Back friendly swings and return to golf?

[BradA]

I'm 70 and haven't touched a club for at least 10 years. Was around a 10 HC when last I played. Had lumbar fusion surgery about 20 months ago. Considering a return to golf. I think I'm reasonably fit, all things considered. I walk quite a lot. Do a 50 minute pilates class a couple of times a week. Skied (not very aggressively) about 10 days last winter. That said, the rotation in the golf swing puts quite a lot of stress on the back. Having fused lumbar could actually be a good thing in terms of technique, but it also puts all of the thoracic vertebrae at more risk. Any suggestions for systems teaching a back friendly swing?

[leegee38]

When I came back to golf after a 2 year layoff due to back issues the swing that allowed me the most pain free rounds was taught by Don Trahan.  I think he called himself the Swing Surgeon.  His son DJ has had some success on the PGA tour.  Fairly short and upright swing.  I don't swing this way these days, but it was the only way I could play for a few years.  Good luck!

 

 

www.swingsurgeon.com

 

[Etzwane]

S&T I think has a very sound approach to golf compatible with the golfer range of motion (and does not require lumbar spine movement) BUT I would highly recommend to do it with a certified pro.

 

[bluedot]

72 yr old here.  Your thoracic spine is built to rotate; your lumbar spine is not.

 

Be SURE to work hard on hip mobility, which is maybe the most common problem area for old guys.  If your hips don’t move properly, the the only way to get your upper body out of the way of the club on the downswing is to use your lumbar spine to throw your upper body up and around (aka early extension) instead of your thoracic spine turning through.  This is not only a recipe for a lot terrible shots, especially irons, but VERY hard on your back.

[johnrobison]

46 minutes ago, bluedot said:

72 yr old here.  Your thoracic spine is built to rotate; your lumbar spine is not.

 

Be SURE to work hard on hip mobility, which is maybe the most common problem area for old guys.  If your hips don’t move properly, the the only way to get your upper body out of the way of the club on the downswing is to use your lumbar spine to throw your upper body up and around (aka early extension) instead of your thoracic spine turning through.  This is not only a recipe for a lot terrible shots, especially irons, but VERY hard on your back.

💯

[stryper]

A few years ago Rocco was singing the virtues of Jimmy Ballard, said his swing allowed him to play pain free.  Plenty of threads to research here.  Some YouTube stuff as well.

[OnTheBag]

Over 75 here and agree with what has been posted above.  A couple of keys from my experience......

 

#1.  Foot positioning is key to preventing lumbar rotation.  Front foot flared open, with hips slightly open.  Ignore the guidance of a closed stance as this seemed to worsen the pain for me.

#2.  Ballard's guidance is a good starting point, since his swing is "handsy-er" and essentially throws the club at the ball with limited rotation.

#3.  Manage your expectations.  At our age, we should be focused on having fun on the course rather than going as low as possible.  Find a swing that allows you to play with little to no pain and then just enjoy yourself.

#4.  Talk to an older teaching pro.  You are looking for someone that knows what it's like to wake up every morning with new phantom body pain and can help you adjust.  A couple of sessions with someone like that can help find a swing base you can work with.

#5.  The more upright you can stay, the less strain on the lumbar region.

#6.  Reinforce #3 above.

Edited Tuesday at 01:40 PM by OnTheBag

[ChaosTheory]

20 years ago I decided I had to find a swing that didn’t cause back pain. I lucked into a VHS tape for Natural Golf, which was sort of the swing of Moe Norman. My back pain went away and I’ve been pain free ever since. As a bonus, my golf became much better. 
 

Today it is taught by a few instructors who are on YouTube. Todd Graves, Kirk Junge, CMR Golf (Chandler Rusk) are the main ones. 
 

It’s easier on the back because there isn’t as much compound twisting/bending.
 

An even easier on the back swing is taught by Jack Kuykendal. It’s ugly but if it does the job,  who cares.  

Edited Tuesday at 06:25 PM by ChaosTheory

[rsballer10]

I would think you would want to work with an instructor that has some sort of TPI or can work in conjunction with a PT to build a body friendly swing model.

[me05501]

Porzak Golf is a good channel to follow. His method has some overlap with Stack and Tilt but it's not the same thing. 

[hanginnwangin]

4 hours ago, bluedot said:

72 yr old here.  Your thoracic spine is built to rotate; your lumbar spine is not.

 

Be SURE to work hard on hip mobility, which is maybe the most common problem area for old guys.  If your hips don’t move properly, the the only way to get your upper body out of the way of the club on the downswing is to use your lumbar spine to throw your upper body up and around (aka early extension) instead of your thoracic spine turning through.  This is not only a recipe for a lot terrible shots, especially irons, but VERY hard on your back.

This is where bumping the hip forward at address is huge for creating room on the downswing. 

[Petethreeput]

I am not a doctor, but I suspect there really is no "back friendly swing."

 

My most recent neuro told me, and I have had a few lower back surgeries, as the lower lumbar which isn't super rotational anyway begins to lose the mobility the disks above are forced to move more to compensate.  I have been told to expect the surgeries to continue up the back because of the increased stress.  I try to lower the torque and rotation by flaring both front and back foot to permit more hip wiggle, for lack of a better term, and I do play pretty pain free, but deep down I know I am doing myself no favors.

[Archimedes65]

I’ve dealt with back problems my entire adult life, accult spina bifida, scoliosis, multiple discectomies, etc.  Rarely a day goes by where I’m pain free, and I’m currently in a really bad place at the moment with it.  Here’s what I’ve learned.  There is no golf swing that is truly easy on the back.  If you have any serious issues in your spinal cord, golf is going to eventually expose them.  And favoring the lumbar is going to put pressure on the thoracic.  Problems there will take longer to manifest itself, but when they do, it won’t be pleasant.  I have found that a flatter, more rotational swing is somewhat easier on my back than an upright compound plane swing.

 

All that said, if your back is in good stead, I think it’s just important to keep your core in decent shape, get regular motion into your spine on a daily basis to keep it lubricated, and don’t overdo it.  Resist the urge to bang balls on the range.  At our age, a rested core and spine is worth more on the course than any range practice could ever be.

[DaveLeeNC]

As @johnrobison said, hip mobility and proper turn mechanics are going to be really important for you.   dave

[svlido]

19 minutes ago, DaveLeeNC said:

As @johnrobison said, hip mobility and proper turn mechanics are going to be really important for you.   dave

+1.  Hip mobility is huge for golfer longevity.  I've actually got making sure I'm turning my hips through the shot when I start feeling lower back soreness in my troubleshooting notes.

[Woytoy23]

From a physical therapists perspective, I would focus directly on improving the mobility of hips and midback. Not to mention improving abdominal stability in a golf specific non aggressive way. 
 

Once the mobility of the hips and midback is created, then the swing would be developed based on what “motion” you would have available.  If you “force” golf specific movements, but don’t have the adequate mobility to support the swing… then flair ups of your back problem would be inevitable. 
 

If you happen to live in Las Vegas, then feel free to look into my services. 
 

Wgpsrehab.com 

[BradA]

5 hours ago, Petethreeput said:

I am not a doctor, but I suspect there really is no "back friendly swing."

 

My most recent neuro told me, and I have had a few lower back surgeries, as the lower lumbar which isn't super rotational anyway begins to lose the mobility the disks above are forced to move more to compensate.  I have been told to expect the surgeries to continue up the back because of the increased stress.  I try to lower the torque and rotation by flaring both front and back foot to permit more hip wiggle, for lack of a better term, and I do play pretty pain free, but deep down I know I am doing myself no favors.

 Want to thank everyone for very helpful and thoughtful comments. This particular comment struck a cord. My surgeon said "you can't break what I'm putting in you." But then added that you can break everything else and having the lumbar fused can increase the stress on the thoracic spine. I'd been going to a PT for some IT band related knee pain. They have a person doing pilates training and they have some kind of Titleist certified training program. One of the PTs is an avid golfer and does the training. I'd kind of been looking for some kind of personal training program that could work with someone with back issues. And my PT, who I thought was really good said she thought pilates would be really good for me. I don't think I'd even be considering a return to golf if I'd not started the pilates. The pilates has just been terrific for my overall fitness. The rotational forces in a golf swing do give me concern. I looked at a little of the Don Trahan stuff and it looks pretty back friendly. Certainly nothing like my old swing. I'll look at some of the other suggested instruction as well. I know longer have any equipment, and what I had wouldn't be appropriate for me now. I think I'll just pick up a couple of used game improvement clubs with relatively soft shafts and do a few range sessions. I do miss golf. Thanks again!

[metaldog]

33 years old here, used to be unable to bend down/stand up straight after golf rounds. Standing much more upright, standing closer, with upright (4 degrees upright irons) clubs has helped me a lot if that's a route you want to explore. Albeit I've never had back surgery, I do have a herniated disc but my age probably has allowed me to also rehab and build up muscles to protect my back.

[ShortGolfer]

As a stroke survivor managing a pair of hernias (looked at by a couple of doctors) I am more aware of how I move than most.   

 

I found that rotation didn't bother my back as much as weight shift!

I also found I could also rotate with minimal impact on my ability to stay upright.

Conclusoin was to work on a rotational swing with no weight shift.

I later added a small amount of weight shift and gained 20% more yardage.

But, last year I couldn't feel the bottom of my right foot, so I rarely swung with weight shiftt last year.

Fortunately the feeling is coming back...

 

Surprisingly enough, despite my age and the stroke, I have an amazing amount of flexibility so I take long backswing.

 

 

[mgoblue83]

Highly recommend that you check out Paddy’s latest YouTube video about avoiding any kind of rigid setup and just being loose and free during the swing. 
 

Forced positions and locked out joints are the fastest way to get hurt.

 

 

[Divot License]

There's a large thread regarding Jimmy Ballard who many people claim advocates a swing which doesn't cause back pain

 

 

[Nard_S]

Always felt it important to keep lower spine stacked on top of pelvis.  Upper spine going to right tilt too soon and hips sliding from underneath is a back killer.

[naval2006]

On 7/2/2024 at 10:23 AM, stryper said:

A few years ago Rocco was singing the virtues of Jimmy Ballard, said his swing allowed him to play pain free.  Plenty of threads to research here.  Some YouTube stuff as well.

This is worth a look, OP.  I always see Rocco on Instagram and his swing looks strange but nothing seems to be in tension.  And it's awesome that you can see the man doing it, no technique or method told.  

 

I too favor that kind of motion these days and I haven't had a swing related pain in years.  I hit the gym weekly and work some on stretching, but not THAT much.