Golf and your body: what the evidence says about this sport and MSK health
Nicola Tik
Golf has a reputation as a gentle sport, and in some respects that is deserved. But for the musculoskeletal system, regular golf is more demanding than it looks from the outside. The rotational forces involved in the swing, the volume of repetition across a round, and the walking demands of the course all add up in ways that are worth understanding. This article looks at what the evidence actually shows about golf and joint health over time.
The golf swing is one of the most technically complex movements in sport. It requires the body to generate rotational force rapidly through the trunk, transfer it efficiently through the arms and into the club, and decelerate smoothly through the follow-through. That sequence happens repeatedly across a round, with each full swing placing significant rotational demand on the lower back, hips, shoulders, and wrists.
Beyond the swing itself, a typical round of golf involves several kilometres of walking, often on uneven terrain, with the added load of carrying or pulling a bag. For recreational players who may not be particularly active outside of their golf, that physical demand across eighteen holes is considerable.
Research into golf and musculoskeletal health presents a mixed but broadly positive picture. Regular golfers tend to show better cardiovascular health, lower rates of sedentary behaviour, and good levels of functional fitness compared to non-golfers of similar age. The walking demands of the sport contribute meaningfully to overall physical activity levels, particularly for older recreational players.
For joint health specifically, the evidence suggests that recreational golf is well tolerated by most people, including those with existing joint conditions. The hip and knee joints manage the walking and rotational demands of the sport without the high-impact loading of running or jumping, which makes it accessible to a wide range of players.
The lower back is the area most commonly affected by golf-related pain across all levels of the game. The combination of rotation, lateral bend, and extension through the swing, repeated across a full round, places sustained and significant demand on the lumbar spine and the structures around it.
The elbow and wrist of the lead arm are the upper limb areas most commonly affected. The impact of club on ground, particularly in shots where the club strikes the turf before the ball, transmits considerable force through the wrist and forearm. Over a full round and across a season of regular play, that repeated load can lead to tendon problems in both areas.
The shoulder, particularly of the trail arm, manages significant rotational demand through the backswing and follow-through. Neck pain is also common in golfers, driven by the sustained rotated position held during address and the rapid rotation of the swing itself.
Recreational players tend to play less frequently than they would need to for the body to fully adapt to the demands of the sport, but often play long enough in a single round for fatigue to become a factor. Playing eighteen holes with a swing that has not been specifically prepared for that volume of repetition is one of the most consistent patterns behind golf-related MSK problems.
Technique also plays a more significant role in recreational golf than in many other sports. A swing that places the body in mechanically demanding positions, even slightly, repeats that demand with every shot across a round and across a season.