Golf

Warm-up for Golf

Golfers need to be educated about the benefits of warm-ups, particularly for injury prevention, according to Fradkin et al. (2003)^[2]. A survey of over a thousand randomly selected amateur golfers from three different golfing venues in Melbourne in June 1999 confirmed the widely held suspicion that most golfers do not bother warming up. More than 70% of the sample said they never or seldom warmed up, while a mere 3.8% reported warming up on every occasion they played. Golfers claiming to warm up stated that they generally performed stretches (89.6%), ball hits (27.1%), or air swings (23%), with only 0.2% performing aerobic exercise.

The most common reasons given for warming up included:

To play better (74.5%)
To prevent injury (27%)
Because everyone else does (13.2%)

Common reasons for not warming up were:

Do not need to (38.7%)
Do not have enough time (36.4%)
Cannot be bothered (33.7%)

Does it matter? It does for injury prevention since golf is a popular sport with no age limits. The tendency for the players to be older and often not in good physical condition contributes to injury risk. It is a stark reality that all golfers, especially the more senior ones, should be aware of. Ironically, but perhaps predictably, the more senior golfers in this study were least likely to warm up.

According to emergency departments and sports medicine clinics, the researchers point out that golfers commonly suffer sprains and other overuse injuries, as well as acute traumatic injuries, falls, and impacts with golf balls. Pro-golfers have a higher injury rate (lifetime injury risk of 89% compared with 57-62% for amateurs). Still, amateurs tend to have less well-conditioned bodies and stress their musculoskeletal systems more during the golf swing.

An appropriate warm-up for golfers would include aerobic exercise to raise body temperature, followed by stretching the "golf muscles and joints" (hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, lower back, chest, trunk, hamstrings, and groin) and, finally, a series of golf swings with progressive increases in range of movement and vigour.

One interesting finding from the study is that golfers who were aware of the injury-prevention benefits of warming up were likelier to do so. It underscores the role of knowledge in shaping attitudes and behaviours. The researchers conclude that understanding the benefits of warming up can significantly motivate golfers to adopt warm-up routines.

Although warming up is widely promoted as an essential measure to enhance performance and prevent injury in amateur and professional golfing, no scientific proof exists. But that has all changed with the research by Fradkin et al. (2004)^[3]of the first controlled study to investigate the effects of a golf-specific warm-up and conditioning programme on clubhead speeds in amateur golfers, which has demonstrated significant benefits.

Twenty male golfers were matched in pairs for age and handicap, with one pair randomly placed in either an exercise or control group. The exercise group completed a golf-specific warm-up routine and conditioning programme 4 to 5 times per week for five weeks, while the control group adhered to their usual practice routines.

Although warming up is widely promoted as an essential measure to enhance performance and prevent injury in amateur and professional golfing, no scientific proof exists.

Key findings were as follows:

Between weeks 1 and 2, golfers in the exercise group improved their clubhead speed by 3-6 metres per second by performing the warm-up immediately before their ten strokes. This 12.8% increase in speed equated to a decreased handicap of approximately four shots.
Between weeks 1 and 7, golfers in the exercise group improved their clubhead speed by 7-l0m/s by performing the warm-up programme before the ten strokes, having performed it 4-5 times a week for five weeks. It equated to a decrease in the handicap of approximately seven shots.
By contrast, golfers in the control group did not significantly improve their clubhead speed over the seven weeks. For one outlying participant, whose mean clubhead speeds varied by about 1.7m/s (but not in a progressive manner), mean clubhead speeds did not vary by more than 0.8m/s over the three testing periods.

"While the practice is essential for perfecting the golf swing," conclude the researchers, "data from this study suggests that sport-specific conditioning is also valuable. This study has shown that performance is significantly improved by warming up immediately before play, and performance is even further improved by performing it 4 or 5 times a week for five weeks."

Article Reference

The information on this page is adapted from Walker (2003)^[1] with the kind permission of Electric Word plc.

References

WALKER, I. (2003) Why Golfers do not bother to warm up. Peak Performance, 190, p. 11-12
FRADKIN, A. et al. (2003) Warm-up attitudes and behaviours of amateur golfers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 6 (2), p. 210-215
FRADKIN, A. et al. (2004) Improving golf performance with a warm up conditioning programme. Br J Sports Med, 38, p. 762-765

Page Reference

If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is:

WALKER, I. (2003) Warm-up for Golf [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article031.htm [Accessed


topics A-Z Page Index Article Library Coaching General Young Athletes Literature Reviews Coaching Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Female Athletes Master Athletes Young Athletes Sports Specific Basketball Bodybuilding Boxing Cycling Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon USA Football Training Conditioning Endurance Ergogenic Aids Evaluation Injury Prevention Nutrition Physiology Planning Psychology Skill Development Speed Strength Anatomy & Physiology Articles Biomechanics Body Systems Cardiovascular Digestive Endocrine Muscular Neurological Respiratory Skeletal Body Type Energy Systems Maximum Heart Rate Movement Analysis Coaching Articles Assessment Communication Ethics Group Dynamics Methods Philosophy Process Principles Responsibilities Styles Skills & Roles Young Athletes Fitness Development Articles Agility Conditioning Core Stability Endurance Flexibility Skill Speed Strength Training Principles VO2max Fitness Testing Articles Blood Pressure Evaluation Tests Ideal Weight Nutrition Articles Basal Metabolic Rate Eating & Competing Eating Disorders Glycemic Index Healthy Eating Minerals Vitamins Planning Articles Athlete Profiling Creating a Plan LTAD Tapering Warm Up & Cool Down Programs Aqua Training Circuit Training CNS Training Complex Training Fartlek Training Heart Rate Training Hill Training Medicine Ball Training Personal Exercise Plan Plyometric Training Track & Field Training Weight Training Psychology Articles Competitive Anxiety Mental Imagery Relaxation Techniques SCAT Sports Psychology Stress Management TEOSQ Sports American Football Basketball Boxing Cross Country Cycling Fell Running Golf Rowing Rugby Soccer Squash Swimming Tennis Triathlon Ultimate Frisbee Sport Development Funding in Sport History of Sport Olympic Games Sport Structure Sports Injury Articles ACL Cramp Cryotherapy Dehydration Hot & Cold Baths Injury Prevention Muscle Imbalance Over Training Shin Soreness Stitch Sports Merchandise Books & DVD's Clothing & Shoes Training Aids Magazines Track & Field Combined Events Decathlon Heptathlon Hexathlon Octathlon Pentathlon Jumps High Jump Long Jump Pole Vault Triple Jump Running Hurdles Long Distance Middle Distance Sprints Steeplechase Throws Discus Hammer Javelin Shot Putt Track & Field Safety Training Aids Articles Ergogenic Aids Massage Sports Drinks Supplements Website Blog Website Updates Website Information Awards Disclaimer & Copyright Help - where do I find Link Exchange Policy Visitors Comments Visitor Feedback Visitor Statistics Web Master Web Links Coaches Corner Useful Links	Golf Warm-up for Golf Golfers need to be educated about the benefits of warm-ups, particularly for injury prevention, according to Fradkin et al. (2003)^[2]. A survey of over a thousand randomly selected amateur golfers from three different golfing venues in Melbourne in June 1999 confirmed the widely held suspicion that most golfers do not bother warming up. More than 70% of the sample said they never or seldom warmed up, while a mere 3.8% reported warming up on every occasion they played. Golfers claiming to warm up stated that they generally performed stretches (89.6%), ball hits (27.1%), or air swings (23%), with only 0.2% performing aerobic exercise. The most common reasons given for warming up included: To play better (74.5%) To prevent injury (27%) Because everyone else does (13.2%) Common reasons for not warming up were: Do not need to (38.7%) Do not have enough time (36.4%) Cannot be bothered (33.7%) Does it matter? It does for injury prevention since golf is a popular sport with no age limits. The tendency for the players to be older and often not in good physical condition contributes to injury risk. It is a stark reality that all golfers, especially the more senior ones, should be aware of. Ironically, but perhaps predictably, the more senior golfers in this study were least likely to warm up. According to emergency departments and sports medicine clinics, the researchers point out that golfers commonly suffer sprains and other overuse injuries, as well as acute traumatic injuries, falls, and impacts with golf balls. Pro-golfers have a higher injury rate (lifetime injury risk of 89% compared with 57-62% for amateurs). Still, amateurs tend to have less well-conditioned bodies and stress their musculoskeletal systems more during the golf swing. An appropriate warm-up for golfers would include aerobic exercise to raise body temperature, followed by stretching the "golf muscles and joints" (hands, wrists, forearms, shoulders, lower back, chest, trunk, hamstrings, and groin) and, finally, a series of golf swings with progressive increases in range of movement and vigour. One interesting finding from the study is that golfers who were aware of the injury-prevention benefits of warming up were likelier to do so. It underscores the role of knowledge in shaping attitudes and behaviours. The researchers conclude that understanding the benefits of warming up can significantly motivate golfers to adopt warm-up routines. Although warming up is widely promoted as an essential measure to enhance performance and prevent injury in amateur and professional golfing, no scientific proof exists. But that has all changed with the research by Fradkin et al. (2004)^[3]of the first controlled study to investigate the effects of a golf-specific warm-up and conditioning programme on clubhead speeds in amateur golfers, which has demonstrated significant benefits. Twenty male golfers were matched in pairs for age and handicap, with one pair randomly placed in either an exercise or control group. The exercise group completed a golf-specific warm-up routine and conditioning programme 4 to 5 times per week for five weeks, while the control group adhered to their usual practice routines. Although warming up is widely promoted as an essential measure to enhance performance and prevent injury in amateur and professional golfing, no scientific proof exists. Key findings were as follows: Between weeks 1 and 2, golfers in the exercise group improved their clubhead speed by 3-6 metres per second by performing the warm-up immediately before their ten strokes. This 12.8% increase in speed equated to a decreased handicap of approximately four shots. Between weeks 1 and 7, golfers in the exercise group improved their clubhead speed by 7-l0m/s by performing the warm-up programme before the ten strokes, having performed it 4-5 times a week for five weeks. It equated to a decrease in the handicap of approximately seven shots. By contrast, golfers in the control group did not significantly improve their clubhead speed over the seven weeks. For one outlying participant, whose mean clubhead speeds varied by about 1.7m/s (but not in a progressive manner), mean clubhead speeds did not vary by more than 0.8m/s over the three testing periods. "While the practice is essential for perfecting the golf swing," conclude the researchers, "data from this study suggests that sport-specific conditioning is also valuable. This study has shown that performance is significantly improved by warming up immediately before play, and performance is even further improved by performing it 4 or 5 times a week for five weeks." Article Reference The information on this page is adapted from Walker (2003)^[1] with the kind permission of Electric Word plc. References WALKER, I. (2003) Why Golfers do not bother to warm up. Peak Performance, 190, p. 11-12 FRADKIN, A. et al. (2003) Warm-up attitudes and behaviours of amateur golfers. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 6 (2), p. 210-215 FRADKIN, A. et al. (2004) Improving golf performance with a warm up conditioning programme. Br J Sports Med, 38, p. 762-765 Page Reference If you quote information from this page in your work, then the reference for this page is: WALKER, I. (2003) Warm-up for Golf [WWW] Available from: https://www.brianmac.co.uk/articles/article031.htm [Accessed