Static and Dynamic Balance Control in Older Golfers

Abstract

To determine whether older golfers have better static and dynamic balance control than older but nongolfing healthy adults. Eleven golfers and 12 control participants (all male; 66.2 +/- 6.8 and 71.3 +/- 6.6 yr old, respectively) were recruited. Duration of static single-leg stance was timed. Control of body sway was assessed in single-leg stance during forward and backward platform perturbations. The lunge distance normalized with respect to each participant's height was used to compare the 2 groups in a forward-lunge test. Golfers maintained significantly longer duration in static single-leg stance. They achieved less anteroposterior body sway in perturbed single-leg stance and lunged significantly farther than did control participants. The better static and dynamic balance control exhibited by older golfers possibly reflects the effects of weight transfers from repeated golf swings during weight shift from 2-leg to predominantly 1-leg stance and from walking on uneven fairways.