FAQ's

• Why does my back hurt after golf?
• Why do I need a Golf Specific Screening?
• What exercises are best for golf?
• Where can I get a golf specific screening?
• How should I warm up for golf?
• How should I break up my practice sessions?
• Can I become a better golfer by working on my body?
• Why is my game so erractic?

Why does my back hurt after golf?

Lower back pain is extremely common in golfers. It has been reported to account for 52% all injuries in recreational golfers and 24% of all injuries in professional golfers.

Low back pain may be caused by many different factors.

The modern golf swing has been shown to produce multiple large forces on the lower back, which may change directions rapidly during the swing. These forces have also been shown to be up to 80% greater in amateurs when compared to professionals, most likely due to inferior swing mechanics in amateurs which place greater stress on the spine. However both groups were found to generate compression forces through the spine as high as 8 times body weight.

The asymmetrical, rotational nature of the golf swing is also a major factor in the development of lower back pain in golfers. Because golf is played in a forward flexed posture and requires a certain degree of rotation, the potential for high forces to be borne through the joints of the lower back is quite high.

So there are multiple ways in which potentially injury causing forces are developed in the lower back in the golf swing. When this is coupled with the high number of repetitions which are performed while practising and playing, the potential for pain following golf is quite high.

Why do I need a Golf Specific Screening?

A golf specific screening will identify those areas of your body that may be limiting your potential. Physical restrictions that impact on your ability to swing the club efficiently not only limit your ability to improve your game, but they also produce swing faults that may predispose you to injury.

Once you have a Golf specific screening, an individualised exercise program will be developed that will address your problem areas. Resolution of your physical limitations via this exercise program will let you access your golf potential by allowing you to more easily implement any technical changes that your golf professional is trying to make, as well as reducing your injury risk which will allow you to enjoy your golf for longer and pain free.

 

What exercises are best for golf?

Like any exercise program, the best programs are individualised based on the specific needs of the person undertaking the exercise.

In saying that, the best exercises for golf would address both flexibility and strength, and would have the following goals:

• provide adequate flexibility of the hips to allow the rotation of the trunk over the hips in the backswing and the follow-through
• provide adequate flexibility in the upper back to allow the torso to rotate over a fixed, stable lower body
• provide strength in the posterior hip muscles to provide a stable lower body for the trunk to rotate over in the backswing, and to allow a firm lead side for you to hit against in the follow-through
• provide strength of the deep abdominal and core stabilising muscles to stabilise the spine and dissipate the forces that are generated during the swing, as well as helping you mainatin your posture during your swing to help you keep your swing on the correct plane.
• provide strength in the muscles that stabilise your shoulder girdle, which includes the shoulder joint itself and the shoulder blades. This will allow you to keep your arms connected to your trunk, which allows efficient transfer of energy from your body, to your arms and ultimately to the clubhead.

Of course there are many more components to a comprehensive golf fitness program based on the needs of the individual, however these guidelines are an excellent start to establishing a golf fitness regime.

Where can I get a golf specific screening?

It is best to get a golf specific screening from a golf physiotherapist, an expert in relating your physical characteristics and how they affect your swing. This means that all the information gained from your screening will be interpreted directly in regard to how it affects your golf game, and also allows effective communication between your physiotherapist and your golf coach.

Both Kim Murray Ward and Matt Green are TPI certified fitness professionals, meaning they have studied the relationship between the golf swing and how it is affected by your body, and passed a certification exam in order to gain this qualification. Kim and Matt are able to tailor an individualised, golf specific exercise program based on their golf specific assessment of your body, which will rectify any identified weaknesses and therefore enable you to play better golf.

How should I warm up for golf?

Like any sport, warming up prior to golf is very important to not only enhance performance but also to prevent injury. Warm-up prior to any athletic activity should include exercises aimed at activating the muscles that are important for the particular activity, as well as exercises that encourage the correct movement pattern for the activity. Obviously there will be individual variations depending on any specific problem areas that you may have, however the following can be used as a guideline to an effective warm up prior to golf:

• Start with a low intensity activity that involves muscles in both the upper and lower body. This may involve hitting a few chips or pitches, taking some slow swings with a wedge or 9-iron, or even performing some golf specific drills with or without a club that your golf coach may have given you. This will get blood flowing to these muscle groups and prepare you for the rest of your warm up.
• Next perform some exercises that activate the muscles of the shoulder girdle, the muscles that stabilise the hips and the core muscles which stabilise the spine and trunk.
• You should next perform some golf specific movement patterns that involve rotation of the trunk over a relatively fixed lower body. These can involve movements that include lungeing, golf posture and even laying on the ground.
• Finally, head to the range or practice net if available, and some shots starting with a wedge or 9-iron, and working gradually up to your Driver or whatever club you use off the tee.
• Finish off with some putting or whatever else you wish to work on.

You are now ready to head to the first tee and feel comfortable that you have prepared your body to perform at its maximum potential!

How should I break up my practice sessions?

Breaking up your practice sessions is very important to prevent injury. Long sessions on the practice tee, or putting green, involve extended periods of forward flexion, which can place excessive amounts of stress through the structures in your spine, including the joints, ligaments, muscles and discs. Unlike during a round of golf, when you walk between shots that will decrease the stress through your back, while you are practising you do not get this break. By breaking up your practice sessions with periods that give your spine some respite from this forwad flexed posture, you can reduce the load on your spine and help prevent injury.

Ideal ways to break up your practice sessions should include activities that involve extension of your back and upper torso, chin tuck exercises, stretches of the gluteal and lateral trunk musculature, and even some muscle activation exercises for the deep abdominal and shoulder blade stabilising muscles.

Can I become a better golfer by working on my body?

Absolutely!

Physical limitations can inhibit your ability to swing the golf club with correct technique. Therefore any improvement you make in your body will make it easier to implement any technical improvements that you or your golf coach may be trying to make. For instance, if you have weakness in the muscles that stabilise yor hips, you may have difficulty transfering your weight and rotating on the backswing and throughswing, this may cause you to sway and slide in your swing. This may cause excessive movement in your swing and inconsistent impact. By doing specific strengthening exercises for these muscles and incorporating this new strength into your swing with the help of your golf coach, you can improve your swing and your game.

Why is my game so erractic?

There are many reasons why your game may be erratic, not least of which would be technical factors that your golf pro is best equipped to help you with.

However there are also physical reasons why you may be erratic. When you have physical restrictions that limit your ability to swing the golf club efficiently you are forced to make compensations in your swing to counteract these restrictions. These compensations are often inconsistent and cannot be relied upon, especially in situations of fatigue or stress, causing erratic results from your golf swing.

 

 

 

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