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Golf is a beloved sport across the world for many different reasons. It’s a great way to get in exercise, spend quality time in nature, and enjoy a little competition amongst friends. While golf might not involve physical contact with other players in competition like many other sports, it can still be a source of injuries or discomfort for many individuals as you twist, bend over, and exert force to hit the golf ball or put in steps as you walk the course. We’ve highlighted some of the causes of golf injuries and detailed some of the best stretches and exercises you can do to alleviate golf pain and reduce the likelihood of injuries including:

• Thoracic rotations (side lying)
• Bird dogs
• Glute bridges
• Side planks
• Golfer’s elbow stretch
• Wrist extensor stretch

Before beginning any type of stretching or exercise routine, you should consult with a qualified healthcare professional. Take a look at some of the best stretches and exercises you can implement before and after your next golf outing to help you alleviate golf pain.

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What Causes Golf Injuries?

You may be wondering why certain injuries are so prevalent in golf when it’s known to be a low-intensity sport? Even successful and prolific golf athletes in the world can be susceptible to golf injuries. While golf might be considered a low-intensity or low-impact sport, the repetitive nature and stress we place on our backs during each golf swing may cause pain or discomfort throughout the course of a round or afterward. A golf swing is performed through a full-body rotation, which builds centrifugal force and allows you to hit the ball. The range of motion required to perform this powerful swing is greater than the normal range of motion of our lumbar spine. Over the course of a golf round, our bodies require us to move through a larger range of motion by involving the thoracic spine, hips, and ankles in the swinging motion. The entire upper body can also get involved as you twist your wrists, shoulders, and arms to get the perfect contact as you swing the club. A slight tweak here or there in the full body motion and you can send a golf ball careening into the woods next to the tee. Golf might be considered a low-intensity sport, but it requires significant hand-eye coordination, strength, and flexibility to sync up all the complex movements over the duration of the swing to keep the club under control, make good contact, and get the ball to the target. Some of the most common causes for golf injuries include but are not limited to:

• Minimal Stretching or Warm-Up Periods
• Poor Technique
• Over-Swinging
• Attempting to “Crush It”

Hitting the range before your next golf outing is an important step in making sure that you dial in those irons and driver, but it can also present a great opportunity for you to set yourself up for success by doing a light warmup and doing some pre-round stretches to get your body ready for the stress that you’re about to place upon it. A proper warmup includes range work starting with the wedge with half swings and work towards the driver. Typically, wedges should be hit 10-15 times, then low irons 5-10 times, mid and long irons 3-5 times and then progress to full swings at 3 wood 5 swings and driver 5 swings then finally going to the first hole.

1. Start with the wedge at half swings and work towards the driver
2. Hit wedges 10 to 15 times
3. Hit low irons 5 to 10 times
4. Hit mid and long irons 3 to 5 times
5. Progress to full swings at 3 wood for 5 swings
6. Progress to full swings at driver for 5 swings
7. Make your way to the first hole

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In addition, hitting the range before your session can allow you to slowly build up the speed and intensity of your swing as you get more comfortable so you can focus on starting your round off with the proper technique. Even if you warm up and do some pre-round stretches, poor technique can still creep in throughout your round if you’re not vigilant. Having that increased range of motion requires new motor control patterns which can lead to different swing patterns over the course of a round. Having that motor pattern with repetition on the range is imperative. As you continue to use poor technique, you might place additional stress on your body with each swing. Some common technique issues that can creep in include the angle of attack at which you’re making contact with the ball , the amount of rotation you implement on your backswing or followthrough, tempo, and your posture .

Common Golf-Related Injuries

Some of the most common types of golf injuries are:

• Lower back pain
• Hip mobility limitations
• Thoracic spine mobility deficits
• Elbow tendonitis
• Heat Exhaustion and Sunburn
• Wrist Injuries
• Arthritis Flare-ups
• Neck Injuries
• Knee Injuries
• Hand Injuries

In order to prevent and/or relieve pain from golf injuries, there are several different exercises and stretches you can do to strengthen your core, ease back tension, and increase hip mobility.

5 Stretches and Exercises for Golf Pain

Thoracic Rotations (Side Lying)

When your thoracic spine lacks mobility, your shoulders and lumbar spine compensate by decreasing their stability and increasing their range of motion past the healthy limit. This may cause over-rotation during a golf swing, and lead to lower back and shoulder injuries. The side-lying thoracic rotation exercise takes stress off of your spine, stabilizes your shoulders, and increases thoracic spine mobility through the rotation of your torso. Another option is to perform a shoulder external rotation stretch to get to the set position at the top of the back swing to prevent an “over the top” compensation.

• Lie on your right side with your knees bent at a 90-degree angle
• Pull your knees towards your chest
• Grab your knees with your bottom arm and keep your top arm across your chest
• >Rotate your torso down toward the ground, so your back is flat on the ground
• Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds, and then return to the starting position
• Change sides and repeat

Bird Dogs

Bird dogs, named after the recognizable “point” position of hunting dogs, are a great exercise to build spinal stability, strengthen your lats, and engage your core. Your lats help to stabilize your spine and protect your lower back from golf injuries. Bird dogs may also help to improve mobility, as it puts your arms and legs through a full range of motion.

• Get on all fours with your knees hip-width apart and hands firmly on the ground, about shoulder-width apart
• Point one arm out straight in front of you and extend the opposite leg behind you, forming a straight line from your extended hand to your extended foot
• Hold and stay in this position for 5-10 seconds while engaging your core
• Return to the starting position knees. Keep your abs engaged throughout the entire exercise
• Change sides and repeat

Glute Bridges

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While your lats are an important aspect of protecting your lower back, your glutes can also prevent golf-related injuries. Activating your glutes helps increase hip extension strength, which gives you more rotational power. This keeps you from overcompensating with other muscle groups, which may result in injury. One of the best ways to strengthen your glute muscles is by doing glute bridges.

• Lie down on your back with your knees bent and your feet flat on the ground, hip-width apart
• Place your arms by your sides with your palms turned up
• Lift your hips towards the ceiling
• Raise your hips as high as you can, without arching your back — you want your body to form a straight line from your knee to your shoulder
• Squeeze your glutes and abs as tightly as you can at the top of your bridge position and hold for 2-4 seconds
• Lower your hips back down, keeping tension in the glutes and abs until you’re back on the ground

Side Planks

To avoid golf-related back pain, you want to have a core that’s strong on all sides, not just the front abdominal area. Side planks are one of the best exercises you can do to build strength in your lateral wall core muscles, which are key components to keeping your back stable during your golf swing. However, side planks must be done with proper form to be effective and avoid straining your lumbar spine.

• Lie down on your right side with your legs extended and stacked from hip to feet
• Your right elbow should be directly under your shoulder, your head should be in line with your spine, and your left arm should either be along the left side of your body or up in the air, parallel to your body
• Engage your abs and lift your hips and knees up from the mat
• Hold this position for 30 seconds to 1 minute without sagging or bending, and return to the starting position
• Change sides and repeat

Golfer’s Elbow Stretch

While strengthening your core, hips, and glutes can all be effective ways to reduce the likelihood of a back injury from golf, another area golfers tend to experience pain in is the elbow. The repetitive motions of a golf stroke may wear down the muscles and tendons that control your wrist and fingers, which may lead to tenderness and stiffness in the arm — this is known as golfer’s elbow. Many golfers will practice the wrist flexor stretch, also known as the golfer’s elbow stretch, to alleviate this pain.

• Extend your left arm in front of you with your palm facing up
• Use your right hand to slowly pull back on the fingers of your left hand and press your left elbow up until you feel a stretch
• Hold for 30 seconds, and repeat on the other side

Wrist Extensor Stretch

The next stretch you can do is the Wrist Extensor stretch. Over the course of a round, repeatedly hitting the ball on the ground can cause your forearms to get sore. Wrist Extensor stretches can help to alleviate pain in your forearms.

• Extend your left arm in front of you with your palm facing downward
• Use your right hand to slowly and gently pull down on the fingers of your left hand until you feel a slight stretch in your forearm
• Hold for 10 seconds and then slowly return to the starting position
• Repeat on the other side

Treat Golf Pain with Physical Therapy

Physical therapy can be an effective treatment option to address your golf pain and help you get back to enjoying your next round of golf. At Results Physiotherapy, we believe that people shouldn’t have to live in pain. Our physical therapists create a personalized treatment plan for each patient and are 100% committed to helping them reach their health goals. Golf is one of the most popular sports in the world and golf pain shouldn’t prevent you from enjoying your next round. Request an appointment today at a nearby physical therapy clinic to see how our physical therapists can help you alleviate golf pain!

1. Anne Asher, CPT. “Learn to Safely Advance the Side Plank Exercise.” Verywell Fit, Verywell Fit, 29 July 2022, https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-safely-progress-your-side-plank-exercise-4016853.
2. Bass, Lianna. “13 Golf Stretches That Will Have You Feeling like an Ace.” Greatist, Greatist, 23 Mar. 2021, https://greatist.com/fitness/golf-stretches.
3. “Golfer’s Elbow.” Mayo Clinic, Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 28 Sept. 2022, https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/golfers-elbow/symptoms-causes/syc-20372868#:~:text=Golfer’s%20elbow%2C%20also%20known%20as,forceful%20wrist%20and%20finger%20motions.
4. James, Dr. Jeremy. “The Top 5 Golf Exercises to Reduce Back Pain.” GOLFFOREVER, 8 July 2021, https://golfforever.com/top-5-golf-exercises-to-reduce-back-pain/.
5. Mahaffey, Kinsey. “How to Do a Glute Bridge: Form, Workouts, and More.” NASM, https://blog.nasm.org/how-to-do-a-glute-bridge.
6. Rogers, Paul. “How to Do the Bird Dog Exercise: Techniques, Benefits, Variations.” Verywell Fit, Verywell Fit, 3 May 2022, https://www.verywellfit.com/how-to-do-the-bird-dog-exercise-3498253.
7. Hart, Marijke. “5 Easy Tips to Prevent Back Pain Due to Golfing.” Virginia Spine Institute, 1 Aug. 2022, www.spinemd.com/5-easy-tips-to-prevent-back-pain-from-golfing#:~:text=WHY%20DO%20GOLFERS%20EXPERIENCE%20BACK,stress%20on%20the%20lower%20back.
8. “Side Lying Thoracic Rotation :: Northwestern Student Affairs.” Side Lying Thoracic Rotation : | Northwestern Student Affairs, www.northwestern.edu/sportsmedicine/club-sports/injury-prevention-videos-club/side-lying-thoracic-rotation/index.html. Accessed 6 June 2023.

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