Q. Is golf swing a bad exercise for spine health?
A. The reason why golf swings are burdensome on the waist is that the rotation force is generated as it leads to the swing from the squat position with the waist slightly tilted forward. This is a movement in which flexion and rotation occur simultaneously in the lumbar spine, and there is a very heavy burden on the waist.
There may be some differences depending on the size and swing method of each individual, but the squat position with the waist slightly tilted forward is more than twice the load compared to the posture with the waist straightened, and up to eight times the weight when making a powerful swing.
Q. Do you use more muscles and ligaments that support your spine when playing golf than usual?
A. Golf uses a lot of muscles and ligaments because it repeats a swing that requires instantaneous strength in a short period of time. In particular, the pressure on the torso is quite large when swinging, and several muscles such as waist, abdominal, and hip muscles work together to control this. The muscles that support the spine also help several muscles interact to make a stable swing, and polythermal muscles, spinal upright muscles, and radial muscles are representative muscles.
Q. I would like to know which part of the address, backswing, impact, follow-through, and finish movements is more shocking to the spine.
A. The address is the beginning of a golf swing, and the burden on the spine is relatively low. However, when doing the address, you do a squat position with your hips pulled back and your upper body slightly bent forward, which can put a load on your waist.
The backswing stage is the step of lifting the club up, and if you are right-handed, your spine rotates to the right. This stage has relatively less spinal damage. Excessive backswing for a powerful swing can strain your back, so be careful.
The downswing stage solves the distortion of the spine that rotates to the right during the backswing along with strong contraction of the muscles around the abdomen and spine. At this time, the muscles in the body exert strong force, so the risk of injury is higher than that of the backswing.
The follow-through is the end of the swing, and in general, the spine rotates to the left, causing overconfidence. Golfers who have excessively C-shaped spine in follow-through-finish movements or feel burdened during the deceleration stage of the swing may experience injuries during the follow-through stage, so be careful.
