Golfer’s Elbow
Golfer’s elbow is pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow, caused by overusing the tendons that bend the wrist and grip the club. Its medical name is medial epicondylitis.
What is golfer’s elbow?
Medial epicondylitis, the clinical name for golfer’s elbow, is an overuse injury of the tendons on the inner side of the elbow. Those tendons run from the muscles that flex the wrist and fingers to a bony bump on the inside of the elbow, the medial epicondyle. Repeated gripping and wrist-bending wear the tendon down where it anchors to the bone. The result is pain and tenderness.
The name is a little misleading. A golfer does not have to swing a club to develop the condition, and according to StatPearls, more than 90% of cases have nothing to do with sport at all. Carpenters, plumbers, and anyone who grips and twists for a living can end up with the same sore inner elbow.
Older descriptions called it an inflammation, since the “-itis” in epicondylitis means exactly that. Closer study told a different story. The Hospital for Special Surgery notes that chronically injured tendons rarely show much inflammation under a microscope, so many doctors now describe golfer’s elbow as tendinosis: a wearing down and failed healing of the tendon rather than a short-lived swelling.
How the golf swing causes it
Golf earns its place in the name because the swing loads exactly the tendons involved. The stress builds during the second half of the swing, from the top of the backswing through the moment just before the club meets the ball. StatPearls points to the backswing and pre-impact phases as the trouble spots, when the wrists are working hard and the forearm is rotating.
Beginners tend to be the most vulnerable. The Hospital for Special Surgery describes the classic case as the right elbow of a new right-handed golfer who shifts weight poorly and throws the club down at the ball, a fault sometimes called hitting from the top. That move fires up the pronator teres, an inner forearm muscle, and pushes extra strain onto the inside of the elbow. The lead arm can suffer too. If a right-handed golfer rolls the wrists through impact and follow-through, the left inner elbow takes the load instead.
Grip matters as well. HSS notes that a club grip that is too small, or squeezed too tightly, raises the pressure on the forearm tendons. That is one reason the condition shows up so often in newer players who are still settling into a natural hold.
Golfer’s elbow vs tennis elbow
Most people who look up golfer’s elbow are trying to work out how it differs from tennis elbow, its better-known cousin. The two are near opposites. Golfer’s elbow affects the inside of the elbow, where the wrist-flexing tendons attach. Tennis elbow, or lateral epicondylitis, involves the outside, where the wrist-extending tendons attach.
That difference in location changes which movements hurt. Grip or bend the wrist, and a sore inner elbow points to golfer’s elbow. Straightening the wrist or lifting points instead to tennis elbow. Either way, the sport in the name is optional, since the same everyday movements can bring on both.
| Golfer’s elbow | Tennis elbow | |
|---|---|---|
| Medical name | Medial epicondylitis | Lateral epicondylitis |
| Where it hurts | Inside of the elbow | Outside of the elbow |
| Tendons involved | Wrist and finger flexors | Wrist extensors |
| Painful motion | Gripping, bending the wrist | Straightening the wrist, lifting |
| Relative frequency | Less common (about 10-20% of cases) | More common |
Tennis elbow is also the more common of the pair. StatPearls reports that medial epicondylitis makes up only about 10% to 20% of all epicondylitis cases, so the outer-elbow version turns up far more often in clinics.
Symptoms
The first signs usually arrive slowly. The Cleveland Clinic notes that symptoms can take weeks or months to build, often starting as an ache on the inner elbow that feels worse first thing in the morning.
The main signs to recognise are:
- Pain and tenderness on the inside of the elbow, sometimes spreading down the forearm
- A weaker grip, or pain when making a fist or squeezing
- Stiffness in the elbow
- Numbness or tingling that runs into the ring and little fingers
That last symptom has a specific cause. The ulnar nerve passes right by the affected area, and StatPearls notes that roughly 20% of people with golfer’s elbow also have some irritation of that nerve, which sends the pins-and-needles feeling into the outer two fingers.
The condition tends to favour the arm a person uses most. StatPearls reports the dominant arm is affected in about 75% of cases, and that the problem peaks in middle age, most often between 45 and 64.
Related Golf Terms
- Injury prevention — Training and habits that reduce common golf injuries.
- Static stretching — Holding stretches to lengthen muscles, often after play.
- Hip mobility — Hip range of motion essential to an effective swing.
- Grip strength — Hand and forearm strength that supports club control.
- Thoracic mobility — Upper-back rotational range that supports the shoulder turn.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you have to play golf to get golfer’s elbow?
No. Golf is only one of many causes. Any repeated gripping or wrist-bending can do it, from using hand tools to lifting weights or typing. Most cases, in fact, have no link to sport.
Is golfer’s elbow the same as tennis elbow?
No, though the two are easy to mix up. They are related overuse injuries on opposite sides of the elbow: golfer’s elbow on the inner side, tennis elbow on the outer. Having both at once is possible but uncommon.
Does golfer’s elbow go away on its own?
Often, yes. StatPearls reports that more than 90% of people improve with non-surgical care such as rest and activity changes, though recovery can take weeks to months. Surgery is rare.
Can you keep golfing with golfer’s elbow?
Playing through inner-elbow pain tends to make the injury worse rather than better. The Cleveland Clinic advises resting the arm until the pain settles, and a golfer with lasting elbow pain should see a healthcare professional.
Sources
- Cleveland Clinic. “Golfer’s Elbow (Medial Epicondylitis).” Accessed August 2026.
https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/21711-golfers-elbow-medial-epicondylitis - Mayo Clinic. “Golfer’s elbow: Symptoms and causes.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/golfers-elbow/symptoms-causes/syc-20372868 - Hospital for Special Surgery. “Golfer’s Elbow: Treatment and Prevention.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.hss.edu/health-library/conditions-and-treatments/list/golfers-elbow - Li D, Hammad A, Kaiser K. “Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s Elbow).” StatPearls, NCBI Bookshelf, January 2026. Accessed August 2026.
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK519000/ - Johns Hopkins Medicine. “Medial Epicondylitis (Golfer’s and Baseball Elbow).” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/medial-epicondylitis-golfers-and-baseball-elbow - NHS inform. “Golfer’s elbow.” Accessed August 2026.
https://www.nhsinform.scot/illnesses-and-conditions/muscle-bone-and-joints/arm-shoulder-and-hand-problems-and-conditions/golfers-elbow/
