Golf coaching-biometrics interface

Abstract

The Sports Sciences are widely applied to the development and progression of a widerange of sports skills. However, the level of biomechanics knowledge of golf coaches is notfully understood nor is there evidence of the level to which biomechanics is embedded intheir practice. Using the Coaching-Biomechanics Interface model (Irwin, Bezodis, & Kerwin,2013), this thesis aimed to elucidate biomechanical research relevant to coaches.Qualitative inquiry revealed the golf swing analysis methods used by coaches and theiropinions of the role of biomechanics. From the results of these interviews and the existingliterature, two distinct biomechanical studies were developed and conducted. Thedeterministic style analysis favoured by many coaches was under-represented in thebiomechanics literature, thus an investigation into the kinematics of the golf swing wasundertaken. Using principal components and multiple regression analysis, the firstbiomechanical study investigated the relationship between the movement of the clubrelative to the delivery plane and the impact conditions between the clubhead and ball.The orientation of the shaft to the delivery plane and displacement of the club from thedelivery plane were found to account for 57.4% of the variance in horizontal impactlocation variability on the club face. Many coaches expressed a belief that there is no‘perfect golf swing’, and that there were many acceptable solutions to striking the golf ball.A forward kinematics model of the body was developed for use with uncontrolled manifoldanalysis to compare the structure of the variability in high and intermediate skilled golfers.Highly skilled golfers were found to have stronger synergy in the control of their clubheadlocation and orientation. This suggests that achieving higher skill levels may be morecomplex than simply finding optimal technique. These studies have added new knowledgeof critical features in the golf swing and the control of movement variability with inherentrelevance to golf coaches. The application of these findings to the Coaching-BiomechanicsInterface model should contribute to bridging the gap between coaching and biomechanicsin golf.

Date of Award	Feb 2016
Original language	English
Sponsors	Vice Chancellor's Research Scholarship (VCRS)
Supervisor	Eric Wallace (Supervisor) & L.A. Sharp (Supervisor)