Back pain in golf season usually comes from asking the lower back to supply rotation that should come from the hips and upper back, and from going straight from a winter off to large range buckets and 18 holes. Low back problems are the most common complaint among golfers, according to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons. Indiana golfers can prevent much of it with six weeks of mobility and strength work before the spring opener, a ten-minute warm-up before each tee time, and a gradual build in practice volume.
Last reviewed By the Monon Therapy Collective editorial team
- Most common golf complaint
- Low back pain (AAOS)
- Riskiest stretch of the year
- The first weeks back after winter
- Pre-season plan
- About six weeks, starting in February or March
- Warm-up before a round
- About ten minutes
Why does the low back take so much strain in a golf swing?
The lumbar spine is built for bending and stability, not for large amounts of twisting, yet a golf swing asks the whole body to rotate fast. When the hips and upper back are stiff, the lower back tends to make up the difference, absorbing twisting and side-bending forces at speed, many times per round.
Most of a good swing’s turn comes from the hips rotating over the legs and the thoracic spine, the mid-back between the shoulder blades, rotating over the lower back. Desk work, driving and months without a club all stiffen exactly those areas. Add a strong urge to hit the ball far, and the follow-through ends with the lower back extended and twisted at once, a position many sore backs dislike.
Bending to tee up, mark and pick up the ball dozens of times a round adds a second, quieter load, especially for people who bend from the back rather than the hips.
Why do so many Indiana golfers hurt their backs in the first weeks of spring?
Because most go from months without swinging to a large bucket at the range and a full 18 holes within days of the first warm weekend. The muscles and joints that produce a swing lose their tolerance over a winter off, and the first sessions back often load them more than any week the previous autumn.
Cold, damp spring mornings add to it. Muscles are stiffer at the start of a cold round, footing on wet turf is less secure, and layers of clothing change how freely you turn. Golfers who spend the winter in a simulator have an advantage, provided they keep the swing volume sensible.
The answer is to treat the start of the season like a return to sport after an injury: a short pre-season of exercise, then practice volume that builds over several weeks.
| Weeks | At home or in the gym | With a club |
|---|---|---|
| 1 to 2 | Hip and mid-back mobility daily; trunk control exercises three times a week | Short putting and chipping only |
| 3 to 4 | Add hip hinge and glute strength twice a week | Half swings with wedges, a small bucket, every other day at most |
| 5 | Load the hinge and glute work; add side planks | Full swings up to mid irons; a medium bucket |
| 6 | Keep strength twice a week through the season | Driver included; play 9 holes before the first 18 |
Which exercises actually help a golfer’s back?
Exercises that open up the hips and mid-back and train the trunk to hold steady while the body turns help the most. Long sessions of toe-touch stretching or crunches do little for a golf swing.
A practical set: the open book stretch for mid-back rotation, seated or lying hip rotation stretches, the bird dog and dead bug for trunk control, the hip hinge for bending to the ball, and glute bridges for hip power. The AAOS also suggests rowing and pull-down type exercises, yoga and Pilates for trunk strength.
How do desk days during the week affect a weekend golfer’s back?
They matter more than most golfers expect. Five days of sitting in a car and at a desk stiffen the hips and mid-back, so the Saturday swing has less rotation available from the places that should provide it, and the lower back makes up the gap.
A few minutes of movement on workdays protects the weekend round. Stand up and walk every half hour, do the open book stretch and a few hip hinges at lunch, and take the stairs. Commuters who spend time on Meridian Street, US-31 or Keystone Parkway every day can add a short walk after parking. The desk ergonomics guide for hybrid workers covers the workstation side of the same problem.
Range practice during the week also helps if it is short and regular: twenty minutes twice a week loads the back more kindly than one long Saturday session followed by a round on Sunday.
What should a ten-minute warm-up before a tee time include?
A brisk walk, a few dynamic movements for the hips and mid-back, then progressive swings from short clubs to long. Arriving with five minutes to spare and hitting the driver first is the pattern most likely to strain a cold back.
- Two to three minutes of brisk walking around the clubhouse or practice green
- Ten slow hip circles and ten bodyweight squats or hip hinges
- Ten rotations each way with a club held across the shoulders
- Ten easy half swings with a wedge, then a few with a mid iron
- Three or four controlled full swings with a long club before the first tee shot
Does carrying a bag, pushing a cart or riding change back strain?
Yes. A bag carried on one shoulder loads the back unevenly for hours, so a double-strap carry bag or a push cart is gentler for most backs. Riding saves the legs but means sitting, then swinging cold, which suits some backs and irritates others.
If you walk, use both straps and keep the bag light. If you ride, take a couple of practice swings and a short walk before each tee shot rather than going straight from the seat to a full swing. For bending to the ball, try the golfer’s pick-up: hold the putter or a cart for support and lift one leg behind you as you hinge forward.
When should back pain end a round or lead to an assessment?
Stop the round if pain is sharp, spreads into a leg, or makes you change your swing to protect your back. Get an assessment if back pain after golf lasts more than two or three weeks, keeps returning every round, or comes with numbness or tingling in the leg, which can mean an irritated nerve.
A physical therapist examines how your hips, mid-back and trunk move and tests strength, then builds a plan that keeps you playing where possible. The pages on low back pain physical therapy and physical therapy for golfers go further. Indiana lets you see a physical therapist without a referral for up to 42 calendar days; the physical therapy questionnaire starts the match with an independent therapist in the network.
Get urgent medical care, not a tee time, if
- Back pain comes with numbness in the groin or inner thighs, or new bladder or bowel problems
- A leg becomes weak or the foot drags
- Back pain follows a fall or comes with fever or unexplained weight loss
- Chest, jaw or arm pain appears with exertion on the course (call 911)
If you think it is an emergency, call 911.
