Community Questions

Question:

I consistently experience lower back pain when I play golf. Any ideas why this is and how to correct it? Thanks,

Answer:

Thanks for the question. There are a couple swing characteristics that can regularly cause lower back pain in your golf swing, but the most prominent is the reverse spine swing attribute. Reverse spine occurs when your spine leans toward your target at the top of your back swing. Having your spine aligned this way just before transitioning to your down swing can place some powerful forces on the spine. When repeated, your body will eventually begin to break down. Have your swing checked out by your local pro to see if you have this type of activity going on in your swing. If you don’t, seek out your local golf fitness professional to begin digging a little deeper. Also, feel free to check out this video posted by Dr. Peter Mackay, he’s got some ideas to help you out.

Question:

I swing consistently at 95 to 98 mph, should I be using a stiff shaft or regular shaft? I was demoing an 8 and 9.5 degree, they were going the similar distances but the 9.5 was straighter. I’d like to get more distance. Thanks for any suggestions and your time.

Answer:

It’s hard to say whether a stiff or regular flex is best for you without seeing you hit balls. I can say however that most efficient ball strikers with your swing speed would be in a stiff flex. Swing speed however is only 1 of the components to be considered when selecting proper equipment. Other factors within your particular swing characteristics such as the amount of force you load the shaft with during your transition must also be considered. While it’s quite possible that you hit both an 8 degree and 9.5 degree the same total distance, it very likely that your actual carry distances are different between the two lofts. It’s also possible that your ball flight will be more boring into the wind but have less distance down wind with an 8 degree and exactly the opposite with the 9.5. Furthermore, loft shouldn’t contribute to flight direction (left or right) only toward factors such as launch angle, spin rate, and minimally contribute to ball speed. You should keep the points listed above in mind and talk them over with a club fitting expert before selecting a driver. Assuming your swing speed with a driver is 98mph your ball speed should be 155 or so if you’re an efficient ball striker. If that’s the case finding a driver that would give you a launch angle of between 10-12 degrees and a backspin rate 2300-2600 would likely give you the best combination of overall carry distance and roll. If you’re not able to pick up any additional distance with equipment alone be sure to visit your nearest TPI Certified Instructor to have your body assessed and implement a golf fitness plan to help you create a better body to support your golf swing.
Good luck and thanks for your question.