- Title
- The effects of improving fitness characteristics on overall performance in junior golfers
- Creator
- Smith, Christopher John
- Relation
- University of Newcastle Research Higher Degree Thesis
- Resource Type
- thesis
- Date
- 2014
- Description
- Masters Research - Master of Philosophy (MPhil)
- Description
- The game of golf is constantly evolving and elite players now use a number of strategies to maximize performance. One of these approaches is an increased focus on physical conditioning including resistance training. This has led to the suggestions that amateur and junior golfers may also benefit from physical conditioning. Analysis of golf reveals that there is substantial physiological demand placed on the body in order to repeat a consistent and accurate high-speed golf swing. Junior golfers are potentially susceptible to poor golf swing mechanics and potential risk of injury if they lack the required strength and mobility to produce and control force and maintain posture during the golf swing. Therefore the purpose of this research was to 1) establish what has been published in the literature relating to strength and conditioning programs designed to improve golf-related fitness characteristics and golf performance, and 2) design and evaluate a 12-week resistance-training program for adolescent golfers designed to enhance strength characteristics and golf performance. The findings from the review suggest that strength and conditioning programs can have a positive effect on the golf swing and fitness characteristics. However there is large gap in in regards to the development of junior golfers. As golf is a high skill sport, habits formed during the development years can impact performance both positively and negatively at a later stage, which can influence long-term success in the sport. The intervention study used a quasi-experimental design where junior golfers (n= 30) were recruited and allocated to either an intervention (n = 20) or a control (n = 10) group for the 12-week study period. Sessions were ran twice a week for the intervention period with each session focusing on the full body and including exercises that utilised body weight and/or elastic resistance apparatus. Physical assessments consisting of single leg squat, modified push-ups, side bridge hold, sit and reach, and shoulder mobility were conducted at baseline and 12-weeks. Individual handicap was used as a measure of on-course golf performance. The intervention resulted in strength increases with all variables showing high to moderate effect sizes (d = 0.64 to 0.96). There was a moderate reduction in golf handicap for the intervention group (d = 0.42). Therefore showing resistance training programs can positively affect strength characteristics in junior golfers, which may influence golf handicap. This is one of the first studies to investigate the effects of resistance training on junior golfers’ fitness and performance. This study found that an entry-level resistance-training program is beneficial to junior golfers with no prior resistance training. Future studies are needed to examine the effects of more advanced training programs for golfers with more resistance-training experience. Further investigation of the relationships between increases in physical fitness and a range of golf performance measures is also required. Also, investigation is necessary to establish physical fitness parameters for junior golfers and the impact this has on performance. Best practice in terms of strength and conditioning programs for the junior golf athlete is yet to be established and requires further investigation.
- Subject
- golf; junior athlete; resistance training
- Identifier
- http://hdl.handle.net/1959.13/1043902
- Identifier
- uon:14255
- Rights
- Copyright 2014 Christopher John Smith
- Language
- eng
- Full Text
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| Thumbnail | File | Description | Size | Format | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT01 | Abstract | 125 KB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download | ||
| View Details Download | ATTACHMENT02 | Thesis | 4 MB | Adobe Acrobat PDF | View Details Download |