Golf Injuries
Golf injuries may affect social golfers, regular club players and competitive athletes. Although golf appears low impact, each swing transfers rotational force through the lower back, shoulders, elbows, wrists, hips, knees and feet. Walking the course, carrying a bag and repeatedly practising from firm surfaces can add further load.
Some problems begin suddenly after a heavy turf strike, awkward lie or forceful swing. However, many golf injuries build gradually when practice volume, physical capacity, swing mechanics and recovery become mismatched. This guide explains common injury patterns and connects you with relevant sports injury and condition information.
Quick answer: The lower back, elbows, wrists, shoulders, knees and feet are commonly affected in golf.
Pain may relate to repeated swing load, reduced mobility, fatigue, rapid increases in practice or one heavy contact with the ground.
What Are the Common Signs of Golf Injuries?
- pain during the backswing, downswing, impact or follow-through
- stiffness after practice or the day after a round
- pain with gripping, lifting clubs or striking the ground
- reduced swing speed, distance or confidence
- pain while walking hills or carrying a golf bag
- symptoms that return whenever practice volume increases
Explore Golf and Outdoor Sports Injuries
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Where Does Golf Hurt?
The part of the swing that causes pain can help guide an assessment. However, it does not confirm a diagnosis.
Backswing
The backswing may provoke shoulder, upper-back or lower-back pain when rotation or shoulder movement is limited.
Downswing and Impact
The downswing and impact phase may load the lower back, elbows and wrists as speed, grip force and ground contact increase.
Heavy Turf Strike
A heavy strike may cause sudden wrist, hand, elbow, rib or shoulder pain when the club contacts the ground before the ball.
Follow-Through
The follow-through may aggravate the lead shoulder, lower back or lead knee as the body rotates and transfers weight.
Walking the Course
Long rounds, hills and uneven ground may aggravate knee, ankle, heel or foot symptoms.
Carrying the Bag
Carrying clubs may increase load through the neck, shoulder and lower back, particularly as fatigue develops.
How Common Are Golf Injuries?
Golfers may experience both gradual overuse problems and sudden traumatic injuries. Research commonly identifies the lower back, elbow, wrist, shoulder and lower limb among the most frequently affected regions.
A recent review of musculoskeletal injuries in golfers also highlights the effects of repeated swing demands and accumulated playing load.
What Are the Most Common Golf Injuries?
The injury pattern varies with swing technique, practice volume, age, physical capacity and previous injury history. The following sections link to the main PhysioWorks guides for each body region.
Back and Trunk Injuries
The golf swing combines rapid trunk rotation, side bending and force transfer. Reduced hip or thoracic movement may increase the work performed by the lumbar spine.
Elbow, Forearm and Wrist Injuries
Repeated gripping, sudden turf contact and excessive tension through impact may load the wrist and forearm tendons.
Shoulder Injuries
The shoulders move through large ranges during the backswing and follow-through. Reduced trunk rotation may also shift additional load towards the shoulder.
Knee, Foot and Heel Injuries
The lead leg manages substantial rotation and weight transfer. Long rounds and uneven terrain may also increase lower-limb load.
Why Do Golf Injuries Happen?
Golf injuries rarely have one cause. They usually reflect a combination of tissue load, physical capacity, mobility, coordination, technique and recovery. When one body region does not move or control load effectively, another area may compensate.
Common Golf Injury Risk Factors
- sudden increases in range balls, lessons or rounds played
- reduced hip, thoracic spine or shoulder mobility
- reduced trunk, shoulder or lower-limb strength
- poor balance or weight-transfer control
- fatigue late in a round or practice session
- trying to generate more speed than the body can currently tolerate
- heavy turf strikes or repeated fat shots
- tight gripping or unsuitable grip size
- poor footwear support or limited walking capacity
- inadequate recovery between demanding sessions
Why Do Golfers Get Lower Back Pain?
Lower-back pain is one of the most frequently reported golf problems. The swing exposes the trunk to repeated rotation, side bending and compression. When hip rotation, thoracic mobility or trunk control is limited, the lumbar spine may absorb more movement and force.
Symptoms may also increase when a golfer suddenly practises more often, repeatedly swings at maximum effort or continues playing after fatigue changes their movement pattern.
However, pain does not always mean that one structure is damaged. An assessment should consider symptoms, movement, load tolerance and function together.
Can Golf Equipment Contribute to Injury?
Equipment may contribute to symptoms, although it is rarely the only cause. Grip size, club length, shaft characteristics, footwear and practice-surface firmness can all influence how load moves through the body.
Changing equipment may also temporarily alter swing timing and practice volume. Golfers commonly hit more balls when testing new clubs or rebuilding a swing. Therefore, the change in workload may matter as much as the equipment itself.
Are Beginners or Experienced Golfers More Likely to Get Injured?
Both groups may experience injuries for different reasons. Beginners may have inconsistent contact, grip too firmly or try to swing harder than their current technique allows. They may also have limited preparation for repeated practice.
Experienced golfers often manage higher cumulative loads from frequent rounds, lessons and range sessions. Small movement or workload changes may become important when repeated over hundreds of swings.
How Can You Reduce the Risk of Golf Injuries?
The risk of many golf injuries may be reduced through sensible load progression, physical preparation and appropriate technique or equipment review. Prevention should build the body’s capacity for golf rather than relying only on rest when symptoms appear.
Warm Up
Use progressive trunk, hip and shoulder movements before hitting full-speed shots.
Build Capacity
Develop trunk, leg, shoulder, forearm and grip capacity for repeated swings and walking.
Progress Load
Increase range balls, rounds and swing intensity gradually rather than changing everything at once.
Recover
Allow enough recovery between demanding sessions and respond early when symptoms persist.
Can Physiotherapy Help Golf Injuries?
Physiotherapy may help identify the painful structure, movement limitation, strength deficit or load issue contributing to symptoms. An assessment may include the affected body region, golf-related movements, walking tolerance and relevant parts of the swing.
Management may include:
- advice about playing and practice loads
- short-term pain-management strategies
- mobility exercises where movement is limited
- strength and control exercises
- gradual reloading of gripping, rotation and impact
- walking and lower-limb conditioning
- communication with a golf coach where technique contributes to load
- a staged return-to-practice and return-to-play plan
How Do You Return to Golf After an Injury?
A return-to-golf plan should match the injury, symptom response and golfer’s usual playing level. Progression should depend on pain, movement quality and next-day recovery rather than time alone.
- Restore daily function: walk, lift and complete normal activities comfortably.
- Begin short-game practice: trial putting and controlled chipping.
- Add partial swings: use short irons and comfortable half swings.
- Build range volume: increase swing length, club selection and ball numbers gradually.
- Return to the course: begin with a shorter or modified round where appropriate.
- Resume normal golf: restore full rounds, practice volume and competition demands.
Load-response guide: Mild discomfort that settles quickly may be acceptable in some rehabilitation plans. However, increasing pain, altered movement or a marked next-day flare usually means the current load needs review.
When Should You Seek Help?
Consider an assessment when pain keeps returning, affects your swing, limits walking or does not improve after reducing load. Earlier review may also help when symptoms are changing your technique or stopping you from practising normally.
Seek prompt medical assessment following significant trauma or when you develop marked swelling, deformity, inability to use the limb, progressive weakness, persistent numbness, chest symptoms or severe pain that is rapidly worsening.
Golf Injury FAQs
Can golf cause elbow pain?
Yes. Golf may contribute to both golfer’s elbow and tennis elbow. Repeated gripping, sudden ground contact and excessive tension through impact may irritate the forearm tendons. Wrist symptoms may occur at the same time.
Why does my back hurt after golf?
Your back may hurt after golf because the swing repeatedly combines rotation, side bending and force transfer. Reduced hip or thoracic movement, fatigue, sudden workload changes and an underlying back problem may all contribute.
Should I stop playing if golf causes pain?
Not always. Mild symptoms may improve after temporarily reducing swing volume, walking load or playing intensity. However, you should not repeatedly push through increasing pain or steadily worsening function without an assessment and clear load plan.
Can physiotherapy improve my golf movement?
Physiotherapy may improve mobility, strength, balance, load tolerance and movement control when these factors are limiting your golf. However, physiotherapy does not replace technical coaching. A combined approach may help when both physical and swing-related factors contribute.
How long does a golf injury take to recover?
Recovery time depends on the injured structure, symptom severity, duration of the problem and the playing load you want to resume. A mild flare may settle relatively quickly, while tendon, bone, nerve or significant joint injuries usually require a longer staged rehabilitation period.
What to Do Next
If golf is causing pain, arrange an assessment before the problem becomes more difficult to manage. A physiotherapist can assess the painful area, identify relevant movement and loading factors, and develop a staged plan based on your golf goals.
Early advice may help clarify the problem, guide appropriate loading and support a more confident return to golf.
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References
- Kuitunen I, Ponkilainen VT. Injury incidence in golf—a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ir J Med Sci. 2024;193(6):2803–2811. doi:10.1007/s11845-024-03759-6
- McHardy A, Pollard H, Luo K. Golf injuries: a review of the literature. Sports Med. 2006;36(2):171–187. doi:10.2165/00007256-200636020-00006
- Cabri J, Sousa JP, Kots M, Barreiros J. Golf-related injuries: a systematic review. Eur J Sport Sci. 2009;9(6):353–366. doi:10.1080/17461390903009141
- McHardy A, Pollard H, Luo K. One-year follow-up study on golf injuries in Australian amateur golfers. Am J Sports Med. 2007;35(8):1354–1360. doi:10.1177/0363546507300188
