Golf Stiff Fingers In Morning? (Here’s Why & What To Do)

Ever wake up with fingers so stiff you can’t even grab your coffee mug, never mind a golf club? 

You are not alone – this is a pretty common issue.

What causes it? You either played too much golf or you’re gripping the club too tightly. Or it could be something else. But those are the most common causes.

In this post, I’ll go over all the reasons why your fingers stiff in morning after golf, and how to prevent it from happening again.

Why Are My Fingers Stiff In Morning After Golf?

Here are the main reasons why your fingers are stiff in the morning after playing golf:

Overuse And Repetitive Strain

One of the biggest reasons you end up with stiff fingers in the morning is simply overdoing it on the course or at the driving range.

Also Read: Pinky Hurts After Golf

When you grip that club tightly for a long time and hit ball after ball, especially those dreaded fat shots that really jar your hands, it puts a lot of strain on your fingers and hand muscles.

Why-Are-My-Fingers-Stiff-In-Morning-After-Golf


All those vibrations from hitting the ball don’t help either.

It will contribute to inflammation and soreness.

Too Much Grip Pressure

Speaking of gripping tightly, a lot of you out there are probably strangling the life out of your clubs without even realizing it. 

I get it, you want to swing with authority and really put a charge into that ball. 

But when you whiteknuckle the grip to that degree, you’re putting incredible strain on your fingers and the muscles and tendons that control them.

Gripping the club too tightly is a surefire way to wake up with stiff fingers.

This is a very common problem, especially for beginners who haven’t quite figured out how to hold the club properly yet.

Wrong Grip Size

Having the wrong size grip on your clubs can also lead to morning finger stiffness.

In fact, it can make your finger stiffness worse.

Also Read: Blister On Thumb From Golf

If the grips are too small, your fingers have to curl up way too much, which puts a lot of tension on them. Grips that are too big make it hard to get a solid hold, forcing you to grip even tighter to make up for it.

Either way, it’s not good for those fingers.

Sleeping Position

Here’s one you might not expect – the position you sleep in at night can be a contributor to waking up stiff fingers.

If you tend to sleep all curled up with your hands bent and resting on your wrists, that restricted blood flow overnight is just asking for morning stiffness and achiness to settle in.

Switching up your sleeping posture may be an easy fix.

Arthritis Or Other Medical Conditions

For some people, the morning finger stiffness could actually be a sign of something more serious like arthritis or other joint issues.

If the stiffness doesn’t seem to be going away, or you’ve got swelling and a lot of pain along with it, that’s when it’s time to get it checked out by a doctor.

Underlying medical conditions could be the real cause.

How To Avoid Stiff Fingers After Golfing

Here are some my best tips for avoid all that stiffness:

#1 Learn Proper Grip Technique And Pressure

Mastering how to grip the club in a relaxed, tension-free way is the first thing you should do.

A nice light grip that lets your fingers move and flex as needed takes so much pressure off compared to that death grip so many players insist on using.

Also Read: Do I Need A Gap Wedge

Ease up on the grip strength and your fingers will thank you.

#2 Use Midsize Grips

Consider using a midsize grip on your golf clubs.

These grips can help distribute pressure more evenly across your fingers and reduce the strain on individual joints.

This can be super helpful if you have larger hands or suffer from arthritis.

Bigger grips mean you don’t have to crimp and contort your fingers as hard just to hang on to the club. Your whole hand and forearm complex can stay loose and relaxed.

No wonder so many golfers report relief after making the switch.

#3 Use Graphite Shafts 

Switching to graphite shafts can also stop the finger stiffness.

Steel shafts can transmit a lot of vibrations to your hands and forearms with each shot. These vibrations can cause strain and fatigue over time.

Graphite shafts absorb vibrations better than steel shafts.  

The more forgiving and vibration-absorbing the shaft material, the fresher your grip will feel even after an extensive session.

Also Read: Does A Dent In A Driver Affect It

#4 Stretching And Warming Up Hands

Before you head out to the course or over to the driving range, spend some time warming up and stretching out those fingers and hands.

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Simple stuff like making fists and releasing, or gently pulling and stretching each individual finger can get the blood flowing and make your hands more flexible and ready for action.

#5 Take Breaks From Practice

Practicing is crucial if you want to get better at this game. But you also have to know when to give your body a break from all that swinging.

If you overdo it without any rest, inflammation and stiffness are just inevitable.

The trick is finding that balance between practicing your heart out and letting your hands recover.

#6 Exercise

Beyond just adjusting your golf routine, doing some strength training can go a long way too.

Do exercises that strengthen your hands, forearms, and wrists.

This will build resilience in those areas. Stronger muscles and tendons are less prone to strain and stiffness from golfing.

How To Reduce The Stiffness

If you already woke up with sore fingers, apply an ice pack or cold compresses to your hands.

Or you can use a heating pad or take a warm bath. That’ll improve blood flow which can loosen up stiff areas too.

Another thing you can do is gently massaging your fingers with something firm like a rubber ball or bowl of rice helps relax the muscles and tendons.

And simple exercises like making fists and stretching out the fingers helps too.

If it hurts a lot, you can get some anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen or naproxen can help reduce inflammation and stiffness.

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