Best Back Exercises for Golfers

Every golf swing uses the twisting of the spine and back muscles. Contact with the ground sends shock through the hands, arms, shoulders, and back. Your back takes a beating from playing golf and lower as well as upper back pain can develop if you aren’t properly training your body and taking care of yourself.

So today we highlight some important back exercises golfers should work on to improve their muscle strength, flexibility, and overall fitness. If you’d like a golf fitness program, click here to check it out.

Best lower back exercises for golfers:

1) Bird Dogs

Bird dogs enhance the erectors of the spine, glutes, hamstrings, and lower back. They all play a major role in a successful golf swing. This can not only be used as the principal exercise, but also as a warm-up for the more experienced golfers before you do any back exercises. The steps of the Birds exercise are following:

Start with all fours on the field.
Then, you have to extend your right arm and left leg at a time and hold them and start counting 1-2. Do the same with the left arm and right leg and hold them again.
Hold this position for 1-3 minutes for each side.

2) RKC Planks

The RKC plank is static support that contributes to the development of some essential back and core strength for the swing. This exercise will improve your lower back strength.

Start at the ground in a flat position with your forearms and toes having contact with the floor isometrically.
Stay in a straight line with the heart braced and your body.
Do not be too high or too low for your hips. From shoulders to knees, you have to keep a straight line.
Hold this position for some time. Then, take a little bit of rest before repeating the exercise.

3) Single Leg Glute Bridges

The single-leg glute bridge is an excellent workout that can be performed without equipment at home. It is aimed at the gluteal and hamstring muscles.

The glute bridge is not just an exercise in the back. It stimulates the blood gluteus like fins, the biggest and strongest muscles in the body, and extends hip bending. Lower back pain is the major contributor to weak gluten and strong hip flexors. The hip bending muscles pull out of the pelvis, and glutes are too small in many people to overcome this tightening force. The steps of the glute bridge are following:

First, start by lying with an extended leg on your back, planting on the floor.
Squeeze the glutes, maintain the hips, and slightly down the ground
Keep your shoulders, hips & legs in a straight line.
Hold this position and keep counting 1-2 for 3 minutes and then, repeat.

4) Seated Rotations

This seated rotation will help to limb your lower back and keep your back secure when you’re walking through each swing. Rotation is a vital part of a good golf swing, and a good golf swing protects the foundation. The steps of seated rotation are following:

Sit on a bench or a chair.
Take a golf club and place it behind your neck. This is going to keep you upright and give you a good posture.
Slowly move your upper body to the left without turning your hips.
Turn right and go back through the center. The middle of the left-hand side is one rep. Try to repeat at least 10 reps.

5) Reverse Pattern

For longer sitting or lack of thorough exercise, the anterior muscles of the trunk appear to strain more. This workout is designed to improve the muscles and to facilitate swinging for the golfers. The steps of the reverse pattern are following:

Lie on the ball that bends back and back to the ground and stretches up to your arms.
Lean back and stretch as far as possible your arm
Hold for five seconds and return to the starting position
Hold on for 5 seconds and return to the start position.
Repeat the process in 10 reps.

Resource: Golf Practice Plan to Break 100, 90, 80 Golf Scores

Best upper back exercises for golfers:

1) Barbell High Rows

Barbell high rows, particularly between the shoulder blades, are great to work for those upper back muscles. The workout is just like a normal row, except that the torso has been turned forward at the hips. Keep the bar overhand. The trick here is to slightly bend the knees to protect the lower back and hold the abs.

With feet about hip-distance apart and hands a bit wider than shoulders on the bar, hinge at the hips until your torso comes forward over the knees
Hang on your hip feet and hands a little wider than your shoulders on the bar until your torso is over your knees.
It’s parallel to the floor not so far ahead. Hold back the elbows, slightly bend the knees, and tightly firm the abs.
Then, you have to bend your elbows and pull all the weight upwards to your chest by contracting the back.
Repeat for 1-3 sets of 8-16 reps down and down.

2) Side Plank Rotation with the knee

The side plank rotation is the movement of the whole body. It also requires balance and rotating power and is one of the golfer’s great upper back exercises.

The plank does not need special equipment to do, can be performed nearly anywhere, and is fully safe, efficient and the grand padre of all core exercises is not the spinal cord.

Put one foot and one hand on the floor. Ensure that they are on the opposite side. The right foot is even if the left hand is on the deck.
Put your hand on your hip, which is not on the floor. Keep your foot straight which is not on the floor.
You have to move your body and take the foot out of the ground below your torso on the opposite side while bending on the knee simultaneously.

3) Single Arm Downward Dog with Reach Out

The Single Arm Downward Dog with reach out is a dynamic movement. For moderate or advanced exercisers, this exercise is better. It is carried out in a plank posture, so you also work the muscles in the center in addition to working the upper back. Core muscles also play a major role to preserve good posture for golfers.

The setup will begin in a plank position but the feet will be out wide.
The setup starts at a board position, but the feet are wide.
Put the hips to the top and sink the chest, and shoulders to the ground. Have a position like a downward dog.
Then reach your legs with one arm.
You lower the hips to the plank position but lift your hand to the ground overhead instead of bringing it down to the floor.

4) Ring Rows

You may use a pair of gym rings or TRX handles to execute the ring row. This is one of the golfers’ upper back exercises that focuses on the top and middle back. The steps of the ring row are following:

Under the rings, the feet are going to be. As your torso position is horizontal, the more difficult is your rep.
Keep the body close with the core in the nice straight lines.
Tighten the rings to the upper torso
When doing this, try not to use too much body English.

5) Wall Slides

Upper back stiffness restrictions not only make you feel injured in the back but also have a detrimental effect on your playing.

This exercise is done against the wall with your back and bends your back muscles to improve performance. The steps of wall slides are following:

Stand on the wall with your feet 6 to 12 inches apart.
Make sure your head, shoulders, and ass are against the wall without the back arching.
You have to put your forearms and elbows on the opposite side of the wall.
Slowly and controllably slide your arms up and down
Pinch your shoulder blades together as much as possible while you’re going downhill.
Repeat 3 sets every 15 times

Not only does your body look better when working the upper back, but it can also help your body feel more comfortable. Fixing bad posture by exercising can be a good way of reducing this discomfort. These back exercises are very effective for the betterment of the posture and golf swing.

General Q&A

How does golf affect my back?

Low pain, mid-back pain, and upper back pain are typical symptoms of a golf injury. Golf’s a muscle game that can lead to inflammation, strain, and other muscle injuries and spinal disks that can cause you to get away from the game.

What causes lower back pain in the golf swing?

Rigid muscles and ligaments are much harder, so warm-up workouts that relax your back are necessary to prepare you for golf swing movements. Since golf swings exert extreme pressure on these muscles, poor muscle strength in the lower back can lead often to stress.

How do I protect my lower back in golf?

In the back, lift your front heel. Short the back to decrease the motions of the lower back with rotational and side bending. Stand by the golf ball.