The golf swing involves a complex sequence of body movements which adjust according to the demands of a given shot. The purpose of this study was to determine common characteristics and essential elements of the golf swing under various conditions. The swing patterns of thirteen elite professional golfers were analyzed using three-dimensional kinematics to determine the essential elements of optimal movement patterns for distance (DS; 1W), accuracy (AS; 8I), and intermediate (IS; 3I) shots, and a general model of golf swings. Two high-speed video cameras (250 frames per second) recorded frontal and sagittal views of the golf swings. Three-dimensional data were subsequently normalized across; (a) duration of each swing (N1) and (b) range of values and duration (N2). For these normalized data sets, F and t-tests were calculated for each kinematic variable for each point in normalized time across conditions. An ensembled plot was created for each data set and commonality and uniqueness analysis techniques were used to determine the essential elements of the golf swing. Despite similarities in the temporal characteristics of the golf swing across conditions, significant differences were observed in the top of swing positions (TOS). Lower body TOS preceded upper body TOS which preceded club TOS (p<.01). This sequencing suggested the existence of a "wind up motion" preceding downswing. The range of rotation for the hip, shoulder, and golf club segments were significantly different across conditions (DS>IS>AS, p<.05). Adjustment in the rotations depended upon the club selection and was proportional to the duration of the swing and the range of motion of the three segments. Commonality analysis results indicated that an optimal golf swing may be represented by a single model rather than a specific model for each golf club. The critical element during the swing was the constraint of the right knee and hip during the take away phase. During take away, the lower body rotated about the right leg while the upper body rotated about a point near mid-shoulders. For all clubs, the "wind up motion" initiated the downswing phase and was perhaps responsible for an initial delay of wrist uncocking during this phase. / Graduation date: 1995

The purpose of this study was to retrospective investigate perceived demands and barriers for golf juniors in their transition from regional to national junior elite competitions, and to find out what resources and coping strategies the juniors used to succeed with this transition. The developmental model (Wylleman & Lavallee, 2004), The analytical career model (Stambulova, 2003) and The athletic career transitions model (Stambulova, 1997; 2003) were used as theoretical framework for this study. The interviews were conducted with nine junior golf players. A semi-structured interview guide was used consisting of five main themes: background information, changes/demands experienced in the transition, resources that helped the golf juniors to adjust to the new level, strategies the golf juniors used to adjust to the new level and an evaluation of the transition. The result showed that the players perceived the practice as more serious with an overall higher quality when they started to compete in national competitions. The players increased their training time and started to use a variation of exercises that were similar to the different parts of a competition. The competitions were also perceived as more challenging with stronger opponents and an increased rivalry between the players. Confidence and self-esteem, the will to practice and win are characteristics that many players consider to be important internal resources in order to adapt to the national junior level. The players observed other players to learn from them and to see what they needed to improve. Many players changed their golf coaches around the same time as they started to compete at national junior level. The coaches and parents were seen as the most important external resources in order to adapt to the national junior level. Many players experienced that it would have been hard to play and compete in golf without their parents’ financial help and support. During the time of the transition, outside golf the players learned how to take responsibility and how to take care of themselves through traveling alone, meeting new people and living by themselves. The players experienced that the school didn’t have any understanding for their need to be free from school. The players also had to give a lower priority to some other things in their life in order to have enough time for golf. The biggest change was that they had to spend less time with their friends and the different activities that they used to do before.

Abstract Thanks to the superior material, the volume and sweet spot of a golf club have been bigger and bigger. If the impact surface of a golf club has also been taken care well, the driving effects of a club, it may benefit golf player¡¦s performance in a golf court. By means of a LS-DYNA solver, the researcher analyzed the impact problem of a golf club head. He also calculated velocity¡Bangular velocity and trajectory of golf ball in impact analysis with the C++ program. In this thesis, the researcher analyzed different offcenter impact of a golf club head with various horizontal¡Bvertical curvature. Then he discussed the influence of velocity¡Bangular velocity and trajectory on a golf ball. After that, he generalized the best curvature of club head and discussed (a) the relationship between the best curvature and the club head speed, (b) that between horizontal entering angle¡Bsloping angle and trajectory, and (c) that between vertical entering angle and launching distance.

Abstract With the innovation of materials, many producers verify their golf heads. To improve the energy transmission and to keep stability while batting, the researcher tried to design golf head with a composite material and enlarge sweet spot zone. In addition, the researcher utilized the CAD software to construct and analyze data. He also applied the finite element of LS-DYNA software to simulate the impact question of a golf club head. Let¡¦s understand the change of geometry, impact effects and stresses of golf head by modifying the thickness of head. From the result of simulation, the CFRP impact face of a golf head has better velocity of a golf ball after impact than the Ti impact face. When the CFRP thickness of an impact face is 2.4~ 2.6 mm and the initial velocity is 45 m/s, the speed of the ball is 68.4~67.8 m/s and the angular velocity is about 2860~2570 rpm after impact. In a vertical direction, the zone of sweet spot is about ¡V30~25mm distance from the center of golf head face, in horizontal direction about -15~25mm. In the same basis of ball speed, when the face of golf head is CFRP, the zone of sweet spot will be wider than the Ti face. When the impact velocity is 55 m/s, the thickness of face about 2.6~ 2.8 mm is better, in 35 m/s, the thickness of face about 2.2~ 2.4mm is also better.

Many golf firms of carbon fiber golf shafts are much concerned about for standard measurement of shafts for their specific needs. To achieve the purpose, the present study was conducted. Flex¡GThe researcher first hanged a mass on the tip with the butt fixed, and then he hanged a mass on the butt with the tip fixed for measuring the deflection of the shaft. Torque¡GThe degree of torsion is measured by applying the twisting moment 0.126 (kgf•m) to the tip. Vibration¡GThe cycle per minute is measured by adding a mass to the tip of a shaft and shaking it. The mechanical performance of carbon fiber composite is modeled and solved by the finite element software ¡§ANSYS¡¨ in static and modal analysis. The errors between the simulations and experiments were compared and discussed. Finally, the angles of in, middle, and out layers of the shaft were changed to see how they affect the mechanical performance of golf shafts. In this study, the errors of the results for deflection, degree of torsion, and cycle per minute of golf shafts between experiments and simulations are less than 10%. The results solved by the finite element software ¡§ANSYS¡¨ are reliable. The results of simulations also show that a close relationship between the mechanical performance of golf shafts and the fiber angles. Eventually, a series of data bases and trend pictures were provided for golf firms' reference and application.

Currently, golf club design has been widespread. No matter the appearance changed, designed for center of gravity, material application, etc, they are all pursuing better efficiency of hitting. However, there will be no optimal design with emphasize on one of them. Thanks to the parameter design of golf head with simulating and analyzing golf ball trajectory, and modifying M.O.I., center of gravity, etc, the optimal performance of club head can be achieved. In this thesis, golf club models were set up by SolidWorks. The weight of club head model was decided by different class of users, and each class of club head had four types of hitting face structures individually. Then, their impact effect was simulated by LS-Dyna solver system. In this thesis, the hitting effect for different types hitting face was analyzing by including professional Male, Female, amateur Male, and Female four different tyes of users. Then the influences on ball linear velocity, the angular velocity and the trajectory were verified. The Men¡¦s PGA Tour suitable club is reticulate face. The Ladies¡¦ LPGA Tour suitable club face is uniform slab. The Typical Men suitable club face is concentric circle. The Typical Lady suitable club faces are concentric circle and reticulate face.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2002. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references. Available also from UMI Company.

The purpose of this study was to explore the experience of strategic decision-making for elite level competitive golfers. Research in this area is scant. Therefore this study used phenomenological methods to gain an understanding of the experience of strategic decision-making for eight elite level competitive golfers. Analysis of the data was philosophically informed by Hermeneutic and Heideggerian principles. As such, five common components emerged from the data: Strategies, The-Swing, Flow-like-States, Disruptions-To-Flow, and Mind Games. The experience of strategic decision-making for these eight golfers describes a dynamic process that is effortless and natural in times of flow, frantic yet exciting during disruptions, and seemingly an effort to enhance the execution of their swing. For these golfers decision-making involved identifying a strategy with which they were most comfortable. As a result, while the process and overall goals appear consistent and potentially generalizable, the methods are idiosyncratic. Thus, the applied practitioner can utilize these results both to inform a general approach to working with elite-level golfers, but must be cautious to avoid a single, "one size fits all" solution for each situation / text

The purpose of this study was to establish the pre-shot routine usage pattern of amateur golfers using the driver and to correlate that pattern to their effectiveness off the tee. Forty eight participants including 42 males and 6 females participated in this study. The mean age of the total population was 34.6+12.4 and ranged from 20 to 60 years of age. The participants were asked to answer the pre-shot routine questionnaire. The participants completed the 5 section questionnaire consisting of subject demographics, playing experience, playing ability, driving ability from the tee box, and pre-shot routine on the tee. The participants indicated that slicing was the biggest problem. The results show that 37.4% of the participants sliced the ball 50% of the time or more. Of those individuals 4.2% sliced the ball 100% of the time. Hooking the ball was less of a problem with only 18.8% hooking 50% or more of the time. Hitting the ball fat (taking too much turf) and hitting the ball too thin (no turf taken) gave similar results, with 16.7% of the subjects hitting fat shots 50% of the time or more, and 12.5% of them hitting thin shots 50% of the time or more. The biggest difference being that none of the respondents hit fat or thin shot 100% of the time. A majority of the participants (66.6%) have a great deal of confidence that they would hit a good tee shot from an open fairway. However, that confidence level drops to only 27.1% when the fairway is tree lined and only 4.2% of our participants feel confidence 100% of the time. If the tee shot has to be made over water only 35.5% of the respondents feel confidence off the tee with 18.8% in the 100% category. The last factor we asked them to rate was whether or not they had confidence if someone was playing with them. Only 35.4% of the respondents felt confident 80% of the time or more, with only 12.5% being confident all of the time. Participants using the white, blue and gold tee box stand behind the ball and pick a target but the participants using the red tee box did not at all. It is interesting to note that the players with the best handicap and lowest average score use this technique 100% of the time, whereas less than half of the white and blue tee box players use it. It shows that standing behind the ball and picking a target may be more useful for the golfers than just lining up as they address the ball. Other elements like practice swing, mental rehearsal, and movement do not seem to have much correlation to the players ability in that they showed a great deal of variation. We can say that these elements are affected by personal habit or routine more than their playing ability. Although the forward push is highly recommended by professional players and instructors very few participants in this study used this technique. The results of this study show that a consistent pre-shot routine does not help amateur golfers. The inconsistency of the pre-shot routine these subjects used makes it impossible to make recommendations concerning the effectiveness of a pre-shot routine. What the data does do is provide the framework for additional research in which subjects are required to use the same pre-shot routine that is designed by professionals. / School of Physical Education, Sport, and Exercise Science

This creative project identifies information significant to golf course design. Its purpose is to compile and illustrate information necessary in making preliminary decisions in golf course design. This is accomplished by presenting an overview on golf and golf courses, design and construction of course components, housing, and amenities.In addition, this creative project presents a case study which applies information on golf course design to Pine meadows golf course development in Muncie, Indiana. / Department of Landscape Architecture