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Can Changing Your Golf Swing Reduce Low Back Pain?

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

Sometimes the swing is part of the treatment

When golfers develop low back pain, they often look for exercises, injections, medications, or imaging. Those may be appropriate in some cases. But if the pain is repeatedly provoked by the golf swing, the swing itself deserves attention.

That does not mean every golfer with back pain has a “bad swing.” It means the current swing may be asking too much of the lumbar spine. Small changes in backswing length, pelvic rotation, follow-through, setup, or sequencing may reduce stress.

Shortening the backswing may reduce load, but there may be trade-offs

The source synthesis includes studies suggesting that a shortened backswing can reduce certain muscle activity and lumbar compression forces. However, the evidence is not perfectly consistent, and performance trade-offs may occur. One study described reduced compressive force but also noted reductions in shot distance or clubhead velocity.^[1]

For patients, this means the message should not be “everyone should shorten the backswing.” A better message is: if your back pain is provoked by a long, aggressive backswing, a shorter and more controlled backswing may be worth testing.

The goal is to find the smallest swing change that reduces pain while preserving acceptable performance.

Classic, modern, and hybrid swing concepts

The source synthesis discusses the idea that a modern swing may create greater lumbar torsion by emphasizing shoulder-pelvis separation. A classic swing may allow more pelvic turn and potentially reduce torsional stress.^[2, 3] Some authors suggest a hybrid approach that preserves power while reducing lumbar load.

In real-world terms, this means a golfer with back pain may benefit from allowing more body turn rather than trying to create extreme separation between the shoulders and pelvis.

But this should be individualized. A younger competitive golfer, an older recreational golfer, and a golfer after lumbar fusion may all need different swing strategies.

The follow-through matters

Swing modification should not focus only on the backswing. Many golfers experience pain during or after follow-through.^[4] A painful finish may reflect poor deceleration control, limited hip rotation, excessive lumbar extension, or excessive side bending.

Useful questions include:

Does the golfer finish in balance?
Is the follow-through smooth or abrupt?
Does the golfer reverse-C aggressively at the finish?
Does the lead hip clear comfortably?
Does pain occur after impact rather than before it?

A swing coach may identify mechanical patterns that a medical clinician would not see in the exam room.^[5]

Swing change alone may not be enough

One of the major limitations in the literature is that few studies directly compare swing modification alone, rehabilitation alone, and the combination of both. Clinically, many golfers need both.

If the golfer lacks hip mobility, trunk endurance, or lower-extremity strength, a swing coach may struggle to create a durable change. If the golfer improves strength and mobility but returns to the same painful mechanics, symptoms may return.

The best approach often combines physical rehabilitation with golf instruction.^[6, 7, 8]

Avoid chasing every swing theory

Golfers are surrounded by swing advice. YouTube, social media, golf forums, and playing partners all offer fixes. For a golfer with back pain, this can become confusing and counterproductive.

The question is not which swing theory is fashionable. The question is which specific movement pattern is loading this golfer’s back, and what change can reduce that load without destroying the golfer’s game.

That is a clinical and coaching problem, not just an internet tip problem.

Bottom line

Swing modification can help some golfers with low back pain, especially when pain is linked to backswing length, follow-through position, limited hip turn, or excessive lumbar rotation. But swing change should be individualized and ideally combined with rehabilitation.

The best swing for a painful back is not necessarily the prettiest swing. It is the swing the golfer can repeat, control, and tolerate.

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.

Bulbulian R, Ball KA, Seaman DR. The short golf backswing: effects on performance and spinal health implications. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2001;24(9):569-75.
Dale RB, Brumitt J. Spine biomechanics associated with the shortened, modern one-plane golf swing. Sports Biomech. 2016;15(2):198-206.
Kanwar KD, Cannon J, Nichols DL, et al. Injury risk-factor differences between two golf swing styles: a biomechanical analysis of the lumbar spine, hip and knee. Sports Biomech. 2024;23(10):1504-1525.
Wadsworth LT. When golf hurts: musculoskeletal problems common to golfers. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2007;6(6):362-5.
Gould ZI, Oliver JL, Lloyd RS, et al. The Golf Movement Screen Is Related to Spine Control and X-Factor of the Golf Swing in Low Handicap Golfers. J Strength Cond Res. 2021;35(1):240-246.
Grimshaw PN, Burden AM. Case report: reduction of low back pain in a professional golfer. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2000;32(10):1667-73.
Finn C. Rehabilitation of low back pain in golfers: from diagnosis to return to sport. Sports Health. 2013;5(4):313-9.
Costa SM, Chibana YE, Giavarotti L, et al. Effect of spinal manipulative therapy with stretching compared with stretching alone on full-swing performance of golf players: a randomized pilot trial. J Chiropr Med. 2009;8(4):165-70.