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Flexibility, Stretching, and Back Pain Risk in Golfers

Written by Ifije Ohiorhenuan, MD, PhD — Board-Certified Spine Surgeon. Last updated 2026-06-20.

Flexibility matters, but not in the way many golfers think

Golfers often assume that more flexibility is always better. That is not always true. The useful goal is not maximum flexibility. The useful goal is enough mobility in the right places, combined with enough strength and control to use that motion safely.

The source synthesis includes evidence linking shoulder and trunk flexibility measures with spinal injury risk in professional golfers. It also highlights the importance of warm-up and swing modification after injury. But flexibility should be interpreted as one part of a larger movement system.

Mobility should be distributed

The golf swing requires motion through the hips, thoracic spine, shoulders, ankles, and pelvis. If one region is stiff, another region may compensate.

A common example is limited hip rotation causing increased lumbar rotation. Another example is limited thoracic rotation leading the golfer to side-bend or extend through the low back to complete the swing.

In that sense, stretching the painful low back may not address the actual limitation. The golfer may need hip mobility, thoracic mobility, shoulder mobility, or lower-extremity control.

Shoulder flexibility may relate to spine injury risk

The source synthesis includes studies in professional golfers where shoulder reach flexibility was associated with lower odds of thoracolumbar or lumbar spine injury.^[1, 2] This may seem surprising, but it makes sense biomechanically. If the shoulders and thoracic region cannot rotate or position well, the lower back may be asked to compensate during the swing.

That does not mean every golfer needs extreme shoulder flexibility. It means upper-body mobility should not be ignored when evaluating low back pain.

Static stretching vs dynamic preparation

Static stretching is not the same as warming up. Holding long stretches immediately before play may not prepare the body for the speed and coordination of the golf swing. Dynamic movement is often a better pre-round strategy.

A useful division is:

Before golf: dynamic warm-up, activation, progressive swings.
After golf or on off days: longer mobility work, stretching, recovery work.

This allows golfers to improve flexibility over time while still preparing the body appropriately for play.

Flexibility without strength can be a problem

A golfer who gains motion but cannot control it may not reduce injury risk. For example, increasing hip rotation is helpful only if the golfer can stabilize the pelvis and trunk while using that rotation. Increasing trunk mobility is helpful only if the golfer can control rotation and deceleration.

This is why flexibility work should often be paired with strengthening and motor control.

Practical mobility priorities for golfers

Golfers with low back pain often benefit from assessing:

Lead hip internal rotation.
Trail hip mobility.
Thoracic rotation.
Shoulder mobility.
Hamstring flexibility.
Ankle dorsiflexion.
Pelvic control.

The exact priority depends on the golfer’s symptoms, exam, swing, and goals.

Bottom line

Flexibility can influence golf-related back pain, but stretching alone is rarely the full answer. Golfers need enough mobility in the hips, thoracic spine, shoulders, and lower body to distribute swing forces. They also need strength and control to use that mobility safely.

The best flexibility program for golf is not random stretching. It is targeted mobility plus trunk and hip control.

References

This guide draws on the following studies and reviews. Much of this literature is observational or abstract-level, so findings are described here as associations rather than proof. The numbered markers in the text show which sources support each point.

Kim HJ, Lee HR, Suh SW, et al. Associations between flexibility, stretching habits, and spine injuries in professional golfers: a nationwide, cross-sectional study. J Orthop Surg Res. 2025;20(1):848.
Lee HR, Kim HJ, Lee S, et al. Characteristics of spinal injury in professional golfers in South Korea: a nationwide cross-sectional study. BMJ Open. 2025;15(6):e095700.