Is carrying clubs bad for your back?

[ny2001miata]

Keep it light and get a good carry bag. I don't even feel the weight of the bag when I carry it since I only put in ten clubs, six balls and a water bottle. Just because the rules say we can carry fourteen clubs doesn't mean we have to, those damn things get heavy!

[PixlPutterman]

Im young so take this for what its worth, but walking 18 for me quickly taught me how to play with less. Less clubs,balls and other things. Now when I walk, its with a sunday bag, 7-10 clubs and no more than 5 balls.

[maverick]

I have been carrying my bag for about 17 years and am 63. I stopped this year and now use a push cart. I much prefer to walk and carry but a recent medical test showed a fracture in my back.

I think walking has been good for me and my game. Jack N. would say golf was invented to walk. But for the older guys I make no judgments. If I had a caddy all the time I would agree with Jack. LOL =) maverick

[Mike_C]

I used to always carry growing up through HS and college, was a "carry you clubs" snob. But I really, really threw out my back when I was 20 in 1982. I carried off and on over the next decade, but threw the back out again about 9 years later, and went with a pull/push cart pretty much full time since then, and I've walked as much as possible over the years. I got back in great shape about 7 years ago, lost a lot of weight, was working out, thought, OK now I can carry again. Got a light carry bag, went out and played 9 holes after work one day, and said to myself NEVER AGAIN.....my back was aching, and I said the risk of hurting it again just wasn't worth it.

[mills225]

I pretty much always carry my clubs. Like other have said, pack less, get a good bag, and you should be fine. If you keep your core in shape you should have no problems carrying your clubs for many years.

[speedygolfs]

It can go either way. I've had back and neck problems in the past and tried carrying my bag when I first started golfing and immediately gave it up. I could hurt myself getting to the first tee. Fast forward 5 + years. I'm 48 and have absolutely no issues carrying a bag. I find it enjoyable and I do it for the exercise. What's my secret? Maybe I was in better shape when I started carrying this time, I don't know. I've always been athletic, never terribly overweight.
I bought a new Club Glove bag from CEO golf shop. I brought out my old carry bag ( for carrying to the golf cart) and compared the two. My new one was definitely lighter and the straps adjusted better for me. Beyond that the padding difference was night and day. At least twice as much padding on the straps and there is a big pad on the bag where it sits on my back. It's been about 2 years now and I have no back problems. However, everyone is different.

[Ezgolfer]

I seriously think Bag Boy Navigator to be the best choice rather than pushing or pulling carrying half or full bag . The only downside being the cost.
I am seriously thinking about one .

[Jimmy Mac]

I have a bad disc that goes out every now and then. Carrying a bag never really bothered my back, it was the twisting of getting the straps on and off after every shot that bugged me. For going up and down hills, I would prefer to carry with a double strap, I just think it's easier. Instead, I use a 3 wheel cart because it just puts less strain on my back and I can just concentrate on a better posture.

[Sean2]

I'm 55 and still carry. I focus on walking upright and not hunched over.

[tgsevers81]

First, you have to put things in perspective. How many days a week are you golfing? Golfing seven days a week, carring a bog for 18 or 36 holes, yeah, you're gonna develop back problems, no doubt. If you golf 9 holes once ever other week, carrying a bag is probably not going to cause any problems. If you're on the fence whether or not you're going to have back problems down the road, regardless, it's probably a good idea not to. Why take the chance? I think the best advice is to listen to YOUR body not the posts to the bodies on here!

[Rohlio]

[quote name='Stampa' date='01 May 2010 - 12:00 PM' timestamp='1272729630' post='2411881']
I'm posting in this section hopefully to hear from some experienced golfers. I'm 31 and I like to carry my clubs, I don't like to ride much. Oddly enough, carrying my clubs seems easier than using a push or pull cart. I've heard carrying clubs is hard on your back, is this true? Is it better in the long run to use a push cart or pull cart?


[/quote]

The long and short of it is... It depends. Primarily it depends on your posture and the way you shoulder the load.

People who slouch or have a high degree of curvature in the lower or upper spine will be much better off with a push or pull cart. If you stand and walk with good posture and you have a bag with good even shoulder distribution it is not going to be a problem carrying. ( one shoulder strap style bags are DEFINATELY bad for you and ought be avoided).

I am 33 and always walk while playing (except on money grubbing courses that make you ride, thus slowing everyone down, grrrrr...). I have gone to a 50/50 plan I carry half my rounds and push cart the other half. I notice that over the course of 4 or 5 consecutive days playing (I normally play 27 when I play), I am carrying much less stress in my upper traps when I alternate.

[Skaffa77]

[quote name='AlohaJim' date='02 May 2010 - 01:04 PM' timestamp='1272823498' post='2413798']
I wished that I had not carried anything if I didn't have to so I wouldn't be paying the price for it now when I'm older 55+. Two spine surgeries and shoulder problems after being athletic and a physical "go getter" all my life.

I now realize the goal in life is to conserve body quality when young so there's more quality of life later in life. The axiom, "no pain no gain" is a myth. Because it doesn't hurt now does not relate to hurting later.

Hope this helps.
[/quote]

I'm glad someone else is saying it. I'm 31 now, but I've been thinking this for awhile...all the sports I played as a kid are now coming back to haunt me. I was aways a very aggressive athlete in sports especially baseball. Coaches loved me because I never gave up and "got in the dirt" to make the play. Now I feel pain/stiffness/popping in my lower back, sometimes my knees and right shoulder.

Don't get me wrong, I think youth sports does so much good, but it's dawned on me recently that a lot of the aches and pains I feel now probably resulted from a lot of those activities.

Personally, I wouldn't doubt that carrying clubs probably does do damage to the back. I don't have any back pain from carrying clubs today, but for a period of time (7-8 years ago), I started using a pull car to relieve the pressure on my lower back. I now have a Clicgear 2.0 and will sometimes carry and sometimes use the pushcart depending on how I feel and the type of course.

[angelo323]

if i carry my bag by the 12th hole i can barely swing a golf club

[mozgolf]

IMHO why one earth would you carry if you don't have to!!!!

I did 20+ years military service and did my fair share of humping a pack over the years, so there is no way I am going to hump an ungainly and awkward load on my back in my leisure time.

Years ago my chiropractor even advised using a push rather than pull cart as it is also easier on the back.

Backs and knees still don't repair real well so I am keen to look after mine.

Thankfully in a developing country the use of caddies is not prohibitively expensive and really adds to the joy of the game. Every round is a pleasant walk with minor interruptions to swing at the odd ball.

[againstthegrain]

Picking the bag up and putting it down for each shot is what kills me. Like mozgolf I humped stuff around the woods for 15 years as a forester/firefighter in the US Forest Service - I'm done w that.

[Jameson]

All the advocates of NOT WALKING - lets see some pictures/height/weight/gut-size.

I am betting all the "dotn walk it will hurt you" camp is overweight and can barely walk 18.

I played bethpage black last week, and two guys legs were cramping going up to the 15th green. It was embarassing for me as an AMERICAN to watch these two overweight 20 somethings fail to carry a bag for a few miles and hit a ball 120 times in between. Disgusting.

JC

[Mizzy Two Plane]

Carrying your bag isn't going to hurt you as long as you start off light and work your way up to a full bag. As you get stronger your core muscles will support the weight and not your spine itself. I'm an infantryman and consequently something of an expert when it comes to carrying things on my back

[Gwrxace04]

I don't mind walking carrying the bag on a flat course with tees close to greens as it is a leisurely stroll, but I really prefer to have a caddie to carry so I can get the exercise from walking without worrying about straining my back. I've been fortunate with no back problems, but my observation is that there are better ways to build back strength than carry clubs.

The other problem is that caddies are few and far between for most of us, so a good ole "trolley" can do the trick and allow for the walk without the back issues. JMHO

[pinhigh27]

I'm in high school and play in some tournaments, where the walks between 9s can be at least 500 yards, and besides being tired, I'm never sore, and it isn't really an awkward load. I mean come on it's only like 20 pounds. People can ride if they want, do what you want, your entitled to, but don't make it sound hard, or bad for you. It's actually a lot better exercise than the riders get riding in the cart, then waddling from cart to ball. Maybe a compromise is to get a pull/push cart.

[Jockey]

In England a lot of people use electric trolleys such as companies like PowaKaddy or Motocaddy as it is still kind of rare to go to a course with carts. If you spend the money you can get a remote control trolley which requires no effort at all and saves your back apart from when you have to put it in the car!!

[Borthwick]

I will posit that if golf is the closest thing you have to exercise in your lifestyle, carrying a bag is probably not a wise move.

[Yuck]

[quote name='Jameson' timestamp='1278704221' post='2565207']
All the advocates of NOT WALKING - lets see some pictures/height/weight/gut-size.

I am betting all the "dotn walk it will hurt you" camp is overweight and can barely walk 18.

I played bethpage black last week, and two guys legs were cramping going up to the 15th green. It was embarassing for me as an AMERICAN to watch these two overweight 20 somethings fail to carry a bag for a few miles and hit a ball 120 times in between. Disgusting.

JC
[/quote]

I walk and carry whenever it is allowed. I am fat and have a big gut. It works out as a counterbalance so I don't have to hunch over.

[mozgolf]

[quote name='Jameson' timestamp='1278704221' post='2565207']
All the advocates of NOT WALKING - lets see some pictures/height/weight/gut-size.

I am betting all the "dotn walk it will hurt you" camp is overweight and can barely walk 18.

I played bethpage black last week, and two guys legs were cramping going up to the 15th green. It was embarassing for me as an AMERICAN to watch these two overweight 20 somethings fail to carry a bag for a few miles and hit a ball 120 times in between. Disgusting.

JC
[/quote]

Amigo, I am not saying don't walk. What I am saying is don't CARRY if you don't have to, you only get one back! I am lucky in having access to a caddy at a decent rate, if I didn't, as I did in the past I would walk with a push cart- a Clipgear or the like.

In about 30 years of golfing I have probably used a ride-on cart about 20 times, an average of about once every year and a half. I actually don't enjoy driving the course I find it disrupts my rhythm and I try and avoid courses where carts are mandatory.

I am not a small guy by any means, but no huge gut, walk or run 6-10km 4-5 times a week and walk 18-36 holes a week.

[MKSmith]

Beat my back to death racing motocross...43 years old and prefer to carry and usually shoot better scores when carrying. Three rounds of golf a week and ride only when I have to...impressed with the amount of walkers on Torrey Pines South course when I played, pretty tuff track to walk...I love carrying my sticks

[Hardbark]

[quote name='pinhigh71' timestamp='1274157948' post='2449463']
A carry bag is not very heavy as long as you don't load it up with stuff. Unless you already have back problems I wouldn't worry about carrying your clubs.
[/quote]

I agree. I'm 66 years old and still carry my clubs, which I have done for the majority of the 40+ years I have played golf. I have a 5 handicap (gone up 2 in the past 3 years). I use the lightest bag with legs that Titleist makes. It weighs less that four pounds. I only carry 12 clubs. "Driver, 5 wood, 4 - sw and a putter. I have to watch how many golf balls I have in the bag. It seems that they tend to accumulate very quickly. I usually carry a small bottle of water and some kind of snack - a banana, apple or granola bar. It's not to bad to carry around. Sure I start to tire on #13, but I feel that it is good to stress my body a little. I really try not to over do it in any exercising it to. No sense in blowing anything out.

I like that I can carry my bag over the green and set it down in a direct line to the next tee and that I can have access to all my clubs any time. Plus carrying allows my body to stay warmer, looser and I seem to play a little stronger. Riding in a cart kills my back. (L5 - S1 lumbar surgery 23 years ago),

I'm just colder and stiffer when riding in a cart. Plus, when I do catch a ride in a cart, I have to be very aware of how the person is driving. Often a driver will step on the throttle just as I'm about to sit in the seat - talk about torquing the back, or the cart will hit a dip or hole in the grass. OUCH spinal compression. or the unexpected turn at speed. You better be hanging on. "Thanks for the ride dude, I'll walk from here."

[one9reasons]

Just found this thread and I think it's a great topic. I firmly believe that carry your clubs on your back can increase the chances of back injuries and/or fatigue related problems. In 2009, the AJGA allowed the use of non-motorized push/pull carts in competition after extensive research and "found that carrying heavy golf bags on the back, especially among younger players, could potentially to contribute to back injuries and fatigue," AJGA.

Now, I am an advocate of walking but recommend and prefer to use a push cart. I have had days where a sore back leads to a miserable few days afterwards. I have played with many folks older than me that have carried their clubs forever and kudos to them! But, it would be interesting to see x-rays noting how many spines are misaligned, discs wearing prematurely, etc. Problems just waiting to happen that could have probably been avoided by reducing risks.

Just my $0.02.


[quote name='Stampa' timestamp='1272729630' post='2411881']
I'm posting in this section hopefully to hear from some experienced golfers. I'm 31 and I like to carry my clubs, I don't like to ride much. Oddly enough, carrying my clubs seems easier than using a push or pull cart. I've heard carrying clubs is hard on your back, is this true? Is it better in the long run to use a push cart or pull cart?


[/quote]

[Shankle]

I walk and carry 4-5 days per week. I hope there are no long term effects. I try to keep my bag as light as possible, and make sure the straps are adjusted correctly.

[taskerc]

[quote name='phizzy30' timestamp='1274059222' post='2446138']
Carrying your golf bag is hard on your back no matter what anybody says. Think about it. Lugging around 20+pounds and putting it on your back for 18 holes puts a lot of pressure on the discs in your back and compresses it. Do this enough times and you might injure yourself with a slipped or herniated disc(s). It's better to get yourself a push or pull cart. If you want to strengthen your back, then get in the gym and start doing pull ups, pull downs, rows and dead lifts.
[/quote]

This is exactly what my current physio said - in fact she said think of the discs - a rubber like substance that sits between vertebrae. They are designed to bear the load of the body and have, over time, become less resilient due to change in lifestyle (less hunting gathering) and uses for which the back was not designed. She told me you can also think of it like a countdown. Every minute/hour you use your back for work that is not required removes it fro,m the other end of the useful life.

For the past three years I am now an avid push cart guy because, despite being in the best shape since teenage years, I routinely experience back fatigue and stiffness.

So from my experience and from the mouths of people I trust, there is very little value in carrying your bag and there is almost certainly a cost in terms of future lifestyle and personal mobility/ability.

Plus, you can carry more beer in a cart bag on your push cart :-) Joking.....

[Jc0]

If you carry make sure the bag is fit right for you. If your shoulders are supporting all the weight then your bag is fit wrong. When the bag is on you back your hips should help support some of the weight to.

[Redbird]

It's real simple, know your limits. If you can't walk 18 and carry now because of pain, then don't. If you think somehow carrying a golf bag now is going to hurt you when your 60, then I'd suggest some Zoloft or stop living period.