Carrying clubs - back problems?

m10johnson

m10johnson

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I have been carrying my clubs for the last year or so. I only carry 12 clubs on quite a good Callaway bag.

However, I was thinking how bad carrying your clubs is for you back and posture in the future. I normally play 2-3 times a week which I would guess puts quite a lot of pressure through my back. Being only 20 I don't want to get to 40 with half a back left.

I'm considering getting a Motocaddy s1 to take the pressure off.
 
m10johnson said:
I have been carrying my clubs for the last year or so. I only carry 12 clubs on quite a good Callaway bag.

However, I was thinking how bad carrying your clubs is for you back and posture in the future. I normally play 2-3 times a week which I would guess puts quite a lot of pressure through my back. Being only 20 I don't want to get to 40 with half a back left.

I'm considering getting a Motocaddy s1 to take the pressure off.
Click to expand...

Don't try and justify getting a trolley, just do it. People will give you a hard time both on here and on the course saying you're too young for a trolley etc but I'm first hand proof that carrying doesn't help you. My injury wasn't completely because I was carrying but was a big part of the reason, playing 2 or 3 times a week, eventually the neck and shoulders gave up and in one golf swing two of my vertebrae locked causing excruciating pain to the point where I could barely walk back to the clubhouse and 5 months off the course. My chiropractor and physio both said to me that I should never carry a golf bag again and that people shouldn't carry them anyway, the back is not designed to carry such weights for long periods of time. By the way, I'm only 28.
 
I switched from a trolly to carrying at the start of the year and had no adverse reactions and, to be honest, don't expect any either.

After all, the bags weigh next to nothing. Add in your clubs, a few balls, glove, tees and, in my case, a set of waterproofs, you hardly need to be giant haystacks to lift and carry it.

If you want a trolley, get one. I still have my Powakaddy living in the cupboard under the stairs and have no doubt I'll use it again, but as it stands, I prefer to carry :thup:
 
Get yourself ready for the "real golfers carry" brigade coming on and mocking you for wanting to use a trolley.

If you feel the need/want then go ahead and use one
 
Used to carry all the time and had no issues in terms of back problems etc. however having had 3 knee operations and heading for a 4th on the same knee I now use a push trolley which is great when the ground underfoot is soft or there's a few good hills. One thing I did notice was feeling a bit fresher playing last 4-5 holes especially if there is food/drink/waterproofs/brolly involved. Still like to carry when the sun is shining though with a Ping stand bag or a pencil bag. I'd say go for it...your playing partners will only ask you to carry stuff for them anyway!!
 
Real golfers carry...unfortunately real golfers can also get back problems.

I'd like to think of myself as a 'real golfer' (whatever that is) and for maybe ten years was playing at least 4-5 times a week - carrying. A few years ago I was (totally) out of action for quite a few weeks with the dreaded sciatica - if you haven't suffered sciatica ask any mum how painful childbirth is - it's that sore.

Are my lower back problems due to carrying all those years? I don't know. But if I have a weakness in my back then sure as heck all that carrying won't have helped.

I still carry every so often but am very aware of any signs of strain on my lower back.
 
Back pain is like a common cold. It comes and goes and as long as you can deal with the symptom and make it go away, it is a manageable ailment. Most people get it. In fact, over half of us will have a prolapsed disc at some stage and will not really know that much about it.

Cause of back pain is tricky to diagnose and again, as long as you can treat it and make it go away, the root cause is not that important. Not least because getting the right answer to this question is very hard.

My view is based on what I hear from physios that treat my lower back pain which ranges from uncomfortable to chronic.

In terms of carrying clubs, my view is yes, it is preferable to carry and carrying your clubs does not give you back pain per se. We are absolutely designed to carry stuff on our shoulders and golf bags are not heavy. The exercise is not strenuous and golf is little more than a gentle stroll. If carrying golf clubs caused back pain then rambling as a pastime would not exist as no one could cope with the pain caused by rucsacs.

I have considered switching to a trolley because of the back pain I suffer but am certain it won't help as I still have a sore back after golf when I have used a buggy which I was forced to do at Goodwood Downs last week.

So to the OP, no you don't need a powered trolley, golf does not directly cause back pain and neither does carrying a golf bag. However if you want to get one, go ahead. Lots of good reasons to do so.
 
I suffer from lower back trouble. Until last year I always carried, but then bought a Motocaddy.
I don't think carrying caused back trouble, but it certainly doesn't help.
I still suffer with my back even after using the trolley.
I do prefer to carry, especially in nice weather.
But a trolley is good for days when the weather is dodgy, as you can carry extra clothes etc more easily and you don't seem to get as wet yourself if you have a brolly holder.
I switch between the two methods quite alot.
Also, I will be carrying at Hillside, as my trolley is having battery troubles and has been sent off for repairs.
 
i wouldn't say i had back trouble from carrying, but when i was playing a lot i noticed i had a constant tightness / ache in my back which i thought was from too much playing. eventually i twigged that it was from the constant picking up and setting down of the bag rather than the carrying per se.

picked up a push trolley as a remedy and no more ache. still carry in the winter once the ropes come out, but i don't play 4 times a week in the winter so no problem.

could i live with the back soreness and not have it affect me? yes, no problem. was it better just to get a trolley, yes.

mind you the carry bag in question was a nike sq 14 way carry bag, which compared to anything else i've seen is twice the weight of any other carry bag... my winter titleist carry is a doddle to trot round with in comparison.
 
I switched to an electric trolley nearly 7 years ago following a car accident. As well as the obvious benefit of not subjecting a very poorly back to carrying the bag I found I could load it up with more than the usual bottles of drink, Mars bars etc, along with waterproofs, woolie hat, baseball cap... I did my first carrying round, since my accident, in July - torture.

I there a scientific reason why carrying is bad for you? Depends on the weight and how fit you are.... Oh, and how much your ego needs massaging.
 
Carrying clubs is more convenient. It has sod all to do with ego massaging as far as I can see.
 
I tend to leave carry bag in my locker for convenience in the summer. I don't tend to fret too much if it's just an evening knock but for a comp I like to use a trolley and make sure I have enough food and drink and can stock my waterproofs etc if needed. I do find I'm fresher with the trolley these days.
 
I'm not convinced carrying causes back problems, exacerbates maybe.

I can't get a trolley even though I'm sure they have some advantages. I mentioned the fact I may to a couple of people, I'll never forget the look of distain in their eyes.

Soon as you change from carrying to pushing (or walking behind something battrey powered) it's the first step on a slippery slope.

It starts with a trolley and ends with a swift trip to a clinic in Switzerland, only stopping at stanner stairlifts and warden assisted living in between :-)
 
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