Miles Bennett
Golf is a fun and social sport, but it can be bad for your back. Lower back injuries account for up to 34% of all golf-related injuries, making it the most common golf injury. The golf swing is a complex movement that requires a lot of rotational force, and this can put a lot of stress on the spine, spinal discs, and the muscles around the spine. However, with good technique and precautions, golfers can protect their backs and play without pain.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Is golf bad for the back? | Golf can be bad for your back, but it doesn't have to be. |
| Most common golf-related injury | Lower back injuries account for up to 34% of all golf-related injuries, making them the most common golf injury. |
| Common age groups | Golfers of all ages experience back issues. |
| Common causes | Poor form, posture, and technique; overworking back muscles; lack of stretching and warm-up; heavy golf bags; forceful swings; excessive play and practice. |
| Prevention methods | Strengthen core muscles; stretch and warm up before playing; improve swing mechanics; take lessons; use a push cart; reduce playtime; seek professional help. |
| Treatment | Rest, ice, medication, physical therapy, and other nonsurgical methods. |
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What You'll Learn
Warming up and stretching
Golf doesn't have to be a dangerous activity for your back, but it can be if you don't have the right form and don't listen to your body. Lower back injuries account for up to 34% of all golf-related injuries, making them the most common type of injury in the sport. The golf swing is a complex movement that requires a lot of rotation, and it's this rotational movement that stresses the lower back.
Warm-up
- Take 5-10 minutes to warm up before your game. This can include practice swings and exercises to get comfortable with your form.
- Use both your dominant and non-dominant hands during your warm-up to avoid rotational stresses.
- Focus on warming up your hips and torso, as limited mobility in these areas can lead to excessive load being placed on the lower back.
- Try the Bird Dog exercise: focus on mobility through the hips while keeping a neutral and stable spine. This also helps engage the core, providing power during your drive and iron shots.
- Do a Posterior Hip Foam Roll to focus on your glutes and external hip rotators.
- Try the T-spine Open Book exercise to increase mobility in your thoracic spine (the middle of your rib cage and upper trunk). Incorporate breathing into this drill and allow your shoulder to fall closer to the ground.
- Do a Split Stance Rotational Row to improve your active control over the rotation in your upper trunk and thoracic spine.
- Step into a reverse lunge, raise your right arm overhead, and rotate your torso toward your left leg. You should feel a stretch in your right hip, oblique, and abdomen. Then, reach your left hand back as if trying to touch your right heel. Repeat on the other side.
- Get into your golf posture and make 10 swings as fast as you can to the left, then switch your grip and repeat to the right. This will help get your blood pumping before your round.
Stretching
- Stretch the muscles surrounding your spine by gently twisting your spine, rotating your torso, and extending your arms and legs. Don't use explosive force; the goal is to stretch, not pull, the muscles.
- Stand and reach overhead, extending your spine through your mid-back. Imagine trying to get your shoulder blades to clear your heels. Then, hinge from your hip and try to touch your toes. Do this 10 times.
- Get into your golf stance with a club across your chest. Step one foot behind you into a split stance and make controlled torso rotations to the right and left. Do 10 reps, then switch legs and repeat.
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Correct form and posture
Golf doesn't have to be a bad sport for your back, but it can be if you don't have the correct form and posture. Here are some tips to improve your form and posture to avoid back pain:
Warm-up and stretch:
It is important to warm up before playing golf as it is a physical activity that can put a lot of stress on your back. A warm-up can include simple stretches, practice swings, and exercises to prepare your body for the movements and help maintain the range of motion of your spine, hips, and shoulders. You can also try a Toes Elevated Toe Touch drill to help your body shift weight backward and improve your posture.
Strengthen your core and hip muscles:
Strengthening your core muscles, including your abs and the muscles surrounding them, can help support your lower back and improve your swing. Additionally, focus on improving hip mobility, especially hip internal rotation, as limitations in this area can force your lower back to rotate more and increase stress on it. Try exercises like the Posterior Hip Capsule Stretch to open up your hips and create more space for rotation.
Improve your swing mechanics:
The golf swing can be very complex and athletic, involving a lot of rotation and twisting of the spine. To avoid back pain, learn the proper mechanics of the swing and focus on maintaining good form. This includes standing closer to the golf ball to decrease spine flexion and rotation, raising your front heel during the backswing to allow rotation of the entire trunk, and shortening your backswing to reduce rotational movements on the lower back.
Listen to your body:
Pay attention to any discomfort or strain you feel during your swing. If you experience severe back pain, especially with loss of bowel or bladder control or weakness in the legs, seek medical help immediately. Take it easy and don't push yourself too hard, as this can increase your risk of injury.
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Core strength
Golf does not need to be bad for your back, but it can be if you do not have the correct form and fail to listen to your body. Lower back injuries account for up to 34% of all golf-related injuries, making them the most common type of injury in men and the second most common in women. This is because swinging a golf club involves a lot of movement in the lower back, spine, spinal discs, and surrounding muscles. The greatest stresses on the lower back occur when driving off the tee, with golfers generating as much as 1,700 pounds of compressive force in their backs during a swing—while it only takes 1,300 pounds of compressive force to herniate a spinal disc.
To avoid lower back pain and injury, golfers should focus on building core strength. The core muscles include the abs and the muscles surrounding the abs, such as the obliques, pelvic floor muscles, and the erector spinae (the muscles that run the length of the spine).
There are several exercises that can help golfers strengthen their core:
- Lie on your back with your heels on a bench or step and your toes pointed toward the ceiling. Squeeze your glutes and raise your back off the ground until only your head and the tops of your shoulders are on the ground. Extend your arms with your palms facing down.
- Lie with your back on a stability ball and hold a dumbbell in both hands with your arms extended. Slowly twist to one side while balancing on the ball and squeeze your abdominal muscles.
- Lie on your side facing a cable machine. Grab a handle at an appropriate weight and rise into a side plank. Perform cable rows while staying in a full side plank position.
- Facing a cable machine, kneel down with either leg forward. Grab the cable machine handle with both hands and choose a lighter weight than you would use for a slow repetition. Quickly twist to the side of your lead leg. Repeat with the other leg forward.
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Spinal mobility
Golf doesn't have to be a bad thing for your back, but it can be if you don't have the right form and don't listen to your body. Lower back injuries account for up to 34% of all golf-related injuries, making them the most common type of golf injury. The golf swing is a highly athletic and complex movement that can be very damaging to the body. It involves a great deal of rotation and force—up to 1,700 pounds of compressive force—and this can be stressful on the lower back, particularly the L5-S1 disc space.
The spine is designed to be mobile, but we rarely exercise this capability in our daily lives. A spine lacking mobility may also negatively affect hip and shoulder mobility. Thoracic spine mobility is critical to achieving an efficient swing while protecting your lower back. The lumbar region of the spine should provide stability, while the thoracic region should provide mobility.
To improve spinal mobility, golfers can perform exercises to stretch the muscles surrounding the spine. This includes gently twisting the spine, rotating the torso, and extending the arms and legs, pushing past feelings of resistance but being careful not to use explosive force or pulsations. Golfers can also perform quadruped spinal flexion and extension exercises, as well as exercises to strengthen the core muscles, including the abs and the muscles that surround them, such as the obliques, pelvic floor muscles, and erector spinae.
It's important to warm up before teeing off and to stretch and strengthen muscles on a daily basis. Taking 5-10 minutes to warm up can prevent a sore back after a game of golf. It's also beneficial to do some practice swings to make sure your form is comfortable. Younger golfers and those new to the sport should start small and work their way up.
Working with a PGA Professional and a strength and conditioning coach can help golfers improve their movement patterns both in the gym and on the golf course.
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Repetitive motions
Golf is a game of muscle memory, and its repetitive motions can lead to inflammation, strains, and other injuries of the muscles and discs of the spine. The golf swing is a forceful and asymmetrical movement that involves twisting the torso and spinal column while keeping the lower back and pelvis rather straight. This complex movement requires golfers to ask a lot of their spine, spinal discs, and the muscles surrounding the spine.
The twisting movement of a golf swing puts tension on the spine, especially if the golfer's form is not perfect. The spine is forcefully twisted during the swing and ends the swing hyperextended. Golfers generate as much as 1,700 pounds of compressive force in their backs during a swing, but less than 1,300 pounds of compressive force can herniate a spinal disc. The L5-S1 disc space in the golfer's spine is particularly vulnerable to injury during a swing.
The repetitive motions of golf can also lead to overworked back muscles, which can become stiff or sore. Swinging a club hundreds of times in practice or on the course can tire muscles and joints, and even small imperfections in the swing can add up to large problems. A study published by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found that golfers with coached swing mechanics had fewer injuries, suggesting that golfers can reduce the risk of injury by optimising their swing mechanics.
To avoid golf-related back pain, golfers should develop several good habits on and off the course. Strengthening core muscles is crucial, as the core muscles support the spine and reduce the risk of injury during a swing. Golfers should also focus on stretching and warming up before playing, as this can help to prevent back injuries.
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Frequently asked questions
Golf can be bad for your back, but it doesn't have to be. Lower back injuries account for up to 34% of all golf-related injuries, making them the most common injury in men golfers and the second most common in women golfers. However, with good techniques and precautions, you can protect your back and play without pain.
Golf involves twisting, bending, and repetitive movements that can put stress on your spine. The modern golf swing, popularized by Jack Nicklaus, involves keeping the lower back and pelvis straight while twisting the torso and spinal column. This movement can cause spinal discs to become herniated.
Golfers can avoid back pain by stretching and warming up before playing, strengthening their core muscles, improving their swing mechanics, and reducing the amount of time spent playing or practicing.
