Lower Extremity Work Is Associated with Club Head Velocity during the Golf Swing in Experienced Golfers

Abstract

While the golf swing is a complex whole body movement requiring coordination of all joints to achieve maximum ball velocity, the kinetic contribution of the lower extremities to club head velocity has not been quantified, despite the perception that the legs are a primary source of power during the swing. Mechanical power at the hips, knees, and ankles was estimated during the downswing phase of a full swing with a driver using a passive optical motion capture system and 2 force plates for adult males across a range of age and self-reported skill levels. Total work by the lower extremities was calculated by integrating the powers of all 6 joints over the downswing. Regression analyses showed that total lower extremity work was a strong predictor of club head velocity (R=0.63). Secondary analyses showed different relationships to club head velocity in lead and trail leg lower extremity joints, but none of these were as predictive of club head velocity as the total work performed by the lower extremities. These results provide quantitative evidence that the lower body’s kinetic contribution may be an important factor in achieving greater club head velocity, contributing to greater driving distance and overall golf performance.

Key words

kinetics - motion capture - ground reaction forces - golf

• References

• 1 Burden AM, Grimshaw PN, Wallace ES. Hip and shoulder rotations during the golf swing of sub-10 handicap players. J Sports Sci 1998; 16: 165-176
• 2 Cheetham PJ, Martin PE, Mottram St R, Laurent B. The importance of stretching the ‘X-Factor’in the downswing of golf: the ‘X-Factor stretch’. Optimising performance in golf 2001; 192-199
• 3 Chu Y, Sell TC, Lephart SM. The relationship between biomechanical variables and driving performance during the golf swing. J Sports Sci 2010; 28: 1251-1259
• 4 Davies C, DiSaia V. Golf Anatomy: Human Kinetics 2010;
• 5 Davis R, Ounpuu S, Tyburski D, Gage J. A gait analysis data collection and reduction technique. Hum Mov Sci 1991; 10: 14
• 6 Fradkin A, Sherman C, Finch C. How well does club head speed correlate with golf handicaps?. J Sci Med Sport 2004; 7: 465
• 7 Gutierrez-Farewik EM, Bartonek A, Saraste H. Comparison and evaluation of two common methods to measure center of mass displacement in three dimensions during gait. Hum Mov Sci 2006; 25: 238-256
• 8 Harriss DJ, Atkinson G. Ethical standards in sport and exercise science research: 2014 update. Int J Sports Med 2013; 34: 1025-1028
• 9 Kawashima K, Meshizuka T, Takaeshita S. A kinematic analysis of foot force exerted on the soles during the golf swing among skilled and unskilled golfers. In: Farrally MR, Cochran AJ. eds Science and golf III Proceedings of the 1998 World Scientific Congress of Golf. Champaign, Ill: Human Kinetics; 1998: 40-45
• 10 Keogh JW, Marnewick MC, Maulder PS, Nortje JP, Hume PA, Bradshaw EJ. Are anthropometric, flexibility, muscular strength, and endurance variables related to clubhead velocity in low- and high-handicap golfers?. J Strength Cond Res 2009; 23: 1841-1850
• 11 Lephart SM, Myers JB, Pasquale MR, Sell TC, Draovitch P, McCrory JL. Comparison of Torso Rotation During the Golf Swing in Professional and Amateur Golfers. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2003; 35: S27
• 12 Matsuo T, Escamilla RF, Fleisig GS, Barrentine SW, Andrews JR. Comparison of Kinematic and Temporal Parameters Between Different Pitch Velocity Groups. J Appl Biomech 2001; 17: 1-13
• 13 Milburn PD. Summation of segmental velocities in the golf swing. Med Sci Sports Exerc 1982; 14: 60-64
• 14 Miura K. Parametric acceleration–the effect of inward pull of the golf club at impact stage. Sports Engineering 2001; 4: 75-86
• 15 Nesbit SM, Serrano M. Work and power analysis of the golf swing. J Sports Sci Med 2005; 4: 520-533
• 16 Parchmann CJ, McBride JM. Relationship between functional movement screen and athletic performance. J Strength Cond Res 2011; 25: 3378-3384
• 17 Read PJ, Lloyd RS, De Ste Croix M, Oliver JL. Relationships between field-based measures of strength and power, and golf club head speed. J Strength Cond Res. 2013
• 18 Richards J, Farrell M, Kent J, Kraft R. Weight transfer patterns during the golf swing. Res Q Exerc Sport 1985; 56: 361-365
• 19 Rose G. How Important is Lower Body Power in Golf?. In: Improve My Game: Titleist Performance Institute. 2013. Retrieved from http://www.mytpi.com/articles/fitness/how_important_is_lower_body_power_in_golf
• 20 Schache AG, Blanch PD, Dorn TW, Brown NA, Rosemond D, Pandy MG. Effect of running speed on lower limb joint kinetics. Med Sci Sports Exerc 2011; 43: 1260-1271
• 21 Wallace E, Grimshaw P, Ashford R. Discrete pressure profiles of the feet and weight transfer patterns during the golf swing. In: Cochran AJ, Farrally MR. eds Science and Golf II Proceedings of the World Scientific Congress of Golf. London: E and FN Spon; 1994: 26-32
• 22 Wells GD, Elmi M, Thomas S. Physiological correlates of golf performance. J Strength Cond Res 2009; 23: 741-750
• 23 Whiting WC, Gregor RJ, Halushka M. Body segment and release parameter contributions to new-rules javelin throwing. Int J Sport Biomech 1991; 7: 111-124
• 24 Winter DA. Moments of force and mechanical power in jogging. J Biomech 1983; 16: 91-97