Golfers with disability are limited in the execution of the full golf swing, but their performance in putting may be comparable because this stroke does not demand significant strength, balance and range of motion. Therefore, the aim of this study was to compare putting performance, kinetic and kinematic consistency between golfers with different disabilities and healthy athletes. The participants consisted of three disabled athletes (perinatal cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, below knee lower limb amputee) and three healthy golfers (age 34 ± 4.5 years, body height 178 ± 3.3 cm, body mass 83 ± 6.2 kg). The golfers' movements were recorded by active 3D markers for kinematic analyses; the subjects performed 10 trials of a 6 m putting task while standing on separate force platforms placed under each lower limb. Putting performance was measured by the distance of the final ball position to the centre of the hole. ANOVA analyses did not show any differences in clubhead speed and total ball distance from the hole. The consistency of those two parameters expressed by the coefficient of variation (CV) was CV = 0.5% or better in both groups for clubhead speed and ranged from CV = 0.40 to 0.61% in healthy and CV = 0.21 to 0.55% in disabled athletes for total error distance. The main effect ANOVA showed differences in weight shift, hip and shoulder kinematics (p < 0.05) between healthy players and all players with disability. All disabled athletes shifted their weight toward the healthy side (towards the healthy lower limb) and alternated the end of the swing. The player with below knee amputation had the lowest range of motion in the shoulder joint during the putting stroke. The players with perinatal cerebral palsy and multiple sclerosis had the largest range of motion in the hips. Putting performance of disabled golfers was similar to healthy athletes. During training of disabled players, coaches should pay attention to the specificity of a particular disability when focused on putting performance. However, individual technique should achieve the same consistency as observed in healthy players.

Charles University Prague Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Biomedical Laboratory Prague Czech Republic

Charles University Prague Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Department of Sport Games Prague Czech Republic

Clinical Department of Laryngology School of Medicine in Katowice Medical University of Silesia Katowice Poland

Department of Theory and Practice of Sport The Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education in Katowice Katowice Poland

Faculty of Medicine University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow Rzeszow Poland

Zobrazit více v PubMed

Alexander DL, Kern W. Drive for Show and Putt for Dough? Journal of Sports Economics. 2005;6(1):46–60.

Beckman E, Kudláček M, Vanlandewijck Y. Development of a skills observation protocol for sledge ice hockey-pilot study. Acta Universitatis Palackianae Olomucensis, Gymnica. 2007;37:45–50.

Cheetham PJ, Martin PE, Mottram R, St Laurent B. The importance of stretching the “X-Factor” in the downswing of golf: The “X-Factor Stretch”. Optimising performance in golf. 2001:192–199.

Chu Y, Sell TC, Lephart SM. The relationship between biomechanical variables and driving performance during the golf swing. J. Sports Sci. 2010;28(11):1251–1259. PubMed

Croix MDS, Nute M. The effects of cognitive anxiety on the biomechanical characteristics of the golf swing. Biol. Sport. 2008;25(1):3–11.

Gerych D, Tvrznik A, Prokesova E, Nemeckova Z, Jelen K. Analysis of peak pressure, maximal force, and contact area changes during walking and running with conventional and shock-absorbing insoles in the combat boots of the Czech army. J MechMed Biol. 2013;13(02)

Hamalainen M. Who was the better athlete? Which was the better team? Acta Universitatis Carolinae: Kinanthropologica. 2016;52(1):5–14.

Hurrion P. Putting on Fast Greens. Golf International. 2008

Hurrion P. A biomechanical investigation into weight distribution and kinematic parameters during the putting stroke. International Journal of Sports Science & Coaching. 2009;4(0):89–105.

Jelen K, Tetkova Z, Halounova L, Pavelka K, Koudelka T, Ruzicka P. Shape characteristics of the foot arch: dynamics in the pregnancy period. Neuroendocrinology Letters. 2005;26(6):752–756. PubMed

Kwon Y-H, Han KH, Como C, Lee S, Singhal K. Validity of the X-factor computation methods and relationship between the X-factor parameters and clubhead velocity in skilled golfers. Sports Biomech. 2013;12(3):231–246. PubMed

Mackenzie SJ, Evans DB. Validity and reliability of a new method for measuring putting stroke kinematics using the TOMI® system. J. Sports Sci. 2010;28(8):891–899. PubMed

Mackenzie SJ, Foley SM, Adamczyk AP. Visually focusing on the far versus the near target during the putting stroke. J. Sports Sci. 2011;29(12):1243–1251. PubMed

McHardy A, Pollard H, Bayley G. A comparison of the modern and classic golf swing: a clinician’s perspective. South African Journal of Sports Medicine. 2006;18(3):80–91.

McLean J. The 3 Scoring Clubs. New York: Gotham Books; 2005.

Meister DW, Ladd AL, Butler EE, Zhao B, Rogers AP, Ray CJ, Rose J. Rotational biomechanics of the elite golf swing: Benchmarks for amateurs. J Appl Biomech. 2011;27(3):242–251. PubMed

Myers J, Lephart S, Tsai Y-s, Sell T, Smoliga J, Jolly J. The role of upper torso and pelvis rotation in driving performance during the golf swing. J. Sports Sci. 2008;26(2):181–188. PubMed

Oliveira TA, Denardi RA, Tani G, Corrêa UC. Effects of internal and external attentional foci on motor skill learning: testing the automation hypothesis. Human Movement. 2013;14(3):194–199.

Pelz D. Dave Pelz’s Putting Bible. New York: Doubleday; 2000.

Schücker L, Hagemann N, Strauss B. Analogy vs. Technical Learning in a Golf Putting Task: An Analysis of Performance Outcomes and Attentional Processes Under Pressure. Human Movement. 2013;14(2):175–184.

Stastny P, Maszczyk A, Tomankova K, Kubovy P, Richtrova M, Otahal J, Cichon R, Mostowik A, Zmijewski P, Cieszczyk P. Kinetic and Kinematic Differences in a Golf Swing in One and Both Lower Limb Amputees. J Hum Kinet. 2015;48:33–41. PubMed PMC

Wiren G. Palm Beach Gardens. Greenstone Roberts Advertising; 1990. Teaching manual.

Woods T. How I play golf. Grand Central Publishing; 2001.

Do the Pelvic and Thorax Movements Differ between the Sexes and Influence Golf Club Velocity in Junior Golfers?