Abstract
BackgroundWhen the human body is introduced to a new motion or movement, it learns the placement of different body parts, sequential muscle control, and coordination between muscles to achieve necessary positions, and it hones this new skill over time and repetition. Previous studies have demonstrated definite differences in the smoothness of body movements with different levels of training, i.e., amateurs compared with professionals. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that skilled golfers swing a driver with a smoother motion than do unskilled golfers. In addition, the relationship between the smoothness of body joints and that of the clubhead was evaluated to provide further insight into the mechanism of smooth golf swing.MethodsTwo subject groups (skilled and unskilled) participated in the experiment. The skilled group comprised 20 male professional golfers registered with the Korea Professional Golf Association, and the unskilled group comprised 19 amateur golfers who enjoy golf as a hobby. Six infrared cameras (VICON460 system) were used to record the 3D trajectories of markers attached to the clubhead and body segments, and the resulting data was evaluated with kinematic analysis. A physical quantity called jerk was calculated to investigate differences in smoothness during downswing between the two study groups.ResultsThe hypothesis that skilled golfers swing a driver with a smoother motion than do unskilled golfers was supported. The normalized jerk of the clubhead of skilled golfers was lower than that of unskilled golfers in the anterior/posterior, medial/lateral, and proximal/distal directions. Most human joints, especially in the lower body, had statistically significant lower normalized jerk values in the skilled group. In addition, the normalized jerk of the skilled group’s lower body joints had a distinct positive correlation with the normalized jerk of the clubhead with r = 0.657 (p < 0.01).ConclusionsThe result of this study showed that skilled golfers have smoother swings than unskilled golfers during the downswing and revealed that the smoothness of a clubhead trajectory is related more to the smoothness of the lower body joints than that of the upper body joints. These findings can be used to understand the mechanisms behind smooth golf swings and, eventually, to improve golf performance.
Highlights
When the human body is introduced to a new motion or movement, it learns the placement of different body parts, sequential muscle control, and coordination between muscles to achieve necessary positions, and it hones this new skill over time and repetition
Okuda et al proposed that the sequential rotation of each joint involved in golf swing [5], called proximal-to-distal sequencing (PDS) [6], is the most important factor for successful golf shots
When jerk was taken into account, the unskilled golfers’ trajectories had more irregularities and bigger changes in jerk than did the skilled golfers’ trajectories
Summary
When the human body is introduced to a new motion or movement, it learns the placement of different body parts, sequential muscle control, and coordination between muscles to achieve necessary positions, and it hones this new skill over time and repetition. Okuda et al proposed that the sequential rotation of each joint involved in golf swing [5], called proximal-to-distal sequencing (PDS) [6], is the most important factor for successful golf shots. This series of movements builds momentum from the proximal to distal segments, and skilled golfers have been shown to be highly effective and efficient in these movements by a variety of studies [7,8,9,10]. A successful golf swing can be achieved by rotating the joints and harmoniously coordinating these movements
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