If you love to golf, but your back hurts when you swing a club, know that you are not alone. The movements needed to effectively swing a golf club can put pressure on the low back. Studies show that low back pain is the most common ailment from golfers of all ages. Low back pain appears to come from the asymmetrical nature of the swing, as well as from overuse from people who golf regularly. 

 

Some low back pain comes from flaws in swings, especially when people do not have strong core muscles or endurance. With limited internal hip rotation, the low back suffers from having to compensate. Some people experience back pain while carrying their clubs over one shoulder. 

As golfers prefer to be on the links rather than at their local chiropractor’s office, asking them to sit out is not an option. Although back pain from golfing is a good reason to visit a chiropractor, especially since they can help golfers understand how to prevent back pain. Fortunately, there are many methods that can help. They include adjusting mechanics, reducing the duration of playing or practicing, wearing different shoes, and using a cart rather than carrying the clubs. If you cannot find relief in any of these tips, it might be best to take a break from the game and let your back recover. 

1. Warm-Up Before Every Game

One of the most important tips for preventing low back pain is to warm up. You should never just start playing. The swinging motion is enough to cause pain in the low back, but if you warm up you should be able to avoid issues. You can  stretch at home if the course is nearby, or you can do your warm-up when you arrive. 

It is important to stretch the areas of the body that get the most use while playing. This includes the shoulders, torso, core, hips, and hamstrings. There are several reclined hip and hamstring stretches you can do at home before you leave, including laying down and hugging the knees to your chest. You can bring one knee at a time, then both. 

You can also do reclined twists while laying on your back at home. Gently bend the knees toward your chest, then drop them to one side. Look away from your knees. To increase the stretch, use your hands to push the knees closer to the ground. 

When you get to the course, you can stretch your shoulders. Hold a golf club in both hands behind your back and lift. You can add a twist, too. You can also hold the club over your head and try to lower the club behind your head. Do not do toe touches if you have low back pain. But you could do a balancing knee lift if you do not have time to stretch at home. 

Once you’ve stretched a bit, the next step in your warm-up should start swinging a golf club gently. Some golfers warm up by going to the driving range, increasing the size of their swing as they warm up. Start with the lightest clubs, then progress to the woods. 

2. Get Your Swing Under Control

Many golfers have flaws in their swings, which can cause and eventually exacerbate low back pain. Instead of trying to fix your swing on your own, get to a pro, and have your swing evaluated. Research shows that the biomechanics of your swing can affect your body, and pro shops often have the tools that are needed to evaluate where problems exist. 

 

If your swing has kinks in it, your low back and hips can begin to hurt. The moment of impact can be painful. You would be surprised how quickly your pain disappears when your biomechanics are working the way they should. A pro can tell you if you are slouching, twisting too much, not following through, or doing something else that puts unnecessary pressure on your low back. 

3. Carry Your Bag on Both Sides 

If you must carry your bag, you must switch sides after each hole. Golfers often have a preferred side, and when they never alternate sides, back pain of all types can occur. When you make a concerted effort to carry your bag on both sides, you create balance in your body and reduce the chances of experiencing pain on the links.

Walking the links is good for the body. But you can also avoid back pain by driving a cart. If you must stand while holding your golf bag, be sure that you stand with good posture so you have even pressure on your feet. You can also find relief if you use a backpack style golf bag so you can spread out the weight of the clubs. 

3. Swing On Both Sides

Part of the problem with low back pain and golf swings is that most people only swing from one side. While you might not want to start swinging from your weak side right away, you can start to practice swinging from both sides at a driving range. 

 When you swing from both sides, you add balance to your body. It helps relieve the pain in your low back that can happen from overuse on the dominant side, especially if you are using your low back to compensate for weaknesses in the core and hips. You can also add swings on the other side when you are warming up. 

 4. Pay Attention to Your Posture

When you are standing waiting for your friends, pay close attention to your posture. Are you standing evenly on both feet? Are you slouching? Are you using your golf club as a crutch? The way you stand between your swings can affect your low back pain. Stand with your spine straight, your shoulders back, and your weight distributed between your feet. When you are out on the links, avoid using your phone so you do not put added pressure on your neck, too. 

Brett’s Bottom Line: 

This blog was written by Dr. Brent Wells (see his bio below). Back pain is the number one reason golfers leave the game of golf. And the job of medical professionals like Dr. Wells and fitness professional like myself is to give golfers the strategies and tools they need to keep them healthy and playing the game they enjoy. Follow these tips and you WILL be playing golf better!

Brett 

About Dr. Wells

Dr. Brent Wells founded Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab in 1998. He is currently leading 10,000 Alaskans to more active and pain-free lifestyles without drugs or invasive surgeries. He brings a progressive and highly innovative approach to chiropractic care in Anchorage. Dr. Wells continues to further his education with ongoing studies in spine conditions, neurology, physical rehabilitation, biomechanics, occupational ergonomics, whiplash, and brain injury traumatology. He is also a member of the American Chiropractic Association and the American Academy of Spine Physicians.

​​​​WARNING! Don’t read this article unless you want to Play Golf Better! 

I see you’re still here…. Good! Let’s continue.

If you do want to Play Golf Better you’ve come to the right place.

Who Are You? 

Well if you are like the rest of the golfers I work with you are male, between the ages of 30 and 75, you can’t think about anything but golf, you want to improve your performance on the course, you want to play the game whenever you want, and for as long as you want without getting injured. 

Maybe over the years, you’ve accumulated some injuries or you’re experiencing some aches and pain that are effecting your game and your life. Maybe you’ve gotten massages or have seen a physical therapist or chiropractor, but still feel out of balance and not quite performing the way you think you should. Your game frustrates you because you know there’s more inside of you but you just can’t seem to get it out.  

You’re not alone. Guess what. All of my clients came to me with the same set of frustrations.

This is what David W. (at age 29 said in his health history questionnaire on April 17, 2019)

Complaints:

• I feel stiff and blocked in my body, my movement are restricted. 100%
• I fee back pain. 

Goals:

• If you could change one thing about your golf game what would it be? HIT IT STRAIGHTER
• Lower my handicap (Current handicap – 4) – 2019

I trained David from April through July 2019 and then he had to stop because he was getting married in September and just had too much going on. It wasn’t until March this year that I heard from him again. Safe and sound and living with his parents in Florida during the initial stages of the Coronavirus Pandemic, David started his training again with me online. Yes, online using FaceTime.  He and II have continued to meet online once a week since April. 

So what happened to David’s game? 

David is now a scratch golfer, has no back pain, and drives the ball 300 yards off the tee regularly at just a 145lbs. Don’t believe me! Read it for yourself.

 A Quick Visualization

Imagine yourself a year from now.  How does your body feel each day? What is your fitness like? How is it different from where it is now? What’s the impact this improved fitness has on your golf game and in other areas of your life? Is the kind of success David had even possible for a guy like me? 

Well, I can’t guarantee the same successes for everyone. So much of it depends on where you are starting at, what your goals are, and how much time and effort are you willing to put into achieving your goals? 

My Big Promise

What I can promise is to teach you how to take control of your health and your fitness. Bust up some myths and really try to reshape the way you think about fitness and what it takes to get your body in shape to play golf better.

How? 

It comes down to this simple three-step formula. 

Step 1: Analyze Your Body

 

The very first thing I do is look at how your body moves and how that may be contributing to your aches and pains as well as how it is effecting your golf game.  

Step 2: Mobilize Your Body

In order to get you playing better, I have to get you moving better. This is where the real work is. We have to “ungunk” years of knotted up tissue in your body, stretch it, and begin to balance it out. 

Step 3: Recondition Your Body

The final step is the key to better golf. In order to use flexibility, mobility, core strength, you have to learn to move differently. It’s analogous to uploading new a new software program on your computer so the hardware can work more efficiently.

Brett’s Bottom Line:

• You now have a choice. You can get help from an industry expert like myself with a proven system for success. OR
• You stay in the same cycle of frustration. 

 

I’m offering a free 30-45 minute golf fitness consultation call. In this call, we will get an insight to what’s going on with your body, your game, your goals, and what the next steps should be. If we are a good fit, we move onto the next step. And if for some reason we’re not at least you’ll have a better idea of what it is you’ll need to do to reach your goals in the future. All you have to do it email me for an appointment or call (9170 596-8485

 Does It Work?

“Since I started working with Brett, I’ve seen my clubhead speed increased by almost 10 mph, and now I consistently average over 100mph on every swing. My longest drive used to be 240 yards with an average of 225. I’m averaging 245 now and have hit several 270 yarders and one 280! Gonna be a fun season.” _ Thanks, Brett! _ Ken D.