•  
  •  
 

RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN GRIP POWER INDEX AND CLUB HEAD SPEED AMONG NCAA DIVISION I FEMALE GOLFERS

Abstract

Weston Franklin1, Dawei Sun1, Katie Durbin1, & Doug B. Smith1

1Oklahoma State University, Golf Research, Innovation and Performance (GRIP), Stillwater, Oklahoma

Power plays a significant role in determining a player’s golf performance. Greater power generates higher club head speeds, an integral aspect of carry distance. An advantage of improving club head speed by one mile per hour is that it results in roughly two to three yards of additional carry distance. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between the GRIP Power Index (GRIP PI) and club head speed (CHS) in NCAA Division I female golfers. METHODS: Six female NCAA Division I golfers participated in this study. The data was collected during the fall golf season. The GRIP PI was determined from countermovement jump peak power, hip rotational peak power (HRPP), and chop peak power. Peak power was collected using a linear force transducer (Tendo Unit), rotational power peak power (W) was assessed by using a dynamometer / load cell (Tindeq progressor 150). Dynamic swing peak power (DSPP) was collected with the Keiser Functional Trainer set at 15% of bodyweight and chop peak power (CPP) was collected with the Keiser Functional Trainer set at 7% of body weight. The peak power outputs for CMJPP, HRPP, and CPP were used to calculate the GRIP PI. Club head speed (CHS) was recorded by the launch monitor (Trackman). Players were instructed to swing their driver off the tee as normal. Three swings were recorded using the Trackman and the highest CHS was selected for the correlation analysis. A Pearson Correlation was calculated to determine the relationship between the GRIP PI and CHS, ɑ≤ 0.05. RESULTS: There was no relationship between the GRIP PI and CHS (r = 0.231, p = 0.660). CONCLUSION: Based on our findings of a weak insignificant correlation between the GRIP PI and CHS these discordant results compared to the historic literature warrants future investigation into alternative clinical testing measures associated with CHS.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS