GOLF PHYSIOLOGY

TABLE 1: A PERIODISED ANNUAL TRAINING PLAN FOR GOLF October – January February – May Aerobic training Strength work

Aerobic training Strength work

Muscular endurance Muscular endurance

Golf drills Proprioception training

45 43 41 39 37 35 33 31 29 27 25

Key

T1 2001-2 T2 2001-2 T1 2002-3 T2 2002-3 T1 2003-4 T2 2003-4 T1 2004-5 T2 2004-5 Testing sessions

T1 = First testing session of the winter period (– October) = bike ergometer protocol used to measure VO2max T2 = Second testing session of the winter period (– April) = treadmill protocol used to measure VO2max

Figure 1: VO2max measures for the six members of the ELGA World Class Performance Squad between 2001-2005

primary focus of the sport science and medicine support programme is individu- ally tailored training programmes, designed to ensure that a golfer has the mobility, control and strength to move into the postures and produce the

Anthropometry

movement required by the golfer and her coach.

Between 2001 and 2005 dedicated testing days were identified in early autumn (ideally late September) and mid spring

Fitness

Dates Height Weight Body Fat Test protocol (cm) (kg) %

Nov 02 161 73.8 Apr 03 161 71.5 Oct 03 161 69.5 Mar 04 161 69.5 Oct 04 161 69.3 Jan 05 161 68.1 Mar 05 162 65.7

50 45 40 35 30 25 20

An increase in aerobic fitness over time

30.1 27.3 27.8 26.2 27.4 26.1 23.9

bike test bike test

VO2 max HR max ml.kg.min-1 29.2 33.0

b.min-1

treadmill test 31.5 treadmill test 31.5 treadmill test 37.6 treadmill test 39.1 treadmill test 45.7

32 30 28 26 24 22

HB mmcl.dl-2

183 16.0 183 15.0 186 15.5 186 14.8 196 13.0 196 14.0 198 13.8

A reduction in % body fat over time

June – September

Maintenance aerobic training Golf drills

Proprioception training

(~April). During this time all golfers attended the physiology laboratory at Manchester Metropolitan University’s Department of Exercise and Sport Science, on the Alsager campus. The laboratory based test battery included: anthropome- try; lung function (forced vital capacity, forced expired volume, peak expiratory flow), handgrip dynamometry, maximal

oxygen up-take (VO2max), using the established protocols outlined by Bird and Davison (6).

As well as assessing fitness status, testing sessions were designed to educate golfers on the importance of fitness for golf. Further modifications to the battery of laboratory tests took place during this

time. For example for two years VO2 max was measured using a standard cycle- ergometer protocol because when surveyed, most golfers preferred to use a bike at the gym for the majority of their training sessions.

However following the introduction of additional support through the English Institute of Sport (EIS), a treadmill proto- col was adopted. Figure 1 illustrates the

positive aerobic fitness (VO2max) changes observed for the six members of the ELGA World Class Performance Squad between 2001 and 2005.

Following these testing sessions golfers were sent a report documenting the results obtained (figure 2), highlighting the strengths and weaknesses of the golfer’s fitness profile, and suggested training strategies to improve their fitness over the winter months. Within this feed- back report, golfers were provided with a weekly plan (drawn from discussions with the golfer) and individual heart rate zones for specific cardiovascular training sessions (table 2).

■ Nov 02 ■ Apr 03 ■ Oct 03 ■ Mar 04 ■ Oct 04 ■ Jan 05 ■ Mar 05 Figure 2: An example of the individual physiological data collected over a 3 year period

www.sportex.net

As funding restrictions limited face-to- face contact between support staff and golfers to just two 120-minute contact sessions over the winter period (this 120- minutes included time for both the physi- ological testing and musculo-skeletal pro- filing), an innovative approach to tackling training adherence was needed (7). Initially, paper based training diaries were designed and implemented. These diaries were submitted on a 4-weekly basis by post, and then by email utilising Microsoft Excel (Figure 3).

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VO2

max (ml/kg/min)

VO2

max (ml/kg/min)

Percentage body fat