Prevent Back Pain from Golf

How to prevent back pain from golf

The weather is perfect, the golf courses are green and calling many out to hit the links! Don’t let back pain keep you from enjoying your round. Follow these simple tips for a pain-free golf:

1. Check your bag – Make sure your bag is not overloaded with unnecessary equipment. Sunny days don’t need you to bring the umbrella or rain jacket. Unload old golf balls that you will not use and carry just enough to cover round of golf. Remove unnecessary golf clubs that you won’t use on the course.

• Warm-up before teeing off – Going directly to the tee from your car, pulling out the driver, and then proceeding to try to hit the cover off the ball is probably the surest way to sprain one’s back muscles and result in low back pain. Instead, go through a warm-up before starting to golf—including stretching and easy swings—is critical for the muscles to get ready for the game.Your stretching should emphasize the shoulder, torso, and hip regions as well as the hamstring muscles.
  • The shoulder and torso may be stretched by holding a golf club behind the neck and shoulders and then rotating the torso.
  • The hips maybe stretched by pulling the knee to the chest.
  • The hamstrings maybe stretched by bending over and trying to touch the toes.

1. Take some practice swings – Take a few smooth complete swings. Feel your body as you go through the complete motion and recognize where you are tight. Continue to take the practice swings until you feel no resistance. If necessary stop and revisit the stretches to give a little more focus.
2. Carrying the golf bag – Carrying the traditional golf bag over one shoulder is very bad for the back. If you must carry the bag, look for bags that specialize in having 2 straps to distribute the weight across the shoulders. These bags are also much lighter than the standard golf cart bags.
3. Walk when you can – Walking is a great way to stay loose when playing a long round of golf. Many golf course off the option to walk and you can rent a push/pull cart. It is a great way to get exercise too, since many golf courses can be up to a 5 mile walk.
4. Get a lesson – Proper mechanics in your golf swing can make the golf round a much more enjoyable experience and also make sure you aren’t putting any unnecessary stresses on you joints and back.

Now get out there and enjoy that round of golf!