Opinion & Analysis

Golf itself does not cause pain. Here’s how to figure out what the problem is

Published

8 years ago

Aug 25, 2018

False: “Golf causes pain.”

If you get injured every time you play a round or feel pain every time you make a golf swing, then you have joined a growing number of golfers in the world who have a misconception that golf is bad for them. Don’t get me wrong… I get it. You have an excruciating pain in your back or elbow and are sidelined for weeks at a time every time you play golf. You start to fear going to the golf course when you are finally pain-free in fear that your body is a ticking time bomb moments away from the next injury. And when you ultimately decide to head back to the course, you do so after chomping back a handful of Advil… or maybe even something stronger, right?

Injury hurts not only your golf game, but your psyche, too. Injured golfers are left in torment trying to understand how a game they love so much can cause so much pain. BREAKING NEWS: Golf is not a sport that causes injuries or pain unless your body is forced to move in a way that it shouldn’t. For most golfers, these problematic movements that will put your body under strain are the result of hidden physical limitations. In layman terms, golf is not causing your pain, it’s the body that you are bringing to the golf course that is more than likely the culprit.

So what can you do? The good news is that these hidden limitations are very common in golfers and well understood. There’s a method to getting you back out on the golf course, feeling and playing better than ever before.

Here’s the two step approach in your recovery:

Get a physical assessment to find out where any hidden limitations might be so that you don’t guess why you are in pain. An assessment will also accurately address how you can recover and get back in the saddle again. MyTPI.com has an amazing list of experts that will help you assess your body and get you on right track again so you can get back to enjoying the game of golf pain-free again as quickly as possible.
Work with a golf instructor that will address your pain and help you understand any compensations you have adopted in your technique due to your limitations. They may also be causing more strain to your body every time you make your swing. Working with an instructor that understands how your body can move will be a necessary step, because they can help you to move around your limitations to prevent pain as you are working on rehabilitating your body.

Finding out why you have pain when you play golf… that is the easy part. The hard part is shooting your lowest-ever score!

Related Topics:featured

Up Next

You say you want to break 100… but how bad do you actually want it?

Don't Miss

Here’s why your “perfect” practice swing doesn’t work when there’s a golf ball in the way

Adam Stevenson

Adam is a PGA Professional and TPI Certified Fitness and Medical Coach. He enjoys working with golfers of all ages and levels of expertise, and his approach is to look at every golfer as an individual to try to help them achieve their goals as effectively and efficiently as possible. He is also the author of two books: The Golfers Handbook - Save your golf game and your life! (available on iTunes and Amazon) And his new book, My Mind Body Golf Coach Adam also offers online lessons and offers a monthly membership to help golfers stay committed to the process of improvement. All this and more can be ordered through his website www.golfadamstevenson.com "The golf swing may be built from the ground up, but the game of golf is built from the head down" - My Mind Body Golf Aside being an author, Adam is also a public speaker, doing workshops and lectures introducing concepts of athletic movement for golfers of all ages and levels of expertise.

9 Comments

Coop

Aug 27, 2018 at 3:34 am

With so many tour players suffering back problems – despite having access to the best physios, fitness trainers and swing coaches – maybe the golf swing is simply tough on the body. Swinging a weight stick forcefully around your body hundreds of times a day will eventually take its toil.

Reply Report comment
geohogan

Aug 26, 2018 at 10:17 am

Incorrect golf instruction has and does cause pain and injury.

Restricting hip turn to increase X factor is one cause of pain and injury. Posting up on a straight lead leg another. Just ask Tiger Woods.
Tigers severe injuries are the result of specific golf instruction.

Reply Report comment
- The dude
  
  Aug 26, 2018 at 11:10 am
  
  Wrong…..it was his training
  
  Reply Report comment
  - allan
    
    Aug 26, 2018 at 2:11 pm
    
    … starting from 2 years old… thanks to his dad’s obsession…
    
    Reply Report comment
    - geohogan
      
      Aug 27, 2018 at 7:50 pm
      
      Granted training and instruction after 2000 did him in.
      
      Reply Report comment
Skillet Jenkins

Aug 25, 2018 at 8:55 pm

What’s wrong with chomping a handful of pills before playing golf? Maybe get a real good buzz going before teeing off.

Reply Report comment
will

Aug 25, 2018 at 4:28 pm

Back and flank pain after golf can be related to poor physical condition primarily due to bad posture and pot belly. Posture is destroyed by sedentary lifestyle. Pot belly from overeating and not balancing it with physical energy activity.

Reply Report comment
- ogo
  
  Aug 27, 2018 at 8:20 pm
  
  That advice applies to 95% of all golfers worldwide… carrying their weight around the course in a golf cart.
  
  Reply Report comment

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Opinion & Analysis

AVL: My U.S. Amateur local qualifying experience

Published

6 days ago

Jun 5, 2026

Andrew Von Lossow

This past Monday, I played in the U.S. Amateur local qualifier at Rock Creek Country Club in Portland, Oregon. A full tee sheet from 7:30 a.m. to 1:55 p.m., the top 11 scores would make it to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying.

I teed off at 10:48 a.m.. With the 7:30 am tee time, you can get a feel for the leaders’ pace, and they were off and running on the challenging setup at Rock Creek.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by GolfWRX (@golfwrx)

Getting to the highlight of the round on the par five 17th, a drive up the left side and 212 yards left to the front hole location. I took out a 5-iron with plans of middle of the green. The ball ended up 8 feet left of the hole, pin high. A slight downhill putt dropped in for an eagle 3 on the 17th. With the cut line looking to be anywhere from -2 to even par. This was the boost I had been waiting for all day.

With making par from the trees on 18, it was time to wait for a potential playoff with a posted score of one under par 71.

Three hours later, it was playoff time. 8 players for 6 spots. I made par on the playoff hole, which was good enough to advance to the U.S. Amateur final qualifying in July. USGA qualifiers sure deliver on all of the emotions in golf!

Club Junkie

Building my 2026 gamer WITB: Ranking the contenders and new putter projects – Club Junkie Podcast

Published

7 days ago

Jun 4, 2026

GolfWRX Staff

The annual What’s In The Bag build is underway, and on this episode of Club Junkie, Brian breaks down the clubs currently leading the race for a spot in his 2026 gamer setup. From drivers and fairway woods to irons, wedges, and shafts, he ranks the equipment that’s performing best and explains what’s separating the front runners from the rest of the field.

Brian also heads into the workshop to discuss several putter projects currently on the bench. From head options and shaft choices to build ideas and testing plans, he shares what he’s working on and which putters could become serious contenders for the bag this season.

If you’re a gear junkie who loves equipment testing, club building, and the never-ending pursuit of the perfect setup, this episode is for you.

Follow Club Junkie:
Instagram: @clubjunkiepod
TikTok: @clubjunkiepod
Threads: @clubjunkiepod
X: @ClubJunkiePod

Club Junkie

Tour Edge Exotics mini driver review + TaylorMade Spider ZT Max first look – Club Junkie

Published

2 weeks ago

May 28, 2026

Brian Knudson

On this episode of Club Junkie, I put the new Tour Edge Exotics Mini Driver to the test and break down the performance, forgiveness, distance, and where it fits compared to a traditional driver or strong fairway wood. If you have been curious about adding a mini driver to the bag, this one is worth a look.

I also dive into the new TaylorMade Spider ZT Max putter that was recently spotted and discuss the growing zero torque putter trend. Plus, there is a closer look at the new Project X Titan Yellow shaft showing up on the PGA Tour and what makes it different from other profiles currently out there.