Can a conditioning programme improve Handicap Index in adolescent amateur golfers?

Abstract

The implementation of off-links conditioning programmes for amateur golfers to enhance performance is often neglected. This study was conducted to determine the effects of a conditioning programme on body composition, flexibility, muscular strength, muscular endurance, cardiorespiratory fitness and handicap index as assessed by skinfolds measurements, sit-and-reach, push-ups and sit-ups, hand grip dynamometry, hamstring, quadricep and shoulder isokinetic dynamometry and physical work capacity test, respectively. Thirty-eight amateur male golfers aged between 16 and 19 years with an average handicap index of 5.1 ± 4.5 volunteered to participate in the study and were placed in a conditioning programme (CondG) (n = 31) or control group (CG) (n = 7) which only played their normal rounds of golf without a conditioning programme. The 14-week training programme consisted of a 60-minute supervised basic conditioning phase (Weeks 1-4: 9 resistance training exercises, 2-3 sets, 12-20 repetitions), a basic strength phase (Weeks 5-10: 9 resistance training exercises, 3-4 sets, 6-12 repetitions) and a maintenance phase (Weeks 11-14: 9 resistance training exercises, 2-3 sets, 8-15 repetitions) three times weekly. Each session began with a 10-15 minute warm-up and 12 static stretches held for 30-60 seconds each and concluded with a 5-10 minute cool-down. Significant (p ≤ 0.05) improvements were found in body fat percentage, number of push-ups, right grip strength, left and right knee flexion, left and right knee flexion as a percentage of body mass, left and right shoulder internal rotation, left and right shoulder internal rotation as a percentage of body mass, maximum cardiorespiratory fitness and handicap index of the CondG group. No significant (p > 0.05) changes were found in sit-and-reach, number of sit-ups, left grip strength, left and right knee extension, left and right knee extension as a percentage of body mass and left and right shoulder external rotation and left and right shoulder external rotation as a percentage of body mass in the CondG. No significant changes were found in any of the measured variables in the CG from pre- to post-test. Thus, this study provides support that an off-links, conditioning programme for golf is both compatible and necessary to enhance performance in adolescent amateur male golfers.

Key words: Exercise, golf, handicap, physical conditioning, strength.