An evidence-based guide examining the prevalence and contributing factors of low back pain in golfers, with practical strategies to enhance load tolerance and sustain performance.
Low Back Pain in Golf: Contributing Factors and Strategies for Load Tolerance
Thomas Malchow, MSKin, CSCS
Golf Performance Specialist
Published on August 13, 2025
Golf Performance Specialist
Published on August 13, 2025
Introduction
Low back pain is one of the leading causes of time lost to injury in golf, affecting players at every level, from weekend amateurs to touring professionals. Depending on the study, anywhere from one in five to one in three golfers will play with back pain in a given year, and recurrence is common once symptoms have appeared.
For years, the conversation around low back pain in golf has focused on swing mechanics and posture “faults.” While different swing patterns do change how the lumbar spine is loaded, current evidence does not support a single mechanical “fault” or movement pattern as the direct cause of pain. Elite golfers succeed with a wide variety of swing styles, and many with so-called “ideal” mechanics still experience symptoms.
The reality is that low back pain in golf rarely develops from a single flaw or movement. More often, it’s the result of the total load placed on the tissues of the low back — from practice, play, training, and daily life — exceeding the body’s current capacity to handle it. That capacity is shaped by strength, mobility, trunk control, load management, recovery, and other factors that interact with swing mechanics.
This article takes an evidence-based look at low back pain in golf: how common it is, the key contributors, and the practical steps you can take to reduce your risk. The aim isn’t to “fix” your swing, but to build the physical and lifestyle capacity needed to meet the demands of your game.
Prevalence
In amateur golfers, low back pain consistently ranks as the most common injury site. Systematic reviews report annual prevalence rates ranging from 18% to 36%, with recurrence rates as high as 55% (McHardy et al., 2006; Cabri et al., 2009; Gosheger et al., 2003).
At the professional level, the profile shifts slightly. Touring professionals report higher rates of upper limb injuries — particularly to the wrist and hand — but low back pain still accounts for a substantial share of cases and remains a leading cause of modified training or missed competition (McHardy et al., 2006)
A previous episode of low back pain is one of the strongest predictors of future injury. In some athletic populations, recurrence rates exceed 60%, underscoring the importance of long-term prevention strategies (da Silva et al., 2017).
These numbers make it clear that managing low back pain in golf isn’t just about short-term symptom relief. It’s about building the resilience to handle the demands of the game season after season.
Contributors to Low Back Pain in Golf
Once symptoms appear, it’s tempting to pin them on a single “bad” movement or technical flaw. In reality, low back pain in golfers is more often the result of multiple interacting factors. It tends to develop when the cumulative demands placed on the tissues of the low back exceed the body’s ability to cope. This balance between load and capacity is shaped by your strength, mobility, and trunk control, as well as by fatigue, quality of recovery, and total playing and training volume. The loading patterns created by your swing also play a role.
The modern golf swing is a high-speed, high-repetition movement. Peak lumbar spine loads occur in the downswing and early follow-through, where rapid trunk rotation, side bend, and shear forces combine (Gluck et al., 2008; Lindsay & Vandervoort, 2014). When those forces are repeated hundreds of times per week — especially with limited rest or in the presence of fatigue — tissue tolerance can be exceeded, raising the risk of injury.
Sudden spikes in workload are another common contributor. Large increases in practice volume, competitive play, or strength training load without adequate build-up have been linked to higher injury risk across sports (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021). In golf, this might be an amateur doubling their weekly range time before a tournament or a professional ramping up speed training too quickly.
Capacity is also influenced by non-swing factors. Poor sleep, high stress, travel, and cumulative fatigue all reduce the body’s ability to adapt to and recover from loading (Fullagar et al., 2015). Over time, the combination of mechanical stress and diminished recovery narrows the margin for error, making even normal practice loads more provocative.
Viewing low back pain through this load–capacity lens shifts the focus away from chasing a perfect swing model and toward building the physical and lifestyle foundations needed to tolerate the demands of the game. Mechanical loading patterns in the swing can contribute to this process, but their impact depends on the golfer’s physical capacity, workload management, and recovery.
Key Mechanical Loading Factors in the Golf Swing
Low back pain in golf is multifactorial. Current evidence does not show that specific swing mechanics directly cause symptoms (Watson & Coughlan, 2024). However, research has identified movement patterns and loading scenarios that can increase spinal stress, particularly in the downswing and early follow-through when axial rotation, lateral flexion, and shear forces peak (Gluck et al., 2008; Lindsay & Vandervoort, 2014).
Lateral flexion and axial rotation
High levels of combined trunk rotation and lateral flexion toward the lead side increase compressive and shear loading on the lumbar spine. Elite golfers often produce these positions to maximize clubhead speed, but when repeated under fatigue or with limited trunk control, they can increase mechanical demand (Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Hip mobility in swing mechanics
Restricted hip rotation can change the way the pelvis and trunk rotate and sequence in the downswing. When this happens, more of the rotation may come from the lumbar spine instead of being shared through the hips (Watson & Coughlan, 2024). Limited lead-side internal rotation, in particular, has been associated with low back pain in golfers (Vad et al., 2004).
Asymmetry
Golf’s repeated single-sided nature means that asymmetries in strength, mobility, or movement control are inevitable. While small differences are normal — and can even support performance — large imbalances may contribute to uneven loading on the lumbar spine (McHardy et al., 2006; Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Finish position
Many golfers finish with the trunk hyperextended and rotated toward the target. While this position is common at high levels and not inherently harmful, repeatedly moving into end-range lumbar extension under speed — especially when combined with lead-side bend or limited hip mobility — can increase loading on the posterior elements of the spine (Gluck et al., 2008; Lindsay & Vandervoort, 2014; Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Swing volume and speed training
Even efficient mechanics can become more demanding when paired with excessive swing volume or poorly managed speed training. Overspeed protocols, long range sessions, and dense competition schedules all increase cumulative load (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021).
Key Takeaway
These mechanical demands alone do not determine whether a golfer will develop low back pain. Their effect depends on the golfer’s physical capacity, recovery, and workload patterns, reinforcing the need for an integrated approach to swing technique and physical preparation (Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Contributing Factors Beyond the Swing
While swing mechanics affect how the lumbar spine is loaded, current evidence does not support them as a direct cause of pain. Many cases of low back pain in golfers are influenced by broader physical, workload, and lifestyle factors that determine how much stress the tissues of the low back can tolerate and how well they recover between sessions.
Physical capacity
Strength, mobility, and trunk control form the foundation for tolerating the rotational, lateral, and compressive forces of the swing. Deficits in these qualities may not directly cause pain, but they can reduce the margin for error and make mechanical loading more challenging.
Workload management
As discussed in relation to swing volume, the body adapts best to gradual increases in training and playing load. Large, abrupt spikes — whether from extra range time, additional competitive rounds, or intensified gym work — can overload tissue capacity and elevate injury risk. In golf, these spikes often occur before tournaments or when adding new speed training protocols. Evidence from other sports links high acute-to-chronic workload ratios with increased injury incidence (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021).
Recovery and fatigue
Even with optimal mechanics and well-managed workloads, inadequate recovery can tip the balance toward injury.
Cumulative asymmetry
Years of repeated, single-sided loading can gradually widen differences in strength, range of motion, or coordination between sides. These long-term imbalances may magnify uneven lumbar loading and increase stress on supporting tissues (McHardy et al., 2006; Watson & Coughlan, 2024). As noted earlier, targeted training can help reduce excessive gaps..
Key takeaway:
Managing capacity, recovery, and workload is often more important than altering swing mechanics. By addressing these broader factors, golfers can expand their tolerance to load and become more resilient to the inevitable demands of practice and play.
Knowing what contributes to low back pain is only part of the picture. The next step is turning that knowledge into a plan that reduces risk while supporting performance. In golf, prevention isn’t about avoiding load. It’s about preparing the body to handle it, recover from it, and come back stronger. The strategies below draw on current research and practical experience to help you build the resilience needed for a long, healthy playing career.
Building Resilience: Practical Strategies for Golfers
Reducing the risk of low back pain in golf is about managing the overall load on your spine while building the capacity to handle it. Research from Watson & Coughlan (2024) and others points to a multi-factor approach, where some factors carry more weight than others.
1. Monitor workload
Sudden spikes in training load are one of the strongest predictors of golf-related injury. This includes swing volume, practice time, gym sessions, or speed training. In golf, these jumps often happen before tournaments or when adding speed training.
Action: Track your total swings per week (range, practice, and play) and monitor gym load. Keep weekly increases within 10–20% of your typical total, especially when starting new programs or approaching competition (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021).
2. Maintain physical preparation year-round
Off-season training builds strength, mobility, and power, but these qualities decline without in-season reinforcement. Maintaining them during the competitive season supports resilience and performance, in line with evidence from Watson & Coughlan (2024)
Action: Based on best practice, aim for two to three targeted gym sessions per week in-season to maintain — and, when possible, improve — strength, power, and mobility.
3. Build trunk strength, endurance, and control
The trunk plays a central role in generating and controlling the rotation, lateral flexion, and shear forces of the swing. Endurance is essential to sustain this control when fatigue sets in.
Action: Train both anti-movement patterns (Pallof press, barbell rollout) and movement-based patterns (rotational chops, medicine ball throws). Include endurance work so trunk control is maintained late in a round, consistent with observations by Lindsay & Vandervoort (2014) and Watson & Coughlan (2024).
4. Develop lower-limb strength and power
The hips and legs generate much of the force transferred through the trunk to the club. Weakness here shifts more load onto the lumbar spine.
Action: Build bilateral and unilateral strength (trap bar deadlifts, split squats, step-ups) and add power development (dynamic effort squats, loaded jumps) to improve rate of force development without overloading volume.
5. Maintain hip mobility
Restricted hip mobility can increase lumbar spine loading by altering pelvic and trunk motion in the downswing, as reported by Watson & Coughlan (2024). Deficts in lead hip internal rotation can cause compensatory trunk motion in the downswing, increasing lumbar loading (Vad et al., 2004).
Action: Pair targeted hip mobility work with strength training in the new range of motion to reduce compensation (Vad et al., 2004). Use dynamic mobility and activation before play rather than long static stretches.
6. Address asymmetries
Some asymmetry is inevitable in golf, but large gaps in strength, mobility, or movement control can amplify uneven lumbar loading.
Action: Reassess periodically and target training to reduce excessive differences, supported by evidence from McHardy et al. (2006) and Watson & Coughlan (2024).
7. Prioritize recovery
Even well-prepared golfers can run into problems without adequate recovery. Sleep, stress, and scheduling all influence tissue repair and readiness.
Action: Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep (Fullagar et al., 2015), include low intensity or active recovery days, and use stress-management tools such as breathing drills, mindfulness, or low-intensity aerobic work.
Key takeaway: The biggest performance gains come from managing workload and maintaining year-round preparation. From there, focus on building capacity in the trunk, lower body, and hips, while addressing asymmetries and recovery all within a plan that expands your tolerance to golf’s demands.
Bringing It All Together
Low back pain in golf is rarely about a single movement or posture. More often, it reflects a mismatch between the demands of your game and your body’s ability to handle them. Those demands come from every part of your golf schedule — swings, practice, play, gym sessions, and travel — and are amplified by fatigue, stress, or limited recovery.
Reducing your risk means improving the physical qualities that let you tolerate and control spinal loading — strength, mobility, trunk endurance, and hip function — while managing the amount and intensity of work you do week to week. It also means recognising that even “good” swing mechanics can be provocative if the body is underprepared or overworked.
The goal isn’t to avoid load, but to prepare for it. By steadily building capacity and managing workload, you create a wider margin for error. This makes you more resilient to the forces of the modern golf swing and better able to play pain-free over the long term.
Final takeaway:
Managing low back pain in golf isn’t about fixing your swing. It’s about building the physical capacity to handle the game’s demands and recovering well enough to do it again tomorrow. With greater strength, mobility, trunk endurance, and smarter workload habits, you can expand your tolerance to load and play with less pain, more consistency, and greater confidence.
That’s exactly what we focus on at Robust Golfer, helping serious players train with purpose, so they can keep performing at their best and stay durable through every season.
The Champion’s Protocol
1-on-1 coaching for golfers who want expert guidance, tailored programming, and sustained progress without breakdown.
The Robust Protocol
A structured, self-guided program designed to build strength, improve movement quality, and increase load tolerance, ideal for independent players looking to stay healthy and strong.
References
Cabri, J., Sousa, J. P., Kots, M., & Barreiros, J. (2009). Golf-related injuries: A systematic review. European Journal of Sport Science, 9(6), 353–366.
Dalen-Lorentsen, T., Bjørneboe, J., Clarsen, B., Vagle, M., Fagerland, M. W., & Andersen, T. E. (2021). Does load management using the acute:chronic workload ratio prevent health problems? A cluster randomised trial of 482 elite youth footballers of both sexes. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(2), 108–114.
Fullagar, H. H. K., Skorski, S., Duffield, R., Hammes, D., Coutts, A. J., & Meyer, T. (2015). Sleep and athletic performance: The effects of sleep loss on exercise performance, and physiological and cognitive responses to exercise. Sports Medicine, 45(2), 161–186.
Gluck, G. S., Bendo, J. A., & Spivak, J. M. (2008). The lumbar spine and low back pain in golf: A literature review of swing biomechanics and injury prevention. The Spine Journal, 8(5), 778–788.
Gosheger, G., Liem, D., Ludwig, K., Greshake, O., & Winkelmann, W. (2003). Injuries and overuse syndromes in golf. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 31(3), 438–443.
Ivarsson, A., Johnson, U., Andersen, M. B., Tranaeus, U., Stenling, A., & Lindwall, M. (2017). Psychosocial factors and sport injuries: Meta-analyses for prediction and prevention. Sports Medicine, 47(2), 353–365.
Lindsay, D. M., & Vandervoort, A. A. (2014). Golf-related low back pain: A review of causative factors and prevention strategies. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 5(4), e24289.
McHardy, A. J., Pollard, H. P., & Luo, K. (2007). Golf-related lower back injuries: An epidemiological survey. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 6(1), 20–26.
Vad, V. B., Bhat, A. L., Basrai, D., Gebeh, A., Aspergren, D. D., & Andrews, J. R. (2004). Low back pain in professional golfers: The role of associated hip and low back range-of-motion deficits. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 32(2), 494–497.
Watson, M., Coughlan, D., Clement, N. D., Murray, I. R., Murray, A. D., & Miller, S. C. (2024). Biomechanical parameters of the golf swing associated with lower back pain: A systematic review. Journal of Sports Sciences, 42(5), 445–463.
Low back pain is one of the leading causes of time lost to injury in golf, affecting players at every level, from weekend amateurs to touring professionals. Depending on the study, anywhere from one in five to one in three golfers will play with back pain in a given year, and recurrence is common once symptoms have appeared.
For years, the conversation around low back pain in golf has focused on swing mechanics and posture “faults.” While different swing patterns do change how the lumbar spine is loaded, current evidence does not support a single mechanical “fault” or movement pattern as the direct cause of pain. Elite golfers succeed with a wide variety of swing styles, and many with so-called “ideal” mechanics still experience symptoms.
The reality is that low back pain in golf rarely develops from a single flaw or movement. More often, it’s the result of the total load placed on the tissues of the low back — from practice, play, training, and daily life — exceeding the body’s current capacity to handle it. That capacity is shaped by strength, mobility, trunk control, load management, recovery, and other factors that interact with swing mechanics.
This article takes an evidence-based look at low back pain in golf: how common it is, the key contributors, and the practical steps you can take to reduce your risk. The aim isn’t to “fix” your swing, but to build the physical and lifestyle capacity needed to meet the demands of your game.
Prevalence
In amateur golfers, low back pain consistently ranks as the most common injury site. Systematic reviews report annual prevalence rates ranging from 18% to 36%, with recurrence rates as high as 55% (McHardy et al., 2006; Cabri et al., 2009; Gosheger et al., 2003).
At the professional level, the profile shifts slightly. Touring professionals report higher rates of upper limb injuries — particularly to the wrist and hand — but low back pain still accounts for a substantial share of cases and remains a leading cause of modified training or missed competition (McHardy et al., 2006)
A previous episode of low back pain is one of the strongest predictors of future injury. In some athletic populations, recurrence rates exceed 60%, underscoring the importance of long-term prevention strategies (da Silva et al., 2017).
These numbers make it clear that managing low back pain in golf isn’t just about short-term symptom relief. It’s about building the resilience to handle the demands of the game season after season.
Contributors to Low Back Pain in Golf
Once symptoms appear, it’s tempting to pin them on a single “bad” movement or technical flaw. In reality, low back pain in golfers is more often the result of multiple interacting factors. It tends to develop when the cumulative demands placed on the tissues of the low back exceed the body’s ability to cope. This balance between load and capacity is shaped by your strength, mobility, and trunk control, as well as by fatigue, quality of recovery, and total playing and training volume. The loading patterns created by your swing also play a role.
The modern golf swing is a high-speed, high-repetition movement. Peak lumbar spine loads occur in the downswing and early follow-through, where rapid trunk rotation, side bend, and shear forces combine (Gluck et al., 2008; Lindsay & Vandervoort, 2014). When those forces are repeated hundreds of times per week — especially with limited rest or in the presence of fatigue — tissue tolerance can be exceeded, raising the risk of injury.
Sudden spikes in workload are another common contributor. Large increases in practice volume, competitive play, or strength training load without adequate build-up have been linked to higher injury risk across sports (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021). In golf, this might be an amateur doubling their weekly range time before a tournament or a professional ramping up speed training too quickly.
Capacity is also influenced by non-swing factors. Poor sleep, high stress, travel, and cumulative fatigue all reduce the body’s ability to adapt to and recover from loading (Fullagar et al., 2015). Over time, the combination of mechanical stress and diminished recovery narrows the margin for error, making even normal practice loads more provocative.
Viewing low back pain through this load–capacity lens shifts the focus away from chasing a perfect swing model and toward building the physical and lifestyle foundations needed to tolerate the demands of the game. Mechanical loading patterns in the swing can contribute to this process, but their impact depends on the golfer’s physical capacity, workload management, and recovery.
Key Mechanical Loading Factors in the Golf Swing
Low back pain in golf is multifactorial. Current evidence does not show that specific swing mechanics directly cause symptoms (Watson & Coughlan, 2024). However, research has identified movement patterns and loading scenarios that can increase spinal stress, particularly in the downswing and early follow-through when axial rotation, lateral flexion, and shear forces peak (Gluck et al., 2008; Lindsay & Vandervoort, 2014).
Lateral flexion and axial rotation
High levels of combined trunk rotation and lateral flexion toward the lead side increase compressive and shear loading on the lumbar spine. Elite golfers often produce these positions to maximize clubhead speed, but when repeated under fatigue or with limited trunk control, they can increase mechanical demand (Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Hip mobility in swing mechanics
Restricted hip rotation can change the way the pelvis and trunk rotate and sequence in the downswing. When this happens, more of the rotation may come from the lumbar spine instead of being shared through the hips (Watson & Coughlan, 2024). Limited lead-side internal rotation, in particular, has been associated with low back pain in golfers (Vad et al., 2004).
Asymmetry
Golf’s repeated single-sided nature means that asymmetries in strength, mobility, or movement control are inevitable. While small differences are normal — and can even support performance — large imbalances may contribute to uneven loading on the lumbar spine (McHardy et al., 2006; Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Finish position
Many golfers finish with the trunk hyperextended and rotated toward the target. While this position is common at high levels and not inherently harmful, repeatedly moving into end-range lumbar extension under speed — especially when combined with lead-side bend or limited hip mobility — can increase loading on the posterior elements of the spine (Gluck et al., 2008; Lindsay & Vandervoort, 2014; Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Swing volume and speed training
Even efficient mechanics can become more demanding when paired with excessive swing volume or poorly managed speed training. Overspeed protocols, long range sessions, and dense competition schedules all increase cumulative load (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021).
Key Takeaway
These mechanical demands alone do not determine whether a golfer will develop low back pain. Their effect depends on the golfer’s physical capacity, recovery, and workload patterns, reinforcing the need for an integrated approach to swing technique and physical preparation (Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Contributing Factors Beyond the Swing
While swing mechanics affect how the lumbar spine is loaded, current evidence does not support them as a direct cause of pain. Many cases of low back pain in golfers are influenced by broader physical, workload, and lifestyle factors that determine how much stress the tissues of the low back can tolerate and how well they recover between sessions.
Physical capacity
Strength, mobility, and trunk control form the foundation for tolerating the rotational, lateral, and compressive forces of the swing. Deficits in these qualities may not directly cause pain, but they can reduce the margin for error and make mechanical loading more challenging.
- Trunk muscle function — As noted earlier, high-speed rotation places heavy demands on the trunk. Inadequate strength or endurance can compromise spinal control under these loads (Lindsay & Vandervoort, 2014).
- Hip mobility in load sharing — Even when sequencing appears normal, reduced hip mobility can limit the pelvis’s contribution to absorbing and distributing rotational forces. As a result, a greater proportion of this load is managed by the lumbar spine itself (Watson & Coughlan, 2024). Golfers with measurable deficits in lead-side internal rotation have been shown to experience higher rates of low back pain (Vad et al., 2004).
- Lower-limb strength — Reduced lower-limb strength or power may impair a golfer’s ability to generate and transfer force, potentially increasing the mechanical demands placed on the trunk during the swing (Watson & Coughlan, 2024).
Workload management
As discussed in relation to swing volume, the body adapts best to gradual increases in training and playing load. Large, abrupt spikes — whether from extra range time, additional competitive rounds, or intensified gym work — can overload tissue capacity and elevate injury risk. In golf, these spikes often occur before tournaments or when adding new speed training protocols. Evidence from other sports links high acute-to-chronic workload ratios with increased injury incidence (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021).
Recovery and fatigue
Even with optimal mechanics and well-managed workloads, inadequate recovery can tip the balance toward injury.
- Sleep — Reduced sleep quantity or quality impairs tissue repair and neuromuscular control (Fullagar et al., 2015).
- Travel and schedule congestion — Time zone changes, long travel days, and back-to-back events compress recovery windows, compounding fatigue.
- Stress — Psychological stress is associated with higher injury risk in sport, likely via hormonal, inflammatory, and behavioural pathways (Ivarsson et al., 2017).
Cumulative asymmetry
Years of repeated, single-sided loading can gradually widen differences in strength, range of motion, or coordination between sides. These long-term imbalances may magnify uneven lumbar loading and increase stress on supporting tissues (McHardy et al., 2006; Watson & Coughlan, 2024). As noted earlier, targeted training can help reduce excessive gaps..
Key takeaway:
Managing capacity, recovery, and workload is often more important than altering swing mechanics. By addressing these broader factors, golfers can expand their tolerance to load and become more resilient to the inevitable demands of practice and play.
Knowing what contributes to low back pain is only part of the picture. The next step is turning that knowledge into a plan that reduces risk while supporting performance. In golf, prevention isn’t about avoiding load. It’s about preparing the body to handle it, recover from it, and come back stronger. The strategies below draw on current research and practical experience to help you build the resilience needed for a long, healthy playing career.
Building Resilience: Practical Strategies for Golfers
Reducing the risk of low back pain in golf is about managing the overall load on your spine while building the capacity to handle it. Research from Watson & Coughlan (2024) and others points to a multi-factor approach, where some factors carry more weight than others.
1. Monitor workload
Sudden spikes in training load are one of the strongest predictors of golf-related injury. This includes swing volume, practice time, gym sessions, or speed training. In golf, these jumps often happen before tournaments or when adding speed training.
Action: Track your total swings per week (range, practice, and play) and monitor gym load. Keep weekly increases within 10–20% of your typical total, especially when starting new programs or approaching competition (Dalen-Lorentsen et al., 2021).
2. Maintain physical preparation year-round
Off-season training builds strength, mobility, and power, but these qualities decline without in-season reinforcement. Maintaining them during the competitive season supports resilience and performance, in line with evidence from Watson & Coughlan (2024)
Action: Based on best practice, aim for two to three targeted gym sessions per week in-season to maintain — and, when possible, improve — strength, power, and mobility.
3. Build trunk strength, endurance, and control
The trunk plays a central role in generating and controlling the rotation, lateral flexion, and shear forces of the swing. Endurance is essential to sustain this control when fatigue sets in.
Action: Train both anti-movement patterns (Pallof press, barbell rollout) and movement-based patterns (rotational chops, medicine ball throws). Include endurance work so trunk control is maintained late in a round, consistent with observations by Lindsay & Vandervoort (2014) and Watson & Coughlan (2024).
4. Develop lower-limb strength and power
The hips and legs generate much of the force transferred through the trunk to the club. Weakness here shifts more load onto the lumbar spine.
Action: Build bilateral and unilateral strength (trap bar deadlifts, split squats, step-ups) and add power development (dynamic effort squats, loaded jumps) to improve rate of force development without overloading volume.
5. Maintain hip mobility
Restricted hip mobility can increase lumbar spine loading by altering pelvic and trunk motion in the downswing, as reported by Watson & Coughlan (2024). Deficts in lead hip internal rotation can cause compensatory trunk motion in the downswing, increasing lumbar loading (Vad et al., 2004).
Action: Pair targeted hip mobility work with strength training in the new range of motion to reduce compensation (Vad et al., 2004). Use dynamic mobility and activation before play rather than long static stretches.
6. Address asymmetries
Some asymmetry is inevitable in golf, but large gaps in strength, mobility, or movement control can amplify uneven lumbar loading.
Action: Reassess periodically and target training to reduce excessive differences, supported by evidence from McHardy et al. (2006) and Watson & Coughlan (2024).
7. Prioritize recovery
Even well-prepared golfers can run into problems without adequate recovery. Sleep, stress, and scheduling all influence tissue repair and readiness.
Action: Aim for 7–9 hours of quality sleep (Fullagar et al., 2015), include low intensity or active recovery days, and use stress-management tools such as breathing drills, mindfulness, or low-intensity aerobic work.
Key takeaway: The biggest performance gains come from managing workload and maintaining year-round preparation. From there, focus on building capacity in the trunk, lower body, and hips, while addressing asymmetries and recovery all within a plan that expands your tolerance to golf’s demands.
Bringing It All Together
Low back pain in golf is rarely about a single movement or posture. More often, it reflects a mismatch between the demands of your game and your body’s ability to handle them. Those demands come from every part of your golf schedule — swings, practice, play, gym sessions, and travel — and are amplified by fatigue, stress, or limited recovery.
Reducing your risk means improving the physical qualities that let you tolerate and control spinal loading — strength, mobility, trunk endurance, and hip function — while managing the amount and intensity of work you do week to week. It also means recognising that even “good” swing mechanics can be provocative if the body is underprepared or overworked.
The goal isn’t to avoid load, but to prepare for it. By steadily building capacity and managing workload, you create a wider margin for error. This makes you more resilient to the forces of the modern golf swing and better able to play pain-free over the long term.
Final takeaway:
Managing low back pain in golf isn’t about fixing your swing. It’s about building the physical capacity to handle the game’s demands and recovering well enough to do it again tomorrow. With greater strength, mobility, trunk endurance, and smarter workload habits, you can expand your tolerance to load and play with less pain, more consistency, and greater confidence.
That’s exactly what we focus on at Robust Golfer, helping serious players train with purpose, so they can keep performing at their best and stay durable through every season.
The Champion’s Protocol
1-on-1 coaching for golfers who want expert guidance, tailored programming, and sustained progress without breakdown.
The Robust Protocol
A structured, self-guided program designed to build strength, improve movement quality, and increase load tolerance, ideal for independent players looking to stay healthy and strong.
References
Cabri, J., Sousa, J. P., Kots, M., & Barreiros, J. (2009). Golf-related injuries: A systematic review. European Journal of Sport Science, 9(6), 353–366.
Dalen-Lorentsen, T., Bjørneboe, J., Clarsen, B., Vagle, M., Fagerland, M. W., & Andersen, T. E. (2021). Does load management using the acute:chronic workload ratio prevent health problems? A cluster randomised trial of 482 elite youth footballers of both sexes. British Journal of Sports Medicine, 55(2), 108–114.
Fullagar, H. H. K., Skorski, S., Duffield, R., Hammes, D., Coutts, A. J., & Meyer, T. (2015). Sleep and athletic performance: The effects of sleep loss on exercise performance, and physiological and cognitive responses to exercise. Sports Medicine, 45(2), 161–186.
Gluck, G. S., Bendo, J. A., & Spivak, J. M. (2008). The lumbar spine and low back pain in golf: A literature review of swing biomechanics and injury prevention. The Spine Journal, 8(5), 778–788.
Gosheger, G., Liem, D., Ludwig, K., Greshake, O., & Winkelmann, W. (2003). Injuries and overuse syndromes in golf. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, 31(3), 438–443.
Ivarsson, A., Johnson, U., Andersen, M. B., Tranaeus, U., Stenling, A., & Lindwall, M. (2017). Psychosocial factors and sport injuries: Meta-analyses for prediction and prevention. Sports Medicine, 47(2), 353–365.
Lindsay, D. M., & Vandervoort, A. A. (2014). Golf-related low back pain: A review of causative factors and prevention strategies. Asian Journal of Sports Medicine, 5(4), e24289.
McHardy, A. J., Pollard, H. P., & Luo, K. (2007). Golf-related lower back injuries: An epidemiological survey. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine, 6(1), 20–26.
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