Why Is My Back Sore After Golf?

Have you ever come home from a round of golf and felt as though your back was incredibly sore? If you have, you are not alone. A golfer's back is a prime spot for injury and can create many problems for players. There are several reasons why your back may be sore. We decided to look into these reasons with a bit more depth and help provide a few solutions to help players struggling with a sore back.

Repetitive Motions

Golfers make quite a few repetitive motions. Each time you swing the club, it will be close to the swing you just took. This means that your back is subject to this twisting and compressing more than 100 times during a 4 to 5 hour round.

Even low handicap players take practice swings, and the repetition can add to back pain. One of the main issues is also that all the motions are just one-sided so the discomfort can be even bigger. This is why it's always good to warp up and prepare your body for this kind of moves.

Improper Stance and Setup

If your stance and setup require an awkward spine angle, chances are you will have a sore back at the end of the day. The improper stance and setup are very common as most amateur players don’t understand the importance of this in their game.

Take the time to make sure you don’t have too much spine tilt, and you could end up with a back that is not in any pain at the end of the day.

Bonus tip: take stance in front of the mirror at home or at the golf course and make sure that your feet, hips and shoulders are parallel and aligned.

Carrying Your Golf Bag

Do you walk and carry your golf bag? This is one of the most common causes of a sore back after a round of golf. As great as it is to get exercise on the golf course, if you are not smart about the way you carry your clubs, it could lead to a sore back.

Never play a round with just a single strap bag. Always use a double or backpack strap and ensure the bag is properly positioned and balanced across your back.

Not doing stretching

If stretching is not a part of your daily routine you don't know what you're missing. I think every golfer should do stretching. It's proven that stretching can prevent injuries and also increase your swing speed. 

Without muscle stretching your muscles can get cramped and stiff which will definitely cause some discomfort and also a sore back.

Pushing A Golf Trolley

A golf push cart can save you from the potential pain that carrying your golf bag can cause. However, if you play hilly golf courses and push your golf trolley in front of you, this could result in pain.

Make sure you purchase a lightweight golf push trolley with great wheels that move without much trouble. In addition, adjust the handle height on the push cart so that you don’t have to bend over to push the cart.

Another option is also to choose and electrical trolley 😉

The Wrong Shoes

Last but not least are the wrong golf shoes. Sometimes back pain happens because players are not wearing the right shoes. Remember that we cover close to five miles of turf during a round of golf, and if your shoes don’t support you properly, you may end up with back pain.

Conclusion

For golfers that don't have serious back injuries, to begin with, it is important to focus on back injury prevention. This is best developed by establishing a pre-shot routine, stretching, and taking time to exercise. All of these things can help you move away from the back pain that golf can be known to cause.