Low Back Pain & Golf: Why It Happens — and How to Play Through It (Safely)

If you play golf long enough, chances are your low back has spoken up at some point.

At Outshine Physical Therapy & Fitness, we don’t just treat golfers — we are golfers. We understand the grind of range sessions, early tee times, walking hilly courses, and chasing consistency in your swing. We also see, every week, how low back pain can quietly creep in and start limiting enjoyment, distance, and confidence on the course.

The good news? Most golf-related low back pain is highly treatable and often preventable with the right approach.

Why Golf Is Hard on the Low Back

The golf swing is one of the most rotationally demanding movements in sport.

During each swing, your spine experiences:

• High-speed rotation

• Side bending

• Extension

• Significant shear forces through the lumbar spine

When your hips and mid-back move well, that force is distributed efficiently. When they don’t, your low back becomes the default workhorse — and that’s when pain shows up.

Common contributors we see in golfers:

• Limited hip rotation (especially lead hip internal rotation)

• Stiff thoracic spine (mid-back)

• Poor core control during rotation

• Fatigue late in rounds or after long range sessions

• Sudden increases in volume, especially early in the season

Low back pain usually isn’t about one bad swing. It’s about repeated stress without enough capacity or preparation.

Can You Play Golf With Low Back Pain?

The answer depends on the type of pain you’re experiencing.

You should get evaluated before playing if you have:

• Sharp or worsening pain with every swing

• Pain traveling into the leg

• Numbness, tingling, or weakness

• Pain that escalates during or after each round

You can often play safely if:

• Your back feels stiff but loosens as you warm up

• Pain is mild and predictable

• Symptoms improve with movement and exercise

If your back feels better once you’re moving, that’s often a sign that your body needs better preparation, strength, and control, not complete rest.

3 Golf-Specific Exercises to Help Low Back Pain

These exercises target the real demands of golf: rotation, load transfer, and spinal control. They’re staples in how we train golfers at Outshine. These are great to do at home or at the gym in preparation for the upcoming golf season.

1. Half-Kneeling Rotation (video here)

Why it helps: Improving mid back rotation and side bending for a better back swing and more fluid rotation. Can help take pressure off of the lower back as the mid back is moving more (as it's designed to do).

How to do it:

• Start in a half-kneeling position (if left side is up against the wall, place the left foot in front of you)

• Upright torso, fingers interlocked behind neck

• Slowly rotate your chest to face the wall as far as possible, then tip to the left into a side bend

• Reverse out of the movement turning upper back to face the wall and tipping to the left

• Move smoothly without forcing range

Dosage: 1-2 sets of 10 controlled reps per side

2. Hip 90 90 Switch (video here)

Why it helps: We need our hips to rotate out (external rotation) and rotate in (internal rotation) for a good golf swing. This helps improve both directions of rotation. This also helps take pressure off of the lower back.

How to do it:

• Sit on the ground with knees bent, then keep the feet still and rotate the knees to one direction.

• Scale back: If needed hands can stay behind you supporting throughout the movement

• Progress: If able, add a lean over the front knee as shown in the video for a good outer hip stretch, holding for just a few seconds each side

• You should feel no pain or pinching in the front of either hip, just muscle stretch. Stay in ranges that feel tolerable

Dosage: 1-2 sets of 10 reps per side

3. Split Squat Hold with a Row (video here)

Why it helps: This one checks a lot of boxes at once! It is lower body and core strength/stability, upper back rotation, and pulling strength.

How to do it:

• Stand in a split squat position (if right leg is back, hold a band or cable with the right hand)

• Drop into a little lunge position (knees bent as much as tolerated) and torso tall

• Keep the hips down still throughout, reach with the right hand then pull the right elbow by side into the resistance of the band or cable (this doesn't need to be very heavy)

• Allow the upper back/shoulders to rotate some as you reach and pull

Dosage: 2–3 sets of 8–12 reps per side

Warm-Up Matters More Than You Think

One of the biggest contributors to golf-related back pain is skipping a proper warm-up.

Walking straight from the car to the first tee leaves your body unprepared for rotational load. Even 2-5 minutes focused on hips, mid-back, and core control can significantly reduce stiffness and discomfort during your round.

Here is a quick golf-club only warm-up that I like to use prior to the range or a round. Check it out here!

Golf is athletic. Your preparation should reflect that.

Why Golfers Choose Outshine Physical Therapy & Fitness

If low back pain is:

• Limiting how often you play

• Affecting your swing confidence

• Holding back distance or consistency

• Showing up season after season

  
  

…it’s time for a golf-specific approach.

At Outshine Physical Therapy & Fitness, we specialize in working with active adults and golfers who want to keep playing, improve performance, and protect their bodies long-term.

Our Doctors of Physical Therapy:

• Assess how your hips, spine, and core work together

• Identify movement patterns contributing to back pain

• Build golf-specific strength and mobility programs

• Understand the demands of walking courses, range volume, and swing mechanics

• Actually look at your golf swing and help assess the root cause of why you're having pain and how you can get the most out of your body

• Include dry needling, cupping, soft tissue work, joint mobilizations and more to keep you feeling your best

Most importantly — we speak golf. You won’t be told to stop playing unless it’s truly necessary.

Ready to Play Golf Without Back Pain?

If low back pain is interfering with your game, Outshine Physical Therapy & Fitness is the place to start.

We help golfers move better, swing with confidence, and stay on the course for years to come — not just get through the next round.

Schedule a golf-focused evaluation with with a performance physical therapy provider in Asheville, NC and discover the difference that specialized, one-on-one care can make in your journey.

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