Professional Golfers Association Research Articles

Integration of golf practise and strength and conditioning in golf: Insights from professional golf coaches

Strength and conditioning (S&C) interventions for golfers consistently demonstrate improvements in performance metrics such as clubhead speed. Golfers typically employ Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) coaches to support technical and tactical development. These coaches need to ensure golfers balance S&C training alongside competitions and technical golf practise, although no empirical data exist that demonstrates how this integration occurs practically. This study aimed to investigate the perceptions and practises of PGA Professional golf coaches and how S&C is integrated into the golf year. Forty-three (male = 35; female = 8) PGA coaches completed a mixed-methods survey with questions on themes such as coaching approach, perceptions of S&C, annual planning and goal setting. Results show that formal planning processes are highly variable or absent. The majority (n = 29; 70.7%) of PGA coaches stated they worked with an S&C coach and see the role of the S&C coach to support golfers with their input. However, when planning the season, 63.4% (n = 26) of coaches do so without input from the S&C coach. These and other related disconnects between desire for S&C intervention and inclusion of the S&C coach in planning processes were evident throughout survey responses. There may be subsequent risks of conflict or misunderstanding between PGA coach, S&C coach and golfer. It is recommended golf coaches, golfers and S&C coaches work collaboratively as a multidisciplinary support team to ensure coordinated golfer support is obtained.

The influence of coaching efficacy on trust and usage of technology in golf instruction

The rise of technology in sport has provided coaches with another tool to aid athlete development, but there is little research on its relationship to coaching practices. Research in non-sport domains has demonstrated a relationship between user trust in and use of technology. The user's confidence can also affect this relationship, where higher confidence is typically associated with less technology use. Minimal work has examined factors that influence technology use within the sports domain; therefore, the present study sought to determine whether coaching experience and coaching efficacy could predict golf coaches' use of technology in training. A one-time survey that gathered demographic information, and measured coaching experience, coaching technique efficacy, trust in technology and use of technology was completed by 83 registered Professional Golfers Association golf coaches and instructors. Results showed that coaching technique efficacy was predictive of coaches’ use of technology in training, where more technique efficacy resulted in increased use of technology. Mediation analyses showed that this association was mediated by their levels of trust in technology. There was no relationship between coaching experience and use of technology. Therefore, coaching technique efficacy, rather than experience, seems to be an important variable in predicting coaches' use of technology in training and instruction. Further, because higher efficacy predicted increased usage, the results illustrate the differences between the sport training environment and other non-sport domains regarding the factors that influence technology use. These findings are an important first step towards investigating how technology can be used by coaches to best improve athlete performance.

An exploratory assessment of callings: the importance of specialization

PurposeThis study sought to understand how having a calling influenced engagement, work–life balance and career satisfaction for Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) and Golf Course Superintendent of America (GCSA) professionals.Design/methodology/approachA conceptual model was used to examine callings among golf course supervisors and its impact on their engagement, work–life balance and career satisfaction. This study also explored the moderation effect of employees’ generalized or specialized role on the calling–engagement relationship. Surveys were collected from a single golf management company and partial least squares structural equation modeling (PLS-SEM) was used for data analysis.FindingsThe results revealed significant relationships among all of the variables, with the exception of the impact of having a calling on work–life balance. Additionally, the more having a calling increased, the more important it was for supervisors to have specialized roles to increase their engagement.Originality/valueThis study identifies important differences in factors that promote career satisfaction for golf course supervisors and extends current understanding of role theory.

Facilitators of African American male PGA members

African American males experience far fewer opportunities in management positions within sports organizations. Evidence shows the racial divide within the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) of America’s membership may be even more pronounced than in other sport organizations. Currently, African Americans comprise less than one percent of golf professionals that hold a membership with the PGA. The present study explores the experiences and facilitators of African American males’ journeys as PGA Members. Data were collected for this study using a qualitative approach with (N = 25) African American male PGA Members. This study utilizes the conceptual lens of Social Cognitive Career Theory to guide the analysis from the experiences of African American male PGA Members racial discrimination in the golf industry. The analysis yielded two facilitators as themes, family and social, for participants that gained membership in the PGA.

In or Out? The New Flagstick Dilemma for Putting in Golf

Fans of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) Tour have witnessed a strange sight since 2019: golfers putting with the flagstick (AKA pin) in the hole. Before 2019, players were assessed a one...

Is average club head speed a risk factor for lower back injuries in professional golfers? A retrospective case control study

ABSTRACT Background Our hypothesis was that higher average club head speed is correlated with lower back injuries in professional golfers. Methods This was a retrospective case control study of male professional golfers who suffered lower back injuries while playing golf. The injured group was composed of 14 Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) golfers who withdrew from a PGA tour event due to a back injury during the years 2017–2019. The case-control matching procedure was used to randomly match cases and controls with a 2:1 allocation ratio, respectively, based on age. Variables were chosen based on currently proposed risk factors. Data was statistically analyzed using SPSS 25 Results There were 14 PGA golfers who suffered lower back injuries during the years 2017–2019 who were included in this study. There was no significant difference in age, height, weight or BMI between the injured and control group. The injured group had a higher mean club head speed than the control group (P < 0.01). Conclusion This study found that average club head speed was significantly higher in PGA golfers who suffered back injuries while golfing during a two-year period (2017–2019) when compared with age-matched controls.

Anchored putter ban: An examination of whether anchored putting impacts career success and putting performance

The Professional Golfers' Association (PGA) Tour ban on anchored putting (Rule 14‐1b) took effect on January 1, 2016. The ban remains controversial because the governance decision appears to have been made without adequate empirical evidence. Accordingly, to investigate the efficacy of the ban, the impact of using anchored putters on PGA golfers' career success and putting performance was examined. PGA golfers ranked in the top 125 were studied from 2009 to 2015. The analysis revealed an anchored putter offered no unfair advantage with regard to improving players' career success or putting performance when compared with standard putter usage by PGA golfers.

Game of Privilege: An African American History of Golf by Lane Demas

Reviewed by: Game of Privilege: An African American History of Golf by Lane Demas Donald Spivey (bio) Game of Privilege: An African American History of Golf. By Lane Demas. (Chapel Hill: University of North Carolina Press, 2017. Pp. 363. $30.00 cloth; $19.99 ebook) [End Page 128] Lane Demas, an associate professor of history at Central Michigan University, has penned the most important study of African American golfers yet published. The author masterfully weaves the story of black golfers into the African American journey for equality and personhood. The work is laced with historical nuggets as Demas traces black golf from ancient Egypt to slave caddies, to George Grant and the invention of the golf tee, to the pioneer black amateur and professional golfers, to Tiger Woods. Blacks were pitted against the color-line in golf as they were in every other sport from boxing to baseball. Struggling for admission and acceptance in the world of professional white golfers since the founding of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) in 1916, blacks established their own association, the United Golfers Association (UGA), in 1925. Their continuing fight for the integration of the PGA was made even more difficult by the organization's official adoption of the "Caucasian-only clause" in 1934 lasting for twenty-seven years thereafter. Even the Harlem Renaissance did not earn blacks acceptance into the privileged world of white golf and its country clubs. African Americans built their own country clubs and golf courses, such as the famous Shady Rest County Club in South Plains, New Jersey, which served Harlem's elites, both non-golfers and golfers, including James Weldon Johnson, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Chuck Webb, and Count Basie. Female players Nettie Speedy, Maggie Mae Hathaway, and Sarah Spencer Washington, were mainstays in the development and promotion of African American social clubs, golf courses, and important as players. They helped to bring other black women into the sport. None excelled more on the greens than the great Althea Gibson. The author does not avoid the critics of black golfing such as W. E. B. Du Bois, H. L. Mencken, Marcus Garvey, Father Divine, Thur-good Marshall, and Ella Baker. For many it was a game of privilege, conspicuous consumption, and a waste of intellect and resources. The NAACP was hesitant to devote any of its resources to the fight [End Page 129] to desegregate golf courses and clubs. However, the struggle on the greens gained recognition as a part of the overall battle against the color line and racial discrimination with the Supreme Court victory of Holmes v. Atlanta (1955). The win against segregated public golf courses in Georgia was a substantive implementation of the Brown v. Board of Education (1954), and a blow against the counter-revolution occurring in the defiant Jim Crow South. Golf echoed the protest spirt of the times from the debates about integration to direct-action and Black Power. Joe Louis's favorite sport outside the boxing ring was golf. The Champ sponsored tournaments and individual players, along with taking to the links himself. Sammy Davis, Jr. and other celebrities lent name and fame to the movement on the greens. The author places the pioneer black golfers within the movement for civil rights: Walter Speedy, John Shippen, Bill Spiller, Ted Rose, Charlie Sifford, Lee Elder, and others. Some were, of course, more radical than others—just like the movement and its leading voices-such as Bill Spiller, one of the most militant of the black golfers who engaged in direct-action protest against the PGA and segregated golf tournaments. The final chapter is devoted to Tiger Woods and is a valuable exploration of race, class, and ethnic identity that Woods personifies. The chapter makes perfect sense, but ends the book without a conclusion or even a final paragraph in which the author ties the pieces together and gives the reader a concluding salvo to golf and its importance to the civil rights movement. That missing hole-in-one aside, Demas is to be commended for putting the game of privilege into its proper historical context as a significant player in the struggle for civil rights. His is a vital contribution to sport...

드라이버 클럽 백스윙 시 어깨회전, 골반 회전 각도가 헤드스피드에 미치는 영향

This study set out to measure and analyze the effects of shoulder and pelvis rotation angles on head speed in a back swing, which is known to have close connections with the driver head speed and club distance, with ten superior male and female golfers each that were active in League 1 and 2 tours of Korea Professional Golf Association and Korea Ladies Professional Golfers Association. The findings led to the following conclusions: 1. In a driver club back swing, the male and female subjects recorded a mean shoulder rotation angle of 108.73°±9.59° and 115.73°±6.05°, respectively. The female golfers had a greater shoulder rotation by about 7° on average in a back swing than their male counterparts. The male and female golfers recorded a mean pelvis rotation angle of 54.65°±6.71° and 54.75°±7.90°, respectively. There were few differences in the pelvis rotation angles between the male and female golfers. 2. The present study analyzed correlations among the shoulder rotation angle, pelvis rotation angle, and head speed of the male golfers in a back swing and found no significant correlations among them. The female golfers showed significant negative correlations between their shoulder rotation angle and head speed(r= -.786, p<.01).

Challenges Faced by African American Golfers Pursuing Professional Careers

The purpose of this study was to give voice to a small group of African American male and female aspiring professional golfers in efforts to illuminate the challenges they face in pursuing professional playing careers in the United States (U.S.). Utilizing a basic interpretive qualitative research design (Merriam 2002), semi-structured interviews with eight African American male and one African American female golfers who were pursuing professional playing careers on the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and Ladies Professional Golfers Association (LPGA) Tours, respectively, were conducted. Findings from our analysis of their narratives suggest the following major challenges made their pursuit of a professional playing career difficult: (a) these golfers lacked the social networks/connections and financial resources, and (b) they were not taken seriously or viewed by powerful stakeholders in golf as legitimate golfers. Contributions to the literature and practical implications are discussed.

Determinants of Club Head Speed in PGA Professional Golfers.

Turner, AN. Determinants of club head speed in PGA professional golfers. J Strength Cond Res 30(8): 2266-2270, 2016-Club head speed (CHS) has been significantly correlated with golf performance, but only in amateurs. The purpose of this study therefore, was to investigate the relationship between field-based measures of strength and power with CHS in Professional Golfers Association (PGA) professional golfers, and further determine differences between age groups. A correlation design was used to test relationships between squat jump (SJ), seated medicine ball throw (SMBT), rotational medicine ball throw (RMBT), and CHS. Twenty participants volunteered to take part in the study (age, 31.95 ± 8.7 years; height, 182.75 ± 6.88 cm; mass, 90.47 ± 15.6 kg). Intraclass correlation coefficients reported high reliability for performance variables (r = 0.85-0.95). Significant correlations (p < 0.01) were found between CHS and SJ (r = 0.817) and SMBT (r = 0.706), but not RMBT (r = 0.572). A stepwise linear regression analysis identified that SJ and SMBT explained 74% of the variance in CHS. When dividing the sample based on age, professionals <30 years (n = 10; 25.6 ± 2.9 years) displayed significantly (p ≤ 0.05) higher CHS and SJ height compared with professionals >30 (n = 10; 39.7 ± 5.5 years). Correlations to CHS for <30 were significant for SJ (r = 0.801) and SMBT (r = 0.643), but nonsignificant for RMBT. Those >30 had significant correlations to CHS not only in SMBT (r = 0.881) and SJ (r = 0.729), but also in RMBT (r = 0.642). The results of this study suggest that SJ and SMBT have the largest contribution to CHS in PGA professional golfers. When comparing age groups, it appears that younger golfers (<30 years) utilize more leg strength whereas older golfers (>30 years) utilize more upper body strength. Results suggest that strength-based leg exercises and power-based chest exercises may improve CHS in professional golfers.

The effect of a seven-week exercise program on golf swing performance and musculoskeletal measures

As most golf exercise studies have shown improved golf performance as a result of two or three sessions per week, the present study investigated the effects of a supervised exercise session performed once a week for seven weeks on golf swing variables and musculoskeletal screening measures. Professional Golfers Association of Australia International Golf Institute student golfers ( n = 43) with a mean ± standard deviation handicap of 8.6 ± 8.3 participated in the study. Each golfer performed 10 musculoskeletal tests and a standardised 60-shot golf performance test (TrackMan, Vedbaek, Denmark) on separate days before and after the seven-week program. Significant improvements in a number of musculoskeletal tests (i.e. left leg bridging (6.6%), thoracic extension (62.5%), right thoracic rotation (23.3%), and right (20.8%) and left single leg squat (29.1%)) were observed (all p ≤ 0.024); however, no significant differences were observed for any golf swing variables. Future research investigating different training protocols may help to determine whether the type or frequency of training has the greatest influence on golf swing performance.

Promoting Disposable Insulin Pumps to Patients with Diabetes: A Primary Care Perspective

Scott Verplank, age 50, has been a member of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) for over 37 years. After being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 9, Scott had a stellar amateur career, highlighted by his win in 1984 at the U.S. Amateur Championship. During his professional career, Scott won 5 PGA tour championships, including victories in 1985 and 1988 while using multiple daily insulin injections. Diabetes-related complications plagued Scott's pro career until he began wearing an insulin pump in 2000. After winning the Reno-Tahoe open, his fellow professional golfers noted significant improvement in Scott's energy level, strength, and passion for the game. In fact, one golfer approached Scott after his win, pointed to the insulin pump clipped to his belt and asked, “Hey, how do I get one of those?”

‘Friends as enemies’: A sociological analysis of the relationship among touring professional golfers

This paper examines the relationship among male touring professional golfers from a figurational sociological standpoint. The paper is based on 20 interviews from players with experience playing at various levels on the European Professional Golfers Association professional tours and a level ‘above’ that. The results indicate a workplace culture where many begin to adopt the attitudes and behaviors that encourage the development of networks of temporary ‘we-group’ alliances. The ‘touring’ aspects of professional golf means many players strive to forge these alliances to help reduce feelings of loneliness, isolation, and homesickness while away for long periods of time. Such stresses are intensified given the globalization of sport generally and the associated increases in labor market migration that have become commonplace. The urge to develop friendship networks constrains players to behave in a manner expected of them rather than in a way that reflects their actual emotions, such as maintaining a positive attitude during difficult times like spells of poor performances and time away from their families. The relationships among players on tour are, however, nonpermanent and/or partially changeable. Players are ‘friends’, characterized by togetherness and camaraderie, while, at the same, showing evidence of tensions and conflict as they are ultimately in direct competition with each other for a share of the overall prize money.

한국여자프로골프 선수들의 외모중시 현상과 스포츠산업

The purpose of this study was to examine the social phenomenon of over-interests in aesthetical values and sport industrial management among professional golfers in Korean Ladies Professional Golfers Association(KLPGA) Tournaments. By conducting a qualitative methodology of an in-depth semi-structured interview with four KLPGA golfers active in the tournament and sponsorship contract experiences, we find several research findings that are as followed. First, professional golfers in LKPGA with distinguished aesthetical values are preferred in the selection processes of sponsorship contracts. Second, female professional golfers performing in the second division tour (Dream Tour) also needs to persevere their efforts to fine-tune aesthetical values as well. Third, player age is one of the determining factors of aesthetical values of female professional golfers in sponsorship evaluation. Fourth. the social phenomenon of over-interest of aesthetical values about female professional golfers are reflected in the spectating patterns and formulation of galleries. Spectator group of galleries and fans specifically give credit to players who are aesthetically attractive and perform well in the game of professional golf. Fifth, we find higher relevancy of KLPGA players linked with beauty and plastic surgery industry due to sponsoring companies’ proclivty of interests in players’aesthetical values. Professional golfers are inclined to take plastic operations and consider it a fair investment for sponsorship opportunities. Sixth, aesthetical values of female professional golfers in KLPGA seem to prevail in golf apparel business in which players with more attractiveness can have marketing productivity to contribute to the sales of the modeled golf apparels. Finally, we also find that KLPGA is continuously educating professional golfers to put efforts in improving their appearance for their branding and marketing productivity that create overall sustainable values.

Understanding Sporting Event Volunteerss Experiences: A Critical Incident Approach.

With the purpose of bringing added depth to our understanding of sporting event volunteerism by taking a new approach to research on the topic, the current study employed the critical incident technique to explore the perceptions of volunteers at a Professional Golfers’ Association (PGA) Tour event. Our findings suggest both connections to and departures from existing work on sporting event volunteerism. Specifically, the current study highlights a range of factors relevant to understanding sporting event volunteers’ experiences, including (a) the prominence of sport interest as a reason for volunteering, (b) the importance of social interaction and a feeling of contribution in the volunteer process, (c) the relevance of management practices in impacting volunteers’ experiences, (d) the gendered, raced, and classed nature of volunteerism, and (e) the implications of the overall high satisfaction levels of volunteers.

Increasing Minority Golf Participation Through PGA Education Initiatives

The article provides a report on the successful acquisition of the Professional Golfers Association of America (PGA) golf management university program by the University of Maryland, Eastern Shore (UMES). The PGA’s accredited program is housed at 20 universities with UMES being the first predominantly Black college to offer the coveted program. The article provides interview excerpts on the process undertaken by UMES. The article also identifies initiatives by programs and associations to increase minority golf participation.

Golfers, Pros Team Up to Benefit the ASHFoundation

You have accessThe ASHA LeaderASHA News1 Mar 2011Golfers, Pros Team Up to Benefit the ASHFoundation Beverly Ryan Beverly Ryan Google Scholar More articles by this author https://doi.org/10.1044/leader.AN2.16032011.32 SectionsAbout ToolsAdd to favorites ShareFacebookTwitterLinked In http://www.asha.org/Publications/leader/2011/110315/Golfers,-Pros-Team-Up-to-Benefit-the-ASHFoundation.htm Under sunny Florida skies, more than 120 golfers, touring members of the Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA), and friends of the ASHFoundation took a respite from winter’s grip to gather at ChampionsGate Golf Resort near Orlando, Fla., for a weekend of golf, festivities, and fundraising at the ASHFoundation’s 2011 golf benefit. The highlight of the Jan. 29–30 event was Sunday’s golf tournament. An LPGA touring professional played with each foursome, a unique feature of the ASHFoundation event. LPGA pro Suzy Whaley returned to coordinate the pro player field, which included Danah Ford Bordner, Audra Burks, Brittany Lincicome, Donna Wilkins, Jackie Gallagher-Smith, Jennifer Gleason, Shasta Averyhardt, Liz Janangelo, Leta Lindley, Janice Moodie. and Jenny Suh. Many of the pros mingled and networked with golfers at the pre-tournament pairings dinner party. Touring pros from the LPGA joined the ASHFoundation foursomes on the links. “The golf benefit is a success not only because of the wonderful ASHFoundation friends who participate, but also because of the generosity of tournament sponsors,” noted Rick Talbott, tournament chair. Talbott extended special thanks to the 28 corporate, nonprofit, and individual sponsors, including ASHA (platinum); EBS Healthcare, Genesis Rehab Services, Hearing HealthCare News, Oticon, and ReSound (gold); Kilpatrick Townsend, Marsh, Pearson, Professional Golfers of America, SunTrust/Iron Oak Advisors, The Walker Group/AtSite (silver); LinguiSystems (pairings dinner); and Progressus Therapy (beverage cart). (For a complete sponsor list, go to the ASHFoundation’s website.) Members of the National Student Speech Language Hearing Association from the University of Central Florida volunteered at the tournament. First-place tournament winners in the Stars Flight were Sandy and Tom Ulrich and Diane and Arnie Eger, playing with pro Jennifer Gleason. First-place winners in the Champions Flight were Judy LeDuc, Mary Lou Poole, and Cheryl Russell, playing with pros Carri Wood and Naree Song. The longest-drive winners were Vince Wesley, Greg Kleffner, Sandy Ulrich, and Margaret Rogers. Closest-to-the-pin winners were Rosemary LeBlanc and Chuck McLean. Jim Remy, immediate past president of the Professional Golfers Association (PGA) and featured speaker at the pairings dinner party, acknowledged his pleasure at supporting the professional charity of his wife, speech-language pathologist Darlene Remy. He remarked that his job—managing golf carts, selling golf sweaters, and teaching golf—is much easier than that of his wife, who serves children in schools. Remy thanked the audiologists and SLPs in attendance for their important work and dedication to helping others. Remy presented a Ryder Cup flag, autographed by all of the 2010 team members, for the evening’s live auction. He also provided two week-long VIP passes to the 2011 PGA Championship in August at the Atlanta Athletic Club, two tickets to an LPGA event of the winner’s choosing, and two ski passes to the Okemo Ski Resort in Vermont. Dennis Hampton, ASHFoundation past president, won the package. The golf benefit and all ASHFoundation activities raise funds to support research and education in communication sciences and disorders, through research grants to new and seasoned investigators, master’s and doctoral scholarships, and clinical achievement awards. To learn more, go to the ASHFoundation’s website. ASHFoundation at the Health Care/Business Institute Chris Moore—speech scientist, oenophile, and all-around wunderkind —returns to host a wine-tasting extravaganza at ASHA’s Health Care/Business Institute 2011 on April 9 in Bethesda, Md. Even if you can’t tell a malbec from Mountain Dew, you’ll enjoy the ASHFoundation’s special evening. You’ll sample half a dozen distinctive but affordable wines and learn what makes them special. It’s guaranteed to be a lively event—and you’ll come away better able to spot the bargains in the bins at your favorite wine store. Best of all, your participation benefits the scholarship and grant programs of the ASHFoundation. The $49 ticket includes transportation to and from the event from the institute location, light hors d’oeuvres, wines, and a donation to the ASHFoundation. To register, go to the conference’s website or call 888-498-6699. Author Notes ASHFoundation annual fund manager, can be reached at [email protected]. Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Advertising Disclaimer | Advertise With Us Additional Resources FiguresSourcesRelatedDetails Volume 16Issue 3March 2011 Get Permissions Add to your Mendeley library History Published in print: Mar 1, 2011 Metrics Downloaded 53 times Topicsleader_do_tagleader-topicsasha-article-typesCopyright & Permissions© 2011 American Speech-Language-Hearing AssociationLoading ...

Injuries patterns among professional golfers: an international survey

BackgroundGolf is a popular sport played worldwide. The majority of professional golfers work as teaching professionals based at golf clubs. All professional players spend numerous hours on the golf course,...

Prevalence and severity of lower back injuries in Australian professional golfers

Introduction: The golf swing places unique musculoskeletal forces on the body generating considerable stress which may result in injuries for professional golfers. Research conducted on the US Men's and Women's Professional Golfers Association tours established that professionals sustain an average of two injuries per year with the lower back the most reported injury. The current study aims to investigate lower back injuries for male and female Australian professional golfers. Methodology: A Golf Injury Survey with severity classification was developed following analysis of tournament injuries reported on the Australasian Tour from 2004 to 2009.