The Spine Drill – Hit It Solid and Protect Your Back

In the March issue of Golf Magazine, the cover featured the following headline: “How the Tour’s Back Pain Problem is Hurting the Game.” The article, called The Big Hurt, discussed the growing concern over the myriad of tour players who have developed back problems before age 30. Despite the article’s many merits, it offered no real causes or solutions.

I have studied the biomechanics of the golf swing and its effect on the back for more than 10 years. During that time, I’ve also spent many hours teaching golf. At Jake’s Academy in Lone Tree, Colorado, I have witnessed more than 200 young people come through our program, not one of whom left with a back injury.

Jake’s Academy teaches a method of swinging the golf club that is very similar to Adam Scott’s swing. The basic principle is to maintain spine angle throughout the swing, which Tom Watson believes is the secret to a great swing. I believe it is also the secret to preventing back problems. Many golfers who have back problems exhibit what I consider to be excessive spine movement during the golf swing. Leaders on the PGA tour, including Jason Day, have too much spine movement during their swing (to learn more about this, read my post about Spine Movement During the Golf Swing and are more likely, if they haven’t already, to fall victim to a back injury.

Torque of the spine due to restriction of hip turn has been blamed for back injuries. Torque of the spine it itself isn’t a bad thing, but torque of the spine when the spine is not in its resting position will cause a back injury (to read more about this, read my e-book, How to Use Biomechanics to Save Your Back and Your Golf Swing. [AW1]

When a golf swing creates abnormal curvature in the spine, back injuries are a near certainty. Tring to keep the head still during the golf swing is another mistake that will cause a back injury over time. Granted, the head should not move very much, but it must move a little bit in order to properly maintain the spine angles.

It’s important to note that when we talk about spine angles, we aren’t just referring to the front and back angle; you must also consider the right to left spine angle. The real question is how do we maintain the spine angle in three dimensions?

I developed the spine drill to teach you how to maintain your spine angle properly and to limit spine movement to maintain the natural curvature of the spine during the golf swing. Every student who has mastered this drill has not only prevented injuries, but they have also increased speed. I recently taught a 67-year-old this drill, and he told me that he has never swung a golf club so effortlessly. It made him feel as though he could hit balls all day without any back pain. Furthermore, because of this drill, his handicap dropped from 5 to 2, and he looks forward to shooting his age very soon.

This spine drill allows golfers to swing faster through impact, since they swing around a spine that is not moving. Conventional teaching calls for the spine to move through impact and causes torque to a spine that is abnormally shaped. The video shows several subtle points that will help you accomplish your goal. Be persistent, watch the video several times, and then take a video of yourself to see track your progress.

According to the PGA, one of every two people who play golf will develop a back injury, that’s 50 percent! These are not good statistics. I strongly believe that my concepts, which are based on medical principles, will prevent these problems in the future. Golf is a true passion of mine, and it is my sincerest hope that instruction will improve to prevent back injuries in the first place.

Correct and limited spine movement with spine angle maintenance is the real key to protecting your back and markedly improving your golf swing. Spine angle maintenance cannot be achieved simply by wanting to do it. You must put in the work to change the way to swing, improve your golf game and prevent future injuries. You got this!