How Massage Can Improve Your Golf Swing

1 Apr 2025

min read

Brendan Cox

Aescape

More swing speed, less soreness? Yes, please.

If you’ve ever walked off the course feeling more “stiff robot” than smooth swinger, you’re not alone. Golf asks a lot from your body—especially your back and hips. And here’s something wild: a modern swing can generate 7 to 8 times your body weight in spinal load (according to a 2022 article published in Sports Health via the NIH).

So it’s no wonder professional and amateur golfers alike are looking beyond the range for ways to support performance and longevity. One answer? Massage.

And not just the spa-kind. We’re talking regular, targeted massage—like Aescape, a fully clothed, tech-powered massage experience that fits easily into your wellness routine. No oils. No talking. Just better movement, faster recovery, and a whole lot of “ahhh.”

So… does massage actually make your swing better?

Turns out, yes.

A pilot study conducted by NMT Midwest found that a single session of targeted massage (focused on the thoracic rotators—your mid-back muscles responsible for rotation) led to:

An average swing speed increase of 4.34 mph
An average thoracic range of motion improvement of 12.02°, with even bigger gains for golfers who started with mobility restrictions (Nelson & Ivaska, 2023)

In short: when your back and core can move more freely, your swing can be faster, smoother, and more powerful. Massage helps ease the tightness that holds you back—and that’s not just great for golf, it’s great for how you feel in your body, too.

When should you get a massage?

It’s not one-size-fits-all, but here’s a helpful rhythm:

Pre-round activation: The day before a big round
Post-round recovery: Within 2 hours after play
Weekly maintenance: On rest or practice days
Rehab: Twice weekly for 4–6 weeks if something’s feeling off

(We’ve got a deeper breakdown of how massage fits into your workout routine here.)

What kind of massage is best for golfers?

At Aescape, golfers love sessions like:

Lower Back & Glutes Focus (30 min) — great for hip rotation and low-back relief
Total Back & Glutes (60 min) — perfect for full reset mode

Both target the exact areas that get taxed most during your swing—hips, glutes, and spine.

Let us know you enjoyed this read by booking a massage and using code BLOG for $10 off your first session (30 minutes and up!). Wanna share your thoughts? We’d love to hear from you. Give us a shout at @LetsAescape on social!