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
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:ORGSU/oai:ir.library.oregonstate.edu:1957/35134 |
| Date | 23 February 1995 |
| Creators | Fujimoto-Kanatani, Koichiro |
| Contributors | Smith, Gerald A. |
| Source Sets | Oregon State University |
| Language | en_US |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis/Dissertation |
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