotechnology Information. 2025. Tennis elbow and golfer’s elbow: Learn More – Golfer’s elbow: Strengthening and stretching exercises. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK621859/
- Cleveland Clinic. 2026. Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis): Symptoms & Treatment. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21711-golfers-elbow-medial-epicondylitis