Golfers of all ages and skill levels often encounter low back pain (LBP) due to the physical demands of the sport. With its forward bending and rotation, the golf swing places significant stress on the spine, including the discs, joints, and surrounding musculature. However, with proper awareness, coordination, warm-up, and training, you can significantly reduce your risk of lower back pain. Here’s how to keep your back pain-free and improve your golf game.
Why is low back pain so common in golfers?
The golf swing occurs in 3 planes of motion. You are bent forward in “golf posture” from set up to impact. There is side bending at the top of the back swing and at impact. But the most dominant plane is rotational. The thing is is that the lumbar spine is not designed to rotate but maybe 1-2 degrees per segment which amounts to 5-10 degrees of total motion contribution from the lumbar spine. The low back bends front to back well and side to side less well, but again it is not meant to rotate. What is meant to rotate is the low back’s neighbors — the mid-back/thoracic spine and the hip joints. What usually drives LBP in golf is a lack of rotation in either or both the mid back and hips requiring more than available rotation in the lower back which it obviously doesn’t like and can get irritated.
Take what you want from all of this, but I liken it to this: the golf swing is like a bar fight and the low back is going to get pummeled if its buddies — the mid back and hips — are hanging out in the bathroom. Until they “join the fight,” the low back will continue to get beat up. Once the buddies come out and start contributing, the effort spreads and the low back and have a bit of a breather. Make sense?
What is neutral spine and why does it matter for golfers?
To protect your back, finding and maintaining a “neutral spine” position is crucial.
Start by assuming a standard 5-iron posture. Arch or sway your lower back, then flatten it (think of “tucking your tail” or performing a “pelvic tilt”), and finally settle halfway between these two extremes.
It is important to engage your core by drawing your navel slightly away from your belt buckle at 30-40 percent of your maximum ability. I like to say it is “taught” rather than “tight” which means it doesn’t cause excess tension in other areas and/or doesn’t cause you to put too much mental energy that would distract you from your other 30 swing thoughts. Avoid faulty address postures like the “S” posture (too much arch/sway) or the “C” posture (too much slump/slouch), as they can lead to lower back issues and an inefficient swing.
A neutral spine reduces baseline tension on your anatomical structures and provides an efficient platform to transfer power from your lower body, through your core, to the club via your arms. Achieving and maintaining this position requires coordination, core strength, and flexibility in the hips, hamstrings, and calves.
How warming up before golf protects your lower back
Warming up properly for golf is essential to prepare your back for the demands of the game. Like a cold rubber band, your muscles need some heat before they can stretch fully. Opt for dynamic warm-up exercises rather than prolonged static stretching. Dynamic stretches, held for the duration of an exhale and repeated 5-10 times, are ideal for loosening up your lower and mid-back as well as glute and hamstring muscles before a round of golf focusing on rotational movements when possible.
Core strengthening exercises for golfers to reduce or eliminate low back pain
A strong core is vital for minimizing lower back injury. The core includes your abdominals, glutes, and lower back muscles. Instead of traditional crunches, use resistance bands, cables, or medicine balls to engage your core while in your golf stance. Strengthen your glutes with exercises like squats, lunges, deadlifts, and bridges. Incorporate physioball exercises to enhance the smaller stabilizing muscles of your lower back and abs. Aim for a strength training program that includes these exercises 2-3 times per week.
Want to put some cable work into practice? Check out these PT-designed cable machine exercises built specifically for golfers — step-by-step breakdowns of every movement, from diagonal chops to anti-rotation press
Golf flexibility for a healthy lower back, mid back, hips and hamstrings
Flexibility in the joints above and below your lower back is crucial. Focus on the mid-back and hips, primarily into rotation, as well as the hamstrings, hip flexors, shoulders and neck rotators. Regular stretching, both general and golf-specific, should be part of a daily mobility routine to combat stiffness and maintain a healthy lower back.
Explore our Golf Resource Hub to find more strategies for preventing and managing common golf injuries.
What to do when you already have low back pain from golf
If you already are experiencing low back pain and want to continue golfing there are some considerations to employ. Making sure ahead of the round that the mid-back and hips are loose and warmed up (see above analogy) is imperative so that they are helping to create the vast majority of rotation in the backswing. So a dynamic warm up once you are experiencing LBP is even more important.
We know that “B, L, T” (bending, lifting, twisting) are the hardest movements on the low back to begin with and golf includes 2 of these (bending ad twisting) and maybe the 3rd if you carry your bag when you play, so it is not that friendly of an activity to do when your low back is hurting.
However, I don’t suggest you necessarily need to stop playing. You may play a bit less, loosen up considerably pre-round and stay loose throughout the round by continuing to do mobility exercises between shots and holes.
Remember the neutral spine we covered above? Take the time to think about it when you set up (not overly slouched and not overly swayed) and kept stable with a light (20-40%) engagement of your lower abdominals. Think lightly hugging your spine by bringing your belly button inward or lightly pulling your belly away from your waistband/belt. This will support it in the midst of the bar fight as well.
I also suggest taking nondominant golf swings in the warmup as well as throughout the round to keep tissues and joints somewhat balanced given the dominant sided golf swing is asymmetrical and repetitive. As a right handed golfer, I usually take 10 left handed swings progressively getting bigger and faster in my warm up and then 5 left handed swing every other hole on the back nine to stay limber in the opposite direction when things often start to break down in the round. Certainly some light stretching and foam rolling, use of heat and/or ice post round is important too to help recover from the bar fight.
Balance strength and mobility to keep your back pain-free
To prevent low back pain and improve your golf performance, strike a balance between strengthening, stretching, and a proper pre-round dynamic warm-up routine. A well-rounded approach will help you avoid injury and costly rehabilitation.
When to see a physical therapist for golf-related back pain
When is it time to see a PT? Definitely if you are having referred pain down the leg and pain that doesn’t resolve with the aforementioned suggestions. Lingering pain after a round or pain that limits you from playing as often as you like are all good reasons to consult with a PT especially one who knows golf. But I would also say that as soon as you have pain or desire not to have LBP with golf could be an impetus to seek more specific and custom guidance from a golf PT.
You would expect in that golf PT assessment to be looked over for areas of asymmetry of strength and mobility as well as ensuring each body segment is contributing it’s fair share of stability and mobility especially the low back’s neighbors- the mid back and hips.
Checking glute and core strength as well as overall balance ability and even ankle range of motion would also be hallmarks in your PT golf assessment. Bringing a video of your swing to be analyzed for certain movement patterns that are either driven by physical limitations or just poor swing mechanics is helpful as well.
Get ready for golf season with PT
Whether you are an elite athlete or weekend warrior, physical therapy can help you avoid injury, optimize your performance and recover from injury quickly and safely. We focus on the unique needs and goals of the individual and create customized care plans designed to keep every athlete active and engaged in the sports they love.
