Lower back pain after golf is common, and it rarely has one cause. Here is why it happens, what helps and when to get it checked.
Key takeaways
- Lower back pain after golf is common, and it rarely has just one cause.
- Reviews have not found a reliable link between specific swing faults and back pain.
- Build capacity in your trunk, hips and legs, and manage how much you play.
- Sharp or worsening pain, or any warning sign, needs checking promptly.
If your lower back aches after a round, you are in the biggest club in golf. Across almost every study I have come across, golfers injure the lower back more than any other area. It is also the complaint I see most in the clinic.
The frustrating part is that there is rarely one neat cause. So let’s go through what is likely going on and what tends to help.
Why does lower back pain after golf happen?
The golf swing asks your spine to rotate and side-bend quickly. It does this repeatedly and always in the same direction. Often it follows time sitting in a cart or a car. A few things tend to stack up:
- A big jump in how much you play or practise. A new set of clubs, a range session before a comp or a golf holiday are classic triggers.
- Stiff hips. If your hips do not rotate or load well, your lower back has to make up the difference.
- Tired trunk muscles. Late in the round, a fatigued trunk is therefore less able to control the swing. Loss of posture through the swing often loads the lower back.
- Carrying the bag or lifting it in and out of the boot. It is not glamorous, but it counts. Especially with the rise in battery or electric buggies. They aren’t light, so be careful!
- A history of back pain. In fact, the best predictor of a new episode is an old one. The thing I often mention to patients, is that the main precursor to a back injury, is the quality of tissue before the injury.
Is your swing technique to blame?
This is the question I get asked most. The honest answer is maybe, but it is less clear than golfers are usually told. Reviews of the research have not found a reliable link between specific swing faults and back pain.
That does not mean technique is irrelevant. Instead, it means that blaming one “bad” movement is often too simple. In fact, your body’s capacity matters just as much. That includes mobility, strength and endurance, so we measure and work on all three.
This is why, with our SwingLAB assessments, we look at every aspect. Your medical history, bodies movement, swing traits, and what you are trying to achieve with your golf. All aspects play an important role and need to be understood.
What helps lower back pain after golf?
- Ease the load, do not stop everything. Cut the range session in half. Play nine holes instead of eighteen, or play from a cart for a couple of weeks. A gradual return beats a long break followed by a big round.
- Warm up properly. A few minutes of hip and trunk movement before you play is cheap insurance. See our 10-minute golf warm-up routine.
- Free up the hips. In particular, lead hip rotation is worth checking.
- Build trunk endurance and leg strength. Side planks, bridges and squats are unglamorous but effective. I would rather you build capacity than rely on a stretch to fix it.
- Rethink the bag. If you carry, a good dual-strap bag is kinder than a single strap. If you are sore, use a trolley.
- Get it assessed if it keeps coming back. Recurring pain usually has a pattern, and an osteopath or physio can find it.
Can you keep playing golf with back pain?
Often, yes, with some sense. For example, a dull ache that eases within a day is usually fine to play through with less golf. However, if it is sharp or getting worse through the round, stop and get it checked. The same goes if it keeps you up at night.
And if you have any of the following, see your GP or go to an emergency department:
- Numbness in your groin or saddle area
- Problems controlling your bladder or bowels
- New weakness in a leg
- Back pain after a fall or accident
What does the research say?
Do swing faults cause golf back pain?
A systematic review of golf back pain risk factors (Smith and colleagues, 2018) included 19 studies. It linked older age and higher body mass with golf-related back pain. Also, a previous history of back pain predicted future episodes. It did not support a link between swing characteristics and developing pain. However, the authors want better quality prospective studies.
What do reviews say about causes and prevention?
A review of causes and prevention (Lindsay and Vandervoort, 2014) called the problem multifactorial. It pointed to the asymmetrical, forceful swing and a lot of play and practice. It also named poor trunk endurance and restricted lead hip internal rotation. Finally, it suggested reducing volume, improving hip and trunk flexibility and building trunk strength and endurance.
How common is lower back injury in Australian golfers?
A one-year Australian study followed 588 amateur golfers (McHardy and colleagues, 2007). The lower back was the most common injury site, at 18.3 per cent of injuries. Also, recurrent injuries were the most common type. In addition, injury risk rose significantly with the amount of golf played.
Does strength training help golfers with back pain?
A 2026 randomised trial (Kang and colleagues) studied 30 amateur golfers with non-specific back pain. Six weeks of trunk stabilisation and lower-body strengthening reduced pain and disability more than golf-swing exercises and stretching. It is a small trial, so I would call it encouraging rather than settled.
What I take from that: build capacity in your trunk, hips and legs. Manage how much you play, and do not assume your swing is the only culprit.
Get it looked at
If lower back pain after golf keeps interrupting your game, book an osteopathy appointment with me in Cromer. Or find out how a SwingLAB assessment can show what your body is doing in your swing. For more on how osteopathy fits in, read osteopathy for golfers.
This article is general information, not personal medical advice. Everyone’s back is different, so book an assessment rather than self-treating from a blog post. See your GP or an emergency department urgently if you have any of the warning signs above.
