Benefits of Traditional and Golf-specific Resistance Training in Amateur Female Golfers

Amateur female golfers were randomized to either a functional weight lifting group or a traditional weight lift group. Testing, consisting of performance measures and golf measures, was performed at baseline and after 10 weeks of weight lifting.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Improved Performance in Amateur Female Golfers (MESH Term: Body Composition)
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Traditional strengthening; Other: Functional Strengthening

Detailed Description

A randomized control trial to compare the effects of 10 weeks of two different types of training in recreationally active female golfers was performed. Participants were recruited through postings at local country clubs and public golf courses, as well as through emails to state and local women's golf associations. Following written informed consent approved by the university's institutional review board, participants completed a medical and golf history questionnaire. Golf-specific information gathered via the history form included self-reported number of years playing golf, handicap, frequency of play, frequency of practice. Baseline testing followed, consisting of measurement of height and weight using a stadiometer, bone density and body composition using dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA), 7-iron and driver club speed and total ball distance using a golf simulator (High Definition Golf, Interactive Sports Technologies, Vaughan, Ontario), and physical performance tests. Participants were then randomly assigned, using a random number generator, to either a traditional resistance training group (TRAD) or a golf-specific resistance training group (GSRT). Resistance training was conducted 3 days per week for 10 weeks. Each training session was directly supervised by at least one of the researchers, such that correct technique and appropriate resistance could be monitored. Following the 10 weeks of training, participants repeated the testing procedures under similar conditions as baseline testing.

• Study Type: Interventional
• Enrollment (Actual): 45
• Phase: Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• United States
  • North Carolina
    • High Point, North Carolina, United States, 27262
      • Human Biomechanics and Physiology Study

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: 18 years and older (Adult, Older Adult)
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes
• Genders Eligible for Study: Female

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• females ≥18 years of age,
• and an official handicap or completion of at least 5 rounds of golf within the last year

Exclusion Criteria:

• Exclusion criteria were current episode of musculoskeletal pain,
• unable to stand and swing a golf club independently,
• systemic disease including but not limited to rheumatologic disease or cancer,
• or psychological or other cognitive impairment.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

Design Details

• Primary Purpose: Treatment
• Allocation: Randomized
• Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
• Masking: Single

Number of Arms

2

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm	Intervention / Treatment
Active Comparator: Traditional strengthening; These subjects performed traditional strengthening exercises of targeted muscle groups (For example, bench press, lat pulldowns, dead lifts and wrist curls)	Other: Traditional strengthening; dead lifts, bench press, wrist curls, and lat pulldowns as examples
Active Comparator: Functional Strengthening; These subjects performed exercises that either mimicked golf (diagonal chop) or that required balance and stability (single leg dead lift)	Other: Functional Strengthening; diagonal chops, one leg deadlifts, lateral plyometrics as examples

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Driver club speed	Driver club speed- continuous variable measured in mph	10 weeks
7-iron club speed	7-iron club speed-continuous variable measured in mph	10 weeks
Driver distance	Driver distance-continuous variable measured in yards	10 weeks
7-iron distance	7-iron -continuous variable measured in yards	10 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Seated rotation flexibility	sit and rotate left and right- continuous variable measured with a goniometer in degrees	10 weeks
Weighted ball golf toss	Using a golf-like motion, toss a 6lb ball as far as possible- continuous scale measured in cm	10 weeks
Weighted ball seated toss	sitting in a declined position, use a chest pass motion to toss a 6 lb ball as far as possible- continuous measure measured in cm	10 weeks

Other Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Bone density	bone density- continuous measure measured using a dual image x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scan	10 weeks
Body fat percentage	body fat percentage- 0-100% scale measured using a DEXA scan	10 weeks

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: High Point University

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start: November 1, 2013
• Primary Completion (Actual): April 1, 2014
• Study Completion (Actual): April 1, 2014

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: May 4, 2015
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 9, 2017
• First Posted (Actual): August 14, 2017

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Actual): August 14, 2017
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: August 9, 2017
• Last Verified: August 1, 2017

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: strength training; body composition; physical performance tests; golf
• Other Study ID Numbers: HPU#201310-227