By Pam Owens, Special to Lone Star Golf
Despite industry efforts to explore safer swing techniques and fitness initiatives, too many golfers suffer from back injuries or chronic back pain. A sedentary lifestyle combined with over-exertion and high repetitive forces prove to be too much load for certain segments of the spine on many players.
By contrast, treating your back as if it’s fragile or overprotecting your back by always remaining in “neutral posture” can make you weaker and even more vulnerable to injuries. So what is a golfer to do?
In my opinion, we are missing the mark on back health due to a lack of knowledge about what humans need. The overfocus on remaining in neutral posture throughout the day combined with the lack of daily, intentional spine movement and the lack of safe, progressive loading contribute to a weaker core that can’t bear the load of repetitive powerful swings.
Back pain can have debilitating effects and should be diagnosed and treated by medical professionals. My goal in this article, however, is to reach golfers before your back becomes a limiting factor. So, by using good logic and training principles, we can protect the back.
Let's look at these facts:
Throughout daily life, our backs already move into many positions in a wide variety of directions. Then when we reach for something on the floor and injure ourselves we conclude that the movement caused the injury. Thus we move even less. I believe the takeaway is not to restrict movement or loads, but to add more non-loaded movement and progressively build loads in a variety of angles and motions as the spine was designed to do. When you prioritize building capacity and strength in all ranges you are less likely to get injured in golf and in random daily motions.
I have two exercises for you today. Even though these exercises do not involve rotation they will build your ability to rotate better. These moves can be quite challenging to do well but daily practice will build more and more control.
The first exercise, “Segmented Cat/Cow,” helps you build mobility in each area of the spine. By segmentally moving each area in sequence we can build the ability to distribute any movement across more area to minimize overloading just a few hinge points.
The second exercise, “Core-Loaded Dead Bugs,” builds core bracing to prevent loss of posture and allow more hip extension.
Begin on all fours or quadruped position with your knees under your hips and your wrists under your shoulders. Tuck the tailbone under to flex the lowest part of the lumbar spine, then gradually flex each segment moving up through the thoracic spine and cervical spine.
In this flexed-spine position, your anterior core will be “short,” and posterior core will be “long” or open. Then begin to lift the tailbone and extend the lower back continuing to extend to the upper back and neck to make the back “short” and the front of your trunk “long.”
Focus on contracting the shortening side while stretching the opening side of the spine. Perform two or more repetitions daily.
This higher-tension version of dead bugs, a move I learned from U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm’s workout, builds the anterior core, which can protect the lumbar spine from over-arching and losing posture.
Begin on your back with both legs in the air and position your lower back down into the floor. Press your club across your thighs while simultaneously pushing your legs into the club. Alternate sliding each leg out and back and maintain your core brace with as much pressure as possible.
If you notice your back lifting up, then elevate your hips with a towel to keep your legs above your hips. If you still have difficulty with core stability keep one foot on the ground and do leg slides without the club.
Invest a small amount of time daily with these two exercises to move your complete spine and build strength for the loads and forces of golf. Protecting your back now will keep you on the golf course for many years to come.
Pam Owens is the Director of Fitness for Royal Oaks Country Club in Houston and the owner of Pam Owens Fitness. A two-time Golf Digest Top 50 Fitness Professional, Pam helps golfers all over the world get lean, bendy and powerful with online or in person coaching. For a free recovery routine and for more resources, click here.
