Chiropractic and Golf: Preventing Hinge Points for a Healthier Swing

Golf might seem like a low-impact sport, but anyone who plays regularly knows just how demanding it can be on the body — particularly the spine. From powerful rotations in your backswing to repetitive strain during practice, golf places unique stresses on the musculoskeletal system.

At Performance Chiropractic Gloucester, one of the key spinal issues we help golfers with is the development of hinge points — and preventing them is crucial to avoiding injury and improving performance.

⛓️ What Is a Hinge Point?

A hinge point is a section of the spine that moves excessively — not because it’s supposed to, but because the joints around it aren’t moving enough.

When certain spinal segments become restricted (often due to stiffness, poor posture, or previous injury), the surrounding joints are forced to overcompensate. The result? One area of the spine becomes a mechanical “hinge,” taking on too much movement every time you rotate or bend.

For golfers, this often happens in the lower back (lumbar spine) or base of the neck. Instead of the movement being shared smoothly across the whole spine, one area ends up doing all the work. This leads to:

• Localised pain or strain

• Accelerated joint wear

• Muscle fatigue

• Increased risk of disc or facet joint irritation

  
  

🏌️ The Golf Swing and Spinal Movement

A healthy golf swing involves a coordinated chain of motion: ankles, hips, spine, shoulders. But when one part of the system is restricted — especially the thoracic spine — your lower back often picks up the slack, creating a hinge point.

Every time you swing, you’re asking that same segment to do too much. Over time, that repetitive strain leads to chronic stiffness, inflammation, or even injury.

💡 How Chiropractic Helps

Chiropractic care focuses on restoring normal movement across all joints, especially the spine, to ensure that:✅ No single segment is overloaded✅ The movement is evenly distributed✅ Your body is free to move as it was designed.

Here’s how we support golfers in clinic:

🔧 1. Spinal Adjustments to Restore Motion

Your Chiropractor can identify and adjust restricted joints in the spine — particularly in the thoracic and pelvic regions — to prevent overload in vulnerable areas like the lower back.

🧠 2. Neuromuscular Re-Education

Adjustments also improve the brain’s awareness of joint position and control (afferent input), helping your body regain a more balanced and efficient movement pattern.

🏋️‍♂️ 3. Targeted Home Exercises

We don’t just adjust and send you on your way. You’ll receive simple, golf-specific mobility and control exercises to help reinforce spinal motion and keep hinge points from creeping back in.

⛳️ The Result? A Freer, Safer, More Powerful Swing

When your spine is moving well, your swing becomes smoother and more efficient — with less strain and better control. You’re also far less likely to suffer the typical lower back issues that plague so many regular golfers.

📍 Want to Feel the Difference?

At Performance Chiropractic Gloucester, we help golfers of all levels move better, play better, and stay injury-free. Whether you’re dealing with pain or just want to improve your movement, we’re here to help.