ORIGINAL ARTICLE

Improving golf performance with a warm up conditioning programme

A J Fradkin¹, C A Sherman² and C F Finch³

¹ Monash University
² Deakin University
³ University of New South Wales

Correspondence to:
Correspondence to:
Dr A J Fradkin
Monash University, Epidemiology and Preventive Medicine, Alfred Hospital, Melbourne 3004, Australia; andrea.fradkin{at}med.monash.edu.au

Objectives: To determine whether a golf specific warm up programme (both immediately prior to play and after performing it five times a week for 5 weeks) improved performance in 10 male golfers compared with 10 controls matched for age, sex, and handicap.

Methods: Twenty male golfers were matched for age (±2 years) and handicap (±1 stroke). Club head speed was assessed by two dimensional video analysis in a laboratory setting. In week 1, all golfers performed 10 strokes. In weeks 2 and 7, the controls underwent the same procedure as in week 1. The exercise group performed the golf specific warm up followed by their 10 strokes. Between weeks 2 and 7, the exercise group performed the specially designed warm up five times a week for 5 weeks.

Results: The mean club head speeds of the exercise group improved at each testing week. Between weeks 1 and 2, golfers in the exercise group improved their club head speed on average by 3–6 m/s (12.8%), and between weeks 1 and 7, they increased their club head speeds by 7–10 m/s (24.0%). With the exception of one golfer whose club head speed varied by 1.7 m/s, the mean club head speeds of the golfers in the control group hardly varied over the testing period (range: 0.3–0.8 m/s). A significant difference (p = 0.029) was found between the mean club head speeds of the exercise and control groups over the duration of the study, and a significant interaction over time (p<0.001) was also found.

Conclusions: This study has shown that golfers’ performances will be significantly improved by undertaking a golf specific warm up programme compared with not performing the warm up.

Keywords: warm up; golf; performance improvement; club head speed

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