Recreational Golfers Research Articles

Assessment of Bilateral Glenohumeral Posterior Capsule Tightness in Recreational Golfers

Assessment of Bilateral Glenohumeral Posterior Capsule Tightness in Recreational Golfers

The required number of trials for biomechanical analysis of a golf swing

ABSTRACT The increasing interest in the biomechanical analysis of the golf swing warrants establishing the minimum number of trials required to obtain reliable data. Several such methods have been suggested previously for other movement tasks, and it has been shown that the number of required trials depends on the method used and on the task examined. This study aimed to compare three methods of reliability: a sequential average, intraclass correlations, and a modified version of the standard error of measurement (SEMind). Kinematic and kinetic data of 10 recreational golfers performing 15 shots with both a six-iron and a driver was collected using a ten-camera motion capture system and force platforms. Range-of-motion, velocity, joint moments, and ground reaction forces were extracted and analysed using the three methods. The sequential average method yielded the highest number of required trials (12), while the intraclass correlations and SEMind both resulted in lower numbers of required trials (4). Considering the variability between participants and strengths and limitations of the various methods, we conclude that 8 trials is sufficient for biomechanical analyses of a golf swing and recommend the SEMind method for determining how many swings should be collected.

A 'Movement Screening Test' of Functional Control Ability in Female Recreation Golfers and Non-Golfers over the Age of 80 Years: A Reliability Study.

Assessing function in elderly populations predominantly aims to quantify the risk of falling. Current assessment methods do not consider changes associated with aging in movement coordination patterns and the ability to control movement. The aim of this study was to examine the intra-rater reliability of a ‘Movement Screening Test’ (MST) in females over 80 years across a range of physical activity levels, who were golfers and non-golfers. Female recreational golfers (N = 21) and non-golfers (N = 10) aged 80 to 87 years performed the MST. The MST consists of three tests: Test 1, sit to stand with arm lift; Test 2, trunk lean with knee bend and opposite arm lift; Test 3, chest rotation with neutral head and pelvis. Videos of the MST were analyzed and scored according to specific criteria. The videos were reviewed on two separate occasions to quantify the intra-rater reliability of scoring of the MST. Intra-rater reliability (κ) of the MST demonstrated substantial agreement for 11/23 criteria (κ = 0.65 and to 0.78) and excellent agreement for 9/23 criteria (κ = 0.81 to 1). Therefore, the reliability of the MST for women aged 80 years and over was established. The MST test and scoring system may be further refined to improve reliability. Further investigations could explore coordination patterns in older people, how these relate to various aspects of musculoskeletal function, and how they vary between different populations.

Don't look, don't think, just do it! Toward an understanding of alpha gating in a discrete aiming task.

Prior to and during movement, oscillatory alpha activity gates cognitive resources toward motor areas of the cortex by inhibiting neuronal excitability in nonmotor areas. The present study examined the effect of manipulating target variability on this alpha gating phenomenon. Using a baseline‐test‐retention design, we measured EEG alpha power, performance accuracy, and task difficulty in 32 recreational golfers as they putted golf balls (20 per target) to one central target (baseline, retention) and four targets of different directions and extents (manipulation). For participants in the random group (n = 16), target location varied with each repetition in a random fashion, whereas for participants in the blocked group (n = 16), it was kept constant within blocks. Regional analyses revealed a focal pattern of lower central alpha and higher occipital and temporal alpha. This topography was specific to preparation for movement and was associated with performance: smallest performance errors were preceded by decreased central combined with increased occipital alpha. The random group performed worse than the blocked group and found the task more difficult. Importantly, left temporal alpha prior to movement onset was lower for the random group than the blocked group. No group differences were found at baseline or retention. Our study proved that alpha gating can be altered by manipulating intertrial variability and thereby demonstrated the utility of the alpha gating model. Our findings underscore the importance of inhibiting occipital and left temporal areas when performing movements and provide further evidence that alpha gating reflects neural efficiency during motor tasks.

"The Thrill of Victory . . . and the Agony of Defeat": Passion and Emotional Reactions to Success and Failure Among Recreational Golfers.

The dualistic model of passion proposes two distinct forms of passion: obsessive (OP) and harmonious (HP). The purpose of this research was to test if emotional reactivity following athletic successes and failures was related to one's levels of HP and OP for sport. The authors recruited recreational golfers (N = 115) to report how they typically felt after they experienced successes and failures on the golf course. Results of multilevel modeling analyses supported the hypotheses and revealed that OP moderated the effects of success and failure on both positive and negative affect: OP was associated with higher levels of positive affect following success, as well as higher levels of negative affect following failure. These results suggest that OP, but not HP, is associated with greater emotional reactivity to the experience of success and failure in sport.

Return to Play Among Golfers Undergoing Hip Arthroscopy: Short- to Mid-term Follow-up.

There are approximately 25 million amateur golfers in the United States, making up almost 10% of the entire US population. The purpose of this study was to evaluate short-term outcomes and rates of return to sport among recreational golfers who underwent hip arthroscopy for the treatment of labral tears. Data were prospectively collected and retrospectively reviewed for patients who underwent hip arthroscopy by one surgeon between August 2008 and February 2015. Exclusion criteria were previous ipsilateral hip surgeries or conditions, preoperative Tönnis osteoarthritis grade greater than 1, or workers' compensation status. Patients who played golf at a recreational level within 1 year prior to their surgery, attempted to return to golf postoperatively, and had preoperative and minimum 2-year postoperative measures for the modified Harris hip score, Nonarthritic Hip Score, Hip Outcome Score-Sports Specific Subscale, and visual analog scale for pain were included in the final cohort. Data on return to sport, surgical complications, and secondary surgeries were recorded. Of the 49 patients eligible for inclusion, 40 (81.6%) had minimum 2-year follow-up at a mean of 51.0 months. Mean age at surgery was 49.1 years. All patient-reported outcomes and visual analog scale scores were significantly improved at latest follow-up. Thirty-six (90%) of the 40 patients returned to golf after surgery. Hip arthroscopy leads to significant improvement in patient-reported outcomes and a high rate of return to sport for recreational golfers presenting with labral tears. Therefore, it is a good treatment option for this patient population. [Orthopedics. 2018; 41(4):e545-e549.].

Testing the relationships among motivation, service quality, customer satisfaction and loyalty: A case of recreational golfers in south korea

Competition among golf courses in South Korea for recruiting and retaining customers has increased dramatically over the years as the number of golf courses grew. Therefore, it has become important for golf course managers to understand what attracts golfers to their golf courses. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among motivation, service quality, customer satisfaction, and loyalty among recreational golfers in South Korea. Total 563 recreational golfers participated in this study and responded to a self-administered survey measuring the constructs. The result showed that intrinsic motivation and extrinsic motivation were positively associated with service quality whereas amotivation was negatively related to service quality. In addition, golfers’ perceived service quality had a positive impact on golfers’ satisfaction and loyalty towards golf courses. These results suggest that golf course managers should understand the types and levels of motivation golfers have and develop strategies for enhancing service quality.

Practice Makes Efficient: Cortical Alpha Oscillations Are Associated With Improved Golf Putting Performance.

Practice of a motor skill results in improved performance and decreased movement awareness. The psychomotor efficiency hypothesis proposes that the development of motor expertise through practice is accompanied by physiological refinements whereby irrelevant processes are suppressed and relevant processes are enhanced. The present study employed a test–retest design to evaluate the presence of greater neurophysiological efficiency with practice and mediation analyses to identify the factors accounting for performance improvements, in a golf putting task. Putting performance, movement-specific conscious processing, electroencephalographic alpha power and alpha connectivity were measured from 12 right-handed recreational golfers (age: M = 21 years; handicap: M = 23) before and after 3 practice sessions. As expected, performance improved and conscious processing decreased with training. Mediation analyses revealed that improvements in performance were partly attributable to increased regional gating of alpha power and reduced cross-regional alpha connectivity. However, changes in conscious processing were not associated with performance improvements. Increased efficiency was manifested at the neurophysiological level as selective inhibition and functional isolation of task-irrelevant cortical regions (temporal regions) and concomitant functional activation of task-relevant regions (central regions). These findings provide preliminary evidence for the development of greater psychomotor efficiency with practice in a precision aiming task.

Different Warm-Up Protocols on Immediate Golf Drive Performance in Recreational Golfers

It has been recommended that golfers perform a warm-up routine before playing. Currently, the optimal warm-up routine to improve performance of a maximal golf drive is not clear, however, research does recommend active-dynamic stretching as opposed to static stretching during warm-up. At present, there have been no studies conducted using recreational golfers to research functional resistance exercises towards immediate performance of golf. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess the effects of three different warm-up protocols in recreational golfers on immediate golf performance of a maximal golf drive by measuring maximum club head speed (MCHS), maximal driving distance (MDD), and smash factor (SF). METHODS: Golf performance factors were evaluated for 17 adult recreational golf participants after they performed three different warm-up protocols, (1) no warm-up, (2) active-dynamic warm-up, and (3) functional resistance warm-up, on three, non-consecutive days. To examine the differences of the golf performance, three one-way repeated measured (within subjects) ANOVA were utilized between the three different warm up protocols with 2-tailed testing. Pairwise comparisons between the three different warm up protocols were also analyzed. RESULTS: No significant effect was found (F(2,32) = .483, p > .05) and no significant difference exists between MCHS and the three warm up protocols (p = .621). No significant effect was found (F(2,32) = .1.265, p > .05) and no significant difference exists between MDD and the three warm up protocols (p = .296). No significant effect was found (F(2,32) = .853, p > .05) and no significant difference exists between SF and the three warm up protocols (p = .436). Regardless of the warm up type, there was no significant difference between the golf performance factors of MCHS, MDD, or SF. CONCLUSION: Future research is needed in order to accurately assess and find an optimal warm-up protocol for recreational golfers.

Dynamic Hip Kinematics During the Golf Swing After Total Hip Arthroplasty

Background: Although most surgeons allow their patients to play golf after total hip arthroplasty (THA), the effect on the implant during the golf swing is still unclear. Purpose: To evaluate hip kinematics during the golf swing after THA. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: Eleven hips in 9 patients who underwent primary THA were analyzed. All patients were right-handed recreational golfers, and these 11 hips included 6 right hips and 5 left hips. Periodic radiographic images of the golf swing were taken using a flat-panel x-ray detector. Movements of the hip joint and components were assessed using 3-dimensional–to–2-dimensional model-to-image registration techniques. Liner-to-neck contact and translation of the femoral head with respect to the acetabular cup (cup-head translation) were examined. Hip kinematics, orientation of components, and maximum cup-head translation were compared between patients with and without liner-to-neck contact. Results: On average, the golf swing produced approximately 50° of axial rotation in both lead and trail hips. Liner-to-neck contact was observed in 4 hips with elevated rim liners (2 lead hips and 2 trail hips) at maximum external rotation. Neither bone-to-bone nor bone-to-implant contact was observed at any phases of the golf swing in any of the hips. Four hips with liner-to-neck contact had significantly larger maximum external rotation (37.9° ± 7.0° vs 20.6° ± 9.9°, respectively; P = .01) and more cup anteversion (26.5° ± 6.1° vs 10.8° ± 8.9°, respectively; P = .01) than hips without liner-to-neck contact. No significant differences between hips with and without contact were found for cup inclination (42.0° ± 2.5° vs 38.1° ± 5.5°, respectively; P = .22), combined anteversion (45.3° ± 8.9° vs 51.4° ± 7.9°, respectively; P = .26), or maximum cup-head translation (1.3 ± 0.3 mm vs 1.5 ± 0.4 mm, respectively; P = .61). Conclusion: In this analysis, the golf swing did not produce excessive hip rotation or cup-head translation in any hips. However, liner-to-neck contact during the golf swing was observed in 36% of the hips, with unknown effects on the long-term results. Clinical Relevance: Golf is an admissible sport after THA because dynamic hip stability was observed. However, the implant position, especially cup anteversion and the use of elevated rim liners, promoted liner-to-neck contact.

Spontaneous Rupture of the Extensor Carpi Radialis Brevis and Radial Collateral Ligament of the Elbow in a Recreational Golfer: Surgical Experience of Repair of a Chronic Retracted Tendon and Ligament

Lateral epicondylitis with rupture of the radial collateral ligament of the elbow has not been reported in the literature. We report on a case of a recreational golfer who had not received steroid injection and had no trauma history. The patient was treated with open surgi-cal repair. At 2 years follow-up, satisfactory clinical and radiological outcomes were observed with return to pre-injury level. The authors report this case and review the literature. (Clin Shoulder Elbow 2016;19(1):39-42)Key Words: Open extensor carpi radialis brevis repair; Lateral epicondylitis; Radial collateral ligament rupture

Effects of a 14-Week Golf-Specific Strength Training Program on Pelvic Rotational Velocity and Ball Impact Position using the K-Vest: A Case Report

The purpose of this case study was to examine the effects of a golf-specific strength-training program on pelvic rotational velocity and pelvis and upper body torso position at ball impact position. One middle-aged male recreational golfer (42 years, handicap 25) completed a 14-week strength-training program. Swing analysis was tested at Weeks 1, 8, and 14 using a biofeedback 3D motion analysis system. A significant increase of 6% in pelvic rotational velocity occurred between midtest and posttest (pre = 393 ± 6.8°, mid = 377 ± 10.6°, post = 418 ± 9.9°). However, swing mechanics at impact position worsened, which is likely due to the lack of practice time and/or lack of technical instruction. A golf-specific strength-training program that targets rotational power will improve pelvic rotational velocity. In low-skilled golfers, however, proper technical instruction is needed to observe an improvement in body position at ball impact.

The Ryder Cup, national identities and team USA

The biennial Ryder Cup competition, where the best players from the USA face their European counterparts in a three-day match, is often promoted as the third biggest sporting event in the world. Whilst such a claim is a contested one, the event does offer an interesting case to look at the role of the nation in an international sporting competition. Based upon an analysis of media coverage of the 2008 match, together with a survey of recreational golfers, this study considers the significance of the Ryder Cup in relation to national identity in the USA. The research highlights that the Ryder Cup is used as an important site for framing narratives of the nation in media discourse but is not something considered as particularly important for a sample of recreational golfers. This work, on an international sporting event that has received limited attention to date, shows some of the issues involved in framing and understanding sport as a means of national representation.

Love at First Try? How Reliable is a First Impression for Selecting a Golf Putter?

In the game of golf the putter is used for 40 to 50 percent of all strokes during a round. Therefore, it is important for a golfer to find the putter that suits the own game best and that promises the most success on the green. Compared to all their other golf clubs, average recreational golfers usually select their putter relatively fast - the main criterion for choosing a specific putter being the first impression after a few practice strokes. The purpose of this paper therefore is to find out whether this first impression is reliable in the process of finding a putter, a study was completed. The study was conducted with ninety test subjects of varying skill levels and experience. This study used three different types of putters. The putting accuracy of each test subject with every test putter was recorded. The subjects had to twice fill in a questionnaire about their perception of the putters’ properties before (Q1) and after (Q2) the putting sequences. The results of Q1 and Q2 were set in relation to the analysis of putting accuracy resulting in low number of successful identifications for Q1 and more than twice the number of successful identifications of Q2. An analysis of the handicap and the playing experience of the test subjects indicates that golfers of all skill and experience levels are able to find the best putter through the first impression. However, the results showed that the identification rate is still low. The paper therefore concludes that a golfer should not rely on the first impression alone.

Frequency-effect of playing screen golf on body composition and golf performance in middle-aged men.

There are many studies showing that physical training improves body composition including bone mineral density (BMD) in almost all subjects. However, the frequency-dependent effect of playing golf on body composition is still not clearly comprehended. Moreover, the effect of screen golf in relations with exercise-frequency on body composition and golf performance has not been documented. Forty year old men participated and were classified into 4 groups: Control group (n= 10), BMD1 group (n= 10) played screen golf less than 1 day per a week, BMD2–3 group (n= 10) played screen golf 2–3 days per a week, and BMD5 group (n= 10) played screen golf 5 days per week. Dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) was performed on 30 male recreational golfers and 10 sedentary individuals. The data gained through DXA were fat mass, lean mass, regional (head, rib, arm, leg, pelvis, spine and trunk) BMD level, and total BMD level summed by regional scores. The club speeds were measured using the Golfzon Vision machine and the handicap points were measured using a simple questionnaire. The present results suggest that the long-frequency of playing screen golf does not improve bone mineral density, lean mass, and handicap point yet improves fat mass and club speed in the middle-aged men.

Investigating the efficacy of neurofeedback training for expediting expertise and excellence in sport

ObjectivesThis experiment examined whether electroencephalographic (EEG)-based neurofeedback could be used to train recreational golfers to regulate their brain activity, expedite skill acquisition, and promote robust performance under pressure. DesignWe adopted a mixed-multifactorial design, with group (neurofeedback, control) as a between-subjects factor, and pressure (low, high), session (pre-test, acquisition 1, acquisition 2, acquisition 3, post-test), block (putts within each training session), and epoch (cortical activity in the seconds around movement initiation) as within-subject factors. MethodsRecreational golfers received three hours of either true (to reduce frontal EEG high-alpha power, N = 12) or false (control, N = 12) neurofeedback training sandwiched between pre-test and post-test sessions during which we collected measures of cortical activity (EEG) and putting performance under both low and high pressure conditions. ResultsIndividuals in the neurofeedback group learned to reduce their frontal high-alpha power before striking putts. Despite causing this more “expert-like” pattern of cortical activity, neurofeedback training failed to selectively enhance performance, as both groups improved their putting performance similarly from the pre-test to the post-test. Finally, both groups performed robustly under pressure. ConclusionsPerformers can learn to regulate their brain activity using neurofeedback training. However, research identifying the cortical correlates of expertise is required to refine neurofeedback interventions if this training method is to expedite learning. Suggestions for future neurofeedback interventions are discussed.

Sandbagging: Faking Incompetence on the Golf Course

Sandbagging is a self-presentation strategy involving the false claim of inability. A golfer sandbags by intentionally inflating his or her handicap. Over 2,400 active recreational golfers participated in the study. The vast majority of these golfers claimed they would be unwilling to sandbag even in a setting where sandbagging was prevalent and one could sandbag without getting caught. Golfers who were willing to inflate their handicaps scored higher on Gibson and Sachau’s (2000) trait sandbagging scale, were more likely to believe that sandbagging is common, and were more likely to use interpersonal sandbagging on the course (direct claims of inability) than golfers who were unwilling to inflate their handicaps. Motives for sandbagging are discussed as are suggestions for reducing sandbagging.

Differences in Frontal Plane Knee Moments Between Elite and Recreational Golfers

Differences in Frontal Plane Knee Moments Between Elite and Recreational Golfers

Differences in Center Of Pressure Shifts And Ball Contact Characteristics Between Recreational And Elite Golfers

Differences in Center Of Pressure Shifts And Ball Contact Characteristics Between Recreational And Elite Golfers

Goal Orientation of Recreational Golfers

Over 2,400 active, adult, recreational golfers completed a golf-related goal orientation questionnaire. This measure included a six-item task orientation scale and a six-item ego orientation scale. The scales were reliable and the factor structure of the questionnaire was consistent across gender, age, and ability groups. Golfers scored considerably higher on task orientation than ego orientation. Players scoring high on task orientation were more likely to take a golf fitness course, practice at a range, practice at a simulator, practice at home, and read about golf than players who scored low on the scale. Golfers who scored high on the ego orientation scale played more golf and had a somewhat lower handicap than golfers who scored low on the scale. The benefits of task and ego orientations are discussed.