BACKGROUND: The elbow is a common site for overuse injuries in golfers. Tendinopathies, such as medial and lateral epicondylitis, are frequently diagnosed in amateur and professional golfers. The aim of our study was to determine the effect of an ergonomic golf grip on forearm muscle activity during the five phases of the golf swing.
METHODS: Thirty right-handed golfers with a mean age of 32 years (range, 18-70 years) and a mean handicap of 15 (range, 0-43) performed 10 golf swings with a standard and ergonomic golf grip respectively. The mean and maximum muscle activity of the Musculus (M.) extensor carpi radialis brevis (ECRB), M. flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU), M. pronator teres (PT) and M. biceps brachii (BB) of the lead and trail arms were assessed during the five phases of the golf swing using surface electromyography (EMG). Subgroup analyses were performed regarding sex, playing ability (handicap < 10 vs. ≥10), weekly playing time (≤ 5 h, 5-20 h, > 20 h) and preexisting elbow pain during golfing (VAS < 2 vs. VAS ≥ 2). Significance was set at p < 0.05.
RESULTS: An ergonomic golf grip resulted in a reduction in muscle activity in at least one but up to three consecutive phases of the golf swing for the ECRB, FCU and PT of the lead arm and for the PT of the trail arm. Amateurs, a playing time < 20 h per week and golfers without preexisting elbow pain were factors that were associated with greater reductions in muscle activity.
CONCLUSIONS: Forearm muscle activity can be decreased using an ergonomic golf grip, indicating the possible role of an ergonomic golf grip as a preventive measure against overuse syndromes such as medial and lateral epicondylitis.
BACKGROUND: This study was retrospectively registered at the German Clinical Trials Register DRKS-ID: DRKS00033732 (01/03/2024).

UNASSIGNED: As a relatively novel approach to enhancing skeletal muscle health, mixed protein supplementation has shown similar responses to whey protein. However, no previous studies have examined its impact on golf swing performance. This study aimed to examine the effect of mixed protein supplementation on the swing performance and muscle strength of casual golfers.
UNASSIGNED: Sixty participants with a handicap of less than 20 were recruited and randomly assigned to a double-blind, placebo-controlled study design. The participants were divided into two groups: a mixed protein group (MG, n = 30), and a placebo control group (CG, n = 30). They were instructed to ingest either a supplement containing casein calcium, whey protein, and isolated pea protein, or a placebo, once daily for 8 weeks. Pre- and posttests consisted of anthropometric measurements, muscle strength (isokinetic knee and trunk strength, and handgrip strength), 2-minute push-ups, balance, and golf swing performance using a driver and 7-iron.
UNASSIGNED: After the 8-week supplementation period, ANCOVA, using baseline values as covariates, revealed significant differences for driver distance (p = .004) and driver ball speed (p < .001). MG significantly increased driver distance by 5.17 ± 12.8 m (p = .046), driver ball speed by 1.36 ± 2.87 m/s (p = .021). Additionally, significantly improvements were observed in hand grip strength (+2.12 ± 3.47 kg, p = .004), two-minute push-ups (+4.89 ± 8.14 reps, p = .004), and balance score (-0.37 ± 0.69 min, p = .009). No significant differences were observed in body composition parameters (p > .05).
UNASSIGNED: The intake of a mixed protein containing both animal and plant proteins had positive effects on golf performance and muscle function. Therefore, mixed proteins may represent a safe and effective approach to enhancing skeletal muscle health in golf players.

UNASSIGNED:
UNASSIGNED: Our aims were (a) to describe the prevalence and incidence of self-reported injuries and illnesses of amateur golfers over a 5-month period and (b) to investigate potential risk factors for injury.
UNASSIGNED: We recruited 910 amateur golfers (733 males [81%] and 177 females [19%]) from golf clubs in the USA and Switzerland. The median age was 60 (IQR: 47-67) and the median golfing handicap was 12 (IQR: 6-18). Participants\' health was monitored weekly for 5 months using the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Centre Questionnaire on Health Problems. Players also completed a baseline questionnaire on personal and golf-specific characteristics and their medical history.
UNASSIGNED: We distributed 19 406 questionnaires and received 11 180 responses (57.6%). The prevalence of injuries was 11.3% (95% CI: 9.8 to 12.8) and of illnesses was 2% (95% CI 1.7 to 2.2). The incidence of injuries and illnesses was 3.79 (95% CI 3.54 to 4.06) and 0.94 (95% CI 0.81 to 1.07) per golfer per year, respectively. The injury regions with the highest burden of injury (time-loss days per player per year) were lumbosacral spine (5.93), shoulder (3.47) and knee (2.08). Injury risk was higher with increased age, osteoarthritis and previous injury.
UNASSIGNED: The prevalence and incidence of injury and illness in amateur golf were low compared with many other sports. To further reduce the burden of injury, future research attention should be directed towards the lumbosacral spine, knee and shoulder.

OBJECTIVE: This study examines how maintaining a straight leading arm affects the muscle strength balance between the biceps and triceps in golfers and its influence on golf performance.
METHODS: We recruited 20 male participants aged 18-45, including 10 golfers and 10 non-golfers. The participants\' average age was 25.6±6.2 years, height 1.8±0.07 m, and weight 75.6±10.2 kg. We measured isometric and isokinetic muscle strength using the Primus RS Dynamometer (BTE Technologies, Hanover, MD, USA) and assessed golf swing performance with the Optishot 2 Golf Simulator (Optishot, Brighton, MI, USA).
RESULTS: Golfers exhibited significantly greater triceps strength (P = 0.02) and a lower biceps-to-triceps strength ratio (P = 0.002) than non-golfers. Low-handicap golfers showed more centered and consistent ball impacts compared to mid-handicap golfers. There were no significant differences in swing path and face angles between low- and mid-handicap golfers. Muscle strength and the biceps-to-triceps strength ratio correlated with driving distance, as well as the frequencies of specific swing paths, face angles, and ball impact points, highlighting the complex interplay between muscle balance and swing performance.
CONCLUSIONS: Greater triceps strength and a lower biceps-to-triceps strength ratio are key for maintaining a straight leading arm, especially in skilled golfers. While increased muscle strength tends to enhance driving distance, it does not necessarily improve accuracy. Consistent ball impact points may indicate higher skill levels. Future research should involve a larger, more diverse participant pool to validate these findings and further explore the complex nature of golf swing performance.

We investigated whether allowing individuals to exchange verbal information during dyadic practice changed the effect of analogy instructions intended to strengthen explicit motor learning by an implicit means. Forty-three right-handed college students performed golf putting, aiming at a target three meters away. Participants were assigned to one of two groups: Dyadic Practice Analogy Instruction or Individual Practice Analogy Instruction. Participants in the Dyadic Practice group were allowed to communicate with one another about the task during their practice. Before practice, participants performed a working memory capacity test. Both groups performed 180 trials of golf distributed across three days. On each day, there were four blocks of 15 trials. On the third day, participants reported the explicit rules they used to learn the task and they completed the Intrinsic Motivation Inventory. On the fourth day, they took three learning tests: retention, dual-task transfer, and social pressure transfer tests. Results of the retention test indicated that both groups learned the task comparably. Similarly, there were no significant group differences between the participants\' number of explicit rules learned and their motivation levels on either of the transfer tests. Finally, only the participants in the Dyadic Practice Analogy Group showed a significant correlation between their performance on the dual-task transfer test and their working memory capacity. Overall, we found that dyadic practice did not interfere with the implicit type of motor learning promoted by analogy instruction (i.e., implicit learning).

OBJECTIVE: There is a lack of comprehensive analysis of injuries in golf per exposure time. Thus, the aim was to report the pooled incidence of injuries in golf.
METHODS: We searched PubMed, Scopus, SPORTDiscus, and Web of Science databases in March 2024 for this systematic review and meta-analysis. We included observational studies reporting the number of injuries per exposure time. A random-effects model was used to calculate the pooled injury incidence per 1000 athlete exposures (18 holes of golf) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Incidences were separately analyzed for men, women, amateurs, professionals, and special athletes.
RESULTS: A total of 999 studies were screened, 29 full texts were assessed, and 7 studies with 269,754 athlete exposures were included. Seven studies assessed the overall incidence of injury, and the pooled estimate was 2.5 per 1000 athlete exposures (CI 0.9-7.5). The incidence was higher in special athletes (21.0, CI 7.7-45.1; one study) than among professionals (8.5, CI 7.6-9.4; one study), or in amateurs (1.3, CI 0.5-4.0; five studies). The injury incidence was 2.6 per 1000 athlete exposures (CI 0.7-9.6; four studies) in women and 1.4 per 1000 athlete exposures (CI 0.4-5.2; three studies) in men. A sensitivity analysis without special athletes had an incidence of 1.9 (CI 0.7-4.9; six studies).
CONCLUSIONS: The injury incidence in golf is 2.5 injuries per 1000 athlete exposures (18 holes of golf). Reporting was limited as only one study reported injuries per exposure time in professionals, and in total, only seven studies were found. More research is needed in all levels and age groups to better estimate the injury incidence and associated risk factors in golf.

暂无摘要。

UNASSIGNED: The role of attentional focus is a well-explored topic in exercise sciences. Studies generally indicate that external focus (EF) enhances motor performance and learning compared with internal focus (IF). However, most studies only included one or two experimental days which limits participants\' exposure to the focus conditions. This raises the question of whether the superiority of EF varies over time.
UNASSIGNED: Accordingly, in this pre-registered within-subject study, we examined the effects of focus instructions on golf-putting performance over four days, with 48-72 h between them. On each day, participants performed 15 putts under three instructional conditions: (1) EF, (2) IF, and (3) control, in a randomized and counterbalanced order.
UNASSIGNED: We observed trivial differences in performance between conditions but considerable improvements from day 1 to day 4. When using an exploratory analysis, we found that participants performed better under EF and control conditions compared with the IF condition on day 1, but not on subsequent days.
UNASSIGNED: Since IF instructions are more commonly used in practice, we speculate that the two other focus conditions were experienced as more novel, potentially accounting for their superiority on Day 1. Nevertheless, our results question the significance of employing EF to enhance performance.

Objective  To verify the prevalence of musculoskeletal pain in amateur golfers in the State of São Paulo, Brazil. Methods  The present is a cross-sectional study performed from September 2019 to March 2020 in golf clubs affiliated to Federação Paulista de Golfe (São Paulo Golf Federation). Federation players were evaluated regarding data on golf practice and sport routine by a main investigator, though an assessment form with multiple-choice questions, to determine sample characteristics and recent pain intensity by the Visual Analogue Scale. Results  Approximately 359 amateur golfers were analyzed. The prevalence of pain was of 55.15% (95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 50.0% to 60.3%); the average pain intensity according to the VAS was moderate (mean ± standard deviation: 5.21 ± 2.04; odds ration [OR]: 47,98%). The golfer\'s age range was significantly associated with the presence of pain ( p  < 0.05). The highest prevalence estimate of pain was of 68.80% in the age group between 30 and 39 years (OR: 7,33; 95%CI: 2,26 to 23,85; p  = 0,0009). The segments most affected by pain were the upper limbs (65.66%), followed by the spine (59.09%) and the lower limbs (32.83%). Conclusion  There is a high prevalence rate of pain in Brazilian amateur golfers, especially in younger players in the age group between 30 and 39 years.

Previous studies have suggested an association between conscious movement investment and inhibiting motor actions. However, no within-designs were used in which conscious movement investment was manipulated. The current study compared changes in inhibition after instruction interventions that aimed to expand and limit conscious investment in the execution of a golf putting task. During a baseline and post-intervention test, participants were asked to putt balls in a hole. Randomly, an auditory stop-signal appeared 50 ms after reaching the end of backswing on some trials, signalling them to stop the downswing as quickly as possible. Between the two tests, the participants practiced under different instructions, without the stop-signal. One group (i.e., expanded conscious investment, ECIG) received multiple explicit movement-related instructions along with the internal focus of attention instructions, while the second group (i.e., limited conscious investment, LCIG) received a single analogy instruction paired with external focus of attention instructions. The results did not reveal significant differences in stopping rate and stopping time between the baseline and post-intervention tests and the two groups. However, a mediation analysis highlighted that the ECIG exhibited a greater change in downswing time compared to the LCIG. This change was correlated with a larger increase in stopping rate and stopping time. We conclude that conscious movement investment did not directly influence inhibition. Instead, we discuss how conscious movement investment may indirectly influence inhibition dependent on the putting kinematics.