Golfers' Backs: A Pre-Round and Post-Round Routine

Early tee time. Dew on the fairway, a coffee in the cup holder and that first drive you've been thinking about all week. Then it's 18 holes of twisting, bending to tee up, crouching to read putts and walking the course with your bag.

By the time you've shaken hands on the 18th green, your lower back has felt every single swing.

Whether you're a Saturday comp regular, a pennant player, a weekend hacker with your mates, a newcomer chasing your first handicap or someone who just loves nine holes at twilight, this one is for you. Here's a gentle pre-round ritual to help you feel ready, a warm post-round routine for your back, and the 19th-hole rule that matters most: no cupping after drinks.

Australia loves its golf

You're in good company out there. The Australian Sports Commission estimates that 1,033,000 Australians aged 15 and over played golf at least once in 2025, including 193,000 women.

And it's good for you. The 2018 International Consensus Statement on Golf and Health, developed with a panel of 25 experts, says playing golf regularly is associated with increased longevity, and with mental wellbeing benefits like improved self-esteem and social connections. It's more walking than you might think, too: a rapid review of golf and physical activity found that the studies counting steps all averaged more than the often-cited 10,000 steps over an 18-hole round, with distances walked ranging from 6.4 to 11.3 km depending on the course.

Why golfers' backs feel it

Golf looks gentle from the clubhouse, but the swing is a big rotation, repeated again and again. In a survey of 1,634 Australian amateur golfers, the lower back was the most common injury site, making up 25% of golf-related injuries in the previous year. Golfers said the swing was the most common cause, with the follow-through linked to the greatest likelihood of injury.

The ladies know it too. A study of 522 golfers in the Victorian Women's Pennant Competition found more than a third (35.2%) had a golf injury in the previous 12 months, with the lower back the most commonly injured area and strains the most common type. Physiotherapists were the health professionals they saw most.

And here's the interesting bit. When researchers watched 1,040 amateur golfers before they played or practised, only 54.3% did any warm-up at all, and the most common warm-up was a few air swings on the tee. In the same group of pennant players, most golfers said they didn't warm up, and those who didn't warm up regularly were more likely to report a golf injury. That study shows a link, not cause and effect, but the consensus statement recommends golfers warm up with some aerobic exercise, then golf-specific mobility exercises, then practice swings.

We'd never tell you cupping prevents back problems. What looks after golfers' backs is a proper warm-up, good swing technique, strength and mobility work, sensible practice volumes and seeing a physio early. But a warm, calm ritual for your back before and after your round is a lovely way to look after yourself.

First, what the research really says

We love cupping, but we'll always be honest with you. A 2018 review of cupping studies in athletes found some small trials with encouraging results for how athletes felt, but the studies were small and the researchers said no firm recommendation could be made either way. The US National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health agrees there isn't enough high-quality research yet.

Red light is being studied in sport too. A 2015 meta-analysis of small trials reported promising early results, but those studies used dedicated lasers and LED devices at specific doses, and leading researchers in the field have called for higher-quality studies. So the Pulse Cup's red light is a cosy glow that comes with the warmth, not a medical treatment.

Think of the Pulse Cup as a relaxing, feel-good part of your golf week, alongside your warm-up, not instead of it.

Why golfers love the Pulse Cup

  • 3-in-1 comfort: gentle suction, soothing warmth and a red light glow, all in one cup. After a cold winter morning round, that warmth on your lower back is pure bliss.
  • Hands-free: pop it on beside your spine, then sit back, check your scorecard or watch the golf on TV
  • 6 gradual levels of suction and warmth, capped at a sensible maximum, so it's a gentler choice than cranking up a high-powered device
  • Both sides of your back at once with a 2- or 4-cup set (or share with your playing partner after a round together)
  • Palm-sized (about 9 cm across), so it's easy to pop in your golf bag or pack for a golf trip
  • No oils needed: a damp cloth on your skin is all it takes
  • Your own ritual at home, no appointment needed

Your golfer's map

Stay on the soft, muscly areas and keep clear of the rest. Up to 5 minutes per area, every time.

  • Lower back sides: the muscles either side of your lower spine, where golfers feel it most. Keep off the spine itself, and skip the tummy.
  • Glutes: the fleshy middle of your bottom. Keep off the tailbone.
  • Lats: the broad muscles along the sides of your upper back, just below your armpit and beside your shoulder blade. Keep off the armpit itself and your spine.
  • Upper back: the muscle between and beside your shoulder blades. A cup either side of your spine (with a 2-cup set) feels gorgeous after a long day on the course. Keep off the spine.
  • Shoulders: the fleshy top, side and back of your shoulder. Keep off the joint itself and your collarbone.
  • Back of the upper arm: the fleshy middle of your triceps. Keep off your elbow and the soft inner arm.

Skip the chest. Our manual says to keep the cup away from the heart area, so the chest is a no-go zone. Never use the cup on your head, face, the front or sides of your neck, chest, tummy, armpits, groin, inner thighs, the backs of your knees, your spine, joints or tendons. That includes your elbows and wrists, so if you're feeling it there after a round, that's one for your physio.

Your gentle pre-round ritual

This is a short, calm "get ready" moment at home, not a replacement for your warm-up at the course.

Before you start: check your skin for sunburn, scratches or irritation, then wipe the area with a damp cloth. Both the cordless Pulse Cup and the Pulse Cup Pro (plug-in) switch on at level 3 suction and heat, so tap the suction button round to level 1 for your first few sessions. Leave the warmth on.

  1. Lower back sides (2 to 3 minutes). With a 2-cup set, pop a cup either side of your lower spine while you have your morning cuppa. With a single cup, do one side at a time.
  2. Upper back or shoulders (2 to 3 minutes). Finish on whichever area feels tight.

Then:

  • Keep it short and low. Before a round, less is more. Save the longer sessions for afterwards.
  • Leave time. Do your ritual at home, well before you leave, and allow about 45 minutes before a shower. Never use the cup while you're driving to the course.
  • Do your real warm-up at the course. A brisk walk, some golf-specific mobility moves, then practice swings, as the consensus statement suggests. Then go and hit that first fairway.

Your 10-minute post-round back routine

Save this for after you've showered, eaten, had a big glass of water and rested. Our manual advises against using the cup when you're very tired or sleep-deprived, so if a dawn tee time and 36 holes have wiped you out, have a nap first and enjoy your cup later in the day.

Before you start: wash off sunscreen and sweat, pat dry, check for sunburn, bites or scratches, then wipe the area with a damp cloth. Start at level 1 if you're new to the cup, and leave the warmth on.

With a 2-cup set

  1. Lower back sides (4 minutes). Lie on your tummy or sit leaning forward on a chair, and place a cup either side of your lower spine.
  2. Glutes (3 minutes). Lie on your side or tummy and place a cup on the fleshy middle of each glute.
  3. Upper back (3 minutes). Finish with a cup either side of your spine, between your shoulder blades.

With a single cup

  1. Right side of the lower back (2½ minutes).
  2. Left side of the lower back (2½ minutes).
  3. Right glute (2½ minutes).
  4. Left glute (2½ minutes).

Then, either way:

  • Build up slowly. Over the following sessions, you can nudge the suction up a level at a time, only if it feels comfortable.
  • Finish and wait about 45 minutes before your next shower or bath.

Short on time? Just do your lower back. A few minutes each side with the warmth on is a lovely habit after every round.

If you have the Pulse Cup Pro (plug-in), try its soothing breathing mode for a gentle pulsing feel on rest days.

The 19th-hole rule: no cupping after drinks

We love a post-round drink at the clubhouse as much as anyone. But this one's simple: if you've had a drink, the cup stays in the bag.

Our manual says not to use the Pulse Cup when you're under the influence of alcohol or drunk. healthdirect explains that alcohol is a depressant that slows down the messages sent from your brain to your body, and that drinking too much can cause dizziness and a loss of coordination and balance. That's not how you want to be feeling with a suction cup and heat on your back.

So enjoy your round, enjoy the 19th hole, then save your session for another day when you haven't been drinking. And if you do have a drink, the NHMRC guidelines recommend healthy adults have no more than 10 standard drinks a week and no more than 4 standard drinks on any one day.

Sunscreen and sunburn: the rules before you cup

Golf means hours out in the open, so sun care matters before and after your round.

On the course

The consensus statement notes golfers can be at increased risk of skin cancer from excess sun exposure if they don't take care. Cancer Council Australia recommends sun protection whenever the UV is 3 or above, applying sunscreen 20 minutes before you go outside and reapplying every 2 hours and after sweating or towel-drying. Cancer Council says 2 in 3 Australians will be diagnosed with skin cancer in their lifetime, so a hat, sunnies and a collared shirt help too.

Before you cup

Wash off sunscreen and sweat from the area you're about to cup, then give your skin a quick wipe with a clean, damp cloth, as our manual suggests.

Sunburnt? Skip the cup completely

Never use the Pulse Cup on sunburnt skin, not even on a low setting and not even with the heat turned off. Our manual says not to use the cup on broken or sensitive skin. healthdirect suggests a cool, damp towel and a moisturising lotion for sunburn, and seeing your doctor for large areas of blistering, signs of infection or severe pain. You can still enjoy a session on a spot that wasn't burnt.

Match the routine to your golf

Saturday comp and pennant players

Keep your pre-round ritual short and familiar, and do your full post-round routine that evening or the next day. If you'd rather not have cupping marks on show, keep your longer sessions a couple of days before match day, as marks usually fade in about two days.

Golf trips and back-to-back rounds

Rotate your areas so no spot gets cupped two days in a row, and let any marks fade before you cup that spot again. Pack your cup in a dry spot in your bag, away from wet towels and drink bottles.

Twilight nine and weekend social golf

You don't need a single-figure handicap to deserve this. Whether it's nine holes after work, a hit with friends or your first round on a short course, a few minutes on your lower back with the warmth on is the perfect way to finish your day. And if long days at a desk between rounds leave your shoulders tight, our shoulder guide for desk workers has you covered.

Before a golf tournament

Your cupping before a big event should follow a "less is more" approach.

  • Rehearse it in practice weeks, so you know how your skin and back respond.
  • Keep it short before the event. If you've used the cup plenty of times before, 2 to 3 minutes per area on a low setting with the warmth on is lovely in the days leading up. If you're new to it, wait until after the event.
  • Think about marks. Suction can leave round marks that usually fade in about two days, so keep your last full session 2 or more days out if you'd rather not have them on show.
  • Allow the 45-minute wait before your pre-round shower.
  • Tournament day: nothing new. Not a new driver, not new shoes and not a new recovery gadget. Stick with what you know, then enjoy a lovely warm session once the scorecard is signed.

Tired back or an injury? Know the difference

General tiredness across your lower back after 18 holes is one thing. Sharp, sudden or persistent pain, swelling or bruising is another, so don't use the cup on it. If you've tweaked something mid-swing or copped a ball, give the cup a miss. The University of Queensland's RECOVER centre advises against heat in the first 48 to 72 hours after an injury, as it can increase swelling. healthdirect suggests seeing your doctor if muscle aches are severe and affect your daily life, or don't get better with time and rest, and its back pain guide lists when back pain needs a doctor. Your physio is your best friend here.

Safety first, every time

  • Start at level 1 the first time and build up slowly.
  • Maximum 5 minutes per area, and keep a timer handy. Long use in one spot can cause low-temperature burns or skin strain.
  • Stay on soft, muscly areas. Never on your head, face, the front or sides of your neck, chest, tummy, armpits, groin, inner thighs, the backs of your knees, spine, joints or tendons.
  • Never after drinking. No cupping after the 19th hole.
  • Never on sunburnt skin. Also skip broken or irritated skin, scratches, bites, rashes, bruises, swelling, varicose veins and fresh injuries.
  • Wash off sunscreen and sweat and dry off first.
  • Wait about 45 minutes before showering or bathing.
  • Never while driving, including on the way to the course.
  • Keep it dry. Keep the charging port dry, never submerge the cup, and don't handle the cable with wet hands.
  • Not for under-18s. Junior golfers should skip the cup.
  • Don't use it during pregnancy, with a pacemaker or other implant, a bleeding disorder, reduced skin sensation, a metal or red-light allergy, or a heart, blood pressure or nerve condition. The full list is in your manual, and our guide to using an electric cupping massager safely walks you through it.
  • Don't use it when you're unwell, have a fever, or are very tired or sleep-deprived.
  • Stop if you feel sharp pain, numbness, tingling or a burning feeling, or if you notice a blister, and check in with your GP or physio.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use the cup in the car park before I tee off?

We'd rather you didn't. Do your short ritual at home, well before you leave, and never while driving. At the course, focus on your warm-up and practice swings.

Can I use it after a few drinks at the clubhouse?

No. Our manual says not to use the cup under the influence of alcohol. Save your session for another day when you haven't been drinking.

Can I use it on my spine?

No. Keep the cup on the muscles either side of your spine, never on the spine itself.

Will I get marks?

Possibly. Suction can leave round marks that usually fade in about two days. Starting low and keeping to 5 minutes per area helps keep them lighter.

Can I use it on a sore elbow or wrist?

Keep the cup off joints and tendons. Ongoing elbow, wrist or back pain is a job for your physio or GP.

Cordless or plug-in for golfers?

The cordless Pulse Cup suits golf trips and the clubhouse bag. Charge it after use so it's ready next time (it can't be used while charging), and always keep the charging port dry. In Australia and New Zealand, the Pulse Cup Pro (plug-in) runs off its USB cable and a standard 5V USB wall adapter (not included), so it's always ready by the couch for your post-round wind-down.

Bring the ritual home

If you'd like a warm, relaxing ritual for your back before and after every round, have a look at The Pulse Cup. Grab a single cup, or a 2- or 4-cup set to do both sides of your back at once (or share with your playing partner). In Australia and New Zealand, there's also the Pulse Cup Pro (plug-in).

We're Aussie owned and ship from Queensland, with a 30-day risk-free trial, a 1-year warranty, and free insured shipping on orders over $90.

Sources

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