Fit For Golf #29 - Dr. Keith Baar - Golfers & Tennis Elbow (Tendon Rehab)
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Feb 27, 2022 
Dr. Keith Baar, tendon researcher and professor who studies tendon mechanics and rehab. He explains why golfers and tennis elbow persist, how rapid loading and jerk damage tendons, and why tendons need slow, directional loading to heal. He covers isometric holds, timing nutrition with loading, limits of passive treatments, and practical rehab strategies to keep players moving while encouraging tendon repair.
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Jerk Not Just Volume Drives Tendon Damage
- High jerk (rapid change in acceleration) rather than just volume causes collagen molecules in tendons to unwind and become damaged.
- Examples include hitting a stationary golf ball, swimmers using paddles, and heavy speed-training swings that produce sudden deceleration forces.
Golf Power Comes From Tendon Preload And Momentum
- Golf and throwing rely on rapid stretch-shortening cycles and fascial preload, so the muscle's contraction is brief while tendons store and transfer momentum.
- This high-tendon-stress mechanism explains why small, fast athletes can generate large club or ball speeds.
Use Long Isometrics To Force Scarred Tendon To Repair
- Rehab by progressively loading the injured tendon; use long isometric holds (up to 30 seconds) to induce stress relaxation so the weaker scarred area must take load.
- Protocol: 4 holds × 30s with ~2 minutes rest, performed repeatedly to activate tendon cells.