Back problems and golf swing

[RFG1022]

Can someone give me some pointers for someone like me that has back problems and can't take full swings with clubs?

[DrvFrShow]

Describe your back problem.

[RFG1022]

Had back surgery in 1990 L4, L5 discs shaved. Problems ever since with nerve pain in low back. Get sharp jolts in low back at times.

3 minutes ago, RFG1022 said:

Had back surgery in 1990 L4, L5 discs shaved. Problems ever since with nerve pain in low back. Get sharp jolts in low back at times.

Clubs I use are new taylormade rocket blades with SLDR 460 driver. All have been fitted.

[chilepepper]

What's your doc say? 

[SavvySwede]

41 minutes ago, RFG1022 said:

Can someone give me some pointers for someone like me that has back problems and can't take full swings with clubs?

How much of a swing can you take without pain? 3/4 swings? 1/2 swings?

[RFG1022]

7 minutes ago, chilepepper said:

What's your doc say? 

Nothing more they can do as far as surgeries etc. Golf is not a problem they want me to get exercise.  I also get spinal shots every 6 mos to help with my nerve issue. I also refuse lay in bed all day everyday and be medicated.

1 minute ago, SavvySwede said:

How much of a swing can you take without pain? 3/4 swings? 1/2 swings?

I'm like 1/2 to 3/4 swings. Someone told me about punching the golf shot?

[SavvySwede]

7 minutes ago, RFG1022 said:

I'm like 1/2 to 3/4 swings. Someone told me about punching the golf shot?

Move up to whatever set of tees allow you to reach the greens in regulation given your current limitations. A half swing can get you around the course just fine if you focus on making pure contact.

[Patch]

It would seem to me, that you should take the longest swing possible that does not give you pain. If thats a 3/4, 5/8, or 1/2, then so be it. I would also think that with a damaged back, that distance should not be a priority for you.

Some golfers use a walk through swing to reduce the twisting on their back. My self, I have always made it priority to ride up on my big toe on my back foot during the follow through of my swing. 

Also you might want to look at how much force you are using to swing. Perhaps a more gentle, fluid swing might work for you. 

In the end, the best decision is going to be made by only you, and your medical people on what you can accomplish with you own golf game. 

[Porkrind]

I have a very similar problem but I also take a prescription to help control the nerve pain. In all honesty the best thing I've done was to hire someone and take lessons. The instructor immediately told me to stop swinging in the manner I was and taught me a much easier and fluid swing. Since I have a very limited follow through he also gave me some pointers on things I could do to take some pressure off of my lower back. 

[DrvFrShow]

If I were you, I'd play the forward tees unless you're driving the ball over 220 yds. Tees are not by gender. They're by how far you can hit the ball. 

You may want to go to an "old time" swing rather than a modern restrictive swing. You may want to lift your left heel on your backswing so you can get more shoulder turn. You know. Swing like this guy:

Granted you still won't take the club back as far, but freeing up the hips might make it less painful.

[disco111]

On 6/30/2016 at 8:12 PM, RFG1022 said:

Had back surgery in 1990 L4, L5 discs shaved. Problems ever since with nerve pain in low back. Get sharp jolts in low back at times.

Had the same surgery around the same time frame. Still get one of those low back jolts every once in awhile (at the most inopportune times). When I was able to start playing again, about 6 months after (Doc wanted me to get stronger back there first before I tried golfing) I found myself with limited shoulder turn - partially because I was nervous about re injury, so I started to use an abbreviated half swing and player punch shots. It calls for above average wrist input, but it doesn't take all that long to get use to it. The plus factor on this is that I could never hook a ball if my life depended on it and now I can hook with the best of them. In time, you may be able to elongate your backswing, but don't force it, it will start to happen naturally, but it will only go so far so you'll have to be happy with what you get. You may find that with this new swing, you'll get better control (once you get it second nature) and your scoring will improve. Just convince yourself that it's a good swing alternative and with a little practice, you'll be back on your game. As far as the pain goes, i use cool gels and alternate with icy hot. I also wore one of those back wraps, just for a little added peace of mind.    

In addition, equipment changes were the order of the day. All clubs are senior graphite with mid sized grips and lower compression balls. Also,become a short game genie..........  

Edited July 17, 2016 by disco111

[natureboy]

You could model Inbee who doesn't turn a whole lot and has a pretty 'tall' stance with her full swing:

 

[RH31]

Take it back as far as you can w/o hurting your back and compensate with your hands. I would try to incorporate as much hand action as possible into my swing to compensate for the lack of turn.

[jkelley9]

I'm not a doctor.

But I've specifically gone to my instructor with the intentions of not developing a back problem with my swing in the future. I'm 28, and I don't want a swing that will lead me down a road of pain. I also play in a group with my instructor every now and then and he points out to me which people will have back problems with their swing.

I imagine that those same people that are going to give themselves back problems, have a current swing that would create pain as-is for someone that's already developed a back problem.

The key for me is to focus energy in my core (ab area) and to have a very loose grip (2/10 on a grip scale, 1 being the club would fly out of my hands and 10 being herculean grip). My back is not tense at all. My power is generate not from flexing my arms and hands and trying to "smash" the ball, but from the momentum from releasing the club into the ball. The swing relatively effortless, and I can play much more golf this way. I have a large hip rotation. I generate a lot of clubhead speed this way and have good distances. My instructor's belief is that lack of rotation is what causes back issues. You need to allow movement across your body so that no muscle is "holding back." It's analogous to what people say about drunks getting in car wrecks. Usually it's the drunk driver that has fewer injuries because they don't tense up from the incoming impact (delayed). The victim (sober) sees a wreck coming and tenses up which leads to a higher injury rate.

Since you already have issues, I cannot say if this is good advice for you. Motion in an of itself may cause you pain already. But whatever you do, I wouldn't be flexing really any part of my back/hamstrings/arms in your swing. It's like putting your back in a vice.

Hope you find the answers you're looking for.

[WUTiger]

A decade-old video clip from Lee Trevino and advice from a chiropractor both suggest that a draw puts less strain on the back then a fade.

The half to 3/4 swing would also keep pressure off the back.  And, my pro says that what I feel is a 3/4 swing is actually more of a 7/8 swing: People often take it back longer than they think.

Rotate the shoulders back as far as they will go, and start the downswing. increasing shoulder flexibility will help with the turn.

As per @jkelley9, I've played with a guy whose backswing ended with hands at midchest and his followthrough ended below the shoulders. He generated decent power, however, and hit low fairly straight shots.

Go for good tempo. If you try to swing too hard, other parts of your body will be strained also.

[tdiii]

I'll write this and it won't be believed, but I will try nonetheless.  And I, too, am not a doctor nor do I pretend to play on on TV.

Squatting and Deadlifting.  Heavy.  That's the answer, the magical elixir. 

Obviously, not right away.  Do a linear progression squatting 3 times a week 3 sets of 5 and deadlifting 2 every 3 weeks, 1 set of five.  By linear progression I mean starting light and gradually increasing weight over time, every work out.  Full range of motion (i.e., past parallel).  Eventually, you'll get to where you fail and do some re-sets back to lower weights.  And after 4-6 months you can look at modifying this program. 

Herniated dics here at L4 and L5.  I did not have a pain-free day between the time I was 18 and hurt myself (rowing in college) and age 42 or so.  I did cortisone shots, physical therapy, and I stopped playing golf for 8 years.  My second year in grad school I missed classes about 1/3rd of the time because I couldn't sit.  And then I started squatting and deadlifting at age 41.  It was rough at first.  And scary as hell.  But the amount of core strength you develop from these movements makes any situps, crunches or other core workouts look like a joke.  Think about the core strength it takes to stand with a bar with 300 pounds on your back.  By using proper range of motion, you also enhance hamstring flexibility -- I refuse to use the now-popular word, "mobility". 

Make sure your form is dead-on perfect and work with someone who knows what he/she is doing at first.  A great book is Starting Strength by Mark Rippetoe.  He's curmudgeonly and politically incorrect as hell, but his website is hugely informative as well. 

My life is completely different than it was from age 18 to about 42.  I can backpack.  I can sit in a car for 3 hours, get out of it play a round of golf, drive home and be fine.  Not even stiff. 

I yell this from the rooftops, but either no one believes me or folks are afraid of really hard work.  If you research you will find thousand of folks out there like me. 

Good luck.  Back problems are absolutely miserable and carry over to your relationships, your work life, and, obviously, golf. 

Edited July 19, 2016 by tdiii

[amoline]

Truly, truly, I believe that lifting your lead heel on your backswing is a key to this, because it unrestricts your hips. I'm not knowledgeable enough to know when the whole "restrict your hip turn" thing became supposedly good in golf, but it's just absolutely awful. It zero benefits

So as it relates to golf, that, and smoothing your transition is paramount, in my opinion. Guys like Jason Day already have back pain (and he's what, 20-something?) but his transition and change of direction is just flat out violent. There's no need for a transition to be so jerky to hit the ball a long way. That's why I love Bubba Watson's swing so much. He has a massive hip turn, lifts his heel on the backswing, a smooth transition, and drives it with the best of them. He has never had any notable back injuries that I know of, that the guys 10  years younger than him are having, but correct me if I'm wrong. And he is approaching 40.

[pganapathy]

Google Gary Player's walk through swing and follow that.  He used that drill and swing for a while to reduce back pain problems.  This is one of the best swings you can use because a normal golf swing puts you in a reverse C position which is all about twisting your spine and putting stress on your lower back